When to Go
The Green Season Safari — Tanzania's Best-Kept Secret
May and November: the months experienced Tanzania travellers return to again and again.
The Misunderstood Season
Ask most safari travellers when to go to Tanzania and they will say July to October — the dry season, the river crossings, peak everything. The travel industry has reinforced this perception for decades: peak season is marketed most aggressively, peak season pricing is charged, and peak season booking windows are prioritised.
What this consensus misses is the green season — May and November — when Tanzania offers something that peak season cannot: empty parks, dramatically lower costs, extraordinary landscapes, and wildlife viewing that rivals or exceeds the high season in almost every dimension.
We have been running Tanzania safaris for 47 years. May and November are our most frequently recommended months to travellers who ask. Not because of the price — though the savings are real. Because the experience of Tanzania in the green season is, in certain respects, superior to peak season in ways that travellers who have experienced both consistently report.
The Myths vs. The Reality
The wildlife has migrated away
The Great Migration is seasonal, but Tanzania's resident wildlife — lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, buffalo — is present year-round. The Big Five sightings in Ngorongoro Crater or Tarangire are not affected by the migration calendar.
It's too rainy for a safari
The green season brings afternoon storms, not all-day rain. Morning game drives are typically completely dry. The rain is often brief, dramatic, and followed by extraordinary light. The landscapes after rain are stunning.
The roads are impassable
In May, roads are generally excellent — the long rains have only just begun. In November, roads are typically fine for the first half of the month. By December, some secondary tracks become more challenging. We use 4WD vehicles throughout.
There are no animals to see
The opposite is true. May is the start of the Grumeti crossings. November sees the beginning of calving season. Predator activity is high. And Tanzania's resident wildlife does not migrate — it is there year-round.
It's the low season for a reason
The 'low season' label reflects tourist volume, not wildlife density. The parks are quieter because fewer people travel at this time — not because there is less to see. For wildlife viewing quality, May and November are among the best months in the calendar.
Why We Recommend the Green Season
Dramatically Lower Costs
Lodge rates in May and November are typically 30 to 50 percent lower than peak season. The same room that costs $800 per person per night in August might be $450 in May. This means you can stay at properties that would otherwise be beyond your budget — or extend your safari by several days for the same total cost.
Empty Parks
In peak season, a popular wildlife sighting in the Serengeti might have fifteen vehicles. In May or November, you might have the lions entirely to yourself. The experience of a wildlife sighting without a dozen other vehicles is fundamentally different — quieter, more intimate, more Africa as it was before mass tourism.
Extraordinary Photography
The green season produces the best photographic conditions of the year. The light is soft and even (no harsh midday shadows), the landscapes are vivid green, the dramatic skies add atmosphere, and the wildlife is active. For photographers, the green season is the secret advantage.
Birding at Its Best
The Palearctic migrants arrive in November — European bee-eaters, swallows, waders, and a host of others fill the skies. The resident birdlife is in breeding plumage, making identification easier and photography more rewarding. Tanzania has over 1,000 bird species. November and December are the best months for a birding-focused safari.
The Calving Season
January to February is peak calving — 8,000 calves born per day. This attracts high predator density and creates the most emotionally powerful wildlife viewing of the year. If you can travel in the green season but want peak wildlife drama, January offers the best of both worlds.
Green Landscapes
The dry season Serengeti is beautiful in its own way — golden grass, dramatic skies, large wildlife concentrations. But the green season is a different kind of beautiful. The short grass plains of Ndutu are vivid green, punctuated by seasonal flowers. The parks feel alive in a way that the dusty dry season cannot match.
May vs. November — Which Is Right for You?
May
- — Wildebeest in western corridor
- — Grumeti River crossings begin
- — Parks at their most beautiful (lush, green)
- — Excellent value (30-50% off peak pricing)
- — Virtually no other vehicles
- — Roads still mostly passable
- — Best for: wildlife photography, value, quiet
November
- — Short rains begin (landscapes transform)
- — Birding at its peak (Palearctic migrants)
- — Calving season begins in south
- — Lowest tourist volumes of the year
- — Excellent value (approaching green season lows)
- — Early November roads generally good
- — Best for: birding, photography, first safari
Save 30–50% vs Peak Season
The same safari — the same wildlife, the same camps, the same guides — at a fraction of the cost. Green season pricing makes Tanzania accessible at a level that peak season pricing does not.
Get Green Season Safari Pricing