When is the best time to go on an African safari?

Unlike most holidays in the northern hemisphere, African safari holidays are not governed by the usual seasons. Instead, the biggest difference is how much rainfall is expected, with the year dividing into dry seasons and wet (or green) seasons, with the timing varying between destinations.

The dry season is typically one of the best times for a safari holiday in Africa, as the lack of rainfall helps make it easier to spot the animals. The dry weather means there’s less grass and undergrowth for the wildlife to hide in, while the lack of water ensures most will travel to water holes in the early morning and late afternoon to drink. It’s also easier to get around as the reserves are more accessible during these months.

The driest months tend to be between June and October in most of sub-Saharan Africa, although this does coincide with colder temperatures at night in southern Africa. If you’re planning to combine your African safari with a visit to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, you can often get better views of the cascades during this period rather than the wetter months when the high water volume results in spray and mist.

The wettest months of the year are known as the green season, when the majority of the rain falls and plants burst back in to life. Some countries will experience more than one rainy season during the year, although one period tends to see heavier rainfall than the other, while climate change is also affecting weather patterns more and more.

Usually a quieter period in terms of visitor numbers, the green season is a great time to plan a safari if you prefer fewer people around, especially if you choose the beginning or end of the wet season, with rain usually falling in short downpours during the afternoons. It’s often a particularly good time for bird-spotting, as well as seeing newborn animals. However, it can be harder to spot wildlife in the lusher undergrowth, some camps will close, and very heavy rains can make it harder to get around with roads turning to mud.

Masai Mara, Kenya

If you have your heart set on a particular destination in Africa for a safari holiday, choosing the right month can make all the difference between a trip packed with fabulous animal-spotting experiences or one where heavy rainfall or soaring temperatures restrict your game viewing. Here’s when to plan your safari.

South Africa is one of the few countries where you can find fantastic weather for a safari holiday almost year-round. The best months for a safari are between June and October when you’ll find the driest weather in big name reserves like Kruger National Park, but there’s wonderful wildlife viewing at locations like Kariega Game Reserve on the Cape between November and March as well.

In Kruger National Park, May to September has the lowest monthly rainfall, at less than 20mm compared to around 100mm in January, with high temperatures of around 25-28C in the afternoons but much cooler nights and early mornings. At the Cape, temperatures hover in the mid-20Cs from around October to March and rarely drop below around 14C on average overnight, with less than 20mm rainfall per month during this period.

The best months to visit Kenya are from July to September, which coincides with the Great Migration as the huge herds of zebra and wildebeest arrive from Tanzania into the Masai Mara. It’s also the driest part of the year with a maximum of 30-50mm rain each month. Kenya experiences two rainy seasons, with the ‘short rains’ in November and December followed by the ‘long rains’ during March, April and May, making January and February another good period for a safari in Kenya, to enjoy lusher landscapes with warmer temperatures as well as newborn animals. You can expect warm weather year-round though, around 25-28C in the Masai Mara and a few degrees warmer in Amboseli National Park, which is also drier in January and February, with just 50mm rainfall in both months.

Botswana’s dry season runs from May to October, when the weather is warm and sunny during the day but the water levels in the Okavango Delta are high, creating the waterways which are a highlight of a safari in Botswana. Evenings can be chilly, especially during midwinter in June and July, but that’s often more pleasant than the hot, sticky nights of the rainy period. There’s no rainfall between May and September in Chobe National Park, the Okavango Delta and the Kalahari, compared to January when 100mm or more can fall in the month.

Moremi National Park, Botswana

The Great Migration is underway in the north of the Serengeti between July and September, coinciding with the driest months of the year. One of the best times to visit Tanzania, it’s also one of the most popular, although there’s also good wildlife spotting and good weather in October after the Migration. The heaviest rains fall during April and May, when 150-200mm per month isn’t uncommon, compared to July when 10mm or less is normal in the national parks. Temperatures are relatively consistent year-round, hovering between 25C and 30C across the country, with the cooler months in June and July.

The best months to visit Namibia are between July and October when there’s less chance of wet weather, with barely any rainfall across the country this month. Temperatures vary across the country, although it’s generally cooler during this period; Etosha National Park sees temperatures of around 25-30C, while Damaraland and the Southern Kalahari are around 22-25C, and it can drop to around freezing overnight in midwinter. The main rainy season runs from December to February when it’s also very hot and humid, although most months see afternoon downpours rather than day-long rain.

Know when you’d like to take your African safari holiday but don’t know where’s best to go? We’ve picked out the best destinations for each month of the year. Here’s where to go when.

January isn’t a great month for a safari in much of Africa, with heavy rain in many destinations. But it’s the perfect time to visit the Eastern Cape in South Africa, where it’s the middle of summer – it’ll be hot this month, with no rain, and some fantastic chances to see the wildlife in the reserves of the Cape. Kenya is also enjoying a drier month between the short and long rains, so you’ll have lusher landscapes but dry days, and it’s the perfect time to see newborn animals here.

Head to Tanzania this month to see wildebeest calving in the Serengeti before the heaviest rains start in March, while it’s also still a good time to see newborn wildlife in Kenya during the dry months between the rains. South Africa’s Eastern Cape is still one of the best choices for a safari in February with the summer dry season meaning an excellent chance of spotting the animals.

March isn’t the best month for a safari with heavy rains hitting much of sub-Saharan Africa, but the worst of the wet weather is easing off in Botswana and there’s a chance to see zebras massing in the Makgadikgadi Pans in the south of the country ahead of their long migration to Namibia. The hottest months are over at the Eastern Cape in South Africa but you can still expect dry days here, so it’s another option for a safari in March.

Heavy rains are falling in East Africa, so April isn’t a good month for a safari in Kenya or Tanzania, but the worst wet weather is finished in southern Africa (or yet to come, in the case of the Cape). You can expect some mixed days but if you’re planning a safari holiday in April, it’s often a quieter month in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, both around Kruger National Park, where it’s an ideal month for birdwatchers, and the Eastern Cape, although the weather is getting cooler there.

May is a great month to visit Botswana; water levels are starting to rise in the Okavango Delta, while you’ll get some of the best weather in both Chobe National Park as the dry season begins, as well as in the Kalahari and Kgalagadi. The dry season is also beginning in Namibia, where it’s hot and sunny during the day at Etosha National Park but not as cool overnight. And Kruger National Park in South Africa is also ideal for a safari in May as drier weather shrinks the vegetation so the animals are easier to spot.

The main safari season really gets underway this month with good weather in East Africa and Southern Africa. If you’re planning to visit Victoria Falls as part of your safari holiday in June, it’s a fantastic time with water levels still high enough to be dramatic but with better views than earlier in the year as the spray lessens over the cascades. The dry season has begun in Kenya and Tanzania, where it’s quieter than later in the year, and there’s warm weather during the day at South Africa’s Kruger National Park, although it can be chilly at night.

With the dry season well underway, a July safari also brings a couple of very special sights if you’re planning a trip to Africa. The end of the month sees the start of the Great Migration as the herds of wildebeest, along with zebra and other antelopes, begin to move from Tanzania’s Serengeti to Kenya’s Masai Mara, crossing the Mara River in their hundreds of thousands. And in Botswana, the Okavango Delta floods as the waters drain down from Angola, creating the wetland scenery it’s famous for. The only place to avoid is South Africa’s Eastern Cape where it’s rainy and cool during midwinter.

If you’re hoping to see the Great Migration, a safari in August is the time to pick, with Kenya seeing most action this month. While you certainly won’t be alone in hoping to marvel at the dramatic sight of thousands of animals making the risky crossing at the Mara River on the border of Tanzania and Kenya, it’s a truly unforgettable experience to watch. If you want to avoid the crowds, there’s also excellent weather in Kenya’s Amboseli National Park, as well as Tsavo West and Tsavo East, across Tanzania, and in Botswana’s Chobe National Park, Etosha National Park in Namibia, plus Kruger National Park and the northern reserves of South Africa.

Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Choosing a safari in September means you can enjoy some of the final months of the dry season across East and Southern Africa, whether you’re heading for Botswana, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania or South Africa (with the exception of the Eastern Cape). The final herds are still completing the Great Migration from the northern Serengeti into the Masai Mara but the crowds of August have left, so if you’re lucky enough to see a crossing, you’ll have fewer people to share it with. Temperatures are warming up across Southern Africa too as winter comes to an end, with lows of around 15C in Kruger National Park and highs in the high 20Cs.

The weather is starting to become more unpredictable in Southern Africa this month, so if you’re planning a safari in October, you’ll find fewer people and often better prices if you’re willing to chance the early rains or are hoping to see the parched landscape returning to life with the first rainfall. For dry, sunny days, head to East Africa, where the dry season continues in Kenya and Tanzania this month. While the migrating herds are quite scattered this month, the southern part of the Masai Mara is a good place to see the animals before they begin their journey back to the Serengeti.

The rains are returning this month but so are migratory birds, making a safari in November tempting for bird-watchers. Botswana is a good option with rain rarely affecting a safari holiday this month, although temperatures can get very hot, while in Tanzania, you usually only have short afternoon downpours to avoid. It’s also the start of the best weather around the Cape in South Africa, with the dry days and warmer temperatures of summer beginning this month, but before the peak tourist season begins.

You can expect more rain and higher temperatures for many safari destinations in December but you needn’t rule it out altogether this month. Botswana and Tanzania are both options for a December safari; although you won’t escape without seeing some rainfall, it’s usually limited and doesn’t normally prevent you from heading out on game drives, where you can enjoy the lusher landscapes. In Kenya, Lake Nakuru National Park is a good destination this month, known for its rhino and birdlife. And it’s peak season in South Africa’s Cape region, with some fantastic wildlife spotting, although you won’t escape the crowds and temperatures often hit 30C this month.

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