When is the best time to go to Tanzania?

When is the best time to go to Tanzania? Here's some information to help you in your decision:

  • In Tanzania, the weather is good everywhere in June, July, August, September and October
  • The best months to go to Dodoma are February, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December
  • On average, the warmest months in Dodoma are September, October, November and December
  • The rainiest months in this city are January, March and December
  • The cities with the best climate are Arusha, Kilimandjaro, Tarangire National Park, Arusha National Park, Lake Babati, Lake Empakaai, Lake Manyara National Park, Lake Natron, Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Pangani, with good weather at least 11 months a year
  • The best months for swimming in Stone Town are January, February, March, April, May, June, October, November and December


Where and when to go based on the weather?

Map of the best times to visit Tanzania
Map of the best times to visit Tanzania ©whereandwhen.net

Central of Tanzania
Dodoma, Tabora, Singida...

May, June, July, August, September, October and November
83°F to 94°F°C
0 to 12 days
February, April and December
81°F to 88°F°C
7 to 15 days
January and March
81°F to 85°F°C
12 to 14 days

Coastal Zone of Tanzania
Dar Es Salaam, Mtwara, Kilwa Masoko...

September
83°F to 86°F°C
1 to 4 days
79°F
January, February, May, June, July, August, October and November
81°F to 90°F°C
1 to 23 days
79°F to 86°F
December
86°F to 90°F°C
10 to 23 days
85°F
March and April
83°F to 90°F°C
15 to 25 days
85°F to 86°F

Lake Victoria Region
Serengeti National Park, Bukoba, Mwanza...

July
76°F to 86°F°C
1 to 4 days
January, February, June, August and September
76°F to 88°F°C
2 to 14 days
March, May, October, November and December
74°F to 88°F°C
8 to 23 days
April
76°F to 81°F°C
16 to 22 days

Northeast of Tanzania
Kilimandjaro, Arusha, Tarangire National Park...

June, July, August, September and October
76°F to 92°F°C
0 to 7 days
79°F to 81°F
January, February, March, April, May, November and December
76°F to 92°F°C
0 to 14 days
83°F to 86°F

Southern Highlands Zone
Mbeya, Songea, Ruaha National Park...

September and October
81°F to 88°F°C
0 to 6 days
April, May, June, July, August and November
70°F to 86°F°C
0 to 19 days
December
74°F to 83°F°C
19 to 27 days
January, February and March
72°F to 79°F°C
18 to 29 days

West of Tanzania
Mahale Mountain National Park, Katavi National Park, Gombe National Park...

June, July, August and September
76°F to 85°F°C
0 to 3 days
May and October
76°F to 85°F°C
5 to 15 days
January, February, March, April, November and December
72°F to 81°F°C
15 to 28 days

Zanzibar
Stone Town, Wete (Pemba Island), Nungwi (Unguja Island)...

January, February, June, July, August, September, October and November
79°F to 90°F°C
2 to 13 days
79°F to 85°F
March, May and December
83°F to 90°F°C
10 to 21 days
85°F to 86°F
April
85°F to 86°F°C
20 to 24 days
85°F to 86°F

Best time to travel to Tanzania by cities

See full list of cities


Temperatures and rainfall in Tanzania

On these 3 graphs, we present the evolution of temperatures of Tanzania and month-by-month rainfall for the cities of Dodoma, Stone Town, Dar Es Salaam, Serengeti National Park and Nungwi (Unguja Island), as well as the month-by-month sea temperature for coastal cities.


Peak visitor numbers and tourist seasons in Tanzania

Find out when Tanzania has its high tourist season (the period when the influx of tourists is highest) and off-peak tourist season using our data and figures.

Tourist seasons in Tanzania

The months with low numbers of tourists are: January, February, March, April, May, June and November. The number of visitors to Tanzania is high in: July, August, September, October and December.

  • Very low season in Tanzania: March, April and May.
  • Low season in Tanzania: January, February, June and November.
  • High season in Tanzania: July, September and October.
  • Peak season in Tanzania: August and December.

Figure: Visitor index for Tanzania month by month



Average price for flights to Tanzania

A return flight between London and Zanzibar is generally cheaper if you go in march ($ 638 on average): this is the best time for travellers on a tight budget. In contrast, you may end up paying $ 418 more for your airline ticket to Zanzibar if you go in august.

Find the best price for your flight Flight prices to Tanzania



Where to go in Tanzania?

This table allows you to see the maximum temperature for each city and our opinion on the weather month by month (see colour legend below the table).

Cities jan.feb.mar.apr.mayjun.jul.aug.sep.oct.nov.dec.
Dodoma85°F85°F85°F83°F83°F83°F83°F85°F88°F92°F92°F88°F
Stone Town86°F86°F88°F86°F85°F83°F81°F81°F83°F85°F86°F86°F
Dar Es Salaam88°F90°F90°F86°F85°F85°F83°F85°F86°F88°F90°F90°F
Serengeti National Park83°F85°F85°F81°F81°F83°F86°F88°F88°F88°F85°F81°F
Nungwi (Unguja Island)86°F86°F88°F86°F85°F83°F81°F81°F83°F85°F86°F86°F
Wete (Pemba Island)85°F85°F86°F85°F83°F81°F81°F79°F81°F83°F85°F85°F
Arusha83°F85°F85°F79°F76°F76°F76°F79°F83°F83°F83°F83°F
Bukoba77°F77°F77°F76°F74°F76°F76°F76°F77°F77°F76°F76°F
Gombe National Park77°F79°F79°F77°F77°F77°F77°F79°F81°F81°F79°F77°F
Katavi National Park72°F74°F74°F74°F76°F76°F77°F81°F85°F85°F81°F74°F
Kilimandjaro86°F88°F88°F83°F79°F79°F79°F81°F85°F86°F85°F85°F
Kilwa Masoko86°F86°F86°F85°F85°F83°F83°F83°F85°F85°F86°F88°F
Mahale Mountain National Park77°F79°F79°F79°F79°F79°F79°F81°F83°F83°F79°F77°F
Mbeya72°F72°F72°F72°F70°F70°F72°F76°F81°F83°F81°F74°F
Mtwara86°F86°F86°F85°F85°F83°F83°F83°F85°F85°F86°F88°F
Mwanza79°F83°F81°F79°F79°F81°F83°F83°F83°F83°F81°F79°F
Ruaha National Park76°F76°F76°F76°F76°F74°F76°F77°F81°F85°F83°F79°F
Singida85°F85°F85°F83°F83°F83°F83°F85°F88°F92°F92°F88°F
Songea79°F79°F79°F77°F76°F76°F76°F81°F85°F88°F86°F83°F
Tabora81°F83°F83°F81°F83°F85°F86°F90°F94°F92°F88°F81°F

Legend:

perfect weather

good weather

tolerable weather

bad weather

very bad weather


About Tanzania

What can I do in Tanzania?

Beaches / swimming

Nature and countryside

Culture and heritage

Sports

Family travel

Crafts / shopping

Gastronomy

Nightlife



Is this weather information for Tanzania reliable?

Climate data for Tanzania has been gathered every day since January 2009. The analysis of these meteorological data for Tanzania allows us to determine the average for each month in Dodoma, Stone Town, Dar Es Salaam, Serengeti National Park, Nungwi (Unguja Island), Wete (Pemba Island), Arusha, Bukoba, and 72 other cities.

So yes: this data is reliable except in cases of temporary climate disruption in the region.

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