Best Time to Travel to Tanzania

Bottom Line: The best time to visit Tanzania is during the dry season from June through October, when wildlife viewing is great and the temperatures are comfortable. Additionally, June and July are the optimal months to see the great wildebeest migration in the Serengeti. 

Quick facts:

• Dry Season: June - October
• Wet Season: November - May
• High tourism season: July - March
• Low tourism season: April - May
• Hottest months: November - February
• Great weather: June - October

There aren’t any bad times to visit Tanzania, but there are definitely ideal times, from June through October. This is the winter season in the southern hemisphere, and Tanzania enjoys comfortably warm, long sunny days, brisk nights, and little to no rain. If you’re interested in seeing the wildlife throughout the Serengeti National Park, Mt. Kilimanjaro, or the Ngorongoro Crater, then check out the amazing deals at Adventure Life.

The Dry Season
In the dry season, the wildlife is easy to spot as they all gather around the predictable watering holes. During the wet season, when water is easier to come by, animals can be a lot harder to spot. Plus, during the dry season, with less standing water, there are significantly fewer mosquitoes and tsetse flies which can be a massive upside for some. If you are planning to travel during the dry season, be sure to pack warm clothes for early morning game drives. The afternoon temperatures tend to be nice and even sometimes hot, but the mornings are almost always a bit chillier. 

The ‘Off Season’
If you’re planning a trip from November to May, that doesn’t mean you’ll have a worse experience, but it might be harder to see wildlife in some areas of the parks. It’s worth noting that the peak of the wet season is between March and April. During the wet season, there are usually daily rain showers, though they seldom last very long and shouldn’t impact your trip. It’s also a great time to see lush vegetation and enjoy fewer crowds. Plus, January and February are the months of calving in the Serengeti and great predator action. This is also the best time of the year to see birds like the Pemba scops owl, superb starling, rufous-tailed weaver, and even the augur buzzard. Furthermore, if you’re looking to travel on a budget, the wet season would be the time to do it with many lodgings offering significant price cuts, and some wildlife excursions offering discounts.

Mt. Kilimanjaro
The best time to hike Mt. Kilimanjaro is either between January through March or June through October. January and March are generally chillier months for hiking and one may sometimes encounter snow at the top of the mountain. Even though its a bit colder, you shouldn’t have any weather-related problems getting to the top and there will be exponentially fewer people along the climb, making the climb all the more serene. Between January through March, North America’s and Europe’s students are on holiday, which means that certain routes will be a lot more busy than they would in the ‘off-season’. During this time though there will be more moderate temperatures which can be a huge advantage to some.
If you’re looking for the perfect trip, visit our website and talk to our travel experts! We’ll find the ideal time that fits within your schedule. 

Averages