Safari Dry Season vs Green Season

When is the Best Time to Go on Safari in Africa?

Deciding WHEN to travel to Africa is a crucial factor to consider when planning your safari trip or adventure. While it might not seem all that important (especially at first), choosing between Africa’s diverse safari seasons – AKA: WHEN TO GO TO AFRICA – can be far more complex than you may think. To break it down, in Africa, there are seasonal events such as wildlife migrations & then there are different climatic periods – typically a Dry Season & a Green Season. These two safari seasons differ from each other in a number of unique ways. What makes Africa’s safari seasons even more complex is the fact that certain countries in Africa, and even regions within those countries, can experience a variety of different climates. However, by splitting Africa into two major travel regions, namely Southern Africa & East Africa, makes it much easier to both explain & understand exactly what each safari season entails & how it will affect your overall African safari experience.

In this handy safari guide, we’ve broken down Africa’s two distinct safari seasons – the Dry Season & the Green Season – provided a general overview of each safari season, as well as outlined both the benefits & challenges of going on a safari – be it in Southern Africa or East Africa – during its dry & green seasons – This will provide / equip you with the necessary insight & ‘need-to-knows’ on the best time to go / travel to the safari destination of your choice for the experience you desire.

DRY / HIGH SEASON

May – October

GREEN / LOW SEASON

October – April

SOUTHERN AFRICA

South Africa | Botswana | Namibia | Zimbabwe | Zambia

EAST AFRICA

Kenya | Tanzania | Uganda | Rwanda

Quick Overview

The key point to remember when planning your safari trip to Africa is the difference between each region’s Dry & Green Seasons:

SOUTHERN AFRICA	EAST AFRICA
Safari Destinations: South Africa Botswana Namibia Zimbabwe Zambia	Safari Destinations: Kenya Tanzania Uganda Rwanda
Dry Season: +/- May – October	Dry Season: January – March & June – October
Green Season: Around November – April	Green Season: Around April – June & November – December

Dry Season vs Green Season in Southern Africa

Dry Season in Southern Africa

Dry Season: May – October

The dry season in Southern Africa runs from about May to October. During this time, rainfall is limited & the weather is typically sunny & cool. Dry season in Southern Africa is also when game viewing (apart from Namibia which is great all year round) is at its best in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe & Zambia – especially in the hotter, drier months at the end of the season. Thirsty animals congregate at any remaining waterholes, trees are often bare & vegetation is sparse. These conditions make it much easier to spot wildlife – making for truly thrilling game viewing. Conversely, in South Africa’s Western Cape, winter is actually the wettest season.

Green Season in Southern Africa

Green Season: November – April

The green season in Southern Africa is from about November to April. This is a hot & sometimes humid period, with short but intense bursts of rain. The Southern African landscape is beautifully green at this time of year, the birdwatching is exceptional & many animals give birth, which is a truly special game viewing experience – especially when predators move in for an easy kill. A Cape Town beach holiday is best during peak summer season from December to February. Expect breathtaking beaches, a vibrant nightlife & gloriously sunny weather. By March, most visitors head home, which means better rates & uncrowded beaches until April.

Best Time to Visit Southern Africa

Most Southern Africa safari destinations share the same seasonality. South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe & Zambia all have a Dry Winter Season (High Season) & a Green Summer Season (Low Season). Note the exception of South Africa’s Western Cape & Cape Town which have the opposite – a Green Winter Season & a Dry Summer Season.

Choosing the best time to visit Southern Africa depends entirely on what you want to see, do & experience on your trip:

Experience	Best Time
Safari in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe & Zambia	May – October
Cape Town beach holiday	November – March
Victoria Falls in full flood	February – July
Zebra migration in Botswana	November – February
Whale watching in South Africa	July – November
Mozambique beach holiday	May – November

Best Time to Visit East Africa

The seasons of East Africa – Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda & Uganda – are very different to Southern Africa’s.

Dry Season in East Africa: June – October

Green Season in East Africa: November – May

However, many East African destinations have two distinct Green Seasons – the ‘long rainy season (long rains)’ which takes place from March – May & the ‘short rainy season (short rains)’ during November & December – each of which have built their appeal on specific & often seasonal wildlife events such as gorilla trekking & the Great Wildebeest Migration.

Choosing the best time to visit East Africa depends entirely on what you want to see, do & experience on your trip:

Kenya

Experience	Best Time
Witness The Annual Great Wildebeest Migration (One of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa) in full force & in all its wilderness glory in the legendary Masai Mara National Reserve	Dry Season: June – October \| **More specifically, the period between mid-August & late October, when the herds of millions of wildebeest, zebra & antelope have returned from their months in Tanzania’s Serengeti, is the prime time to witness the Masai Mara Great Wildebeest Migration in action
The Great Migration Grumeti River Crossing \| **Millions of wildebeest, zebra & antelope cross the Grumeti River from the Grumeti region of the Serengeti towards the Northern Serengeti	May – July
The Great Migration Mara River Crossing \| **Millions of wildebeest, zebra & antelope cross the crocodile-infested Mara River from the Northern Serengeti into Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve	Late July / August – September
Great time to see Africa’s predators up-close & in action \| **Intense Big Cat Action	January – March \| June – September
Peak safari season / Extraordinary wildlife sightings & encounters \| Kenya is deemed one of the best places in Africa to witness the iconic Big5, along with incredible sightings of rare & remarkable wildlife species that can only be found in this part of the world. In addition to Kenya’s pristine predator population & spectacular African Big5, it is also home to an abundant concentration & vast diversity of plains game \| Kenya promises to deliver the ultimate safari experience & African wildlife adventure of a lifetime	Dry Season: June – October
Calving Season (prime time to see new-born / baby animals in the wild) + Prime time for predator activity & sightings due to the abundance of new-born wildlife	Green Season: November – May \| **Especially January – March
Great photography opportunities due to the beautiful, lush surrounding scenery & landscapes + fewer crowds + lower rates	Late March – June (‘long rains’) \| October – December (‘short rains’)
Excellent time for bird watching (Boasting more than 500 recorded bird species, the Masai Mara is a great place to spot several of Kenya’s resident & rare & remarkable endemic & near-endemic bird species. These bird species are especially renowned & sought-after as they can only be found in Kenya & marginally beyond)	Green Season: November – April
Witness the famous Flamingo Migration in East Africa’s Rift Valley of Kenya & Tanzania \| **The lakes of the Great Rift Valley in East Africa are a birdwatcher’s paradise	April – June

Tanzania

Experience	Best Time
Best time to witness the Serengeti Great Wildebeest Migration in the Western Corridor \| The BEST months to see the magnificent wildebeest migration	Dry Season: June – October \| **Especially June & July + August & September
The Great Migration Grumeti River Crossing \| **Millions of wildebeest, zebra & antelope cross the Grumeti River from the Grumeti region of the Serengeti towards the Northern Serengeti	May – July
The Great Migration Mara River Crossing \| **Millions of wildebeest, zebra & antelope cross the crocodile-infested Mara River from the Northern Serengeti into Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve	Late July / August – September
Great game viewing / Exceptional wildlife sightings & encounters (including Africa’s famous Big5)	June – October \| January – early March
Start of calving season, as zebra begin to give birth in Tanzania’s Serengeti	January – February
Best time to see the wildebeest calving in the Southern Serengeti	January – March
Prime time for predator action & sightings due to the wildebeest calving & abundance of new-born wildlife	January – March
Bird watching is at its best as migrant birds are present & in breeding	Green Season: November – May
Peak game viewing + Best time / conditions to explore Tanzania’s other top National Parks & Reserves such as Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Ruaha & Selous	June – October
Witness the famous Flamingo Migration in East Africa’s Rift Valley of Kenya & Tanzania \| **The lakes of the Great Rift Valley in East Africa are a birdwatcher’s paradise	April – June
Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro	Mount Kilimanjaro is best hiked in the drier months between July & October or January – March
Best time to visit Zanzibar as well as Tanzania’s Indian Ocean Coast & Islands	Best time: July – August \| **We’d recommend avoiding the coast during Tanzania’s ‘long rains’ of March – May

Rwanda

Experience	Best Time
Best time for Trekking Mountain Gorillas in their natural habitat \| **Best gorilla trekking destination in Rwanda: Volcanoes National Park	Dry Seasons: Early June – late September \| Mid-December – early February
Excellent time for bird watching	Great all year round but especially in the October – April summer months when migrant species are present
Best time for Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe Forest	Dry Seasons: Mid-December – early February \| Early June – late September
Perfect for safaris across Africa / great game viewing	June – October

Uganda

Experience	Best Time
Best time for trekking Mountain Gorillas in their natural habitat \| Easiest conditions for hiking in the rainforest + exceptional gorilla sightings + lowest malaria risk \| Best gorilla trekking destination in Uganda: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park & Mgahinga Gorilla National Park	Dry Seasons: Early June – late September \| Mid-December – early February
Best time for Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale Forest	Dry Seasons: Early June – late September \| Mid-December – early February
Great time for game viewing (especially in Uganda’s big game destinations – Queen Elizabeth National Park & Murchison Falls National Parks	Dry Seasons: December – March \| June – October **Best towards the end of the dry seasons: February & March + September – early October
Excellent time for bird watching	Bird watching in Uganda is fantastic all year round but is at its peak between November & April when migratory birds arrive
Perfect for safaris across Africa	June – October

When to Go on Safari in Africa: Dry / High Season or Green / Low Season?

In Africa, timing is everything!

Here is a quick overview of the benefits & challenges of going on an immersive & wildly thrilling African safari during both the Dry / High Seasons as well as the Green / Low Seasons to help you choose the right time of year to match your safari wishes.

DRY / HIGH SEASON	GREEN / LOW SEASON
About May to October	About October to April
Highest rates	Lowest rates
Need to book up to a year in advance	No need to book so far in advance
Coldest, driest weather	Hottest, wettest weather
Easiest to find and see the animals	Harder to find or see animals in Southern Africa
Not many baby animals or migrant birds	Lots of baby animals and birds around
National parks are most crowded	National parks are least crowded
	More availability of accommodation