Visiting Tanzania in December

Tanzania weather guide by month

January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December

The short rainy period continues with temperatures and humidity both rising during December. Despite the often-mixed weather, the second half of the month is also one of the busiest times of year thanks to Christmas visitors.

The landscape is getting ever greener, and it’s a wonderful period for bird-watchers to spot migrating species as well as Tanzania’s other 1,000+ endemic birds. The migrating herds are also heading further south, so you can see them making their way back to the southeastern Serengeti, completing their annual circle and preparing for the arrival of calves in January.

Wildlife is harder to spot as the undergrowth becomes lusher and denser, and scatters with a greater number of water sources, while there’s more rainfall in the south, but you can still discover the animals in northern Tanzania.

It’s not the best month for trekking and climbing at Kilimanjaro, although it’s still possible if you go prepared for rain. But the rains clear by around mid-month at Zanzibar, so you can enjoy snorkelling, diving and relaxing here again if you’re visiting Tanzania in December.