When to go on safari
When planning your family safari holiday it’s important to take into account the weather in your chosen destination. In particular, you will want to try to avoid the rainy season, as game drives are a whole lot less fun if it’s pouring.
If you know where you want to go, check out our detailed country weather pages for further information on the weather throughout the year: Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia.
If you know when you want to go, but you are not sure which is the best destination, this detailed school holiday safari planner shows you the countries you might want to consider.
This is a great time to visit Kenya and Tanzania. There can be the occasional shower but these are usually short-lived and it’s lovely and warm on the coast.
It’s also a great time to visit South Africa, particularly Cape Town and the Garden Route. Further north in South Africa (Kruger and the east coast of KwaZulu-Natal) it will be hotter and more humid but it’s still a popular time for travel across the country.
In Botswana, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe it’s not peak season but it’s a reasonable time to visit, making these expensive safari destinations more accessible.
Namibia will be very hot and there may be occasional thunderstorms (particularly in the coastal areas), but these are usually short-lived. It’s an okay (but not ideal) time to visit.
Rwanda will be wet. This is not a good time to visit.
This is a good time to visit the north and east coast of South Africa – concentrate on Kruger & Beach or KwaZulu Natal. The south (around Cape Town) will be cooler but you can still expect plenty of sunshine.
It’s also an excellent time to visit Namibia, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Malawi.
Further north, in Rwanda, the rains usually come to an end in mid-May so by half term, it’s a good time to visit.
Similarly, the rainy season usually comes to an end in May in Kenya and Tanzania so this is a reasonable time to visit, although there may be the odd lingering shower.
This is a brilliant time of year for a safari across most of Africa! Early booking is recommended.
It’s the ideal time to visit Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, Botswana, Rwanda, Zambia and Malawi.
In South Africa it’s a great time to visit the north, as on our Kruger & Beach itinerary, or KwaZulu Natal. However we advise you to avoid the south around Cape Town and the Garden Route as there’s a good chance that it will be cold and possibly wet.
This is a great time of year for a safari across most of Africa.
Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa and Namibia are all lovely in October. This is also a popular time to head to Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi, but the weather is at its hottest so you do want to be prepared for this. However, the game viewing at this time of year is absolutely superb.
In Rwanda the rainy season has started so it’s not a good time to visit.
This is a great time to visit South Africa, particularly Cape Town and the Garden Route. Further north in South Africa (Kruger and the east coast of KwaZulu-Natal) it will be hotter and more humid, but it’s still a popular time for travel across the country. Note that Christmas is very busy with local travellers; you must book a long way in advance and expect places to be busy.
Kenya and Tanzania will be experiencing the short rains, so there will be some rain at times, but it usually falls in the late afternoon and evening, making this a good time to travel.
This is a reasonable time to visit Namibia. It will be very hot and there may be occasional thunderstorms (particularly in the coastal areas), but these are usually short-lived.
It will be hot and wet in Zambia, Rwanda, Botswana and Zimbabwe, and so it’s not a good time to visit.
If you are not sure what will work best for your family, get in touch and one of our family safari experts will be delighted to run through the options with you, and help you plan your perfect trip.
African safari photos
