Plan around nature, not a calendar
Follow the migration, trade crowds for green-season calm, or find a better-value window. Compare weather, wildlife and visitor levels before choosing when to travel.
Safari window finder
Choose a priority, then narrow the calendar by destination if you already know where you want to go.
Climate figures show Serengeti monthly averages; conditions vary by destination.
Showing 12 of 12 months
January
January is a superb time for an East African safari. The short dry season brings clear skies, and in the southern Serengeti and Ndutu area the wildebeest herds gather for calving season. Warm days, lush green scenery and fewer visitors than the peak months.
February
February is the height of calving season: over 8,000 wildebeest calves are born daily on the southern Serengeti plains, drawing dramatic predator action. Excellent weather across Tanzania and Kenya makes this a prime month.
March
The long rains typically begin in late March, transforming the plains into vivid green. Early March still offers good game viewing with low-season rates, dramatic skies and few vehicles.
April
April is the heart of the long rains in East Africa. Many lodges offer their best rates, landscapes are at their most lush, and resident wildlife remains. A favourite month for experienced safari-goers seeking solitude.
May
May marks the start of the dry season in Southern Africa: prime time for Botswana, Kruger and the Okavango. In East Africa the rains taper off and the migration begins moving toward the western Serengeti.
June
June opens the classic safari season. Grasses shorten, wildlife concentrates around water, and the migration pushes through the western corridor with dramatic Grumeti River crossings.
July
July is peak safari season across Africa. The Great Migration reaches the northern Serengeti and begins the famous Mara River crossings. Cool, dry weather and superb game viewing continent-wide.
August
August delivers the most dramatic river crossings as mega-herds plunge across the Mara River between Tanzania and Kenya. Book well ahead. This is the most requested month of the year.
September
September finds the migration spread across the Masai Mara and northern Serengeti, with continued river crossings. Water sources shrink further, concentrating wildlife and making game viewing exceptional.
October
October is the final full month of the dry season: hot, dusty and superb for game viewing as animals crowd the remaining water. The migration begins its return journey south toward the Serengeti.
November
The short rains refresh the landscape in November. The migration moves through the eastern Serengeti, birdlife explodes with migratory arrivals, and lodges offer attractive green-season rates.
December
December combines the festive season with excellent wildlife viewing. The herds settle on the short-grass plains of the southern Serengeti, and clear days between short rains offer wonderful photography.
Weather data by Open-Meteo.com. Climate averages use 2019-2023 observations from the Serengeti region and are planning guidance, not a forecast.
A month is only the beginning
Conditions can differ greatly between the Serengeti, Okavango, Kruger and Rwanda. Tell us what you hope to see and we will pair your dates with the strongest route.
