Best Time to Visit Tanzania
Is a trip to Tanzania your dream African safari and planning to have a safari – of-a-lifetime?, it is important to know the weather conditions in Tanzania to determine the best time to visit Tanzania.
Not everyone visit Tanzania for the same reason but the best time to enjoy lounging on the beautiful beaches of Zanzibar is not the same time to see the great migration or climb Mount Kilimanjaro. This article lists and mentions some of the different reasons why you might be coming to Tanzania and their best timing first and then give you a month – per month overview of factors to consider per month.
THE BEST TIME TO VISIT TANZANIA: WHAT TO CONSIDER
The weather
Tanzania has 2 rain seasons as well as 2 dry seasons in between, each of these 2 rain seasons and each of these 2 dry periods are quite different from each other. So there is a total of four (4) pretty distinctive seasons, just like anywhere else in the world – the climate is changing and the timings of these seasons can change from what is in this article.
Also, Tanzania is very big and altitude plays an important role so the information below gives general patterns but specific temperatures, rainfall among others can vary from different areas. Therefore, it is advisable to always check your specific destination. Even between Moshi and Arusha, which is just 75 kilometers, there is a difference in temperature of a few degrees as Arusha is located at a slightly higher altitude.
Heavy rain season: (mid-) March to (mid-) May
In this season, long and dry heavy rains can last for hours. These rains are nothing like the rains you will experience in other areas of the world like Asia during the rain season. The rains in Tanzania are much longer and can really ruin your safari/trip.
They can turn rough roads into mud slides and even make them inaccessible, it happens that parts of national parks are accessible during rain season or that the drive to get there takes twice as long as planned. Animals hide from the rain so you are much less likely to see them and a day at the beach in Zanzibar also sounds like less fun in the pouring rain.
Day trips involving hiking in rural areas might also get cancelled as it can simply become top dangerous to walk on the slippery paths.
In general, it is recommended to skip this season as it is simply not the best time to visit Tanzania not especially if you are traveling short – time. If you are on a Tanzania safari longer and can be flexible, it might not be such a problem as there definitely are also many sunny days in between the rainy days and it can get quite warm on these days.
Cooler dry season: (mid-) May to September
Once the heavy rains are over, the skies get clearer and the days quickly get warmer again but the evenings and nights can be cooler. Keep in mind the sun goes down around 6.30 – 7 PM every day in Tanzania so the night starts early, the level of cool depends on where you are exactly as temperatures in Dar Es Salaam where it is basically too hot all year round, will be very different than those at Ngorongoro Crater.
So it is advisable to check for all the activities that you are planning to do, to make sure you bring the appropriate clothing.
This time of the year is loved by many travelers as the days are bearable and nature is super green after the rains and it might be the best time to visit Tanzania for many. In places like Zanzibar, you will probably won’t need more than a light sweater at night, but if you want hot hot, it might better to visit Tanzania during the dry season instead.
Hot dry season: October-November & February
During September/October, temperatures start rising with days going from warm to hot and the evening become so pleasant that often you don’t even need a sweater, the skies are the clearest of the year and in Moshi, you can get clear views of Mount Kilimanjaro all the time.
High-season & low-season: how busy is it & what’s the impact on prices?
The busy season in Tanzania coincides mostly with school holidays in Europe, July and August are super busy and so is the Christmas period especially on Zanzibar and north of the mainland.
The south is apparently much quieter all throughout the year. On the mainland, the Christmas period is still doable in terms of how many other tourists you will see but on the Zanzibar Islands, you will see tons of tourists that come for just one week and only visit Zanzibar as its warm.
There are several direct flights from Europe and contrary to some other warm “winter” destinations, there is almost no time difference. So Zanzibar is evolving into that and hotels and resorts can be fully booked months in advance.
Low season in Tanzania during the heavy rain season, from March to May and you really won’t see lots of tourists in this period. All other times of the year are in between when it comes to how busy they are.
When it comes to the price of accommodation, it not always constant. A lot of the cheaper options offer the same price year-round, so if you are a budget traveler your best time to travel will most likely not make any different. The more expensive options will offer different prices in seasons but the number of seasons they consider and their exact dates often vary, some only have high and low season and in this case usually only March – May are cheaper. Others consider 3 or even 4 seasons, also it depends on where exactly you are going. For example, the lodges in the north of the Serengeti will be more expensive at the time of the Great Migration and the ones in the south often don’t have their high season in July and August but in January and February as this is when the calving takes place over there and most tourists visit.
The Great Migration
The great migration is a phenomenon that happens in the Serengeti and parts of Ngorongoro Conservation Area all year long in Tanzania that is January – February is calving season and the calving happens in Ndutu area which is the northern part of Ngorongoro and the Southern part of the Serengeti. December, January and March are also good months to see the wildebeest in this area.
When most people ask to see the great migration, they mean the crossing of the Mara River in the Northern Serengeti and timing is much more important here. Unfortunately it is almost impossible to predict as it depends a lot on the weather and rainfall. But generally, August is the best month to bet on to see the migration from the Serengeti into the Maasai Mara in Kenya. Usually they make the crossing again in the other direction in October.
Climbing Kilimanjaro
Weather is important is important when planning to climb Mount Kilimanjaro as it can make or break your climb or make it far more unpleasant than it should for the least. The dry and wet seasons on Mount Kilimanjaro are the same as in the rest of the country but there is more to say about the climate on Kilimanjaro.
The best time to climb Mount Kilimanjaro is during the warmest and driest times of the year, from December to mid- March and mid- June to the end of October.
Zanzibar & the coast
Weather in Zanzibar and on the coast of the mainland of Tanzania various basing on the day, generally these areas don’t get super cold at night in July, August and September so they are prefect places to spend your summer holiday.
Zanzibar’s west coast doesn’t have strong tides and not that much seaweed (on top of that the beaches for example Kendwa gets cleaned) but this is not the case for the east coast of the island or the coast of the mainland. The phenomenon is most present at the end of the year around November, so if you are not a fan of big tidal differences and lots of seaweed, it might be better to choose a destination on the west side of Zanzibar during this time of the year.
Joining a group tour
If you are traveling solo or in a small group, prices for private safaris and mountain climbs might be above your budget, the price for a solo safari can easily be twice that of a group safari with a total of 6 people.
Several tour operators organize group tours and availability of these groups depends on how many people visit the country during the requested time, so if you want to be sure to easily find a group. I would say high season would be the best time to visit Tanzania for you.
