When to go · Arusha
Arusha in December
Mixed month. Short rains ease; holiday crowds.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Mixed
- Temperature
- 26° / 13°
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 8
- Crowds
- High
- Tanzania overall
- Prices
- High
- Tanzania overall
Verdict
Short rains ease; holiday crowds.
Weather in December
- ArushaHighs around 26 °C, lows around 13 °C, rain on about 8 days
- Northern circuit, Tanzania · Arusha, Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengetifine
Short rains Nov–Dec are light; long rains Apr–May close some camps. Migration position changes month to month.
Holiday and calving season season
Southern Serengeti calving season draws safari traffic; warm, mostly dry weather in town.
Watch: Peak pricing alongside the June–September season.
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
Holiday safari season begins
Mid-December · Citywide
Holiday-period demand pushes up hotel and vehicle prices alongside the dry-season peak.
Peak safari season start
December–February
Southern Serengeti calving season draws safari traffic through Arusha; book lodges and vehicles early.
Christmas big impact
25–26 Dec · Tanzania
Zanzibar and lodges fully booked.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Tanzania overall
- High
- Prices · Tanzania overall
- High
Tanzania overall: Green and showery; herds return to the south; Christmas rates on Zanzibar.
High-price month: see what to book ahead.
What to pack
Nothing unusual for the weather this month.