Skip to content
EmpyreanTravel · Est. 1984

Africa · Safari calendar

The safari calendar

Wildlife moves with the rains. Month by month, here's where the action is across East and Southern Africa — and where to finish on a beach.

12 guides · reviewed October 2026

All safari calendar

Where to go on safari, month by month

The top pick, a strong alternative and the wildlife highlight for every month. Open any month for parks, weather and booking timing.

  1. January
    Top pick
    Southern Serengeti & Ndutu, Tanzania (calving begins)
    Also great
    Maasai Mara & Amboseli; Rwanda and Uganda gorillas
    Wildlife highlight
    Herds on the southern plains, first calves and active predators
    Crowds & rates
    High season in East Africa after New Year’s; green-season rates in much of Southern Africa
  2. February
    Top pick
    Ndutu & southern Serengeti, Tanzania (peak calving)
    Also great
    Ngorongoro Crater; Kenya’s Mara and Samburu; Botswana’s pans
    Wildlife highlight
    Newborn wildebeest and intense predator action
    Crowds & rates
    Ndutu busy and priced high; green-season deals in Southern Africa
  3. March
    Top pick
    Southern Serengeti, Tanzania (herds with young calves, fewer vehicles)
    Also great
    Sabi Sand & Kruger; Madikwe; Botswana’s Makgadikgadi
    Wildlife highlight
    Young animals everywhere and predators raising cubs
    Crowds & rates
    Shoulder season: quieter parks and better value
  4. April
    Top pick
    Victoria Falls near full flow, plus Chobe or the Sabi Sand
    Also great
    Madikwe; Namibia’s Sossusvlei; Serengeti green-season value
    Wildlife highlight
    Thundering falls, the impala rut and lush landscapes
    Crowds & rates
    Low season in East Africa; shoulder rates in Southern Africa except Easter
  5. May
    Top pick
    Kruger & Sabi Sand, South Africa (dry season begins)
    Also great
    Namibia; Hwange; the Serengeti’s central and western areas
    Wildlife highlight
    The Serengeti wildebeest rut; game starts gathering at water down south
    Crowds & rates
    Shoulder rates almost everywhere; peak pricing starts in June or July
  6. June
    Top pick
    Okavango Delta, Botswana (floodwaters rising toward peak)
    Also great
    Western Serengeti; South Luangwa; Rwanda & Uganda gorillas
    Wildlife highlight
    Grumeti River crossings; wild dog denning season begins
    Crowds & rates
    High season starts; some camps keep shoulder rates in early June
  7. July
    Top pick
    Northern Serengeti, Tanzania (first Mara River crossings)
    Also great
    Okavango Delta; Rwanda & Uganda gorillas; Laikipia & Samburu
    Wildlife highlight
    Early river crossings and the Okavango at full flood
    Crowds & rates
    Peak season and peak rates during US summer holidays
  8. August
    Top pick
    Maasai Mara conservancies, Kenya (peak crossings)
    Also great
    Northern Serengeti; Okavango & Linyanti; South Luangwa; Lower Zambezi
    Wildlife highlight
    Mara River crossings; wildlife concentrating at water
    Crowds & rates
    Peak season and peak rates; the Mara’s busiest month
  9. September
    Top pick
    Botswana: Okavango, Linyanti and Chobe
    Also great
    Maasai Mara & northern Serengeti; Tarangire; Ruaha; Hwange
    Wildlife highlight
    Big concentrations at water and ongoing river crossings
    Crowds & rates
    Peak rates; slightly fewer US families once school starts
  10. October
    Top pick
    South Luangwa & Lower Zambezi, Zambia
    Also great
    Hwange; Botswana; northern Serengeti & Mara; Tarangire
    Wildlife highlight
    Wildlife packed around shrinking water; carmine bee-eaters nesting in riverbanks
    Crowds & rates
    Peak in Southern Africa; East Africa easing toward shoulder rates
  11. November
    Top pick
    Maasai Mara conservancies, Kenya (green, quiet, lower rates)
    Also great
    Eastern & central Serengeti; Sabi Sand & Kruger; Madikwe
    Wildlife highlight
    Herds heading south; migrant birds arrive; impala lambing begins late in the month
    Crowds & rates
    Shoulder or green-season rates in most areas, except Thanksgiving week
  12. December
    Top pick
    Sabi Sand & Kruger plus Cape Town, South Africa
    Also great
    Southern Serengeti; Rwanda & Uganda gorillas; Madikwe
    Wildlife highlight
    Newborn impala and other young animals; herds returning to the southern plains
    Crowds & rates
    Festive peak from about December 20 to early January; better value earlier in the month

Ready when you are.

Tell Gigi where you're headed — she responds personally within one business day.

Plan a Trip Corporate Travel Desk