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Gosheni Safaris

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Travel by Month

October: Last of the Dry Season

Short Rains Begin · Crowds: Medium

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

24°C

Average Temperature

31°C

Daytime High

42mm

Monthly Rainfall

6

Rain Days

Browse by Month

October is the dry season's graceful finale. The migration begins its long march back south through the Serengeti, offering the year's last river crossings, while Tarangire hits peak form. Its swamps draw some of the largest elephant concentrations in Africa. Waterhole game viewing is outstanding everywhere before the short rains arrive late in the month.

With the peak crowds gone, October delivers shoulder-season rates and warm, mostly dry weather. It is a clever month for value: peak-quality sightings, gentler prices and easy availability at camps that were fully booked in August.

Climate

Weather Across Africa in October

13 destinations shown for October.

Serengeti

24°C
Low 17°High 31°
42 mmLow rain

Rain on about 6 days

Ngorongoro

18°C
Low 13°High 24°
37 mmLow rain

Rain on about 9 days

Tarangire

24°C
Low 18°High 31°
50 mmLow rain

Rain on about 10 days

Kilimanjaro (Moshi)

23°C
Low 18°High 30°
51 mmLow rain

Rain on about 9 days

Zanzibar

26°C
Low 23°High 30°
128 mmSome rain

Rain on about 19 days

Masai Mara

22°C
Low 16°High 30°
56 mmLow rain

Rain on about 8 days

Amboseli

24°C
Low 18°High 31°
38 mmLow rain

Rain on about 10 days

Volcanoes NP (Rwanda)

9°C
Low 6°High 13°
173 mmRainy

Rain on about 28 days

Bwindi (Uganda)

16°C
Low 12°High 21°
216 mmVery rainy

Rain on about 27 days

Kruger (Skukuza)

24°C
Low 18°High 30°
47 mmLow rain

Rain on about 8 days

Okavango (Maun)

29°C
Low 20°High 36°
3 mmDry

Rain on about 1 day

Chobe (Kasane)

29°C
Low 21°High 36°
2 mmDry

Rain on about 1 day

Cape Town

17°C
Low 13°High 21°
53 mmLow rain

Rain on about 7 days

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

Best Time to Go

What October Is Like

The migration herds begin returning south to the Serengeti. Last chance for river crossings. The short rains bring fresh grass and the landscape transforms. Shoulder season offers excellent value with good conditions.

October
Short Rains Begin

The migration herds begin returning south to the Serengeti. Last chance for river crossings. The short rains bring fresh grass and the landscape transforms. Shoulder season offers excellent value with good conditions.

Shoulder season valueMigrationFewer 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
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
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 October

01

Shoulder season value

Great conditions at gentler prices between the peak seasons.

02

Migration

Follow the greatest wildlife spectacle on earth.

03

Fewer crowds

Enjoy prime sightings without queues of vehicles.

Highlights

Wildlife This Month

Migration heads south

Migration heads south

The columns turn back toward the Serengeti, offering the year's final crossings.

Peak elephant viewing in Tarangire

Peak elephant viewing in Tarangire

Tarangire's swamps draw some of the largest elephant concentrations in Africa.

Great value shoulder-season rates

Great value shoulder-season rates

Peak-quality sightings at gentler prices as the high-season crowds head home.

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 October

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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