Safari · Dry season
African safari: where and when
The great migration in the Maasai Mara and the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater, Kruger or the Okavango Delta: the best parks for a safari and when to go to each one. In general, the dry season is best: the animals gather near water.
Updated 19 October 2026 · How we make our guides
Kenya and Tanzania: the great migration
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KenyaMaasai Mara
Kenya’s most famous park and the stage for the great migration, with the Mara River crossings.
July to October (migration)
What to see in Maasai Mara -
KenyaAmboseli
Herds of elephants with snow-capped Kilimanjaro as a backdrop.
June to October and January to February
What to see in Amboseli -
TanzaniaSerengeti
Endless plains and the migration all year round: in the south, the wildebeest calving between January and March.
All year round, depending on the area
What to see in Serengeti -
TanzaniaNgorongoro
A volcanic crater with one of the highest concentrations of animals in Africa, including black rhinos.
All year round
What to see in Ngorongoro -
TanzaniaTarangire
Giant baobabs and big herds of elephants in the dry season.
June to October
What to see in Tarangire
Southern Africa
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South AfricaKruger
The best-known park in southern Africa, with the Big Five and easy to combine with Cape Town.
May to September
What to see in Kruger -
BotswanaOkavango Delta
A delta in the middle of the desert, explored by mokoro (canoe), with wildlife and birds everywhere.
June to September
What to see in Okavango Delta -
BotswanaChobe National Park
One of the largest elephant populations in Africa, and boat safaris on the river.
May to October
What to see in Chobe National Park -
NamibiaEtosha National Park
A great white salt pan with waterholes where elephants, lions and rhinos gather.
May to October
What to see in Etosha National Park -
ZambiaSouth Luangwa National Park
The birthplace of the walking safari, and of leopards.
June to October
What to see in South Luangwa National Park -
ZimbabweHwange National Park
Zimbabwe’s largest park, with big herds of elephants, close to Victoria Falls.
July to October
What to see in Hwange National Park
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time for a safari?
The dry season: June to October in Kenya, Tanzania and southern Africa, when the vegetation is lower and the animals gather at the water. In the Serengeti, January to March is the wildebeest calving season.
Kenya or Tanzania for a first safari?
Both are excellent and share the great migration. Kenya (Maasai Mara) is usually easier to organise and combine with the beach; Tanzania adds the Ngorongoro, the Serengeti and Zanzibar.
When is the great migration?
It’s a year-round cycle between the Serengeti and the Maasai Mara: from July to October the wildebeest are in the north and cross the Mara River; from January to March, in the southern Serengeti, the calves are born.
What vaccinations do you need for a safari?
It depends on the country and your route: ask at a travel health clinic well in advance. Yellow fever and malaria prevention are the most common.
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Reviewed 19 October 2026. Dates and seasonal warnings: the same data the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.
Cover photo: VikramSathyanathan (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons.