Tarangire in December — Between the Rains, with Baby Animals and Green Plains

December in Tarangire National Park sits in a distinct window: the short rains (October–November) have typically ended or are tapering, and the long dry inter-rains period — the January–February dry spell — has not yet fully established. The park is green, the wildlife is dispersed, and the atmosphere is rich with young animals and migratory birds. Christmas and New Year bring a brief spike in visitor numbers; outside of that window, December is a genuinely quiet month.

Wildlife in December

• Newborn animals: December is a peak calving period across Tarangire. Impala lambs, wildebeest calves, zebra foals, and elephant calves are all present. Predators focused on young prey means active hunting, particularly in the early morning drives.
• Elephants: Dispersed following the short rains. Family groups are found across the park rather than concentrated at the river. This dispersal reduces the massed river concentrations of August–September but produces more intimate, spread-out encounters with family groups in a beautiful green landscape.
• Predators: Lions, leopards, cheetah, and wild dog are active year-round. December's hunting patterns are focused on the vulnerable young animals abundant in the park. This produces active, behaviour-rich predator sightings.
• Birdlife: Outstanding. Palearctic migrants arrived in October are settled and abundant — European rollers, storks, bee-eaters. Resident breeding activity is under way. December may have the highest bird diversity of any month in Tarangire.

Weather in December

Variable. Early December may still see residual short rain showers. Mid-to-late December is typically drier and increasingly sunny. Temperatures are warm — 27–32°C in the day. The landscape is at its most photogenic: green plains, dramatic clouds when showers do occur, and the baobabs fully leafed.

Christmas and New Year

The period December 20th through January 2nd sees peak visitor numbers — comparable to July–August in many camps. Prices reflect this. If you are travelling in December outside of the Christmas peak, you have the green season experience at significantly lower cost. If you are travelling over Christmas, book well in advance — 9–12 months ahead for preferred camps is not excessive.

Photography in December

December light in Tarangire is exceptional. After months of harsh dry-season sun, the combination of cloud cover, green vegetation, and post-rain atmosphere produces soft, diffused light that is easier to work with than the bleached brightness of June–September. Early morning fog on the river — particularly in the first hour after sunrise — creates atmospheric images that are difficult to achieve at other times of year.

The green landscape provides a different colour palette from the iconic golden Tarangire of the dry season: deep greens, dramatic skies, and the vivid contrast of lilac-breasted rollers against fresh grass. For photographers willing to wake early and work in the morning light, December in Tarangire produces images that stand apart from the standard safari catalogue.

December vs January–February

December sits between the short rains (October–November) and the January–February dry inter-rains period. By January, the landscape has dried somewhat and wildlife begins to concentrate more visibly around water. December retains more of the green season character — dispersed wildlife, lush vegetation, newborn animals — while offering more reliable weather than November.

January and February bring the Serengeti wildebeest calving season in the southern Ndutu area, which many travellers combine with Tarangire for a mixed itinerary. December is a natural lead-in to this: the short rains are ending, the landscape is green, and combining Tarangire with Ndutu in December–January is one of the most effective green-season itineraries in Tanzania.

Combining Tarangire with the Serengeti in December

A 7–10 day December itinerary that includes Tarangire and the Serengeti's southern Ndutu area is one of the most rewarding combinations of the calendar year. The Ndutu region — technically part of the Serengeti ecosystem but often accessed via Tarangire or the Ndutu airstrip — sees wildebeest calving beginning in late December and peaking in January. Lions, cheetah, and hyenas are all active around the calving herds. The landscape is green and beautiful.

December access to Ndutu is via a combination of driving from Tarangire or flying into the Ndutu airstrip. Safaris Tanzania plans December–January Ndutu itineraries with live weather and road-condition monitoring and will advise on the best approach for your specific dates.

Camps Open in December

December is a busy month for Tarangire's accommodation. Most permanent camps and lodges remain open throughout the year, unlike some parks where April–May see temporary closures. The main variable is Christmas-period availability: several properties are fully booked 9–12 months in advance for December 20–January 2.

For December travel outside the Christmas window — which runs approximately December 20th through January 2nd — availability is generally good at mid-range properties and excellent at higher-end camps. Green-season pricing is available at many properties through mid-December, offering significant savings compared to the January–February peak.

What to Expect on a December Game Drive

Morning game drives in December are typically clear and productive. Animals are active in the cooler morning hours before the midday heat. Because wildlife is dispersed rather than concentrated, December game drives in Tarangire tend to be wider-ranging than the river-focused drives of August–September — your guide will cover more ground, visit multiple habitats, and the experience has a different character: more exploratory, more varied, with encounters spread across the park's diverse ecosystems.

Afternoon game drives are typically shorter in December — a 3pm departure rather than 4pm — to return before evening rain or darkness. The quality of sightings often centres on the period from mid-morning through early afternoon when predator activity around newborn wildlife is highest.

Why December, Not August: A Case for the Green Season

August in Tarangire is extraordinary — there is no disputing that. Massed elephants at the river, dramatic concentrations, the park at its most spectacular. But August prices reflect the demand: peak-season rates at every camp, advance booking requirements of 6–12 months, and vehicle crowding at the most famous sightings.

December offers a genuinely different Tarangire experience at a fraction of the cost. The elephant concentrations are lower but the encounters are more varied and often more intimate. The landscapes are lush and green rather than dusty and golden. The birdlife is richer. The photography is more interesting. And the experience is yours — not shared with dozens of other vehicles at every sighting.

When you book directly with Safaris Tanzania — not through a broker who adds a margin to every booking — December pricing at Tarangire's best camps becomes accessible in a way that peak-season pricing never is. We have been running December safaris since 1978 and our guides know this park's December rhythms as well as they know August. The green season is not a consolation prize. For the right traveller, it is the better choice.

WhatsApp Kassim at +255 786 110 786 with your December dates. We will advise on which camps offer good value outside the Christmas spike and whether the short rains are still a factor for your specific window. See the best time to visit Tarangire for a full monthly breakdown.