Best time to go on safari in Tanzania
The worst time to visit Tanzania is during the March-early May rains, when wildlife disperses. Other than that… take your pick.
The best time to go on safari in Tanzania varies for each traveller. Unlike in Kenya, the Great Migration can be seen during most of the year somewhere in Tanzania – though you’ll need to travel in June-Sep to catch the famous Mara River crossing. Avoid the school holidays if you are able; there are fewer crowds. The south is never crowded though; the few lodges are dispersed, so even at peak times you’ll feel alone. Jan-Feb is a lovely time after the short Nov-Dec rainy season; the landscape is greener and there are baby animals – plus rates may be lower.
Our Tanzania safari Holidays
Tanzania Selous safari holiday & Zanzibar
Off-the-beaten track safari experiences & paradise beaches
From
£2150
10 days
ex flights
Exciting family holiday in Tanzania
A family holiday for all ages including the best of Tanzania
From
£3000 to £4500
13 days
ex flights
The Masai Heartlands safari
An amazing and great value 2 week truck safari
From
£1845 to £2185
15 days
ex flights
Selous safari & Mafia Islands diving holiday
Africa's largest game park
From
£3220
13 days
inc UK flights
Big game safari in Tanzania
Big game safari including luxury private camping
From
£3575 to £3755
8 days
ex flights
Tanzania holiday, safari, culture and wildlife 7 days
Genuine cultural experiences and iconic wildlife parks
From
US $2245 to US $2895
7 days
ex flights
Tanzania Safari and beach holiday
Selous Game Reserve, Ruaha National Park & Mafia Island
From
£4400
12 days
ex flights
Tailor made safari, gorillas, Masai Mara & Zanzibar
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda, safari in Kenya, plus Zanzibar
From
£5950 to £7800
11 days
ex flights
Southern Tanzania luxury safari holiday
Two of the most wild and unspoilt parks of Tanzania
From
£8300
12 days
inc UK flights
Tanzania family Safari
Family-friendly luxury safari into Tanzania's wilderness
From
£5095
8 days
ex flights
Tanzania cycling holiday, explore by bike
See the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Great Rift Valley - by bike!
From
£2304 to £2590
13 days
ex flights
Tanzania big game safari, northern parks
Ten day intensive safari with a relaxed pace.
From
£4770
10 days
ex flights
Kenya safari and Zanzibar beach holiday
Safari in the Masai Mara & paradise beaches on Zanzibar
From
£3250
13 days
ex flights
Serengeti safari holiday, Tanzania
Witness the "Greatest Show on Earth" in Tanzania's Serengeti
From
£3200
7 days
ex flights
Western Tanzania luxury Safari
Thrilling wildlife and chimp tracking in western Tanzania
From
£6900
9 days
ex flights
Kenya & Tanzania wildlife tour, Masai to Serengeti
Experience the ultimate wildlife adventure in 10 days
From
£1596 to £2289
10 days
ex flights
Tanzania safari holiday, tailor made
Discover extraordinary wildlife in Africa's greatest parks!
From
£3495 to £5790
8 days
ex flights
Tanzania safari and Zanzibar beach holiday, tailor made
Your tailor-made Tanzania safari & Zanzibar beach holiday
From
£3995 to £6950
13 days
ex flights
Tanzania off the beaten track safari
Off the well worn path, experience magical remote Tanzania
From
£8775 to £12180
11 days
ex flights
Tanzania safaris, northern circuit
Serengeti, Ngorogoro and Tarangire at a leisurely pace
From
£2340 to £2940
7 days
ex flights
Tanzania safari holiday in the Serengeti
A compact safari showcasing the very best of the Serengeti
From
£1955
5 days
ex flights
Luxury Tanzania safari and Zanzibar beach holiday
Selous safari then relax on beautiful Zanzibar
From
£3400
13 days
inc UK flights
Tanzania 9 day safari
Experience the beauty of the African Wildlife in Tanzania
From
£4499
9 days
ex flights
Tanzania family safari and Zanzibar holiday
Famous Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti combined with beach
From
US $5181 to US $6295
10 days
ex flights
Family cycling holiday in Kenya & Tanzania
Family Biking and camping adventure in Kenya and Tanzania
From
US $3490
16 days
ex flights
Tanzania volunteering and safari
Make a difference and experience the Serengeti plains
From
£830 to £1600
14 days
ex flights
Kenya and Tanzania safaris
Follow the amazing wildebeest migration tracks in Serengeti
From
US $2297 to US $4706
10 days
ex flights
Kenya and Tanzania classic tailor made holiday
Explore Kenya and Tanzania's most treasured national parks.
From
£3530
10 days
ex flights
Serengeti holiday in Tanzania, the big five
The classic Serengeti big five tour
From
€1724 to €3375
5 days
per accommodation
Tanzania safari travel advice
Visiting the Ngorongoro Crater
Visiting the Ngorongoro Crater
Amanda Marks, from our supplier Tribes Travel, shares her advice on safaris in Tanzania:
“Some people think the crater can be overrated, but really that’s to do with having the wrong expectations. Some people go in there and aren’t expecting the hundreds and hundreds of vehicles – so they can be disappointed, as they’re up against a lot of other people seeing the wildlife. But it’s down to the guides as well. If our guides go into the crater and see a huddle of cars around a leopard, they won’t go there. But most other guides will join the fray –which in my opinion is a horrible experience. So you have to understand that the crater is actually quite busy.”
“Some people think the crater can be overrated, but really that’s to do with having the wrong expectations. Some people go in there and aren’t expecting the hundreds and hundreds of vehicles – so they can be disappointed, as they’re up against a lot of other people seeing the wildlife. But it’s down to the guides as well. If our guides go into the crater and see a huddle of cars around a leopard, they won’t go there. But most other guides will join the fray –which in my opinion is a horrible experience. So you have to understand that the crater is actually quite busy.”
Enjoying the migration
Enjoying the migration
Andrew Appleyard, from our supplier Exodus, shares Tanzania safari travel advice on his favourite way to watch wildlife:
“It is incredible to see the huge migrations lines. When I led one of my last safaris down there we saw the Big Five within a few hours and so I asked the group what they wanted to do. They asked me “what would you do?” I said I’d park the vehicle up in the middle of the migration, turn the engine off and sit there for two or three hours and just watch it pass. I’d also ban photography for an hour. Too many people just shoot Africa through a lens and come back with 7,000 images – but don’t actually just sit there and take it all in. So I make everyone put their cameras down and sit there and watch it with their engines off.”
Best time to go on safari in Tanzania?
Best time to go on safari in Tanzania?
Amanda Marks, from our supplier Tribes Travel, explains why the best time to visit Tanzania may not be when you think it is:
“The Great Migration moves constantly so you have it from December to March in the southern Serengeti – you can find the wildlife there quite easily. They tend to give birth at the beginning of the year, then move north and west, though they are more spread out so it’s not such a spectacle – but you can still find them. Then from July to October they are in Kenya, but they are also in the very north of the Serengeti, which is just as good a place to see the migration.”
Our top Tanzania safari Holiday
Tanzania Selous safari holiday & Zanzibar
Off-the-beaten track safari experiences & paradise beaches
From
£2150
10 days
ex flights
Tailor made:
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Tanzania safari or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.
Tips from our travellers
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travellers are often... other travellers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do - and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful Tanzania safari travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your holiday - and the space inside your suitcase.
We have selected some of the most useful Tanzania safari travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your holiday - and the space inside your suitcase.
We went in December and the scenery was really beautiful because it rained a bit once in a while. It was nice and green, but was extremely humid and hot. If you cannot stand this very well, it's probably best to go in another season.
- Natalie Lefevre
Aim to enjoy every part of the holiday, whether it is the flight in a prop plane and landing on an air strip with elephants and giraffes standing to on either side (or in the middle), or hundreds of hairy caterpillars in procession. Big or small, take it all in... Don't worry about dressing up for travel or evening meals, and forget make-up and hair styling too. I would also recommend taking a travel washing line and biodegradable washing liquid… the clothes dry quickly. - Joanne Davenport
Read itinerary carefully and be prepared for long, dusty truck journeys fondly referred to as having an "African massage" as roads are very bumpy and more craters than hard road. Perhaps choose a holiday which centres at one place for 2-3 days and journey out from that centre. - Lesley Halliday
It's a different world and if you want total relaxation and comfort, safaris aren't for you. However if you can put up with insect bites and a sore bottom then you will see some truly awesome sights. We think our holiday was well worth the money as we knew we were supporting local people and eco projects. That's what makes this holiday unique. - Clare Hewitt
Read itinerary carefully and be prepared for long, dusty truck journeys fondly referred to as having an "African massage" as roads are very bumpy and more craters than hard road. Perhaps choose a holiday which centres at one place for 2-3 days and journey out from that centre. - Lesley Halliday
It's a different world and if you want total relaxation and comfort, safaris aren't for you. However if you can put up with insect bites and a sore bottom then you will see some truly awesome sights. We think our holiday was well worth the money as we knew we were supporting local people and eco projects. That's what makes this holiday unique. - Clare Hewitt
Buy on the local market (if you plan to donate to a school or community, buy the supplies locally to support the community rather than bringing them from home).
- Teresa VandenBosch
If you go during the dry season be prepared for dust on a grand scale! Having said that what you are seeing and doing overrides any discomfort. Don’t forget your lipsalve and hair conditioner as the air is very dry! - Linda de Zilva
Our children (13 and 15) got as much out of meeting the local people in towns and villages as they did from seeing the vast array of wildlife. Now they realise you really can make do on a minimum of possessions and things can be fixed (in very inventive ways), not thrown away when they break; a life changing experience for them. - Graham Botwright
Our children (13 and 15) got as much out of meeting the local people in towns and villages as they did from seeing the vast array of wildlife. Now they realise you really can make do on a minimum of possessions and things can be fixed (in very inventive ways), not thrown away when they break; a life changing experience for them. - Graham Botwright
More about Tanzania safari
In our safaris in Tanzania travel guide, we discuss when and where to see the wildebeest migration, bushwalking with a Maasai guide, Big Five game safaris in the Ngorongoro Crater and the little explored game reserves of the south. We share our thoughts on whether or not a Tanzania safari is right for you, and our interactive map will help you decide where to go on your Tanzania safari holiday.
protection
Photo credits: [Page banner: Atosan] [Temp chart intro: Sankara Subramanian]
[Ngorongo Crater : George Lamson]
[Migration: Ben and Gab]
[More than serengeti: Ben and Gab]
[Best time: Ben and Gab]
[Tip intro: Ray in Manila]
[Tip1: Martin Olsen]
[Tip2: SarahTz]
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