When to Visit Tanzania

Our Guide on When to Visit Tanzania

Many people travel to Tanzania to see the Great Migration where approximately 1.5 million wildebeest accompanied by 200,000 zebras migrate through the Serengeti and Masai Mara National Parks in search of fresh rains and green pasture. At different times of year, the herds are in different areas of the parks, your consultant will be able to advise you which areas are the best for when you want to travel.

The migration cycle is one factor that influences the best time to go to Tanzania, the other is the weather. Tanzania has two periods of rain, the short rains, and the long heavy rains. The only time we would recommend not to visit is between April and May, when heavy rains can make wildlife viewing difficult and many camps are closed.

The migration and weather patterns are intrinsically linked, rainfall patterns determine when the animals move on to a new area. The animals will follow the rain and go where the grass is greener. The Great Migration moves in a circular, clockwise motion through the Greater Serengeti/Maasai Mara eco system throughout the year.

The short rains in November take the animals to the plains of the Southern Serengeti. They stay here until February/March and the wildebeest will give birth. In April they start to move north, looking for water and food. The heavy rain of April and May means food supply is plentiful so the animals are dispersed over a larger area. By June the migration normally has reached the Grumeti River and by August/September the herds are all in the Northern Serengeti at the Mara River. The migration crosses the river into the Maasai Mara in Kenya and by October they returning to the Serengeti, then the cycle starts again.