When to visit Tanzania: Honestly, there's no bad month. Just months that suit different people.
The dry months are easier going, but busier. The green months are quieter, greener and wetter, and that's when the baby animals arrive. Below is what each month is really like, not the one we'd most like to sell you.
| Month | Season | Weather | Crowds | Safari |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Short dry season | Hot and mostly dry, with the odd afternoon storm. Expect 28–30°C on the plains. | Busy over New Year, then quieter | Very good. The herds are on the southern short-grass plains, and calving is just around the corner. |
| February | Calving season | Warm and humid, with short afternoon storms. The grass is green and short. | Moderate | Exceptional for predator action. |
| March | End of the short dry | Hot and getting more humid, with rain becoming more frequent later in the month. | Quiet | Good, thinning out towards the end of the month. |
| April | Long rains | The wettest month. Heavy afternoon rain, and some roads get tricky. | Very quiet | Variable. Some camps close. |
| May | Long rains easing | The rain eases through the month, and the landscape is at its greenest. | Very quiet | Getting better. The herds are moving north and west. |
| June | Dry season begins | Dry, with cool mornings and comfortable days. Very little rain. | Building | Very good, and getting better. |
| July | Peak dry season | Dry and clear. Cold at dawn, and properly cold on the crater rim. | Busy | Excellent. |
| August | Peak dry season | Dry and clear, with cool mornings. | Busiest month | Excellent. |
| September | Late dry season | Dry, warming up, and very dusty. | Busy but easing | Excellent, with fewer people than August. |
| October | End of the dry | Hot and very dry, until the short rains arrive late in the month. | Moderate | Very good. The animals gather around the water. |
| November | Short rains | Short, sharp afternoon showers. They rarely get in the way. | Quiet | Good. The plains turn green again fast. |
| December | Short dry season | Warm and green, with the odd shower. | Very busy from mid-December | Very good, and getting better through the month. |
On the migration
The herds follow the rain, not a calendar. We show you where they usually are each month, and we'll be upfront with you: nobody can promise you a river crossing. Here's the calendar, with that warning right at the top where you can see it.