Covering an area of 1,613 sq km (623 sq miles), Mahale Mountain National Park is a heaven for chimpanzee lovers. The park is located on the shores of Lake Tanganyika and the most excellent safari destination for its calmness.

Rainforest, grasslands, alpine bamboo and woodlands are the stunning habitats of the park. Not only for chimpanzee population, but Mahale Mountain National Park also holds beautiful beach with clear waters.

The Wildlife

Chimpanzees are the main attraction of the park. The park allows walking safaris hosted by knowledgeable and experienced guides. Once you witness a troop of chimpanzees, you can spend an hour observing their behaviour and playful activities. August to October is the best time to see them. Other animals include roan, sable antelope, mongoose, warthog and many more.

Over 250 endemic fish species can be seen while snorkelling in the shallow waters.

The Birdlife

Almost 400 different species of birds have been recorded in the park. The sandy beaches are home to pelicans and different storks as well as malachite kingfishers, pied king fishers and fish eagles and the forest regions are home to Livingston’s turacos, narina trogons, crested guinea fowls and blue cheeked bee eaters.

When To Go

Dry Season Green season Closed
jan
feb
mar
apr
may
jun
jul
aug
sep
oct
nov
dec
When to go closed When to go dry When to go green

January

Short rainy season

When to go info The advent of the short rains means that green grass is in abundance.

When to go wildlife The huge migration herds gather in the short grass plains of the Southern Serengeti.

When to go weather Rain is sporadic and herds congregate in areas with lush grass.

February

Short rainy season

When to go info The advent of the short rains means that green grass is in abundance.

When to go wildlife This is when the wildebeest calving season starts, a real bonanza for predators. In the woodland, giraffe, elephant and buffalo are generally easy to locate.

When to go weather Rain is sporadic and herds congregate in areas with lush grass.

March

Short rainy season

When to go info The migration is often at it's most impressive with vast herds spread across the plains.

When to go wildlife The wildebeest calving season is in full swing now, providing good chances of witnessing a birth.

When to go weather It is often quite dry at this time and the herds might split into smaller units scattered around the southern plains in search of the best grazing conditions. In late March, the Long Rains start.

April

Long rainy season

When to go info This is one of the best times to explore the eastern part of the ecosystem, particularly around Gol Mountains. The scenery is spectacular and the vast numbers of animals add to the drama.

When to go wildlife The migrating herds start their journey north, moving up to Moru, Seronera and tipping into the Western Corridor possibly by May.

When to go weather The long rains are here, which means there are regular short sharp downpours.

May

Long rainy season

When to go info Traditionally viewed as the off season May is one of our favourite months in the Serengeti. The plains are covered in wild flowers, the rains have begun to ease and the open grasslands are home to abundant plains game and the ever close behind predators.

When to go wildlife The herds continue the journey north, possibly making their way up into the Western Corridor by mid to late May.

When to go weather The rains continue into early May, but begin to ease towards the end of the month.

June

Dry Season

When to go info Traditionally the month for the Western Corridor as the herds continue north. Localised weather patterns can have a dramatic effect on how long the migration spends in this area.

When to go wildlife With the ecosystem continuing to dry out, the herds continue westwards, towards the Grumeti River in the Western Corridor. Huge crocodiles in the Grumeti lay in wait, hungry, leading to explosive action when the wildebeest come down to drink.

When to go weather The rains have eased and the Serengeti begins to dry out. The south becomes pretty dusty throughout June, and the north also sees the grasslands beginning to thin and dry out.

July

Dry Season

When to go info A very transitional month with the migration ultimately reaching northern Serengeti – when they arrive depends on how much rain has sustained the grass in areas further south of the Serengeti.

When to go wildlife In dry years the first of the herds can reach the north early July; if there’s been plenty of rain in central/western Serengeti it may not be until the end of the month that they arrive in the north.

When to go weather The north is still fairly green, especially on the western side, and the odd rain shower is possible. Elsewhere it is dry and dusty.

August

Dry Season

When to go info The migration reaches the northern Serengeti and stays in this area until October.

When to go wildlife During this period wherever pockets of rain fall in the north, new shoots of grass will appear and attract the herds and so they spend their time criss-crossing back and forth across the Mara River – this is when the spectacular river crossings occur.

When to go weather Short localized showers are common throughout this season but have little impact on the overall dry, sunny weather.

September

Dry Season

When to go info The migration reaches the northern Serengeti and stays in this area until October.

When to go wildlife During this period wherever pockets of rain fall in the north, new shoots of grass will appear and attract the herds and so they spend their time criss-crossing back and forth across the Mara River – this is when the spectacular river crossings occur.

When to go weather Short localized showers are common throughout this season but have little impact on the overall dry, sunny weather.

October

Dry Season

When to go info The migration reaches the northern Serengeti and stays in this area until October.

When to go wildlife During this period wherever pockets of rain fall in the north, new shoots of grass will appear and attract the herds and so they spend their time criss-crossing back and forth across the Mara River – this is when the spectacular river crossings occur.

When to go weather Short localized showers are common throughout this season but have little impact on the overall dry, sunny weather.

November

Short rainy season

When to go info Another very transitional month as the herds start their journey back south usually arriving in central Serengeti and reaching slightly north of that and to the south.

When to go wildlife During November the migration often fragments into smaller herds which each take different routes south.

When to go weather Rain has usually started to fall in the southern plains pulling the migration south, but they can swing back around should rain fall again in the North.

December

Short rainy season

When to go info The cycle of the great migration in the Serengeti ecosystem comes full circle.

When to go wildlife By Christmas time the migration has usually completed its circuit and is back on the short grass plains of the Ndutu area. Early December can see them still scattered around central Serengeti and making their way south.

When to go weather The short rains have started once again and the new grass shoots on the short grass plains provide much needed nutrients for the expectant wildebeest mothers as they prepare to drop their calves in February.

Highlights

Best Known For

last remaining wild chimpanzees( a population of roughly 900 ) chains of mountains, rain forest and it’s flora and fauna.

Uniquiness

  • Mahale Mountain National Park is a research-and conservation-oriented park
  • Walking safaris in the park is a good opportunity to explore the park best
  • Lake Tanganyika is indigenous to Mahale Mountain National Park
  • The park holds a unique combination of forests, mountains flora, fauna and the lake
  • Abundant primate life including a habituated group of chimpanzees

Getting There

Getting into this park is somehow expensive but easy. You can fly to this park with a charter plane either from Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) in Arusha town, or Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) in Dar es Salaam.The flight takes 3 hours from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma. The charter flights between parks are usually booked by the tour operators as part of the safari package.

Activity

last remaining wild chimpanzees( a population of roughly 900 ) chains of mountains, rain forest and it’s flora and fauna.

Planning Guides

More Choice For Your Safari

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Best time to visit

The national park is the most easily accessible national park in the country. Like all other Northern Tanzania national parks, the park is also can be visited throughout the year. However,

Best Time To Visit

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