Kenya & Tanzania, Africa
East Africa Safari in December
Herds settle back onto the southern plains and holiday travelers arrive. The Christmas and New Year window prices like the July peak.
The straight answer
December is a good month to visit East Africa Safari. Herds settle back onto the southern plains and holiday travelers arrive. The Christmas and New Year window prices like the July peak.
- Weather
- Warm, highs near 82F (28C), showers easing
- Crowds
- 3 of 5
- Prices
- 4 of 5
What December is like in East Africa Safari
December is warm, with highs near 82F (28C), and the short rains ease as the month goes on. The herds settle back onto the southern Serengeti plains, and the landscape is fresh and green. Early December is calm and fairly priced, but from Christmas through New Year, camps fill and rates match the July peak.
It suits families on winter break and anyone who wants the southern Serengeti with green scenery. It is a weaker choice for budget travelers who can only go over the holidays. For better value with similar herds, go in early December or wait for late January.
Make the most of December
What is especially good about East Africa Safari this month.
Herds back on the southern plains
The migration settles around the short-grass plains, setting the stage for calving in the new year.
A holiday safari
Many camps make the Christmas and New Year window special, and it is a rare family trip everyone remembers.
Early December calm
The first half of the month has green scenery, fewer vehicles, and prices well below the holiday peak.
What to pack for December
- A light rain jacket
- Neutral clothing layers
- Strong sunscreen and a hat
- Binoculars for each person
Our timing tip
Book the Christmas and New Year window as early as you would book August, since camps fill and prices peak.
Book East Africa Safari for December.
Sponsored links to Expedia and Vrbo. We may earn a commission; it never changes a verdict.
- Hotels for December
Hotels. Expedia
Hotels in East Africa SafariOpens a hotel search for East Africa Safari in December, dates filled in. Book early for the best months: the good rooms go first.
- Rentals on Vrbo
Vacation rentals. Vrbo
Vacation rentals in East Africa SafariWhole homes, condos and villas. Usually the better deal for families and groups, with a kitchen and room to spread out.
- Tours and tickets
Tours and tickets. Expedia
Tours and tickets in East Africa SafariTimed-entry tickets, day trips and guided tours in East Africa Safari for December. Popular slots sell out in the best months.
What's on in December
The short rains
Roughly November into early December
Briefer afternoon rains that green the plains and pull the herds south. Most camps stay open and value is strong between the storms.
Things to do in East Africa Safari
A Mara River crossing
Roughly July into October from the northern Serengeti or the Masai Mara. Crossings are unpredictable: base yourself in the crossing zones for several nights and let a good guide play the waiting game.
Calving season at Ndutu
Usually late January into February on the southern short-grass plains: thousands of calves born daily at the peak, and the year's most intense predator viewing.
Ngorongoro Crater
A single-day descent onto the crater floor delivers the Big Five setting of a lifetime, including some of East Africa's best black rhino chances. Enter at gate opening; midday gets busy year-round.
The Masai Mara's conservancies
Private conservancies bordering the reserve limit vehicle numbers and allow night drives and walks. Fewer crowds at sightings than the national reserve, at a premium worth paying.
A dawn balloon flight over the plains
Floating over the herds at first light, with a champagne bush breakfast on landing, is the classic safari splurge in both the Serengeti and the Mara.
Amboseli's elephants under Kilimanjaro
Big-tusked elephant herds crossing dusty flats with Africa's highest mountain behind: the continent's most iconic photo setup, best in dry-season mornings before the cloud builds.
Beat the crowds
- Book crossing-season camps in the northern Serengeti and the Mara 9 to 15 months out; the best-positioned camps in July through September sell out first and the leftovers mean long drives to the river.
- Choose private conservancies over the busiest reserve sectors in Kenya: vehicle limits at sightings mean three trucks at a leopard instead of twenty, and the wildlife does not read boundary signs.
- Consider February over August: calving season delivers migration drama and big-cat action with meaningfully fewer vehicles than crossing season.
- Do Ngorongoro at gate opening and the famous river viewpoints early or late: middays draw the density everywhere, in every season.
Know before you go
- The long rains, April into May, are the real closure season: many mobile and seasonal tented camps in the Serengeti and Mara ecosystems shut entirely, and some lodges use the lull for maintenance. Permanent lodges stay open at deep discounts, with mud and storms as the trade.
- The migration is somewhere every month: southern plains roughly December to March, west and center roughly April to June, north and the Mara roughly July to October, moving south again in November. Book the region that matches your month, not the camp with the best brochure.
- The parks themselves never close: the Serengeti, Masai Mara, Ngorongoro, and Amboseli operate year-round, so a low-season trip is about camp availability and road conditions, not locked gates.
- Balloon flights and small bush flights are weather-dependent year-round and cancel most often in the rains; keep flexible margins around any flight-dependent connection in April, May, and November.
East Africa Safari in December, quick answers
Is December a good time to visit East Africa Safari?
December is a good month to visit East Africa Safari. Herds settle back onto the southern plains and holiday travelers arrive. The Christmas and New Year window prices like the July peak.
What is the weather like in East Africa Safari in December?
Warm, highs near 82F (28C), showers easing.
Is East Africa Safari crowded in December?
Crowds in East Africa Safari are moderate in December; timed bookings still help at the biggest sights.
What is happening in East Africa Safari in December?
The short rains (roughly november into early december).
Keep planning East Africa Safari.
The months either side, and the best one if this is not it.
- 01East Africa Safari in NovemberThe month before: Short rains, highs near 82F (28C), afternoon showersTradeoffs
- 02East Africa Safari in JanuaryThe month after: Warm and mostly dry, highs near 82F (28C), green from the short rainsGood
- 03East Africa Safari in FebruaryThe next best month: Warm, highs near 84F (29C), scattered stormsBest
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