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Best Time To Visit Tanzania

Tanzania through the seasons

Best time to visit Tanzania is during the drier months from June to October, when conditions are ideal for safaris. During this period, you can explore iconic regions like the Serengeti and Kilimanjaro. The relatively cooler temperatures and the spectacle of the Great Migration of wildebeest and other animals make it an especially attractive time to visit.

When planning your Tanzania vacation, remember Best time to visit Tanzania that the country is situated just south of the equator. Coastal areas, including Arusha and the island of Zanzibar, experience high humidity. However, in the highlands of Tanzania, the humidity levels are lower.

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Best time to visit Tanzania by season

Tanzania has two distinct annual rainfall patterns and generally, there are two rainy seasons. The short rains occur between November and December while the long rains take place between mid-March and June. The warm Tanzanian summer lasts from mid-December until March. The cooler, dry winter occurs from June to October and the cool air during this time is perfect for viewing sunsets while sitting at the campfire with a warm cup of tea or cocoa! Tanzania’s mountains are notable exceptions to its complex but otherwise regular climate. Temperatures on Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru drop below freezing point.

These are the typical seasons for you to bear in mind as you plan your travel to Tanzania and consider Best time to visit Tanzania.

Long wet season: mid March – June

Winter: June – October

Short rainy season: November – December

Summer: Mid December – March

What to Pack for Tanzania Tours

Safari wear should be comfortable and casual. Evenings and early mornings can be chilly so warm sweaters are recommended. Low heeled comfortable sports or trekking shoes are the most suitable walking shoes should you intend joining any walking safaris. We recommend you bring warm clothes, including a fleece or light wool sweater and socks, to their normal safari gear. During the day it can get quite hot so don’t forget sunglasses and a high factor sunscreen, as well as a sun hat with a small brim.

Some specialist trips, i.e. mountain climbing, require extra items of clothing and footwear. Many hotels, lodges and camps have swimming pools so you are advised to bring swimsuits. Due to limited space in the vehicle and light aircraft, we advise you to keep your luggage to the minimum. We suggest you pack your luggage into a small bag of no more than 15 kilos – the luggage limit for local flights issued by the airlines. Almost all safari lodges and camps provide same day laundry service.

Popular Trips to Tanzania

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10 Days Tanzania Safari & Beach Extension

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Best Places To Visit

Grumeti River

The Grumeti River traverses the western corridor of Serengeti National Park, flowing westward until it reaches Lake Victoria.

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Mara River

The Mara River flows through Narok County in southern Kenya and the Mara Region in northern Tanzania. The

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Mkomazi National Park

Mkomazi National Park is a hidden gem amongst the parks of Tanzania. It is located in the northeastern

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Travel Guide

Planning a trip to Tanzania? Before you travel, get your lowdown on all the essential details – from visa and entry to communications, internet, currency, cards, and health information.

Things To Do

Great Migration, the magical Serengeti National Park, fascinating indigenous cultures, and the spice islands of Zanzibar – discover the top ten things to do in Tanzania.

Safety

Tanzania as well as Zanzibar, are generally considered a safe destination for travel. As with all other destinations, all you need to do is follow these simple safety measures.

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What Our Guests Say

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Seaside08233154524
25 May 2026
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Incredible experience The moment they came to pick us up I knew we were safe, staff were very friendly and welcoming. They made everything incredibly beautiful and so memorable . Food was delicious . We stay a day and half , they treated as so well , the atmosphere was amazing . This was one of the best trips . I would recommend it 100% for sure , best for group, individual and also family they gone make your trip most memorable . But I would say the admission fees are a little high but it’s worth it!!! Can’t to be back
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Alex V
19 April 2026
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Very interesting tour. It was a fantastic experience. Malley is a great person that made our trip safe and smooth! We have spotted a great number of wildlife animals, thousands of zebras abd gnus...
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Ann B
23 January 2026
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Excellent and Outstanding Trip Our 5 day safari with African Diurnal Safaris exceeded every expectation. The communication with Lameck was fast, clear, and professional from the very first message. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable, attentive, and made us feel safe and comfortable throughout the entire trip. Every detail was perfectly organized — hotels, meals, routes, game drives — everything was handled with care and precision. We saw the Big Five, stunning landscapes, and experienced Tanzania in the most authentic way. Truly great value for money and a company you can fully rely on. Highly recommend African Diurnal Safaris.
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Melanie M
22 January 2026
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*A wonderful 8- day safari with our guide Elisante" African Diurnal Safaris is exceeded our expectations in every way, the booking process was smooth, with the team consistently responsive, accommodating, and tailoring our trip the way we wanted it. From the moment we landed in Kilimanjaro airport, everything went according to our plans. Our guide Elisante was exceptional - friendly, punctual, patient, highly knowledgeable, and a true professional. He ensured our safari through Tarangire, northern Serengeti for the great migration, and Ngorongoro crater.Thanks to Elisante's expert guidance, we had the privilege of witnessing breathtaking wildlife including the great migration at the Mara river, as well as lions, cheetahs, leopard, rhinos, buffaloes , elephants, the fascinating African "ugly 5", countless other species roaming the plains and Highlands, along with a incredible variety of birds - the wonders were endless.We are deeply grateful to African Diurnal Safaris and special thanks to Lameck who suggested a wonderful itinerary for us, as well as our guide Elisante for crafting such unforgettable experience for our family. These cherished memories will last a lifetime.
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SRZ_London
26 September 2025
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Amazing Safari An amazing experience in Kenya on safari. African Diurnal were great from the beginning booking to the end of the trip. They offered fantastic payment and cancellation terms that really made us feel comfortable. They were very clear with their communications beforehand and had everything prepared for our arrival in Kenya. Their driver (Robert) was truly fantastic, with local knowledge and a calmness that put us at ease straight away. His wildlife knowledge enabled us to have really close encounters with all of the big five! We also witnessed a cheetah and lion double kill on our last game drive! Amazing! Would highly recommend this company for an East African safari experience!
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Suresh Kumar
15 April 2025
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We embarked on a luxurious 12-day safari adventure in Tanzania and Kenya, during which we explored the breathtaking Serengeti and the renowned Masai Mara. This experience was not only wonderful but also far surpassed our expectations regarding the diverse wildlife and stunning landscapes we encountered. We were fortunate to observe hundreds of elephants, giraffes, buffalos, hippos, lions, and countless other species, including the magnificent leopards and cheetahs. The expertise and dedication of our guides, Elisante in Tanzania and David in Kenya, were significant highlights of our trip. Their extensive knowledge of the region and its wildlife, coupled with their genuine passion for their work, contributed to a seamless and delightful journey. I highly recommend African Diurnal Safaris.
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Jens Minke
17 February 2025
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We had a really good 6 days of safari. Lameck is a perfect guide and a good and professional driver. And he is a really nice guy. We had many laughs and manu interesting talks. Best recomodations from Linda and Jens
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Linda M
16 February 2025
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Very knowledgeable about wildlife and a perfect and safe driver who pays respect to wildlife 🐆 Lameck is the owner of this wonderful safari agency. He is born and raised a little outside Serengeti and knows tremendous much about the wildlife in Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire. He speaks perfectly English and during our shared dinner, we have talked about nature, politics, culture, religion, history - we have learned so much! Very importantly he is an experienced and safe driver who also takes care of the animals e.g. waiting for animals to cross roads in contrast to many other drivers we saw on our way. We experienced a flat tire on night - but no problem! Lameck could fix it right away 🙌 We are so happy, that we consider to hire the company next year for a safari in Uganda and/or Kenya 🦒
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Peter S
7 January 2025
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Amazing Safari with Diurnal Safaris After good advices for our custom made Safari we had a wunderful time in Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire! With our very kind driver Samson we spot the Big Five in 4 amazing days! We higly recommend Diurnal !!
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Audley S
14 December 2024
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Amazing 7 day safari experiences in Northern Tanzania Unforgettable safari experience with African Diurnal Safaris . I and my husband went on a 7-days safari adventure covering Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara national park and had the most spectacular experience. The guide Lameck goes above and beyond to give us an unforgettable safari. With Lameck’s help we managed to see all the big five’s and we had incredible experiences seeing both lions and Leopard hunting prey. The selected accommodations (Tortilis Camps and Karatu Tented Lodge) was top norch and food were great throughout the whole safari trip. Would highly recommend anyone going for a safari with African Diurnal Safaris and choose Lameck to be your safari guide you won't regret.