Tanzania Safari in December
Treat December as two different months. December 1 to 14 is one of the year's quiet bargains: the herds completing their return to the southern plains, green landscapes, shoulder rates carried over from November, and parks still empty of the holiday wave. Then somewhere around December 15 to 20 the festive switch flips: rates jump to match or beat the July peak, camps fill to 90 percent with bookings made a year out, and gala-dinner supplements land on Christmas and New Year's Eve. Same parks, same animals, two completely different invoices.
Plan a December Safari
Wildlife Conditions in December by Park
Ndutu / Southern Serengeti
ExcellentThe herds arrive through the month and settle across the southern plains, with the pre-calving build-up gathering pace and the first scattered births from mid-month. Off-road driving in the NCA puts you beside the action. Festive-week camps run full; early December has the same plains nearly alone.
Ngorongoro Crater
ExcellentLush and green with the full resident cast and peak migrant birdlife. The festive weeks bring the crowds back to the floor; early December does not.
Central Serengeti (Seronera)
GoodReliable resident cats and a useful staging point as the herds funnel south past Moru. The north is empty and wild by now.
Tarangire National Park
GoodDispersing with the rains but still productive, and the birding builds through the month. Better in the first half of December than the second.
Lake Manyara
GoodFresh green vegetation, strong birding with the migrants in full residence, and variable flamingo numbers on the lake.
Week-by-Week: December in the Field
| Week | What's Happening | Best Location |
|---|---|---|
| December 1-7 | Herds completing the southbound transit through the central and eastern Serengeti. Ndutu camps reopening, rates still at shoulder level. | Central/eastern Serengeti toward Ndutu |
| December 8-14 | The bulk of the herds spread onto the southern plains. First scattered calves possible. The last quiet week of the year. | Ndutu plains |
| December 15-21 | Main body settled at Ndutu, births rising slowly, and the festive arrivals beginning. Rates step up at most camps in this window. | Ndutu / southern Serengeti |
| December 22-31 | Festive peak: full camps, settled herds, easy big-herd viewing, and predators increasingly active around the newborns. | Ndutu / southern Serengeti |
Weather in December by Location
| Location | Temperature | Rainfall | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arusha | 10°C morning / 27°C afternoon | ~60-80mm over ~13-17 days | Warm with afternoon showers; humid by the coast standards of the highlands |
| Central Serengeti (Seronera) | 15°C morning / 27°C afternoon | ~97mm over ~15 days | Short rains continue: lush, green, with calving beginning in the south |
| Ngorongoro Crater Rim | 12-17°C dawn / 27°C midday | ~103mm over ~21 days | Wet on the rim, heaviest late month. Warm days, cool damp dawns. |
| Zanzibar | 24°C night / 32°C day | ~140mm over ~13 days | Short rains tapering; the northwest coast (Kendwa, Nungwi) is the best December beach |
The Festive Switch: Exact Dates and Real Numbers
The December price structure is the least transparent on the safari calendar, so here it is plainly. Through roughly December 14, most camps run November's shoulder rates, 20 to 40 percent below peak. The festive window then runs from about December 15 or 20 through January 3 to 5 depending on the property, at rates that match or exceed the July-August peak. On top of the base rate, most camps add compulsory gala-dinner supplements for December 24 or 25 and December 31, typically $80 to $500 per person per night depending on the tier.
None of this makes festive travel a bad buy; Christmas at a Ndutu camp with the herds settled outside is genuinely special, and the demand proves it: top properties run 70 to 90 percent full on bookings made 9 to 12 months ahead. But if your dates are your own, the first two weeks of December buy the same settling herds, the same green plains, and possibly the first calves, at a fraction of the festive invoice. We quote both windows side by side so the difference is visible before you choose.
When Calving Actually Starts
The calving peak belongs to February, but the season opens earlier than most itineraries admit. The first calves typically drop between December 15 and 25, in some years from December 10, scattered across the settled herds at Ndutu. The numbers build slowly through January toward the late-January-to-mid-February pulse.
What makes the December births compelling is the predator response. A newborn wildebeest cannot run properly for its first minutes of life, and the lions, cheetah, and the big Ndutu hyena clan have been waiting for the herds all dry season. The first calves of the year meet the hungriest predators of the year. Festive-week travellers regularly see hunts that February visitors would recognise, with a fraction of February's vehicles, because the festive crowd skews toward families on a first safari rather than the photographers who arrive for the peak. If you are choosing between a late-December and an early-January departure, the wildlife case is close to even; the price case favours January once the festive premium ends around the 5th.
December Itineraries
Calving Season Safari
From $2,600 pp7 Days / 6 Nights
Ndutu · Ngorongoro
From mid-December onward this route catches the settled herds and the first births. Festive weeks book 9 to 12 months out; early January is the value play.
View Full Itinerary11-Day Tanzania & Zanzibar
From $2,990 pp11 Days / 10 Nights
Tarangire · Serengeti · Ngorongoro · Zanzibar
The festive combination: southern Serengeti herds, then the northwest Zanzibar coast at its December best. Book very early for the holiday window.
View Full ItineraryCommon Questions: Tanzania Safari in December
Is December a good month for a Tanzania safari?
One of the most underrated, provided you know which December you are booking. December 1 to 14 offers green landscapes, the herds settling at Ndutu, shoulder-season rates, and few crowds. December 20 onward is the festive peak: wonderful atmosphere, full camps, and prices that match or beat July. The wildlife is strong in both halves; the invoice is not.
How much extra does Christmas and New Year cost?
The festive base-rate window runs roughly December 15-20 through January 3-5 at rates matching or exceeding the July peak, and most camps add compulsory gala supplements of about $80 to $500 per person per night for December 24 or 25 and December 31. Top properties run 70 to 90 percent full on bookings made 9 to 12 months ahead, so the festive window is both the most expensive and the hardest to book late.
When does calving season start?
The first calves usually appear at Ndutu between December 15 and 25, occasionally from December 10, with births building through January toward the February peak. Late-December visitors regularly see the season's first predation drama, because the newborns arrive just as the predators end their leanest months.
What is the weather like in December?
Short-rains season: warm days of 25 to 32°C with brief afternoon or evening showers that clear within an hour or two, and mostly sunny mornings. The south around Ndutu is green and soft underfoot, so 4WD matters. The rim of the crater is at its wettest late month.
Early or late December: which should I book?
For value and quiet: December 1 to 14, at shoulder rates with the herds arriving and no supplements. For the festive experience: December 20 to January 2, budgeted 20 to 40 percent higher plus gala supplements, booked the better part of a year ahead. If your dates are free and your budget matters, early December and early January are the two smart plays around the festive spike.
Does a December safari combine well with Zanzibar?
Very well, with one routing note: in December the northwest coast around Kendwa and Nungwi has the island's best beach conditions, while the vuli rains taper through the month. The classic structure is five to seven safari nights and four to five on the coast. Festive-season beach hotels carry their own premium, so the same early-versus-late December logic applies on the island too.
Is December good for families?
Yes, and it is our most-requested family month. The calving brings baby animals that children connect with instantly, the weather is warm, and the festive camps lean into the holiday atmosphere. The school-holiday demand is the catch: festive slots need 10 to 12 months of lead time, and our family itinerary runs with booster seats and a guide briefed for mixed ages.