Tanzania›Northern Safari Circuit›Northern Serengeti›May
Northern Serengeti in May
Better avoided: Most camps in the northern Serengeti close for the long rains in April and May, the tracks are muddy, and the migration is far to the south. Go from July to October for the Mara River crossings.
The season opens in July, 2 months away. Northern Serengeti reopens in June, next month.
Northern Serengeti is closed in May
Open June – March.
Before you book May
Closures, crowds and rules at Northern Serengeti this month.
Worth knowing
Most Camps Closed for the Long Rains
Most camps here close from about April to May (some from mid-March or until June), the tracks become impassable, and several bush flights stop. Go between June and March.
What it costs
For two sharing a room; 3 days on the ground, getting there not included.
Budget
₹1,69,635 for two
- Room a night₹28,530
- Food a day, each₹988
- Main sight entry, each₹50,210
Mid-range
₹3,23,850 for two
- Room a night₹95,100
- Food a day, each₹2,280
- Main sight entry, each₹50,210
Luxury
₹6,75,455 for two
- Room a night₹2,47,260
- Food a day, each₹5,320
- Main sight entry, each₹50,210
Totals cover the room (taxes included), food, local transport, entry and a 10% buffer: the figures the planner opens on. These are typical rates; Tourisma has no month-by-month rates for Tanzania yet, so they don't move with the month.
Getting there
Fly into Arusha (JRO), 285 km away
Then: Flight · 3h 30m (Bush flight Arusha (ARK)–Kogatende, Coastal / Auric (may stop at Seronera))
Flights from India: from 5 cities, one way from ₹30,000
Fly into Stone Town (ZNZ), 700 km away
Then: Flight · 6h 30m (Bush flight Kogatende–Zanzibar (ZNZ) via Seronera and Arusha)
Flights from India: from 6 cities, one way from ₹28,000
Routes compared
Entry rules
E-visa before you fly for up to 90 days, about ₹4,760
- Apply for the Tanzania e-visa (ordinary, single entry) on the official portal at immigration.go.tz at least 2-3 weeks before you fly: US$50, about ₹4,830, for up to 90 days. Processing takes about 5-10 working days; print the grant notice. Avoid look-alike visa sites, which charge more.
- Get a yellow fever vaccination at an authorised centre in India at least 10 days before you leave, and carry the yellow certificate. Tanzania asks for it if you transit more than 12 hours in Kenya, Ethiopia or another risk country, and India asks every traveller returning from Tanzania for it at the airport.
- Going to Zanzibar: buy the compulsory Zanzibar inbound travel insurance (US$44 a person, about ₹4,250) from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation online before you arrive, and keep the certificate. It is required even if you have your own travel insurance.
- Carry US dollars in clean notes printed in 2009 or later for park fees, tips and visas; older or torn notes are often refused.
Carry: Passport valid for at least 6 months beyond your stay, with two blank pages; E-visa grant notice (printout); Yellow fever vaccination certificate (needed again to re-enter India); Zanzibar insurance certificate, for Zanzibar; Return or onward ticket; Hotel and safari bookings.
Visas on arrival are sold at the main airports for many passports, but whether Indian passports get one was not confirmed in 2026, so get the e-visa first. Tanzania has also published rules for a compulsory insurance on the mainland, reported to start on 1 October 2026; check before you fly whether you need it.
Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.
Elsewhere in Tanzania in May
Nearby in Northern Safari Circuit:
Want this as a real plan?
Northern Serengeti in May, day by day, priced for your group.