When to go to the Ngorongoro Highlands

Best Time To Go To Ngorongoro | When To Go To The Ngorongoro Highlands

When going on holiday to Tanzania the chances are the aim of the trip is to either go for a safari, or to the beach or both. As a general rule of thumb, the best time to be in Tanzania on safari is in the dry season from July – October when the weather is dry and sunny. As the parks dry out, the bushes become less dense and the animals are easier to spot because of this, but also because they are forced to congregate to the remaining water holes. There are short rains in November (which sometimes trickle through into December, January and March) before the long rains which come in April and May. However, this is not to say December, January and February are not still excellent times to be in Tanzania…

If you are staying in the Ngorongoro Highlands, it is usually to go down to the Crater for it’s excellent wildlife and magnificent scenery. Some people do however like to spend some time in the highlands exploring the region – it is beautiful after all, and has bundles of Masai culture. The Ngorongoro Crater, as mentioned in our when to go the crater page, is a year round destination for it’s wildlife, as they are enclosed by the dramatic crater rim. If you are after scenery and beautiful fertile rolling hills – this is the Ngorongoro Highlands at any time of year. Because of the rich volcanic soils, the grass is always green and the scenery truly beautiful. One thing to consider around the crater in the Ngorongoro Highlands is that it is around 10 degrees colder than the rest of Tanzania – you will need to wrap up at night as in the winter months of June – September it can be as cold at 8 degrees. Rainfall is generally similar to the classic November short rains, with short bursts in January, less in February then picking up again for the long rains in March, April and May.  Though, as we have mentioned before, the crater itself and the Ngorongoro Highlands is a phenomenal year-round spot.