Best Time to Visit Tanzania

Close to the equator, Tanzania has two rainy seasons rather than a summer and winter. The short rains usually come as afternoon showers in November and December; the long rains, from around late March to May, are heavier and more persistent. In between are two drier spells — a warm one from January to March and the long, cool dry season from June to October.

Rain rarely falls all day, and safaris run in every month. What changes is the landscape, the density of wildlife around water, the number of other vehicles and the price of lodges. Patterns also shift from year to year, so we always plan with the latest conditions in mind.

This is Tanzania’s classic safari season. With little rain, grass is short, vegetation thins and animals gather around rivers and waterholes, making them easier to find. Tarangire is at its best, with large elephant herds along the river, and the Great Migration reaches the northern Serengeti, where river crossings are possible from about July. Days are sunny and pleasant; early mornings and evenings are cool to cold.

It is also the busiest and most expensive time, especially July and August. Popular areas can be crowded, and the best camps fill up early.

The short rains bring brief afternoon showers and turn the dusty plains green almost overnight. The migrating herds start moving south through the eastern Serengeti towards the short-grass plains, birdlife is outstanding as migrants arrive from Europe and Asia, and the landscapes are fresh and photogenic. Outside the Christmas and New Year holidays, lodges are quieter and rates often lower.

This warm, mostly dry spell between the rains is one of the most rewarding times to visit. The wildebeest herds gather on the short-grass plains of the southern Serengeti and the Ndutu area of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where hundreds of thousands of calves are born, usually from late January to February. Predators follow, and big-cat sightings can be spectacular.

The parks are green and beautiful, many migratory birds are present, and it is generally less busy than the dry season. It is also a good window for climbing Kilimanjaro and for beach time on Zanzibar.

The long rains are the low season. Showers can be heavy and prolonged, some roads become muddy and a few seasonal camps close. Even so, the parks are green, peaceful and full of young animals, and the Ngorongoro Crater is rewarding in every season. Lodges that stay open often offer their best rates of the year.

April and May are not ideal for Kilimanjaro, and they are the wettest months on Zanzibar, when some beach hotels close for maintenance.

About 1.5 million wildebeest, with hundreds of thousands of zebras and gazelles, move in a continuous loop through the Serengeti–Mara ecosystem, following the rains and fresh grazing. The pattern below is typical, but timing changes from year to year with the rainfall, and the herds are always spread out rather than in one place.

Kilimanjaro can be climbed all year, but the most reliable conditions come in the two drier windows: January to mid-March, which is often clearer and a little warmer but with a chance of snow near the summit, and June to October, which is dry and popular, with colder nights. April, May and November are the wettest months, with muddy trails and less visibility, though the mountain is quieter.

The same seasons apply to Mount Meru, where January to early March and June to October are usually the most comfortable.

Zanzibar is warm all year. The most settled weather is from June to October, when the south-east trade winds keep it pleasant and dry, and from December to February, when it is hotter, calmer and excellent for diving and snorkelling. March to May brings the heaviest rain, and November has short showers. Seaweed and tides vary along the east coast, so we match your beach to the season.

If you are still unsure, start with what matters most to you: