Best time to Visit East Africa —Best weather and What to expect on safari

Best time to Visit East Africa – When to go to East Africa

Best time to visit East Africa – East Africa is one of the huge part of the continent of Africa, with countries of Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania. These countries can be visited any time of the year and there is always somewhere extraordinary to visit. Your East African Safari can be combined with any of these East African countries depending on your interests, time, and budget.

Best time for a safari in East Africa

East Africa is best in the drier months of June to October when the National Parks trails are dry, the weather sunny, and the wildlife excellent with shorter grass. You always have to be conscious of when to go to avoid the rainy seasons in each region.

East Africa has two rainy seasons and the short rains come in November, and then there is a second one between March and May when the long rains arrive. November is still the best time to visit East Africa for fantastic wildlife, though April and May are wet.

There are variations of this from country to country, so if you are not sure when to go to any of these places, kindly contact Great Adventure Safaris and we let you know the best times to go on an East African Safari in one of the above countries.

Uganda Safaris

Uganda is one of the East African countries located along the Equator line providing a constant twelve hours of daylight each day of the year. Due to its elevation above sea level, Uganda never experiences high heat or humidity.

Great Adventure Safaris ranks Uganda as an all year round visiting destination due to its good climate conditions which allows you to visit and enjoy most of its tourist activities. The temperature tends to stay between 25-30 degrees all year round but there are two distinct dry seasons.

The first is between December and February and the second one is from June through until September. March to May is when the heavy rains arrive and September announces the arrival of the short rains which stops by the end of November. During the rainy seasons, trekking may become harder due to tougher underfoot conditions in the National Parks. In the Northern part of Uganda, rainfall levels tend to be lower, resulting in the rainy seasons is less pronounced.

Read more about the best time to do gorilla trekking in Uganda

Rwanda Safaris

Rwanda is the smallest country in East Africa and also an all-year-round tourist destination. Its climate and temperature are good due to its proximity to the Equator line and its high altitude. The temperatures can drop at night during the winter months; however, the days generally remain constant at 25 degrees at times. There are two seasons of short and long rainy seasons and two seasons of long and short dry seasons and both have their advantages and disadvantages when it comes to Mountain Gorilla trekking.

Kenya Safaris

Kenya also has a great climate for East African Safaris all year round, however, the best time to visit Kenya is between June and October when the weather is hot but not humid and where the game viewing is excellent. Kenya is a great winter sun option; however, it can be very humid between October and May. The major rainy season to avoid is in April and May when the Camps and Lodges are closed because of the floods which come with the rains. There is also a shorter rainy season that tends to fall during November and December however; most Camps and Lodges remain open during these months.

Read more about the Best time to visit Kenya

Tanzania

Tanzania is a fantastic tourist destination for any time of the year. If you travel in the European summer months, you can be sure to have fantastic game viewing opportunities in Tanzania whilst also having the perfect climate for relaxing on the Golden beaches and frolicking in the turquoise blue ocean that surrounds Zanzibar.

Best time to visit Zanzibar

Just like Tanzania, Great Adventure Safaris recommend visiting this place between June and October, because this is the drier time than the rest of the year. The temperature is perfect for spending your days on the beach and in the ocean. The months of December, January to February is also a great time to visit, and it is generally dry and the temperatures are normally hotter but it can be very humid.

There are two rainy seasons, and the first and longer rains arrive from mid-March to May and whereas the shorter rains happen in November and December. Scuba diving and snorkeling are certainly opportunities not to be missed in Zanzibar with the best times being in February and March on the Southern coast and between July and August on the Northern coast.