When Is The Best Time To Go On African Safari?

A standard entry on anyone’s bucket list, African safari promises pulse-quickening encounters like nowhere else. But when’s the best time to go? Culture Trip has the answer.

The best time to go on safari is, as you may have guessed, determined mostly by climate. We’re not talking about what weather is most pleasant for riding around in the back of a 4×4, however. We’re talking about how the weather impacts the ecosystem, which in turn informs the behaviour of local wildlife, which in theory makes it easier for us to spot them! As a rule, in sub-Saharan Africa, the best time to go on safari is sometime between May and October. This is dry season, which means there’s less shrubbery to hide behind, and the scarcity of water means that animals tend to gather at watering holes – where we’ll be waiting with camera’s at the ready!

It’s also worth noting that there aren’t many bad times to go on safari in Africa. Dry season is optimal for spotting as many animals as you can but parts of Africa are resplendent towards the tail-end of wet season, when the savannah is covered in greenery and the migratory birds are flourishing, not to mention fewer crowds and potentially lower costs.

We have two epic sub-Saharan safari holidays as part of our collection of immersive Culture Trips, so we wanted to take a look at the best time to join us on one of these classic African adventures.

This is an updated version of an article originally written by Richard Collett.

About the author

Gethin Morgan

Content Editor

Gethin Morgan has developed an exciting portfolio across a series of roles at Culture Trip. With a keen interest in food and drink, Gethin is also particularly interested in niche or alternative travel which, in his case, usually involves following the Wales national soccer team to Europe's most obscure cities.