Africa rewards travel in every month of the year; what changes is where you should be and what you will see. This is the planner we use ourselves: for each month, the regions at their best, the one thing to know, and where to read more. For every destination rated for every month, use the full month-by-month planner.
The year at a glance
| Months | Where Africa is at its best |
|---|---|
| January–March | Southern Serengeti calving; green, warm Kenya; drier gorilla window; Cape Town summer; Zanzibar to mid-March |
| April–May | Victoria Falls at full flow; the Okavango filling; Namibia green; East Africa at its lowest rates |
| June–October | Dry season everywhere: the Mara River crossings, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe at their peak, prime gorilla trekking |
| November–December | Short rains and storm light; herds returning south; Cape Town and the islands in season; the festive fortnight |
Safari in January
Green season in East Africa; one of the two drier windows for gorillas. The herds gather on the short-grass plains around Ndutu ahead of calving, with superb cheetah viewing; Kenya’s Mara and Laikipia are warm and mostly dry with strong resident game. Rwanda and Uganda are in a drier window, so trails are firmer. Cape Town and the Winelands are in high summer.
Worth knowing: Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe are in the green season: lush, quiet and good value, but wildlife is dispersed and several Zambian walking camps are closed.
Read more: Tanzania · Kenya · Gorilla trekking · Cape Town
Safari in February
Peak calving in the southern Serengeti. Roughly half a million wildebeest calves are born on the southern plains in a few weeks, with predators in constant attendance: the best-value big-wildlife spectacle of the year. Kenya is usually dry and warm; gorilla permits are easier to secure than in midyear; Zanzibar and Diani are at their best.
Worth knowing: Botswana is hot with afternoon storms and camps are quiet; Namibia is at peak summer heat.
Read more: Calving season · Serengeti · Zanzibar
Safari in March
Last of the calving; Victoria Falls rising. Calves gain strength on the calving grounds before the long rains usually arrive late in the month. Victoria Falls is approaching peak flow, Hwange is green and uncrowded, and the Namibian desert is at its most photogenic after rain. Zanzibar is good until mid-March.
Worth knowing: Kenya’s long rains often start from mid-month; sightings take more patience.
Read more: Victoria Falls · Namibia · Tanzania
Safari in April
The long rains in East Africa; Victoria Falls at its most thunderous. We point April at Southern Africa: Victoria Falls at peak flow, Hwange drying out, the Okavango beginning to fill, and Namibia cooling and clearing with green dunes. The Seychelles are at their calmest. East Africa still delivers in the central Serengeti and the crater at the year’s lowest rates.
Worth knowing: Typically the wettest month in Kenya and Tanzania; the Swahili coast is unreliable and some camps close.
Read more: Victoria Falls · Okavango Delta · Seychelles
Safari in May
The Okavango flood peaks; Southern Africa’s dry season begins. The Okavango flood typically peaks, so mokoro and boat safaris are at their most beautiful; Zambia’s walking camps reopen in a still-green valley; Etosha’s waterholes come into their own; Mauritius enters its best months. In Tanzania the rains ease and the herds usually move into the Western Corridor with quiet camps and softer pricing.
Worth knowing: Late May is reliable for gorillas; early May can still be wet.
Read more: Okavango Delta · Zambia · Etosha · Mauritius
Safari in June
Dry season opens almost everywhere. Early Grumeti crossings are possible in the Serengeti without peak-season crowds; the Mara is quiet before the herds arrive; Botswana’s flood is still high with cold dawn boat rides; Zambia’s walking safaris open in full; Hwange’s waterholes draw elephant. Gorilla permits for June sell out early.
Worth knowing: Cold mornings in open vehicles across Southern Africa: dawn can touch 43°F (6°C). Layers, not heavy coats.
Safari in July
The herds reach the Mara River. Crossings become possible on the Mara River in the northern Serengeti and the first Kenyan-bank crossings follow; prime dry-season viewing in Hwange, Mana Pools and the Okavango; prime, and busiest, gorilla month. Zanzibar and Diani are dry and warm.
Worth knowing: The most expensive weeks of the year begin; book ten to twelve months ahead for the small camps.
Read more: The Great Migration · Maasai Mara · Mana Pools
Safari in August
Peak crossing weeks. Typically the busiest crossing period on the Mara River with big cats in attendance; private conservancies in Kenya keep vehicle numbers low. Peak concentrations in the Okavango, Savuti and Chobe; walking safaris in Zambia and Mana Pools at their best; often the most photogenic month in the Namibian desert.
Worth knowing: Peak season everywhere: the best small camps are full a year ahead.
Read more: Mara River crossings · Chobe · Serengeti or Maasai Mara?
Safari in September
Arguably the finest all-round month. Crossings often continue with lighter crowds than August, excellent big cats, and game pinned to the last water from the Serengeti to the Luangwa. Elephant gather in extraordinary numbers at Hwange’s waterholes; gorilla permits are usually easier than in August. If we were booking our own first safari, we would go in late September.
Worth knowing: Hot afternoons in Zambia and Zimbabwe; plan siestas.
Safari in October
Hottest, driest and often most productive. Southbound crossings often begin with fewer vehicles and golden light; vast elephant herds at the water in Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe in the most intense viewing of the year; rhino viewing at Etosha’s waterholes. The short rains usually arrive in Kenya late in the month.
Worth knowing: Heat in Southern Africa is real: 95°F (35°C) afternoons are normal in October.
Safari in November
Short rains, storm light and value. The first rains bring relief, newborn impala and spectacular birding across Southern Africa; East Africa’s herds move south along the empty eastern plains as rates step down; Victoria Falls is at its lowest but clearest for photography; Cape Town’s best season begins. The Seychelles are calm.
Worth knowing: Often the wettest of the short-rain months for gorillas; trails are muddy.
Read more: The month-by-month planner · Cape Town · Seychelles
Safari in December
Herds back on the southern plains; the festive fortnight. The herds typically return to the southern Serengeti; Kenya is usually drying again and excellent for a festive safari with Diani for the beach; the drier gorilla window opens; Cape Town, Zanzibar and Mauritius are in season. Early December is one of the quietest, best-value windows of the year.
Worth knowing: December 15 to January 5 is the festive season: peak rates, a 50% deposit and the balance due 120 days before travel. Book a full year ahead.
Christmas and New Year on safari
The festive fortnight is one of the loveliest times to be in the bush: Kenya is usually dry, the Serengeti’s herds are back on the southern plains, the gorilla trails are firming up, and Cape Town, Zanzibar and Mauritius are in full season. Botswana is green and beautiful, though wildlife is dispersed; it is the quietest choice.
Three things are different about traveling between December 15 and January 5. Camps charge their highest rates of the year and hold six to twelve suites, so the best ones are booked a full twelve months ahead. Our festive-season terms apply: a 50% non-refundable deposit at confirmation and the balance 120 days before the trip start date, as set out in our booking terms. And flights from the US are at their most expensive, so we usually recommend arriving before the 20th and traveling into early January rather than the reverse.
How far ahead to book for 2027
For July to October travel, ten to twelve months ahead, because the finest small camps sell out first; gorilla permits need nine to twelve months; Christmas and New Year a full year. Green-season trips from November to March can often be arranged three to six months out. When to book your safari · What a safari costs
Safari-by-month questions
What is the best month for an African safari?
June to October is the easiest choice for a first safari: dry weather, thin bush and wildlife concentrated at water across East and Southern Africa, with the Mara River crossings possible from July. September pairs crossings with excellent big-cat viewing and lighter crowds than August.
Is December a good time to go on safari?
Yes. Kenya is usually drying out, the Serengeti herds are returning to the southern plains, the drier gorilla window opens, and Cape Town, Zanzibar and Mauritius are in season. The festive fortnight, December 15 to January 5, carries peak rates, a 50% deposit and the balance 120 days before travel, so book a year ahead; early December is quieter and better value.
Where should I go on safari in April and May?
Southern Africa: Victoria Falls is at its most thunderous in April, the Okavango flood peaks in May, Namibia is green and cooling, and Zambia’s walking camps reopen. East Africa is in the long rains, though the central Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater still deliver at the year’s lowest rates.
When is the cheapest time to go on an African safari?
The green season: roughly November to March in East Africa and December to March in Southern Africa, when the same camps are priced well below peak and there are far fewer vehicles. April and May are cheaper still in East Africa, with the trade-off that some remote camps close and the coast is wet.
Written and reviewed by Evance & Jennifer · Published 5 October 2026
