Group Of Zebras Walking In A Mist In The Plains Of Etosha National Park.

Best Time to Visit Etosha National Park

Ready to explore the wilderness of Etosha National Park in Namibia? Before you set off for Windhoek, the country’s exciting capital, from where you can easily access Etosha, find out the best time to visit this part of Africa. Learn everything about the park’s changing seasons to the prime time for game viewing in this guide.

See all Etosha safaris

When is the best time to visit Etosha National Park?

Etosha is open throughout the year, so, technically you can visit it whenever! There is a lot to see here throughout the seasons, but as with other national parks, game viewing is much better during the dry season. Because vegetation and water are sparse, animals congregate around available sources, and it’s quite amazing to see different species coming together in this way.

May to August: Etosha National Park has the best weather at this time, the days are not as hot, and nights can be chilly, so it’s essential to bring a couple of warm layers.

July to September: This is the best time for visiting the park, as you’ll see plenty of animals flocking to the limited water supplies. The park also gets very crowded at this time.

November to April: This is the park’s wet season. Don’t let the rains put you off though! They don’t last long, and the landscape becomes lush with greenery. It’s a great time to go birdwatching as lots of species migrate to Etosha, and when spotted, you’ll also get to see animals taking care of their newborns and little ones.

December to June: Generally considered low season for the park so you can expect fewer crowds and slightly cheaper rates for tours and flights. Be aware though, that from October to February, the weather can get very hot.

Learn more about Etosha National Park

Best Time To Visit Etosha - Month By Month Infographic

Weather and climate

For most of the year, Etosha National Park experiences a hot and dry climate. Because of the desert-like conditions of the region, the temperature during the day and night vary significantly. Etosha’s winters (May to October) are pleasant and dry, while the summers (November to April) are wet and prone to thunderstorms.

Rainfall is almost entirely unheard of during the coldest months of the year. Conditions become drier as the winter season progresses. Water sources for wildlife become fewer and vegetation thins out. Even though it rains in the wet season, rain usually falls in the afternoon and not everyday or for long. While the days are hot at this time, the evenings are very mild and pleasant.

Temperatures

The table below shows the average temperatures in Celsius and Fahrenheit for Etosha National Park, during the day and at night from month to month.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max ° C (day)	31 ° C	30 ° C	29 ° C	28 ° C	26 ° C	24 ° C	24 ° C	27 ° C	31 ° C	33 ° C	32 ° C	31 ° C
Min ° C (night)	18 ° C	18 ° C	17 ° C	15 ° C	11 ° C	8 ° C	8 ° C	10 ° C	15 ° C	18 ° C	18 ° C	18 ° C
Max ° F (day)	88 ° F	86 ° F	84 ° F	82 ° F	79 ° F	75 ° F	75 ° F	81 ° F	88 ° F	91 ° F	91 ° F	88 ° F
Min ° F (night)	64 ° F	64 ° F	63 ° F	59 ° F	52 ° F	46 ° F	46 ° F	50 ° F	59 ° F	64 ° F	64 ° F	64 ° F

Rainfall

Below you'll find information about the rain patterns in Etosha National Park. During the dry months, animals are easier to spot as they stay by the limited waterbodies. During the wet months, they are scattered all over the park - making it much harder to locate them.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rain in mm	120 mm	140 mm	80 mm	40 mm	6 mm	0 mm	0 mm	0 mm	1 mm	20 mm	55 mm	95 mm
Chances of rain	High	High	Medium	Medium	Low	-	-	-	-	Low	medium	medium
Rain in inches	4.7 in	5.5 in	3.1 in	1.6 in	0.2 in	0 in	0 in	0 in	0 in	3 in	6 in	11 in