When to travel Back home

Tanzania, month by month.

Twelve months, twelve different safaris. Real weather averages, where the migration actually is, and how much company (and cost) to expect — so you can pick dates on evidence, not a vague sense of "dry season good, wet season bad."

Jan — May Jun — Oct Nov — Dec
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

The whole year, at a glance

Day / night temperatures, average rainfall, where the migration is, and how busy and expensive it tends to be. Tap any month below for the full picture.

Month Day / night °C Avg. rainfall Migration zone Crowds Price
January 28° / 15° 81mm Ndutu & Southern Serengeti Mid Mid
February 28° / 15° 100mm Ndutu & Southern Serengeti High High
March 28° / 15° 121mm Southern Serengeti, spreading toward Ngorongoro & Loliondo Low Low
April 26° / 16° 137mm Moru Kopjes & Seronera (central Serengeti) Low Low
May 25° / 15° 68mm Seronera toward the Western Corridor Low Low
June 25° / 13° 23mm Western Corridor, gathering to cross the Grumeti River Mid Mid
July 25° / 13° 9mm Pushing north toward Kogatende & the far north High High
August 26° / 14° 19mm Kogatende & northern Serengeti, into the Masai Mara High High
September 27° / 14° 34mm Northern Serengeti into the Masai Mara High High
October 28° / 15° 51mm Drifting back — north-eastern Serengeti & the Masai Mara Mid Mid
November 27° / 15° 100mm Drifting south through eastern Serengeti Low Mid
December 27° / 15° 97mm South-eastern Serengeti, Ndutu & northern Ngorongoro High High

Averages for the Serengeti / northern circuit. Southern parks such as Ruaha and Mikumi run hotter and follow a simpler single dry season (June–October) and single wet season (November–May).

01 Jan — May

The green season

Five months that swing from a dry, calving-season lull to the heaviest rain of the year. This is when the Serengeti is at its most photogenic and least crowded — if you pick the right weeks within it.

Green season savannah
01

January

Dry interlude · calving begins

The migration has settled into the short-grass plains around Ndutu, where the tail end of the short rains left nutrient-rich grazing. Days are warm and mostly dry — a genuine lull between two rainy seasons — and calving begins in earnest toward month’s end.

  • Calving starts on the Ndutu short-grass plains
  • Predators begin concentrating around the newborn herds
  • Warm, mostly dry days between the two rainy seasons
Migration zone
Ndutu & Southern Serengeti
Crowds / Price
Mid / Mid
Pairs well with
Zanzibar’s hot, mostly-dry stretch between its own rainy seasons
02

February

Dry interlude · peak calving

This is peak calving month: close to half a million wildebeest are born on the Ndutu plains within a few weeks, drawing in every predator for miles. Weather holds dry and warm, making it one of the best windows of the year for serious wildlife photography.

  • Peak calving — roughly 500,000 wildebeest born this month
  • Widely considered the best month anywhere in Africa for cheetah sightings
  • Ndutu camps book out early; reserve well ahead
Migration zone
Ndutu & Southern Serengeti
Crowds / Price
High / High
Pairs well with
A Ngorongoro Crater add-on either side of your Ndutu days
03

March

Long rains arriving

The first long-rain showers arrive as calving winds down, and the herds begin drifting from Ndutu toward the Ngorongoro and Loliondo margins. Afternoons turn cloudier and greener, and both crowds and rates start to ease.

  • Calving winds down as the long rains build
  • Herds spread out toward Ngorongoro and Loliondo
  • Landscapes turn green; camp rates begin easing
Migration zone
Southern Serengeti, spreading toward Ngorongoro & Loliondo
Crowds / Price
Low / Low
Pairs well with
Little upside on the coast either — the rains are building there too
04

April

Long rains · heaviest month

This is the wettest month anywhere in the Serengeti ecosystem, and several camps close for their annual refurbishment. The herds keep moving north through Moru Kopjes and Seronera regardless — it’s simply a quieter, considerably cheaper way to see them.

  • Heaviest rainfall of the year; some camps close for maintenance
  • Herds push north through Moru Kopjes and Seronera
  • The lowest rates and quietest parks of the whole year
Migration zone
Moru Kopjes & Seronera (central Serengeti)
Crowds / Price
Low / Low
Pairs well with
Honestly, not much — this is the month to skip if you can
05

May

Long rains easing

Rain tapers off through the month as the herds gather in central Serengeti ahead of their push into the Western Corridor. Landscapes are at their greenest, and this remains one of the best-value months on the calendar.

  • Rain eases steadily through the month
  • Large herds gather in central Serengeti before the Western Corridor
  • Excellent value, with the plains at their greenest
Migration zone
Seronera toward the Western Corridor
Crowds / Price
Low / Low
Pairs well with
A quiet Zanzibar close-out once the rain eases
Dry season plains
02 Jun — Oct

The dry season

Five months of firm ground, long views and the migration’s most famous act — the Mara River crossings. It’s also when Tanzania is busiest and priciest, so early booking matters more than in any other stretch.

06

June

Dry season begins

The dry season sets in fast: tracks firm up, dust returns, and nights turn noticeably cooler. The herds gather in the Western Corridor to cross the Grumeti River — an under-visited warm-up act for the Mara crossings still to come.

  • The dry season begins; grass and tracks firm up quickly
  • Herds gather in the Western Corridor to cross the Grumeti River
  • Cooler nights return — pack a warm layer
Migration zone
Western Corridor, gathering to cross the Grumeti River
Crowds / Price
Mid / Mid
Pairs well with
Ruaha and Mikumi, also just entering their own dry season
07

July

Peak dry season

The first Mara River crossings begin in the remote far north, with cool, cloudless days and some of the clearest light of the year. Demand climbs quickly as word spreads that the action has started.

  • The first Mara River crossings begin in the far north
  • Long, cloudless days and the coolest nights of the year
  • Demand climbs fast; lodges book out early
Migration zone
Pushing north toward Kogatende & the far north
Crowds / Price
High / High
Pairs well with
Ruaha and Mikumi at their driest — an easy add-on down south
08

August

Peak dry season

This is the Serengeti at its most famous: daily river crossings, dramatic and unpredictable, split between the northern Serengeti and Kenya’s Masai Mara. It’s also the busiest and most expensive month to be here.

  • River-crossing season at its most dramatic
  • Herds split between the northern Serengeti and the Masai Mara
  • The busiest month of the year for camps and flights alike
Migration zone
Kogatende & northern Serengeti, into the Masai Mara
Crowds / Price
High / High
Pairs well with
Zanzibar beach time bookends a northern-circuit safari nicely
09

September

Peak dry season

Crossings continue almost daily in the far north, and reliably dry weather makes every game drive straightforward. Demand stays high, though marginally less frantic than the August peak.

  • Crossings continue almost daily in the far north
  • Reliable dry weather makes for easy, predictable game drives
  • Still peak pricing, but slightly calmer than August
Migration zone
Northern Serengeti into the Masai Mara
Crowds / Price
High / High
Pairs well with
Ruaha and Mikumi still dry, if you want to extend south
10

October

Dry season, quieter

The herds begin drifting back south and east as the dry season’s grip starts to loosen. Golden, dusty light and thinning crowds make this an underrated month on the calendar.

  • Herds start drifting back south and east
  • Golden, dusty light across the plains
  • Crowds thin out while the weather is still reliably dry
Migration zone
Drifting back — north-eastern Serengeti & the Masai Mara
Crowds / Price
Mid / Mid
Pairs well with
A calmer Ruaha or Mikumi extension before the rains return
03 Nov — Dec

The short rains

Two months that couldn’t be more different from each other: a quiet, green, storm-washed November, followed by a December that fills back up fast with holiday travellers.

Short rains landscape
11

November

Short rains begin

The short rains arrive in brief, dramatic afternoon storms that clear quickly and green the plains again. The herds drift south through the eastern Serengeti, and this remains one of the quietest, most affordable windows of the year — right up until the holiday rush begins.

  • Short, dramatic afternoon storms that clear fast
  • Migratory birds arrive from Europe
  • One of the quietest, most affordable windows of the year
Migration zone
Drifting south through eastern Serengeti
Crowds / Price
Low / Mid
Pairs well with
Zanzibar warming up nicely as the short rains pass through
12

December

Short rains ease · festive season

The circle closes as herds head back toward Ndutu and northern Ngorongoro, just in time for the next calving season. Holiday travellers push demand back up quickly, so book early if Christmas or New Year is your target.

  • Herds head back toward Ndutu as the circle closes
  • Short afternoon storms, clear mornings
  • Holiday demand pushes camps and flights toward capacity again
Migration zone
South-eastern Serengeti, Ndutu & northern Ngorongoro
Crowds / Price
High / High
Pairs well with
A beach finish in Zanzibar, right through the holidays

Not sure which month fits your trip?

Tell us what matters most — the crossings, calving, a quiet camp with no one else around, or simply the cheapest month that still delivers — and we’ll match it to real dates.

Talk to us about timing