Best time for an African safari: Month-by-month guide

The quick answer

• South Africa (Kruger, Sabi Sand): May to September for game viewing; year-round is good.
• Kenya and Tanzania (Great Migration): July to October for river crossings; January to March for the calving season.
• Botswana (Okavango Delta, Chobe): June to October.
• Victoria Falls: February to May for the biggest flow; September to December for clear views and Devil’s Pool.
• Gorilla trekking (Rwanda, Uganda): June to September and December to February, the drier months.
• Namibia: May to October for Etosha’s waterholes.

South Africa: Kruger and the private reserves

South Africa’s winter, from May to September, is the classic safari season in the Kruger area. Days are mild and sunny, nights are cold, the grass is short and animals crowd around rivers and waterholes. From November to March the bush turns green, many animals give birth and birding is at its best, though thick vegetation makes animals harder to spot. Private reserves such as the Sabi Sand offer excellent sightings all year. See the 4-day all-inclusive Kruger safari at Hoyo Hoyo.

Kenya and Tanzania

East Africa’s safari calendar is shaped by the Great Migration. The herds calve in the southern Serengeti from about January to March, move north through the western Serengeti around May and June, then cross the Mara River into Kenya’s Masai Mara from roughly July to October. The long rains in April and May are the quietest and cheapest time to travel. See the 6-day Great Migration safari in the Serengeti.

Botswana and Zimbabwe

Botswana is at its best from June to October. Floodwater from Angola reaches the Okavango Delta during the dry winter months, just as wildlife concentrates along the channels, and Chobe’s elephant herds gather on the river. November to March is green season, with lower lodge rates and great birding. Victoria Falls is a year-round stop, but the experience changes with the water level.

Rwanda and Uganda

You can trek gorillas all year, but trails are easier in the drier months of June to September and December to February. Permits sell out in peak months, so book well ahead. To get started, see the 4-day Rwanda gorilla trek.

Planning tips

• Peak months (July to October) sell out early at the best camps, so book 6 to 12 months ahead.
• Green-season rates can be much lower, and many lodges offer stay-and-pay deals.
• Combine regions to follow the best weather, such as Kruger and Victoria Falls in winter, or the Serengeti and Zanzibar in summer.