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Gosheni Safaris

Award-Winning African Safaris Since 2009

Travel by Month

May: Southern Africa Season Opens

Transition · Crowds: Low

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

21°C

Average Temperature

28°C

Daytime High

42mm

Monthly Rainfall

6

Rain Days

Browse by Month

May is the transition month. The long rains taper away, the migration herds regroup and begin pushing north through the central Serengeti, and the first floodwaters from Angola's highlands reach Botswana's Okavango Delta. In South Africa, Kruger's bush is thinning out for classic dry-season game viewing.

Travellers get improving conditions at shoulder-season prices, with green scenery lingering and the peak-season crowds still weeks away. It is a smart month for combining Tanzania's central parks with Zanzibar, or heading south for Kruger and the wakening delta.

Climate

Weather Across Africa in May

13 destinations shown for May.

Serengeti

21°C
Low 16°High 28°
42 mmLow rain

Rain on about 6 days

Ngorongoro

16°C
Low 14°High 20°
77 mmSome rain

Rain on about 17 days

Tarangire

21°C
Low 17°High 27°
58 mmLow rain

Rain on about 10 days

Kilimanjaro (Moshi)

21°C
Low 19°High 25°
130 mmSome rain

Rain on about 19 days

Zanzibar

26°C
Low 24°High 28°
146 mmRainy

Rain on about 21 days

Masai Mara

21°C
Low 15°High 28°
64 mmSome rain

Rain on about 10 days

Amboseli

22°C
Low 17°High 28°
61 mmSome rain

Rain on about 13 days

Volcanoes NP (Rwanda)

9°C
Low 6°High 13°
113 mmSome rain

Rain on about 26 days

Bwindi (Uganda)

16°C
Low 13°High 21°
118 mmSome rain

Rain on about 23 days

Kruger (Skukuza)

20°C
Low 15°High 27°
22 mmLow rain

Rain on about 3 days

Okavango (Maun)

20°C
Low 13°High 28°
0 mmDry

Rain almost unheard of this month

Chobe (Kasane)

21°C
Low 14°High 28°
0 mmDry

Rain almost unheard of this month

Cape Town

15°C
Low 12°High 19°
83 mmSome rain

Rain on about 9 days

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

Best Time to Go

What May Is Like

Rains taper off through May. The Great Migration herds begin their journey north through the central Serengeti. Shoulder season pricing with improving conditions makes this a smart time to travel.

May
Transition

Rains taper off through May. The Great Migration herds begin their journey north through the central Serengeti. Shoulder season pricing with improving conditions makes this a smart time to travel.

Migration startShoulder season valueFewer crowds
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 May

01

Migration start

The herds begin their long trek north through the central Serengeti.

02

Shoulder season value

Great conditions at gentler prices between the peak seasons.

03

Fewer crowds

Enjoy prime sightings without queues of vehicles.

Highlights

Wildlife This Month

Okavango Delta flood arrives

Okavango Delta flood arrives

Floodwaters from Angola fan across the delta, waking its lagoons and channels.

Kruger dry-season game viewing

Kruger dry-season game viewing

South Africa's flagship park dries out and its Big Five gather along the rivers.

Migration herds regroup

Migration herds regroup

The columns re-form and begin the long push north through the central Serengeti.

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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Curated Journeys

Safaris for May

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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