Proud Safari and Tours

The Weather in Tanzania

Tanzania’s weather varies greatly across its regions, so understanding the climate helps you plan your safari or beach holiday perfectly. The northern safari circuit, including Serengeti and Ngorongoro, is generally cooler and dry from June to October, while the wet season runs from March to May, making some roads challenging.

The coastal regions, like Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam, are warm and humid year-round, with short rains in November-December and long rains from March to May. Temperatures can range from 25°C to 35°C, so packing light, breathable clothing is recommended.

Whether visiting the mountains, savannah, or the beaches, checking the regional weather and seasonal patterns ensures a comfortable and enjoyable journey. With this knowledge, you can plan activities, excursions, and packing smartly for a memorable experience in Tanzania.

There is a dry season and 2 wet seasons in Tanzania. Dry season is considered from June through October, with rains starting at the end of October.

Wet season is considered from November to May, but is split into the short rains and long rains. In November/December the short rains occur – these are unpredictable but typically are not that heavy and tend not to interfere with safari. There is often a dry spell in January, February, and early March, which make this an excellent time to visit Ndutu for wildebeest carvings. The long rains start at the end of March and run through May – this time of year can bring day-long rains and make safari more challenging due to fuller rivers and wet grounds.

It’s important to note that Crater rim, and even the floor of the Crater itself, are up in the highlands – at higher elevations than the rest of the conservation area. As such, it will be colder there. The rim of the crater is where you will reside in the evening. It can get very cold in the evenings and early mornings, at times reaching freezing temperatures. Please make sure you bring warm clothing to layer when staying around the Ngorongoro Crater.

Northern Safari Circuit

Serengeti National Park

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg High Temp (F)	81	81	81	79	77	77	75	77	79	81	81	79
Avg Low Temp (F)	59	59	61	61	59	57	55	55	57	59	59	59
Avg Rainfall (in)	3.6	3.9	5.3	5.6	2.8	1.2	0.5	0.9	1.2	1.7	3.7	4.3

Tarangire National Park

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg High Temp (F)	84	84	84	81	77	77	75	77	81	84	84	84
Avg Low Temp (F)	61	61	63	63	61	57	55	55	57	59	61	63
Avg Rainfall (in)	3.1	3.2	5.0	6.5	2.2	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.2	0.6	2.8	4.3

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg High Temp (F)	77	77	77	73	70	70	70	72	75	77	75	75
Avg Low Temp (F)	55	55	57	59	57	54	52	52	54	55	57	57
Avg Rainfall (in)	3.4	4.1	5.4	5.5	2.4	0.5	0.2	0.3	0.3	1.1	3.3	4.4

Arusha National Park

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg High Temp (F)	73	75	73	70	66	64	63	64	68	72	72	72
Avg Low Temp (F)	50	52	54	54	52	50	46	48	48	50	52	52
Avg Rainfall (in)	3.5	3.5	6.8	13	7.2	1.2	0.7	0.6	0.6	1.8	6.4	5.7

Mkomazi National Park

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg High Temp (F)	88	90	88	84	81	79	79	79	82	84	86	86
Avg Low Temp (F)	66	66	66	66	64	61	61	59	61	63	64	66
Avg Rainfall (in)	2.3	2.1	4.8	4.2	2.4	0.5	0.2	0.4	0.6	1.6	4.2	5.0

Southern Safari Circuit

Nyerere National Park (Formerly Selous)

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg High Temp (F)	86	86	84	82	81	81	79	81	84	86	88	86
Avg Low Temp (F)	72	72	72	72	68	64	63	64	66	70	72	72
Avg Rainfall (in)	7.9	7.5	9.3	8.8	2.8	0.5	0.2	0.3	0.4	1.0	2.7	5.7

Ruaha National Park

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg High Temp (F)	82	82	82	82	81	79	79	81	82	86	86	84
Avg Low Temp (F)	63	63	63	63	59	55	55	57	59	63	64	64
Avg Rainfall (in)	6.1	5.6	5.4	2.6	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3	1.5	5.9

Town

Arusha Town

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg High Temp (F)	84	84	83	78	74	73	73	75	78	81	81	82
Avg Low Temp (F)	61	62	64	65	63	59	58	59	60	62	62	62
Avg Rainfall (in)	2.8	2.7	5.0	8.5	3.7	0.5	0.2	0.3	0.3	0.9	3.8	3.8

Moshi Town

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg High Temp (F)	89	90	90	85	81	79	79	80	84	87	88	88
Avg Low Temp (F)	67	68	69	69	67	63	61	62	63	66	68	68
Avg Rainfall (in)	1.5	1.3	2.1	4.2	2.4	0.3	0.1	0.2	0.2	0.9	2.1	2.1

Zanzibar Island

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg High Temp (F)	90	91	90	87	85	84	84	85	86	88	88	89
Avg Low Temp (F)	76	76	76	76	74	73	71	70	70	71	73	75
Avg Rainfall (in)	1.8	1.7	3.5	6.6	4.6	1.0	0.4	0.3	0.4	1.2	2.5	2.6

Dar Es Salaam

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg High Temp (F)	90	91	90	87	86	85	84	85	87	88	89	90
Avg Low Temp (F)	75	75	74	73	71	67	66	65	66	69	72	75
Avg Rainfall (in)	3.7	2.7	4.7	9.0	7.3	1.4	1.0	1.4	0.9	2.3	4.3	3.8