The Best Time To Visit Kenya & Tanzania On Safari

The best time to visit Kenya and Tanzania on safari is all dependant on what you’re after. We’ve split the year into three handy blocks, to show you there’s something for everyone. Take a look and decide what’s best for your dream safari.

Best time

The classic best time to visit Tanzania and Kenya on safari is generally from mid-June through to late October, the peak being around August and September. This four-to-five month window, between East Africa’s two rainy seasons, is when both the weather is at its best and game viewing is at its most thrilling.

In early June, the herds of the Great Wildebeest Migration make their way towards the western Serengeti, where they must cross the swollen Grumeti River, thick with crocodiles, to access the grassy plains of the region. They quickly devour the bounty, necessitating their trek north towards the Masai Mara during late July and early August.

To get to the fresh grazing there, they must make another perilous crossing, this time of the Mara River. Once safety across, they’ll remain in the Mara until early October before turning southwards again, to trample and eat their way towards their next destination.

Elsewhere in Kenya and Tanzania, the lack of rain means the savannah gets progressively drier and thinner; visibility gets better and the wildlife is drawn to the water. In Southern Tanzania, cruise the Rufiji River delta by boat for a truly unique and wonderfully remote safari experience, or meander the banks of the Ngiro River in northern Kenya for what is arguably some of the best elephant viewing in Africa.

The timing is also ideal for a safari and beach holiday, as the weather on the Kenyan south coast beaches and the Tanzanian islands of Zanzibar and Pemba is stable, comfortable and at its least humid.

Note, this period is also the peak season, which translates to higher prices and some crowding (always a relative term in the African wilderness) in certain more popular destinations.

Best value for money

The stretch between the short rains of November and the long rains of April and May (i.e. early December through to late March) offers great value for money.

Other than the festive-season period of late December and early January, and the wildebeest calving in the Southern Serengeti around February, this time is generally considered a shoulder season, and lower prices come into effect.

It’s worth noting that – Great Wildebeest Migration aside – the safari experience in Kenya and Tanzania is one of the best in Africa. Indeed, we like to say that a bad day’s game viewing in the Masai Mara is still better than a great day just about anywhere else!

The weather now is warm, and despite the reprieve of the November rains, the wilderness dries out quickly, making it easy to spot wildlife. On top of this, the game is drawn to the limited water sources of rivers and waterholes, so great-viewing opportunities abound.

Also, as most safari-goers choose the peak season to visit, you’ll have some of Africa’s most spectacular wilderness destinations all to yourself (well, almost).

Top tip: For the absolute best value in Kenya and Tanzania, travel in the first two weeks of December. Due to lower demand, this is often considered low season and pricing is at its best. The savannah is lush following the November rains, the weather is balmy and the game viewing experience is exceptional; with most mammals having recently given birth to their young, there are babies everywhere!

Best adventure

If you fancy yourself an adventurer, the wetter months are for you. In April and May, you get the long rains (lasting two months), while in November you get the short rains (lasting one month). These rainy seasons are typified by afternoon and evening thundershowers, often with fine weather most of the day.

The payoffs to this are massively reduced prices and pretty much having East Africa to yourself. Plus, the game viewing is still good, and it can often even be excellent.

While getting stuck on muddy roads may sometimes delay your progress a little, it offers much excitement for the more intrepid traveller. Plus safari vehicles are equipped for the weather: open-sided ones carry ponchos while pop-top vehicles simply pull the roof closed when it rains.

For information on the best time to go on safari in other parts of Africa, click here to download our handy infographic, or visit the links below: