Serengeti weather in March

March in Serengeti: hot, rainy, with clean air — an excellent time to visit.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Serengeti🇹🇿 Tanzania · East Africa · National park80
  1. 83Jan
  2. 83Feb
  3. 80Mar
  4. 79Apr
  5. 86May
  6. 87Jun
  7. 87Jul
  8. 86Aug
  9. 84Sep
  10. 82Oct
  11. 80Nov
  12. 81Dec

#10 of 12 months in Serengeti · #529 of 1413 destinations to visit in March · comfort 80/100 (tier A)

Days
29°C
Nights
17°C
Wet days
11
Sun
10.5 h
Humidity
60%
Daylight
12 h
Serengeti, Tanzania
Photo: Ana Kenk · Pexels

Traveller notes on Serengeti in March

Serengeti-forum threads on March timing describe this as still genuinely strong for the Ndutu calving season, posters calling early March a real continuation of February's peak with plenty of calves and predator action still concentrated in the area. Regulars call location the biggest variable this late in the window, the herds beginning to shift depending on rainfall and where fresh grass comes up. Posters describe a typical March shower as a brief, dramatic afternoon thunderstorm or a light overnight system rather than an all-day soak. Regulars call the tall grass a real downside for spotting smaller animals, though it does concentrate wildlife along the roads. Posters recommend a guide with current knowledge of herd movement rather than assuming a fixed location holds. Regulars call March genuinely rewarding for anyone specifically chasing the calving spectacle. The record: 28.7C days feeling like 30C, 17C nights, 83.2mm across nearly 11 days and 60 percent humidity.
SerengetiMarchRegular · March · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Other months in Serengeti

Serengeti-forum threads on an April visit describe rain as genuinely not something that scares off the animals, posters naming this a real reason April still works well despite being deep in the wet season. Regulars call migration herds genuinely on the move by April, several posters naming a shift into the western-central Serengeti as calves from the earlier calving season grow stronger. Posters call the actual calving genuinely finished by this point, several regulars naming late January through early March as the real calving window rather than April. Regulars call warm days with afternoon thunderstorms a standard pattern, several threads naming a green, uncrowded landscape as the payoff for visiting during the rains. Posters recommend real flexibility around migration location in April, several regulars calling this standard given how much herd movement depends on where rains are heaviest. The record: 27.1C days, 16.7C nights, 122.1mm across over 15 days and 69 percent humidity.
SerengetiAprilRegular · April · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Serengeti-forum threads on a May visit describe mid-May as the tail end of the long rains, posters calling showers still possible though usually short rather than lasting a full day. Regulars call the landscape genuinely lush by late May, high green grasses, trees in leaf and wildflowers scattered across the plains and crater floor. Posters call the migration herds typically found in the western corridor this month, though exact positioning shifts year to year depending on rainfall. Regulars call May a real value window, considerably fewer tourists and better lodge rates than the peak dry season draws. Posters recommend a strong guide as genuinely essential this month, several regulars calling guide quality the real determining factor for how much wildlife gets seen in May specifically. The record: 27.2C days feeling like 28C, 16.3C nights, 31.2mm across nearly 6 days and 61 percent humidity.
SerengetiMayRegular · May · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Serengeti-forum threads on September visits describe this as sitting solidly within the dry season, clear and sunny days the norm though posters call mornings and evenings genuinely chilly, warm layers essential for early game drives regardless of how warm the afternoon runs. Regulars call September noticeably cooler than October or April, several posters describing sweaters for dawn drives and a fleece worth keeping on hand around the crater rim. Posters describe the herds as generally starting their crossing back from the Mara by late September, dust also picking up, worth keeping gear covered. Regulars are direct any real system this early is genuinely unpredictable, some years seeing almost nothing through the month. Posters call September a reliably strong month despite the cool mornings. Regulars recommend real layers rather than assuming based on the warm midday temperature. The record: 29.5C days feeling like 30C, 16.9C nights, a low 45 percent humidity and 10.6 hours of sun.
SerengetiSeptemberRegular · September · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Serengeti-forum threads on February confirm this is calving season around Ndutu and the southern plains, an estimated half a million wildebeest calves born within a concentrated two-to-three-week window, drawing exceptional predator activity that posters call some of the most dramatic game viewing of the whole year. Days run warm to genuinely hot, though nights and early mornings cool down noticeably, real layers worth having for a pre-dawn game drive. One visitor's three-week stay logged only sparse precipitation, a single evening shower and a brief half-hour spell, though posters are consistent this varies year to year rather than being guaranteed. Regulars call February one of the busiest, priciest windows of the year given how reliable the wildlife spectacle is, booking well ahead standard advice. The record: 28.9C days feeling like a punishing 30C, 16.9C nights, 58 percent humidity and 10.9 hours of sun.
NdutuFebruaryRegular · February · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

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Serengeti climate normals — March

Daytime high29°C / 84°F🥵 hot
Nighttime low17°C / 63°F
Feels like (high)30°C / 86°F
Rainfall83 mm / 3.3 in🌧 rainy
Rainy days11 days
Humidity60%🍃 comfortable
Dew point13°C / 55°F
Sunshine10.5 h/day
Daylight12.1 h
Wind13 km/h / 8 mph
Air quality (US AQI)31🍃 good

Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.

Crowds in Serengeti in March

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.

BusyApril short break in Tanzania, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it(estimated)

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Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Serengeti's weather

Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).

Fair weatherSerengeti's weather doesn't swing hard through the year — comfort stays fairly steady in every month.

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What's on in Serengeti in March

Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.

  • Rule

    Park permits run 24 hours

    1 Jan – 31 DecBook early

    The conservation fee is valid for twenty-four hours from entry and the rangers check on the way out; overstaying buys another full day, and a day-trip permit is shorter again. It is why itineraries are built around gate times, not sunsets. Source ↗

  • Nature

    Wildebeest calving

    15 Jan – 15 Mar · usuallyWildlife seasonBook early

    Close to half a million calves drop in a three-week burst on the short-grass plains around Ndutu, and every predator in the ecosystem is there for it. The exact fortnight moves with the rains, so camps sell the whole window.

  • Season

    Long rains and green season

    15 Mar – 31 MayMonsoonClosures

    It rarely rains all day, but it rains most days, the black cotton soil softens and the western corridor tracks get difficult. Some of the smaller mobile camps shut entirely for April and May; the ones that stay open are half price.

  • Rule

    Low-season park fees

    15 Mar – 15 May

    TANAPA's low season runs 15 March to 15 May and the conservation fee drops with it, which on a week inside the park is a real difference once the daily fees are stacked up. Rates are usually revised each July. Source ↗

  • Nature

    Migrant birding season

    15 Nov – 15 Apr · usuallyBirdlife season

    European and Asian migrants arrive with the short rains and stay until April, on top of the residents in breeding plumage. The wet months are the ones birders choose and the game drivers avoid.

What's on around the world in March →

Nearby, and something's on

Within 300 km of Serengeti — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.

Where is Serengeti?

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Serengeti in March — FAQ

Is March a good time to visit Serengeti?
March in Serengeti: hot, rainy, with clean air — an excellent time to visit. It ranks #10 of 12 months for Serengeti on SeasonMap's comfort score (80/100).
What is the weather like in Serengeti in March?
In March, Serengeti averages a daily high of 28.7°C and a low of 17°C, with about 83.2 mm of rain over roughly 10.8 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Serengeti in March?
Serengeti has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 31 in March.

Within 300 km: Ngorongoro's Calving on the Ndutu plains around 1 Jan – 15 Mar, and Arusha's Wildebeest calving season around 20 Jan – 15 Mar.