When to go
Pick a month, see the whole picture
There is no bad month, only a right month for what you want. Choose yours and everything that decides a trip is in one place: where the herds are, the weather on the plains and on the island, how busy it is, and the trips that fit.
High season
January
Ndutu and the southern plains: the herds gather to calve
Calving begins late in the month. Excellent predator action, and the sea is at its clearest for snorkelling.
Beach at its best- Where to be on safari
- Ndutu and the southern Serengeti
- How many nights
- Two to three nights around Ndutu
- Weather on safari
- Warm and mostly dry, short afternoon storms
- Visitors
- Moderate
- Photography
- Green plains and the first calves, with big skies
- With children
- A good month: warm, with the school holidays at the start
- Drive or fly
- A long drive from Arusha via the crater, or a flight to the Ndutu area
- Kilimanjaro
- Dry enough to climb
The year at a glance
Twelve months, side by side
The herds move with the rain, so every line can shift by a few weeks. We check where they are before we fix your nights.
| Month | The migration | Weather on safari | On Zanzibar | Visitors | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Ndutu and the southern plains: the herds gather to calve | Warm and mostly dry, short afternoon storms | Hot, dry and calm: one of the best months on the island | Moderate | High season |
| February | Calving peak around Ndutu, half a million calves in three weeks | Warm, green, occasional storms | The hottest month, dry, with flat clear water | Busy | High season |
| March | Still in the south, starting to drift west as the rains build | Warmer, rains increasing late in the month | Hot and humid; the long rains arrive towards the end | Moderate | High season |
| April | Moving north west through the central Serengeti | The long rains: heavy showers, some roads difficult | The wettest month: heavy showers, some hotels close | Quiet | Low season, best value |
| May | Into the Western Corridor towards the Grumeti river | Rains easing through the month | Rain easing; green, quiet and good value by the end of the month | Quiet | Low season, best value |
| June | Massed along the Grumeti: the river crossings in the west | Dry, cool mornings, clear skies | Dry, sunny and a little cooler, with a steady breeze | Busy | High season |
| July | Heading north; first Mara river crossings from mid month | Dry and cool, cold on the crater rim | Dry and sunny, the coolest and most comfortable month | Very busy | High season |
| August | Mara river crossings in the north, back and forth | Dry, warm days, cold nights | Dry and sunny; humpback whales pass the south coast | Very busy | High season |
| September | Northern Serengeti and the Mara, crossings continue | Dry, warming up | Dry, warm and calmer once the school holidays end | Busy | High season |
| October | North and heading back south as the herds sense the rains | Hot and dry, the end of the dry season | Warm, dry and calm, with very clear water | Moderate | High season |
| November | Moving south through the centre and east | The short rains: brief afternoon showers | The short rains: warm, with showers that pass quickly | Quiet | High season |
| December | Arriving on the southern plains around Ndutu | Warm, showers easing | Hot, showers easing; the island fills up for the festive weeks | Busy | Peak, festive supplement |
Dates already fixed? Tell us and we will say honestly what they are best for.
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