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Gosheni Safaris

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Travel by Month

April: The Long Rains

Long Rains · Crowds: Very Low

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Africa's Leading Tour Operator 2024 · World Travel Awards Winner

22°C

Average Temperature

28°C

Daytime High

129mm

Monthly Rainfall

14

Rain Days

Browse by Month

April is the wettest month across East Africa, and the best-value one. Lodges drop to their lowest rates, the landscape turns a deep emerald, and the parks are at their quietest. The wildlife hasn't gone anywhere: resident game is abundant, and the rain typically falls in heavy bursts rather than all-day washouts.

It is a wonderful month for gorilla trekking permits, landscape photography and slow, uncrowded game viewing. Some remote camps close for the season, so itineraries lean on the year-round lodges of the central Serengeti, the Ngorongoro highlands and the forests of Rwanda and Uganda.

Climate

Weather Across Africa in April

13 destinations shown for April.

Serengeti

22°C
Low 17°High 28°
129 mmSome rain

Rain on about 14 days

Ngorongoro

18°C
Low 15°High 22°
166 mmRainy

Rain on about 24 days

Tarangire

22°C
Low 18°High 27°
230 mmVery rainy

Rain on about 25 days

Kilimanjaro (Moshi)

23°C
Low 20°High 27°
317 mmVery rainy

Rain on about 26 days

Zanzibar

27°C
Low 25°High 29°
316 mmVery rainy

Rain on about 28 days

Masai Mara

21°C
Low 15°High 28°
132 mmRainy

Rain on about 15 days

Amboseli

23°C
Low 19°High 29°
112 mmSome rain

Rain on about 17 days

Volcanoes NP (Rwanda)

9°C
Low 6°High 13°
183 mmRainy

Rain on about 28 days

Bwindi (Uganda)

16°C
Low 13°High 21°
181 mmRainy

Rain on about 25 days

Kruger (Skukuza)

23°C
Low 18°High 29°
41 mmLow rain

Rain on about 7 days

Okavango (Maun)

23°C
Low 17°High 30°
6 mmDry

Rain on about 3 days

Chobe (Kasane)

23°C
Low 18°High 29°
20 mmLow rain

Rain on about 3 days

Cape Town

17°C
Low 14°High 22°
32 mmLow rain

Rain on about 5 days

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com · 5-year daily averages (2019-2023)

Best Time to Go

What April Is Like

The wettest month across East Africa. Many lodges offer their best rates. Gorilla trekking remains excellent. The landscape is at its most lush and dramatic, perfect for landscape photography.

April
Long Rains

The wettest month across East Africa. Many lodges offer their best rates. Gorilla trekking remains excellent. The landscape is at its most lush and dramatic, perfect for landscape photography.

Best valueGorilla trekkingLandscape photography
Wildlife
Crowds
December to March
Green Season

Calving season on the southern Serengeti plains: thousands of wildebeest born daily, dramatic predator action, lush scenery and strong value at the lodges.

Calving seasonPredator actionValue pricing
Wildlife
Crowds
June to October
Dry Season

Peak safari season. The Great Migration river crossings, wildlife concentrated at water sources, and classic golden-light game viewing across every park.

River crossingsBig FiveClassic safari
Wildlife
Crowds
November to December
Short Rains

Brief afternoon showers repaint the plains green. Migratory birds arrive, the herds head south, and shoulder-season pricing returns.

Lush landscapesBirdingShoulder-season value
Wildlife
Crowds

Why Gosheni

Why Visit in April

01

Best value

The lowest lodge rates of the year with the parks nearly to yourself.

02

Gorilla trekking

Rwanda and Uganda gorilla encounters are superb year-round.

03

Landscape photography

Storm light and emerald plains create the most dramatic scenery of the year.

Highlights

Wildlife This Month

Best rates of the year

Best rates of the year

The lowest lodge prices of the calendar, luxury camps at entry-level rates.

Lush green landscapes

Lush green landscapes

The long rains turn the whole region emerald, from crater highlands to forest lakes.

Newborn wildlife everywhere

Newborn wildlife everywhere

Elephant calves, impala lambs and lion cubs fill the parks with new life.

Where to Go

Top African Safari Destinations

Whether it's your first safari or your twentieth, our Africa Safari Experts can tailor-make any vacation to make it the trip of a lifetime.

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Money Matters

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Convert between traveler currencies at live exchange rates while you plan.

Curated Journeys

Safaris for April

Hand-picked journeys that shine this time of year.

6 Days Best Northern Tanzania Safari
From $3,095
6 days
Featured

6 Days Best Northern Tanzania Safari

Serengeti National Park game drives. Ngorongoro Crater descent. Big Five game viewing. Tarangire elephant herds

Tarangire National Park | Arusha | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | Serengeti National Park | Lake Manyara National Park
From
$3,095 - $5,200
per person
Request a Quote
5 Days Serengeti Great Migration Safari
From $3,570
5 days
Featured

5 Days Serengeti Great Migration Safari

Great Wildebeest Migration. Mara River crossings. Predator-prey action

Arusha | Ngorongoro Crater | Serengeti National Park | Ngorongoro Conservation Area
From
$3,570
per person
Request a Quote
5 Days Luxury Kruger Safari
From $3,832
5 days
Featured

5 Days Luxury Kruger Safari

Big Five in Sabi Sands. Private game reserve. Luxury bush lodge

Johannesburg | Sabi Sands Game Reserve | Kruger National Park
From
$3,832 - $4,800
per person
Request a Quote
5-Day Tanzania Low Season Safari
From $1,620
5 days
Featured

5-Day Tanzania Low Season Safari

Same camps and guides as the peak season, with far fewer vehicles at the sightings. Low-season rates for November 2026 and May 2027, from US$1,620 per person. A full day of game driving in Tarangire. Two nights in Central Serengeti, with a full day on the Seronera plains. A morning on the Ngorongoro Crater floor, with lunch by the lake. Your own Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof, on-board Wi-Fi and a private guide. Starts from your hotel in Arusha, so it fits after a Kilimanjaro climb or a night in town

Arusha | Tarangire National Park | Serengeti National Park | Central Serengeti | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | Ngorongoro Crater
From
$1,620 - $2,175
per person
Request a Quote
12-Day Signature Great Migration Calving Photographic Safari
From $6,820
12 days
Featured

12-Day Signature Great Migration Calving Photographic Safari

Four nights on the Ndutu calving plains, not a single overnight stop. A maximum of four photographers per private vehicle, for real access to the windows and pop-up roof. A full day inside Ngorongoro Crater, descending early while the light is still soft. Three nights in Central Serengeti for leopard, lion and cheetah photography. A scheduled Seronera to Arusha flight, so the last day is spent shooting rather than driving. Vehicle refrigerator, charging points and Wi-Fi where network coverage permits

Arusha | Ngorongoro Crater | Ndutu Area | Central Serengeti
From
$6,820 - $10,830
per person
Request a Quote
12-Day Signature Great Migration River Crossing Photographic Safari
From $6,500
12 days
Featured

12-Day Signature Great Migration River Crossing Photographic Safari

Four nights in Northern Serengeti, so the safari never depends on one afternoon at the Mara River. A scheduled flight straight to Kogatende, saving a full day of overland transfer. A maximum of four photographers per private vehicle, for real shooting space. Three nights in Central Serengeti for leopard, lion and cheetah photography. A full day inside Ngorongoro Crater, descending early into soft light. A final Arusha night to back up files and repack equipment before flying home

Arusha | Serengeti National Park | Central Serengeti | Ngorongoro Crater
From
$6,500 - $10,420
per person
Request a Quote
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