Skip to content
Gosheni Safaris

Award-Winning African Safaris Since 2009

Travel by Month

December: Festive Safari Season

Green Season · Crowds: High (festive)

Start Planning

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

21°C

Average Temperature

28°C

Daytime High

122mm

Monthly Rainfall

16

Rain Days

Browse by Month

December blends green-season beauty with festive-season energy. The wildebeest herds gather on the southern Serengeti plains ahead of calving, resident game is everywhere among the fresh grass, and the year's first newborns start to appear. Families and groups fill the lodges over Christmas and New Year for safaris under canvas.

It is also prime beach-and-bush season: pair the Serengeti with Zanzibar's white-sand coast, or head south for Cape Town's summer. Book festive-week departures many months ahead. They are the most sought-after dates of the season.

Climate

Weather Across Africa in December

13 destinations shown for December.

Serengeti

21°C
Low 16°High 28°
122 mmSome rain

Rain on about 16 days

Ngorongoro

19°C
Low 14°High 23°
98 mmSome rain

Rain on about 17 days

Tarangire

23°C
Low 19°High 28°
165 mmRainy

Rain on about 18 days

Kilimanjaro (Moshi)

24°C
Low 19°High 29°
48 mmLow rain

Rain on about 10 days

Zanzibar

27°C
Low 25°High 31°
108 mmSome rain

Rain on about 21 days

Masai Mara

21°C
Low 15°High 28°
88 mmSome rain

Rain on about 15 days

Amboseli

22°C
Low 18°High 28°
125 mmSome rain

Rain on about 18 days

Volcanoes NP (Rwanda)

9°C
Low 6°High 12°
289 mmVery rainy

Rain on about 29 days

Bwindi (Uganda)

16°C
Low 12°High 20°
213 mmVery rainy

Rain on about 29 days

Kruger (Skukuza)

25°C
Low 20°High 31°
124 mmSome rain

Rain on about 13 days

Okavango (Maun)

27°C
Low 21°High 33°
90 mmSome rain

Rain on about 10 days

Chobe (Kasane)

25°C
Low 21°High 31°
126 mmSome rain

Rain on about 15 days

Cape Town

19°C
Low 16°High 23°
33 mmLow rain

Rain on about 5 days

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

Best Time to Go

What December Is Like

Festive season safaris are popular with families. The calving season approaches as herds gather in the southern Serengeti. South Africa's Cape Town and Garden Route are in full summer. Great time for beach-and-bush combinations.

December
Green Season

Festive season safaris are popular with families. The calving season approaches as herds gather in the southern Serengeti. South Africa's Cape Town and Garden Route are in full summer. Great time for beach-and-bush combinations.

Family holidaysFestive safarisBeach & bush combos
Wildlife
Crowds
March to May
Long Rains

The quietest, best-value months. Landscapes are at their most dramatic, birding is exceptional, and gorilla trekking in Rwanda and Uganda stays superb.

Best valueBirdingGorilla trekking
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 December

01

Family holidays

Festive-season departures suit families and groups.

02

Festive safaris

Celebrate the holidays under the African sky.

03

Beach & bush combos

Pair big game with Indian Ocean beaches in one trip.

Highlights

Wildlife This Month

Festive season under canvas

Festive season under canvas

Christmas and New Year under the African sky, the most festive weeks of the safari year.

Herds gather in southern Serengeti

Herds gather in southern Serengeti

The migration masses on the southern plains as calving season approaches.

Zanzibar beach season

Zanzibar beach season

Hot, clear Indian Ocean days make December perfect for beach-and-bush combinations.

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.

View All Destinations

Money Matters

Plan Your Budget

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

Curated Journeys

Safaris for December

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
See All Safaris

Ready for December?

Tell us your dates and our safari experts will craft a personalized itinerary within 24 hours.

Start Planning