SeasonMapEtosha National Park (Etosha) weather by month
Namibia
The best time to visit Etosha National Park (Etosha) is May to July — 89/100 in June, 25°C and 0 rainy days. The best season is the dry season, April to November (72/100 on average).
The worst month is October at 47/100 — hot, dry, clean air. See October →
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
Planning the wider trip? Best time to visit Namibia →
Etosha National Park, month by month
Comfort score out of 100 for the kind of trip Etosha National Park is best for, the average high, rainy days and hours of sun a day from the climate normals, and how busy it tends to be.
| Month | Score | Tier | High | Rain | Sun | Crowds | On |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanJanuary | 62 | C | 32°C | 11 d | 11 h | Busy | 5 |
| FebFebruary | 65 | C | 31°C | 12 d | 11 h | Shoulder | 4 |
| MarMarch | 71 | B | 30°C | 11 d | 11 h | Shoulder | 3 |
| AprApril | 79 | B | 30°C | 4 d | 11 h | Shoulder | 3 |
| MayMay | 83 | A | 28°C | 0 d | 10 h | Busy | 1 |
| JunJune | 89 | A | 25°C | 0 d | 10 h | Busy | 2 |
| JulJuly | 88 | A | 26°C | 0 d | 10 h | Peak | 2 |
| AugAugust | 82 | A | 30°C | 0 d | 11 h | Busy | 2 |
| SepSeptember | 58 | D | 34°C | 0 d | 11 h | Busy | 2 |
| OctOctober | 47 | F | 35°C | 1 d | 12 h | Busy | 3 |
| NovNovember | 51 | D | 35°C | 5 d | 12 h | Quiet | 3 |
| DecDecember | 54 | D | 33°C | 11 d | 12 h | Busy | 5 |
What's on in Etosha National Park through the year
Festivals, natural spectacles, holidays and the seasons to watch out for — curated and sourced. The month pages carry the detail.
- January
- Flamingos on the pan15 Jan – 30 Apr (usually)Nature
- Sunrise-to-sunset driving only1 Jan – 31 Dec (usually)Rule
- June
- Dry season at the waterholes1 Jun – 31 Oct (usually)Season
- October
- The heat before the rains1 Oct – 10 Dec (usually)Hazard
- November
- Calving and the zebra move15 Nov – 28 Feb (usually)Nature
- December
- Festive season in the camps15 Dec – 5 Jan (usually)Holiday
- The rains15 Dec – 15 Apr (usually)Season
Crowds in Etosha National Park in June
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
BusyDry season at the waterholes, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Traveller notes on Etosha National Park
What people who have been say about the place — the year-round notes first, then month by month.
Etosha's forum calls July hot by day and genuinely cool once the sun drops — regulars pack layers accordingly: shorts and a light top for the day, a thick fleece for game drives at dawn and dusk. It's noticeably milder overnight than inland areas like Windhoek, where frost and ice on tents are possible this time of year. July through October is high season, with game viewing rated exceptional as animals concentrate around the waterholes.
Add your own note from Etosha National Park's card on the map.