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Best time to visit Tanzania

The best time to visit Tanzania is from June to August. It’s comfortably cool, plus two million animals make the precarious Mara River crossing in June and July. Outside these months, you can track the migration elsewhere in the Serengeti. The heaviest rains fall from March to early May, which freshen up the landscape but can cause travel disruption. Read more in our guide.

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Best time to visit Tanzania

Avoiding the “long rains” of the green season from March to early May is key – then take your pick from Tanzania’s seasonal delights.

June to August is the best time to visit Tanzania. The spectacular Mara River crossing occurs from June to July, drier weather means more wildlife around waterholes, and the weather is relatively cool. That said, the Great Migration swirls around the Serengeti outside these months; you just have to follow its course. January to February brings fewer vehicles and greener landscapes after the short rains. You’ll see baby wildebeest… and more predators. Heavy rain showers in March and May can cause travel disruption, lodges in the remote south close, and Mount Kilimanjaro is best avoided.

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A month by month guide on when to go to Tanzania

January in Tanzania

Hot and dry

Wildebeest calves in southern Serengeti

Green landscape

It’s hot and dry in Tanzania in January, and Zanzibar’s highs are in the 30°Cs. Under the sun, hundreds of thousands of baby wildebeest are born in the south of the Serengeti, in grasslands greened by the past short rains. They attract hungry predators – but not many tourists. Early January might be busier, as it’s part of the Christmas holiday season, but it’s still quieter than the busy summer.

February in Tanzania

Hot and dry

Wildebeest calves in southern Serengeti

Green landscape

Wildebeest calves continue to be born in the south Serengeti in Tanzania in February – thousands of them – but many won’t survive until summer. It’s hot and mostly dry and it’s a quiet time for tourists, though it’s a pretty time of year, with green landscapes and migratory birds. Depending on where you are, rains could start to be more frequent towards the end of the month.

March in Tanzania

Rainy ‘green’ season from mid-March

Some good rates available on lodges

Low season for Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar and safaris

It’s low season: the long rains start in Tanzania in March. They make some areas inaccessible and safaris – with the possibility of getting stuck in the mud – more adventurous. Some lodges close; others might have good rates. You won’t want to be on the beach and the water is too cloudy for snorkelling and diving. Kilimanjaro’s trails become slippery and visibility is poor. If you climb, pick an easier route.

April in Tanzania

Great birdlife and hatching turtles

Some good rates about at lodges

Muddy, rainy low season

As the rains continue to fall in Tanzania in April, green turtles start hatching in the Mafia Archipelago and continue to do so until September. There’s plenty of wildlife following the wildebeest through the mid-Serengeti – though you’ll want a waterproof. It won’t rain all the time, but beaches and hiking are damp, unappealing prospects and mosquitos are about.

May in Tanzania

Rains stop mid-month

Wildebeest cross the Grumeti River

Cycling trips

The green, rainy season continues to mid-month in Tanzania in May. The end of month is dry but possibly still empty of tourists avoiding the rains. The wildebeest herds are moving north, reaching the bank of the Grumeti River from May to June. The river crossing is an exciting spectacle, as Nile crocodiles lie in wait. Our cycling trips in Tanzania and into neighbouring Kenya start from May.

June in Tanzania

High season

River Mara wildebeest crossings

Long dry season

High season begins in Tanzania in June with the start of the long dry season that runs until mid-October. That said, you might slip in ahead of the biggest crowds now. Wildebeest herds reach the northern Serengeti and attempt their famous crossings of the River Mara without becoming croc fodder. The weather is cooler: bring layers on safari. Kilimanjaro is coldest from now until August.

June is a great time for our Tanzania safari and Zanzibar beach holiday

Mid-June was a good time to go. There were not the numbers of people we were expecting, and we saw a great deal.

– our traveller Sue Furnival

July in Tanzania

River Mara crossing

Long dry season

High season – more jeeps

The safari crowds come to Tanzania in July to see wildlife congregating at waterholes. Some regions heave with jeeps – Ngorongoro, and the northern Serengeti, where cars line up to see wildebeest attempt to cross the Mara River. There are high prices, as it’s perfect conditions for both safari and for the post-safari sun lounging on the beach. Less accessible South Tanzania parks, like the massive Selous National Park, remain peaceful.

July is a great time for our exciting family holiday in Tanzania

August in Tanzania

Peak high season

Safari and beach

Long dry season

High season prevails in Tanzania in August. That’s thanks to a combination of summer holidays, the continuation of the migration in the Serengeti, and cooler, dry temperatures (highs of 26°C in the Serengeti; 29°C in Zanzibar), which make it the perfect time to combine safaris and beach. Kilimanjaro is still at its coldest, though it’s climbable throughout the year.

September in Tanzania

Dry and not too cold or hot

Mount Kilimanjaro climbs

Quieter month for safaris

Wildebeest are still crossing the rivers of the northern Serengeti in Tanzania in September. Being outside the holiday season, it’s also a quieter, less expensive month for safari and beach trips. September is a busy month on Kilimanjaro; moderate temperatures and more clear-sky days make this month and the next a good time to climb.

September is a good time of year for our Tanzania tour with Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar

October in Tanzania

Climbing Kilimanjaro

Whale sharks off the coast

Short rains starting

October can be a good time to climb Kilimanjaro. It’s less busy than September and dry until the end of the month, when the short rains start. Whale sharks arrive at the coast; you could spot them at Mafia Island. Tanzania in October is less visited now, at the end of the dry season, but there’s still good safari conditions: it’s mainly warm and sunny, but quiet too.

November in Tanzania

Whale sharks

Fresh mangoes

Short rainy season

Expect rain showers in Tanzania in November for the mvuli – the short rainy season. They won’t bring the travel disruption of the long spring rains, but they do freshen up the landscape, making the following months lovely and green. There are mangoes ripe on the trees and visibility clear in the seas – so get snorkelling. You might even see whale sharks.

December in Tanzania

Wildebeest in the southern Serengeti

Popular around Christmas

Short rainy season

It can be hot and feel humid in Tanzania in December (average highs of 28°C in Serengeti; 31°C in Zanzibar). It’s still the short rainy season so expect showers when climbing Kili and green scenes on safari. The wildebeest have moved to the southern Serengeti. There is no migration in the Ngorongoro Crater; you can see wildlife there year-round. Mid-December to mid-January can be busier as it’s the Christmas holidays.

Serengeti Weather Chart

MIN °C

MAX °C

RAIN (mm)

JAN

FEB

101

MAR

130

APR

156

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

117

DEC

106

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Best times to visit Tanzania for festivals & events

Nyama Choma Festival (year-round)

Held since 2011, Nyama Choma Festival celebrates Tanzania’s grills (nyama choma means ‘grilled meat’ in Swahili). This barbecue showcase, the largest in East and Central Africa, takes place a few times a year across different cities, including Dar es Salaam and Arusha, and is a total meat feast. Look out for mishkaki – grilled skewers of beef, goat and chicken – on streetside barbecues, and enjoy the sizzle.

Kilimanjaro Marathon (February)

No, you don’t run up the mountain, but you do cross its lower slopes in this annual marathon at the town of Moshi. Thousands of runners compete from all over the world in the Kili Marathon, enjoying the challenges of the climb and the February heat, plus fantastic views of the mountain along its route if the weather is clear. There’s a half marathon and a 5km fun run, too, plus a chance to celebrate the finish with a cool Kilimanjaro lager.

Sauti za Busara (mid-February)

The carnival parade that opens this three-day Zanzibar dance and music festival sets the tone of the weekend. Sauti za Busara (‘sounds of wisdom’ in Swahili) is one of the biggest and most respected music festivals in East Africa. Artists from across the continent perform live across three stages, celebrating Swahili culture. Look out for taarab, a traditional form of music that has been experiencing a revival.

Mara River crossing (June to September)

Nile crocodiles have such slow metabolisms that they might only have one or two big meals a year. And what a big meal this is: every year, wildebeest herds, alongside zebras, elands and gazelles, reach the Mara River and attempt to cross from bank to bank in search of fresh grass. They’re followed by hyenas, lions and cheetahs, plus hungry crocodiles. The ensuing spectacle is nature at its most dramatic, and safari-goers queue on the banks to capture the more grisly moments.

Zanzibar International Film Festival (August)

Once you’ve seen a dhow race at a film festival, you’ll wonder why Cannes doesn’t have one. Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) takes place over four days in Zanzibar City, featuring films, music and – since it takes place within the wider festival of the Dhow Countries in the Zanzibar archipelago – there are boat races, too.

International Bagamoyo Arts Festival (September)

The most important arts festival in Tanzania was never supposed to get this big. Taking place in the quiet fishing town of Bagamoyo, on the coast north of Dar Es Salaam, it was started in 1982 by Bagamoyo College of Arts and used to take place under a mango tree. It’s now a massive festival for showcasing music, theatre and dance, as well as discussions, held in the 2,000-seat TaSUBa Theatre.

Our travellers also ask…

What month is best to visit Tanzania?

Visit in June and you’ll get a great climate and wildlife spectacles, plus fewer crowds than later in the summer. More generally, the best month to visit Tanzania is between June and August. Not only does the country have a great climate in these summer months, being cool and dry, but the Great Migration reaches a high point as wildebeest dodge crocs to cross the Mara River. It’s a lovely time to be on the beach, too.

What is the rainy season in Tanzania?

Tanzania has two rainy seasons. Masika, the long rains, are from March to May and mvuli, the shorter, lighter rains, fall from mid-November to mid-December. The long rains can cause flooding, cut off areas and halt safaris in remoter regions. The short rains are less impactful.

When is the best month to visit Tanzania for the migration?

The best months to see the migration are June to August, when massive wildebeest herds attempt to cross the Mara River, and fall prey to crocs that haven’t eaten in months. Jeeps line the banks to witness the spectacle. The Mara might mean migration at its zenith, but you can see the herds all the time in Tanzania as the wildebeest circle the Serengeti through the year, starting in the south in January, and moving up to the north by June. May is another interesting time, as they start to cross the Grumeti River.

When is the worst time to visit Tanzania?

March to early May is the worst time to visit Tanzania. The long rains make some safari areas inaccessible, the beach miserable, and climbing Kilimanjaro more challenging, with less chance of a good view. There are more mosquitos about, more chance of travel disruption, and some safari lodges in the south close altogether. However, rains tend to clear by mid-May, and you might also find that some holidays have good low season prices.