safari in Tanzania is often quite pleasant, with moderate day time temperatures and comfortable evenings for sleeping. Because it tends to cool off once the sun sets, warm clothing layers are recommended for mornings and evenings. to ensure you remain comfortable throughout the day.
There is a dry season and 2 wet seasons in Tanzania. Dry season is considered from June through October, with rains starting at the end of October.
Wet season is considered from November to May, but is split into the short rains and long rains. In November/December the short rains occur – these are unpredictable but typically are not that heavy and tend not to interfere with safari. There is often a dry spell in January,February and early March, which make this an excellent time to visit Ndutu for wildebeest carvings. The long rains start in the end of March and runs through May – this time of year can bring day long rains and make safari more challenging due to fuller rivers and wet grounds.
It’s important to note that Crater rim, and even the floor of the Crater itself, are up in the highlands – at higher elevations than the rest of the conservation area. As such it will be colder there. The rim of the crater is where you will reside in the evening. It can get very cold in the evenings and early mornings, at times reaching freezing temperatures. Please make sure you bring warm clothing to layer when staying around the Ngorongoro Crater.
NORTHERN SAFARI CIRCUIT:
Serengeti National Park (Data from WorldClim Project)
Jan
Feb
Mar
April
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Avg High Temp (F)
81
81
81
79
77
77
75
77
79
81
81
79
Avg Low Temp (F)
59
59
61
61
59
57
55
55
57
59
59
59
Avg Rainfall (in)
3.6
3.9
5.3
5.6
2.8
1.2
0.5
0.9
1.2
1.7
3.7
4.3
Tarangire National Park (Data from WorldClim Project)
Jan
Feb
Mar
April
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Avg High Temp (F)
84
84
84
81
77
77
75
77
81
84
84
84
Avg Low Temp (F)
61
61
63
63
61
57
55
55
57
59
61
63
Avg Rainfall (in)
3.1
3.2
5.0
6.5
2.2
0.2
0.0
0.0
0.2
0.6
2.8
4.3
Ngorongoro Conservation Area (Data from WorldClim Project)
Jan
Feb
Mar
April
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Avg High Temp (F)
77
77
77
73
70
70
70
72
75
77
75
75
Avg Low Temp (F)
55
55
57
59
57
54
52
52
54
55
57
57
Avg Rainfall (in)
3.4
4.1
5.4
5.5
2.4
0.5
0.2
0.3
0.3
1.1
3.3
4.4
Arusha National Park (Data from WorldClim Project)
Jan
Feb
Mar
April
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Avg High Temp (F)
73
75
73
70
66
64
63
64
68
72
72
72
Avg Low Temp (F)
50
52
54
54
52
50
46
48
48
50
52
52
Avg Rainfall (in)
3.5
3.5
6.8
13
7.2
1.2
0.7
0.6
0.6
1.8
6.4
5.7
Mkomazi National Park (Data from WorldClim Project)
Jan
Feb
Mar
April
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Avg High Temp (F)
88
90
88
84
81
79
79
79
82
84
86
86
Avg Low Temp (F)
66
66
66
66
64
61
61
59
61
63
64
66
Avg Rainfall (in)
2.3
2.1
4.8
4.2
2.4
0.5
0.2
0.4
0.6
1.6
4.2
5.0
SOUTHERN SAFARI CIRCUIT:
Nyerere National Park (Formerly Selous) (Data from WorldClim Project)
