Best Tanzania Safari

Safari in Tanzania reveals the world’s premier safari destination: the Serengeti, and its expansive plains, the largest un-flooded, and un-broken caldera in the world, the creat wildebeest Migration, and the towering Mount Kilimanjaro. Enjoy lunch next to a hippo filled watering hole, sport the legendary tree-climbing lion, and watch as massive tusked elephants amble about the Serengeti on a once in a lifetime safari. Tanzania offers travelers the opportunity to experience firsthand the Maasai culture, amazing animal viewing, and epic ascents up Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s largest free standing mountain. Add a few days on the beaches of Zanzibar and you are in for a truly magical African adventure.

Best time to visit Tanzania

The best wildlife viewing months in Tanzania are during the Dry season from late June to October. The best chance of seeing the wildebeest migration in the Serengeti is during June and July and the time to see the wildebeest calving is late January to February. The southern and western circuit parks are best visited during the Dry season (June to October), unlike the more popular northern circuit parks that can be visited year-round. Tarangire is the only exception since its wildlife viewing is considerably better in the Dry season as well.

Best Time June to October (All parks), June-July and January-February (Serengeti for the wildebeest migration and calving).

High Season July to March (northern circuit parks; they get crowded), July to October (southern and western circuit parks; they don’t really get crowded any time of  the year).

Low Season April and May (northern circuit parks still get quite a few visitors unlike the southern and western circuit parks, where many lodges close down).

Best weather June to October (little to no rainfall).

worst weather March and April (Peak of wet season)

June to October Dry Season

June and July are the best months to see the wildebeest migration

Animals are easier to spot since they concentrate around waterholes and rivers and there is less vegetation

There are fewer mosquitoes because there is little to no rain; skies are clear and most days are sunny

Even though most tourists visit during the Dry season, the parks still don’t feel crowded, except for the Seronera area in the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater

Mornings and nights get cold; it’s recommended to bring warm clothing for morning game drives in open vehicles during the months of June, July and August

November to May wet Season

Late January to February is the time to see the calving in the southern Serengeti, and an excellent time to see predator action

The scenery is green and beautiful; it’s low season, meaning lower rates and less crowded parks

Although wildlife is easier to spot in the Dry season, you’ll still see plenty adn most nothern circuit parks offer good year-round wildlife viewing

Migratory birds are present, and bird watching is at its best

Except for March, April and May, rains are mostly short afternoon showers and seldom have a negative impact on your trip

March to May is the peak of the wet season

Most big wildlife has migrated out of Tarangire NP, and wildlife viewing in Katavi, Selous and Ruaha is clearly better during the Dry season.

Ruаhа іs сlеаrly bеttеr durіng thе Dry sеаsοn.

Best safari in Tanzania

A Northern Tanzania Safari

Tanzania’s first safari areas were in the north, and this ‘northern circuit’ remains its most famous safari area. The Ngorongoro Crater and the Rift Valley’s Lake Manyara are names to conjure with – whilst the Serengeti’s great migration is one of the world’s great wildlife spectacles; no wonder it attracts hundreds of thousands of human visitors every year!

Sadly, sometimes the mini-buses out-number the animals here; you can find the side of mass tourism to Africa that we don’t like. Hence we’ve strived to find ways of visiting these areas, whilst avoiding the human hotspots. The main parks there are:

＊ Ngorongoto Conservation Area

Tanzania’s greatest wildlife showpiece, the Ngorongoro Crater has breath-taking views, phenomenal game and a lot of visitors. Look out for elephants, buffalo and black rhino on the crater floor; the larger lion population is far from camera shy.

＊ The Serengeti

The Serengeti’s vast ecosystem covers several different reserves, and includes overwhelming amounts of game. Many areas are also very busy, and we’re very aware that this will detract from many Tanzania safaris here. Other safari areas may be harder to reach, but are usually worth the effort for their exclusivity. It is still possible to safari here with the migration to yourself – but getting the timing right is a science in itself!

＊ Lake Manyara National Park

This small, yet spectacular safari park sits between the Creat Rift Valley’s steep western escarpment and the Lake Manyara, s shallow alkaline lake. It is easily visited from Arusha by 4wD, and often on the way to Ngorongoto Crater and/or the Serengeti.

＊ Tarangire National Park

At its best when it’s dry, Tarangire is an excellent park: with abundant game and very varied bird-life. The bulk of it is also relatively quiet. with few people reaching the southern regions where safari can still find a sense of ‘wilderness.’

A Southern Tanzania Safari

The parks is southern Tanzania cover huge areas and offer grear game-viewing in remote areas, based at small lodges where local safari guides (often real experts) drive you around in open 4wDs. It’s an excellent experience, similar to the best safaris in southern Africa –  and these trips probably include our most popular Tanzania safaris. There is no ‘migration’ here – but the game is excellent, and you will relish the real feeling of wilderness here and complete lack of crowds! The main options are:

＊ Selous Game Reseve

Arguably Africa’s largest game reserve, the Selous offers some of best big game safaris in Tanzania with excellent guiding, and it’s a relatively short flight from Dar es Salaam, the coast and islands. Selous is perfect for a week’s safari!

＊ Ruaha National Park

In the heart of Tanzania, Ruaha makes a great extension to a Selous safari.  It’s hotter, drier and higher here, so the environments, and several of the game species, are different. Being that bit more remote, there are even fewer camps there.

A western Tanzania Safari 

Safaris in western Tanzania are in a league of their own with superb and contrsting wildlife experiences –  but see a map to realise that thery are seriously remote! Becouse of this, Tanzania safaris here usually expensive and so receive very few visitors – but of course having few other visitors sharing your experience is a real attraction in itself. The two main parks here are:

＊ Karavi National Park

One of Africa’s most remote safari parks, Katavi has excellent game, includeing prolific buffalo and lion, and an unbeatable feeling of wilderness.  It’s very remote event by Tanzania safari standars, but a big draw for old Africa hands who have travelled extensively.

＊ Zanzibar

The spicy, exotic island of Zanzibar conjures up an amazing image. what’s more, it can live up to it  – with a cosmopolitan mix of cultures, enchanting palm-fringed beaches and some good diving and snorkelling in the ocean around it.

How to travel around

Camps in the remote areas of southern and western Tanzania are usually visited in fly-in safaris, which use light aircraft to fly between the parks and camp. Flying allows quick access to even remote camps, and scheduled aircraft run frequently. Once at the camps, their own guides will use 4wDs and boats to get you around the parks.