Best time to Visit Tanzania – Wildlife & Wildebeest Migration

The best time to Visit Tanzania especially Serengeti national park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area for Wildlife and Wildebeest Migration is a great experience. Tanzania is one of the top hot spots for many first-time tourists taking an African safari because of the very memorable trips undertaken amidst millions of wildlife in the several parks. The best time to visit Tanzania is during the dry season which is the months from June to October.

It is during this time when wildlife viewing is generally at its best. The southern and western circuit parks can best be visited during the dry season of June to October. The northern circuit parks can be visited all year round.

June to October is generally the best time for wildlife viewing in all parks. The high season when parks are crowded is from July to March for the northern circuit and July to October for the southern and western circuit parks. It is during these months when the country receives its best weather and minimal amounts of rainfall.

During the dry season, wildlife viewing is generally good as the grass is short and wildlife can easily be spotted. During this time, wildlife also usually converges in areas with water and therefore easy to spot. It is mostly sunny with very little rain during this time, there are few mosquitos, and the chance of contracting malaria is low.

March and April are the peak wet season and therefore not much recommended for travel. This is because the weather may greatly affect your wildlife viewing experiences. However, the parks still stay open for Tanzania tours.

What is the best time to visit Tanzania for wildebeest migration viewing?

The wildebeest migration in the Serengeti National Park is usually during June and July. The best time to see the wildebeest calving is in the period from late January to February.

August to September is the best time to see the wildebeest river crossings in northern Serengeti.

To see the wildebeest in Tanzania, between July – October the herds are in northern Serengeti plains. During this time you can have the chance to see the wildebeest crossing the dramatic Mara River as thousands are killed trying to cross. This is referred to as the most desirable time to see the wildebeest in Tanzania.

From December to March, the wildebeest in that time is in the southern part of Serengeti specifically in Ndutu which is actually in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. During this time it’s the calving season as many calves are birthed.

February is the perfect month when the wildebeest can be seen in large herds altogether for the calving season. This is a highlight of the wildebeest migration along with the dramatic crossings of the Mara River.

Between November, April, May, and June the herds are much more dispersed. This is because November experiences short rains and the months of April and May are the long rains season therefore the grass is green throughout and so are the herds that are dispersed.

The best time of the year to see the large herds of wildebeest migrating is during July – October, and December – March.

Best time to Visit Tanzania – Wildlife & Wildebeest Migration

Activities or things to do in Tanzania – best time to visit Tanzania

Tanzania safaris offer rewarding superb wildlife viewing including the annual wildebeest migration in the Serengeti and trips to off-the-beaten-track safaris in Selous and Ruaha parks.  The country is a big hub for African safaris with several wildlife circuits for long tours.

With 16 national parks and several wildlife reserves, Tanzania is a good tourist destination and with the diversity, travelers with few days could wonder which kind of tours to choose. The best Tanzania safaris are determined by the great activities and attractions to see in the country and these are;

• Wildlife viewing – the best time to visit Tanzania 

All of the national parks in Tanzania have lots of wildlife with excellent viewing opportunities. There are three different safari circuits and all are good for Tanzania wildlife safaris. The parks are also home to the sought-after Big Five animals which are the lions, leopards, buffalo, rhinos, and elephants with the black rhino seen at the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

Animals that can be seen in abundance include elephants, giraffes, hippos, buffaloes, zebras, wildebeest, and the lion and hyena are common. Rare and occasional animals include the black rhino, leopard, and cheetah.

Wildebeest is one of the world’s natural wonders with a spectacular sighting to offer, it’s no ordinary group of animals. The Great Wildebeest Migration is an annual migration of giant herds of animals all through from Northern Tanzania to Kenya.

Each wildebeest migration constitutes over two million wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles moving from Serengeti National Park of Tanzania and Masai Mara National Park of Kenya. Seeing millions of wildebeest on safari could be only possible in Tanzania and Kenya in the whole world.

With these wildlife animals, Tanzania is a classic African tour destination with all parks great for safari but some being exceptional. These are Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tarangire National Park, Selous Game Reserve, Ruaha National Park, and Katavi National Park. A visit to these will offer that classic African wild game drive.

The best time for wildlife viewing in Tanzania is in the dry season which is from late June to October and the best time for wildebeest viewing is during June and July. The long rainy season is between March to May and the parks in the Southern and Western Circuits are less accessible during this time.

• Chimpanzee trekking in Gombe and Mahale Mountains

Tanzania isn’t the ultimate chimpanzee trekking destination, however, it is a unique chimp-tracking place. Mahale Mountains National Park is home to one of Africa’s most studied chimpanzee populations and Gombe streams have a small population that lives in a great environment.

Gombe streams are just 16 miles north of Kigoma on the shores of Lake Tanganyika in western Tanzania and were made famous due to the pioneering work of Jane Goodall who founded a behavioral research program in the 2960s and is still running.

Around 1000 chimpanzees roam around the isolated and lush rainforest of Mahale just above the beaches of Lake Tanganyika. On a chimpanzee trekking safari in these unique settings, tourists walk through guided trails in search of the chimps.

The trek is guided by clues like the previous night’s nest, shadowy clumps high in the trees, fresh dung, or scraps of half-eaten fruit.  Watching the chimpanzees swing through the forests is amazing, it feels like being so close to nature unlike when on a game drive.

The best time for chimp trekking is during the dry season which is between May and October.

• Beach holidays in Zanzibar

For adventure lovers, couples, families, and honeymooners you better be headed for the beaches in Zanzibar. The “spice island” has flawless landscapes from serene forests to smooth white sand beaches. There are also a lot of things to see as you relax at the beaches and these include historic forts, coral reefs, exotic markets, and many more. While at the beaches, it is the perfect time to relax and go adventurous why not go snorkeling on the southeast coast or swim with dolphins at Fumba or Kizimkazi?

• Cultural tours

If you want to learn a little about the people of Tanzania, then a cultural tour is handy. This can be added to any kind of safari in Tanzania. Many villages around Arusha in northern Tanzania have been made accessible to visitors to have a glimpse of the authentic lifestyle of more than 120 tribes in rural Tanzania.

Some of the popular cultural centers to add on a Tanzania tour include Mto Wa Mbu multi-cultural village, Maasai Boma, villages in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Lake Eyasi in the land of Hadzabe and Datoga, Ng’ireshi village of Waarusha tribe, and the Mulalala village of Waarusha and Wameru tribes.

Wildlife tours, beach holidays, chimpanzee trekking, and cultural tours are activities that shouldn’t miss out on your Tanzania itinerary. Wondering how to arrange a good tailor-made itinerary to suit all of your requests, then contact Acacia Safaris. With the introduction of flights within the region, you can also tailor your tour to the Uganda gorilla safari, Kenya safari, or Rwanda gorilla tour.

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