When to Visit Tanzania: A Month-by-Month Guide

The short version: June to October is the dry season and the safest choice; January to February is excellent and quieter; March to May is the long rains and the cheapest; November is a gamble that often pays off.

January and February. Hot, mostly dry, and the calving season on the southern Serengeti plains — hundreds of thousands of wildebeest give birth within a few weeks, and the predators follow. This is arguably the best wildlife month of the year and it is not the busiest. Zanzibar is at its best.

March, April and May. The long rains. April and May are genuinely wet — some camps close, some roads become impassable, and photographs come out grey. Prices drop by a third or more. If you do not mind mud and you want the parks nearly to yourself, May is underrated. Kilimanjaro is at its worst; do not climb now.

June. The rains end, the grass is still green, and the crowds have not arrived. One of the best months to travel and the one experienced visitors quietly pick.

July, August and September. Peak. Dry, cool in the mornings, and the migration is in the northern Serengeti with the Mara river crossings. Everything is busier and everything costs more. Book camps six to nine months ahead for these months or take what is left.

October. Still dry, still very good, and noticeably quieter than August. The herds begin moving south. Excellent value against September for a nearly identical experience.

November. The short rains — usually an afternoon downpour rather than all-day weather, and often over by the time you want an evening drive. Green, dramatic skies, low prices, small crowds. It is a gamble, and most years you win it.

December. Rain eases, the herds return to the southern plains, and the Christmas period gets busy and expensive for two weeks either side of the holiday.

For Kilimanjaro specifically: January to mid-March and June to October. Avoid April, May and November, when the routes are wet and the summit night is miserable.

For Zanzibar: June to October and December to February. April and May are the wettest and many smaller hotels close.