Best time to visit Africa for a safari

Traditionally speaking, most travellers tend to come to Africa in the dry season, which has led to the notion of a dry ‘peak season’. During this time, minimal to no rainfall is experienced and wildlife is typically easier to spot as animals tend to congregate around water sources.

During green season, rains renew the land and areas turn lush and green. This has made certain off-peak periods more appealing to some, as this is when there are fewer travellers in camps, fewer vehicles on game drives, and a somewhat elevated feeling of exclusivity. Rates are also slightly lower across our camps during this off-peak or shoulder season. 

There is beauty and wonder to experience year-round, but understanding seasonality can help you plan an African safari that perfectly matches your preferences. For example, some months are also famously hotter or wetter than others, so it’s important to consider temperatures when planning your safari. Temperatures, rainfall and availability of water affect how wildlife disperses across a landscape, where and when they congregate, and how they behave. Seasonal changes also trigger migratory bird arrivals, the movement of the Great Migration, breeding activity, and birthing cycles.  

With weather changes come varying water levels across our areas, which affect the availability of certain activities. When water levels are low, boating and mokoro experiences are less likely (but not totally impossible, depending on your location). Walking safaris, hot air ballooning and helicopter flips generally take place in the drier months, too, as flying and walking conditions are at their best.

 
Of course, our Travel Designers are experts in African safaris, and you can always rely on them for personalised advice on when to travel. But if you’d like to better understand safari seasons, we’ve outlined the key factors to consider, as well as the seasonal changes across all the countries in which we operate. 

June to August (dry season)

Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia are all very different countries. However, speaking generally, safaris in Southern Africa are defined by dry versus green season. Dry season refers to a lack of rainfall which generally leads to sparse vegetation making wildlife easier to spot. During dry season in Southern Africa, you can expect cold mornings and evenings with temperate afternoons and a better chance of activities like walking safaris due to the short grasses. 

In dry season (winter, from June to October), the skies are clear, but in areas like Botswana’s Okavango Delta, water levels are actually at their peak as the inflow takes some time to filter down from the Angolan highlands. This allows for water activities like mokoro trips and boating safaris from many of our Botswana camps.

Our safari areas in Zambia’s Kafue and Mosi-oa-Tunya national parks, and Zimbabwe’s Hwange and Mana Pools national parks, generally experience the same seasonal weather in terms of rains. As a result, our Kafue camps – located in the far northern Busanga Plains – and in Mana Pools only operate in the dry season (June to October/November), when the environmental and wildlife conditions are ideal for your safari. This is also a great time to combine a Zimbabwe or Zambia safari with a visit to the Victoria Falls, as the Falls are at good flow levels without being so powerful that the spray obscures the view.

These are also some of the best months to plan a gorilla trek in Rwanda as it is a drier time of year with less muddy and dense conditions in the rainforest. It is also a fantastic time of year to combine gorilla trekking with a traditional safari in the country’s Akagera National Park, where the sparse vegetation now means better wildlife visibility.

However, as a result of high demand, this can be one of the most expensive times to go on safari.

December to April (green season)

Green season (Southern Africa’s summer) is when the seasonal rains arrive, bringing scattered showers in the afternoons. Walking safari activities are less likely due to the thick vegetation and this is when the Delta’s waters are low with fewer water experiences available. However, there are still places where activities like mokoro and boating are available (for example, Wilderness Qorokwe, Vumbura Plains, and our camps in the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve). 

During green season in Southern Africa, you can expect dramatic skies, high daytime temperatures ideal for lounging by the pool, and occasional afternoon storms. While it can be more challenging to spot wildlife in the thick vegetation, there is typically an abundance of newborn antelope, and thus an increase in predator activity. On the Ngamo Plains in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, wildlife concentrations are particularly impressive during green season. Migratory birds also arrive in flocks and present their colourful breeding plumage. The light quality makes this time of year a photographer’s dream and this is also one of the most affordable times for a safari in Southern Africa. However, certain camps in our regions do not operate during these months.

Tanzania, on the other hand, experiences two rainy seasons per year: the short rains in December, and the green season in April and May, when the landscapes are lush and vibrant. In the Serengeti, calving season from January to March is an excellent time to see the thousands of new born animals birthed by the migratory herds. There is also a chance of showers, which usually occur in the late afternoons or evenings. This is a potentially good time for marine wildlife viewing though, and with the warmer temperatures, a good period for a combination safari and beach holiday.

April to May and September to November (shoulder season)

Shoulder season is the time when the wilderness transitions between dry and green conditions, offering a good balance of both. Temperatures are moderate, rates are friendlier across our camps, and there are fewer travellers (but not as few as in green season). Between April and May, the Victoria Falls reach their peak flow and while the mist and spray can obscure certain viewpoints, to see the Falls at their most powerful is certainly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The water levels then continue to recede, with September and October being some of the best times for viewing the Falls from above by helicopter or participating in activities like the iconic Devil’s Pool swim near the edge of the Falls.

In Tanzania and Kenya, April to May heralds the peak long rainy season, with heavy rains across the country. Migratory bird species are abundant, but thicker vegetation and muddy roads make wildlife sightings more challenging. That said, fewer tourists make this a great time for a peaceful safari and value-for-money travel. The converse applies however in the season from August to November which is actually peak season as this is when most visitors arrive to witness the Great Migration’s iconic river crossings. Wildebeest plunge into the Mara River, often dramatically, as crocodiles and predators lie in wait. This time of year also provides the perfect beach weather for Zanzibar and excellent diving conditions.

In Rwanda, March to May and October through November are the rainy seasons. Typically, the west of Rwanda (Volcanoes National Park is) receives more rainfall annually than the east (Akagera National Park). The rains lead to clear air, and thus better photographic conditions, and trees and plants start to flower, encouraging birdlife. The entire country is lush and green and this is one of the best times for boating, fishing and birding in Akagera. The predators in Akagera also capitalise on the long grasses to stalk and hunt prey. That said, conditions on gorilla treks will be muddier and slightly more challenging.