The Northern Tanzania safari circuit includes Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire National Park, and Lake Manyara and there is no right or wrong time to visit these favourite destinations.

During the dry season (late June to October) animals congregate near water sources, placing predators and their prey nearby making for excellent game viewing. Also, due to water shortages, the vegetation thins, improving the visibility of animals. Thus people crowding can occur during this time. If you wish to avoid crowds, you may elect to visit the parks of Northern Tanzania during the wet season. While the wet season (November to May) does not produce the same level of animal interaction, the general game viewing is still good in all parks during that time.

The positives are the people crowds are gone and migratory birds have moved back into the area. If wildlife is your focus then you are best to visit in the dry season which roughly runs from late June through October. This is when game-viewing is usually at its best in terms of numbers and visibility too, as the long rains are over, the grasses are starting to die down, and water sources become more important to wildlife.

Late June through to October is also a good time to go to Zanzibar or visit any of the other islands and the coast, so it’s relatively easy to combine your holiday and experience both safari and beach. Kilimanjaro is another major attraction in Tanzania with many attempting the summit each year. The best times to climb are July to October or January to March, avoiding the main wet times.

If you are looking for a time to avoid Tanzania that that would probably be the long rains that take place in April and May.