The months July to October are mostly mentioned as the best travelling time for Namibia. Due to the drought, excellent animal observations are possible. The days are pleasantly warm and dry, the nights are cold. For this reason, it is a busy time when it comes to tourism.
However, Namibia offers a wide variety of highlights throughout the year. The best time to travel depends entirely on your wishes. To give you an idea on the seasons, below a more detailed summary.
July to October – safari dreams, high season, dry season
Travelling Namibia, the easiest time of the year for wildlife observation: elephants, lions, giraffes, zebras, antelopes … all large and small animals are now concentrated at the few still damp waterholes. The bushland is dry and free of leaves. So, you have a clear view. This is especially helpful for all types of wild cats. The vegetation is sparse. Almost all of Namibia is now showing its rugged, dry desert face. Only the evergreen north up to the Victoria Falls enchants with its moist soul and at the same time great wildlife.
As soon as the rain sets in, the animals spread away from the water holes into the bush with its fresh, tender and lush grass and leaves. Now many animals are gaining the strength for the coming birth of the young. You have to work harder to discover the better hidden and distributed wild animals. But no problem, otherwise you would have been able to go to the zoo at home and of course we know the places where you will still find something …
November to January – longer days and a glimpse of the first rainbows
The days are long and hot, sometimes humid, and the nights are warm and summery. With a bit of luck, the first rain clouds and sun rays, short showers and rainbows will enchant the country. A spectacle that begins in November in the north and slowly moves south. Enjoy campfires, starry skies and excursions without freezing. Fantastic travel time for campers despite an occasional downpour. With the first rain showers, the plants will green and sprout within days. In a short time, the brown of the landscape changes to a fresh green in many places.
January to April – babies, rain and flowering
Travelling Namibia in the ‘green-season’ is rewarded everywhere with colourful flowers in the desert. Above all, you see many clumsy, playful young animals and large migrating herds of antelopes.
In a very good rainy year, the first young animals appear in December, in dry years the birth is postponed until March. Many animals have adapted perfectly to the unsafe weather and can control the length of their pregnancy. Otherwise mother and child would both die in extreme drought. The days and nights are pleasantly warm and sometimes humid. Enjoy campfires, starry skies and excursions without freezing. Fantastic travel time for lodge trips and campers despite an occasional downpour.
The rain becomes more frequent until March, slowly spreading to the south and then slowly decreasing again from April. Those who like to drive 4 × 4 will get their money’s worth when driving through mud and in troubled river beds. Individual streets in Namibia and the neighbouring country of Botswana can sometimes be completely softened or washed away.
May & June – Best time for wildlife photography
These 2 months bring a mix of rain and drought. Clouds and blue skies and relatively easy wildlife viewing. Furthermore, you see fewer tourists and most of them are photographers.
With the increasing drought, wild animals are more easily visible again and more often dare to get closer to the water holes around camps and lodges. At the same time, further north you can still find the last green traces of the rainy season and herds of young animals in the country.
The last rain showers fall in May, the days are almost always dry and warm. Only in the nights does it get freezing cold. At the same time, you still have a chance of one or the other last rain cloud, which plunges the country into mystical moods. The green and bright colors are now slowly changing back to the Namibian winter tones of red and brown from the south.
Have a look out our itineraries ‘Self-Drive‘ and ‘Guided‘ or maybe ‘Fly & Drive‘ is more what you are looking for.
