When Is The Best Time To Go on Safari in Africa?

Where To Go on Safari in Africa Month by Month

Different African destinations are best visited at different times of the year. When planning a holiday in a specific month, you should consider where are the best places to go in that month. Below is a month-by-month overview of safari highlights to help you plan your trip.

1. •

   January Highlights

   Many safari countries experience some rain in January. This comes with lush vegetation, spectacular scenery and few visitors. Due to the rains, wildlife can be a bit dispersed in some parks, but this is a great time to visit the Southern Serengeti in Tanzania. In late January, the wildebeest migration is marked here by the calving season. The millions of wildebeest gathering attract lots of predators too. Similarly, in Botswana, a smaller migration of zebras can be witnessed in the Makgadikgadi Pans. Although generally a wet country, Uganda experiences a drier period in January to February, which makes for ideal gorilla trekking conditions.

   

2. •

   February Highlights

   In February the wildebeest calving season is in full swing. The Southern Serengeti is the place to be to see the migration and great predator action. The salt pans in Botswana fill up and attract more and more animals. January to February is usually a dry spell between the long and short rains of East Africa. This makes it a great time for gorilla trekking and general wildlife viewing in the region. Be prepared for a cuteness overload with lots of baby animals around.

   

3. •

   March Highlights

   Late March is a good time to see the wildebeest migration moving north from their breeding grounds in the Southern Serengeti. You might see big herds of wildebeest walking in single file with their newly born babies in tow. Much of southern Africa is rained out in March. But it’s a lovely time for exploring South Africa with its mild weather and wildlife viewing that’s still very good in places such as Sabi Sand Game Reserve.

   

4. •

   April Highlights

   The Okavango Delta in Botswana comes to life with the yearly arrival of the floodwaters around April. This opens up opportunities to explore this watery wonderland by mokoro (dugout canoe). Furthermore, much of the wildlife retreats to Chief’s Island when water levels rise, making it especially rewarding for walking safaris and game drives. Victoria Falls, between Zambia and Zimbabwe, is at peak flow. There might be too much spray to see all of it, but standing in front of the world’s largest sheet of water as it tumbles down at full force is a humbling experience.

   

5. •

   May Highlights

   May is the beginning of the dry winter season in southern Africa. The combination of improved wildlife viewing and mild weather (compared to midwinter) makes this shoulder month a great choice for a safari in the region. The transitional month also marks the end of the rains in East Africa, and low-season deals are up for grabs.

   

6. •

   June Highlights

   The Dry season months from June to September are best for wildlife viewing in most parks and reserves across East and southern Africa. June and July are top months to witness the wildebeest migration in the Western Corridor of the Serengeti. If you are lucky you might even see the animals crossing the Grumeti River. It is also the best month to see the sardine run on the east coast of South Africa. This marine spectacle, involving the migration of billions of sardines followed by sharks, dolphins, whales and birds, is a sight to behold.

   

7. •

   July Highlights

   July is an excellent month to visit the Okavango Delta. Although it is the middle of the Dry season, water levels are high and perfect for dugout-canoe trips. These ideal conditions remain until October. Meanwhile, you’ll be able to get good photos of Victoria Falls while the volume of water is mid to low and the spray doesn’t block the views. Wildlife viewing is excellent in most parks. Big herds of elephants gather in Tanzania’s Tarangire National Park and around the Chobe River in Botswana.

   

8. •

   August Highlights

   In August you can expect prime wildlife viewing across most of Africa. In Rwanda and Uganda, gorilla and chimp trekking conditions are ideal. Thousands of elephants gather in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, and the end of the Dry season is perfect for walking safaris in Mana Pools National Park. Further south, sometime around August to September, the rains transform South Africa’s semi-desert Namaqualand area into a sea of flowers.

   

9. •

   September Highlights

   September, the end of the Dry season, is generally a great wildlife-viewing month in much of East and southern Africa. The wildebeest migration reaches its most epic stage; the famous crossings of the Mara River can be witnessed in northern Tanzania and Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve. Whales can be seen along the southern coast of South Africa from June to November, but the peak month is September. And the best place to see these giants is in Hermanus, the host of the annual whale festival in September.

   

10. •

    October Highlights

    Although October can be very hot in southern Africa, the wildlife viewing is as good as it gets. Everywhere animals are looking for water. You’ll find huge elephant herds gathering along the Chobe River. In Etosha National Park in Namibia, you can see lots of different animals drinking together at the waterholes. Thousands of hippos occupy the last remaining river pools in Katavi National Park in Tanzania, and the wildebeest migration is moving across the Masai Mara.

    

11. •

    November Highlights

    By November the rains have reached most African safari destinations and the drabness of the dry winter months is slowly washing away. The birding is fantastic with migrants flocking in and many species showing off their breeding plumage. From November to March sea turtles lay eggs on South Africa’s sandy beaches, and a nighttime turtle-spotting tour is a highlight on any trip in the area.

    

12. •

    December Highlights

    Botswana’s ‘Emerald season’ (another name for the Wet season) runs from December to March. The new green grass and filled-up pans in the desert areas attract lots of animals during this time. Most notable is Africa’s longest mammal migration. Triggered by rain, more than 20,000 zebras start their annual journey from the Chobe River floodplains south to Nxai Pan National Park.