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Practical · 8 min read

The best time to visit Tanzania, month by month and region by region

Dry season, green season and the two rains, region by region.

Active Kili Top · Arusha · Updated 27 October 2026
Elephants bathing in a river
Water decides where the animals are, and the seasons decide the water.

The best time to visit Tanzania depends less on the calendar than on where you are going and what you want to see. For a first safari in the northern parks the plain answer is the long dry season, June to October, and January and February run it close. Every other month has a case too, and a few carry a cost you should know about before you book.

Tanzania lies just south of the equator, so it has no summer and winter in the European sense. It has rains and dry seasons, and they do not fall the same way everywhere. This guide follows them through the year and around the country, using the same month ratings we put on our own safari plans. For where the herds are in each month, see the wildebeest migration calendar.

The short answer

The best time to visit Tanzania for a safari is the long dry season, June to October, when animals gather at water and the tracks are firm. January and February are a second good window, with the calving in the southern Serengeti. April and May bring the long rains, the wettest and quietest months.

At a glance: Tanzania month by month

The rains shift by weeks from year to year. The south and west follow a different pattern, described below.
MonthsWeather in the northWhat is happeningOur rating, northern parks
January and FebruaryA drier spell between the rains; hot and greenCalving around Ndutu; migrant birds presentBest
MarchRains building, wetter towards the endCalves and predators on the southern plainsGood
April and MayThe long rains, the wettest weeks of the yearHerds moving west; many camps closed; lowest ratesPossible, with care
JuneDry season begins; cool morningsHerds in the Western Corridor; southern camps reopenBest
July to OctoberDry; cool at first, hot and dusty by OctoberMara River crossings; Tarangire elephants; busiest weeksBest
NovemberShort rains, usually afternoon stormsHerds heading south; migrant birds arrivingGood
DecemberGreen; unsettled early, busy at ChristmasHerds arriving on the southern plainsGood
Next: June to October ↓Contents ↑

June to October: the best time for safari in Tanzania

The long dry season usually begins in June, once the long rains have cleared, and lasts until the short rains in late October or November. The grass shortens, the bush thins and the seasonal pools out on the plains dry up. Animals that spent the wet months scattered come back to the rivers, swamps and permanent lakes to drink, and that is where you find them. Tracks are firm and drives run to time.

This is when the northern parks are most reliable. Tarangire fills with elephants along its river, at its best from August to October, as Tarangire in elephant season explains. In the far north of the Serengeti the herds usually reach the Mara River in July, and crossings continue into October. The southern parks peak in the same months, and so do the chimpanzee forests in the west.

The trade-off is company. July and August match the northern summer holidays, and the Ngorongoro Crater floor and the central Serengeti carry the most vehicles of the year. Rates are at their highest and the best-placed camps fill early. Mornings are cool, and on the Ngorongoro rim, above 2,200 metres, they are properly cold, so pack a warm layer. September and early October keep the dry weather with fewer people.

Next: November to March ↓Contents ↑

November to March: the short rains, the calving and the green season

In the north and on the coast the short rains, called vuli in Kiswahili, usually arrive in November and run into December. They tend to come as afternoon storms after clear mornings, and they vary a good deal from year to year. For 2026 the Tanzania Meteorological Authority has forecast normal to above-normal vuli rain across the north-east, the coast and Zanzibar, linked to a strong El Niño, with the heaviest falls expected in November.

After the short rains comes a drier spell, usually across January and February, before the long rains build in March. This is the green season: the plains are fresh, the air is clear after the storms, and the wildebeest are on the short grass of the southern Serengeti and Ndutu, where most calves are born in a few weeks around February. Calving season in Ndutu covers it in detail.

These months are quieter than the middle of the year, apart from Christmas and New Year, which book up like August. In our own ratings January and February are among the best months for the northern parks, March is good but wetter towards the end, and November and December are good with some rain. The safari plans that suit February show what fits.

Next: April and May ↓Contents ↑

April and May: the Tanzania rainy season at its heaviest

The long rains, usually called masika, are the main wet season in the north and on the coast. They build through late March and are heaviest in April and May. Some days stay dry for hours; others are wet from morning to night. Tracks on the black soils of the plains turn to mud, a drive can stop while a vehicle is dug out, and cloud can hide Kilimanjaro for days.

Many camps close. In Ruaha and Nyerere most shut for part of the long rains, roughly from mid-March or April until June, and some Serengeti camps close too. At Mahale, some camps close for part of the wet season. Those that stay open lower their rates and the parks are almost empty. The resident lions and leopards of the central Serengeti do not leave.

These months suit travellers on a tight budget, photographers who want green country and storm light, and anyone who values solitude over certainty. Plan a shorter route with less driving, sleep in the central Serengeti rather than at the edges, and keep a spare half day. On our safari plans April and May carry the lowest rating of the year: possible, not good.

Next: Region by region ↓Contents ↑

The best time to travel to Tanzania by region: south, west and the mountain

The northern circuit, from Tarangire and Manyara to Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, has two rains and two dry seasons, as described above. Much of the south and west does not. The Tanzania Meteorological Authority groups the western, central and southern regions as areas with one rainy season a year, roughly November to April, so the drier spell the north enjoys in January and February is less dependable there.

For Ruaha and Nyerere that makes June to October the clear choice. The bush is thin, the rivers shrink to pools and channels, and animals gather at the water. October is very hot, especially in Ruaha. January and February are hot, green and quiet, and good value if some rain does not worry you. Our Ruaha and Nyerere plan is timed for the dry months.

In the west, July to October is easiest for the chimpanzees: trails are firmer and the chimps are often lower on the slopes, as on our Mahale Chimpanzees plan. Kilimanjaro follows the northern pattern, with its own months for clear trails and quiet camps. When to climb, and when not to covers them, so we will not repeat it here.

Next: Zanzibar and the coast ↓Contents ↑

The best time to visit Zanzibar and the coast

Zanzibar and the coast share the northern pattern of two rains. The best time to visit Zanzibar is June to October, when it is dry and a steady sea breeze takes the edge off the heat, or December to February, which is hotter, still mostly dry and busy over Christmas. March turns humid as the rains approach, and the beach is still good in most of it.

April and May are the long rains on the coast as well, and usually the wettest months of the year there. Some beach hotels close for the season and the sea is rougher. November brings short rains that usually pass quickly, though the 2026 forecast points to a wetter November than usual on Unguja and Pemba, the two main islands.

Most people come to the island after a safari, so the real question is how the two seasons line up. In the dry months they match well. In the green season the calving in the southern Serengeti pairs with hot, dry weeks on the beach. How long to stay is covered in how many nights on Zanzibar, and the island itself in our Zanzibar guide.

Next: What you want to see ↓Contents ↑

The best time to go to Tanzania for what you want to see

For the wildebeest calving, go from late January to early March and stay in Ndutu or on the southern plains. For the Mara River crossings, go from July to October and sleep in the far north for three nights or more, because no one can book a crossing. In June the herds are usually in the Western Corridor. Each of these moves by weeks with the rain.

For elephants, choose Tarangire from August to October. For big cats, the central Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater hold resident predators all year, so any month outside the long rains works. For birds, November to March is best: migrants from Europe and Asia are present and many residents are in breeding colours, which is why our Birding the North plan runs then.

For fewer vehicles, choose the edges of the seasons: early June, late October, November or the second half of January. For the lowest rates, accept April and May and the closures that come with them. If your dates are fixed, choose the region that suits your month rather than forcing the trip you first had in mind into the wrong season.

Next: Questions ↓Contents ↑

Questions people ask

For a northern safari, August and September are the most dependable months, with dry weather, animals at water and the Mara River crossings. February is the strongest month outside the dry season, with the calving in the southern Serengeti. For good weather with fewer vehicles, look at early June, late September or late January.

April and May are the hardest months. The long rains are at their heaviest, many camps in the southern parks close, some Serengeti camps close too, and tracks turn to mud. You can still travel, and rates are at their lowest, but plan shorter drives and expect to lose some hours to the weather.

In the north and on the coast there are two: the short rains, usually November and December, and the long rains, usually late March to May. Much of the south and west has one long rainy season instead, roughly November to April. The start and end dates move by weeks from year to year.

Warm by day on the plains and the coast in most months, cooler and fresher in the highlands. Arusha and the Ngorongoro rim have cool mornings from June to August, and the rim is cold at night all year. The coast is hot and humid, especially from December to March.

It can be. The green season from November to March is a good time, with the calving, migrant birds and fewer vehicles. The long rains of April and May are harder: many camps close and roads slow down. Travel then only if price and solitude matter more to you than certainty.

June to October, and December to February. Both are mostly dry; June to October is breezier and a little cooler, and December to February is hot and busy over the holidays. April and May are the long rains, when some beach hotels close. November usually brings short showers that pass quickly.

Yes, with some rain. The short rains often linger into the first half of December, the plains turn green, and the herds return to the southern Serengeti. The Christmas and New Year weeks are among the busiest of the year, so book camps well ahead.

April and May, the long rains, when many camps lower their rates and the parks are at their quietest. The catch is that many camps in the southern parks close altogether. November and early December are a gentler compromise, with lower rates than the dry season at many camps and shorter showers.

Last updated 27 October 2026

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