Zambezi River

Where to Go on an
African Safari in July

You can’t go wrong with a safari in July, it’s an excellent time for wildlife viewing in East and southern Africa. Although wet throughout the year, Uganda and Rwanda see less rain in July and conditions are perfect for gorilla trekking. Note though that it is winter in South Africa; the warmer summer months are usually more pleasant for visiting the beaches, Cape Town and several other attractions.

Best Time per Country

Zimbabwe
Zambia
South Africa
Uganda
Tanzania
Rwanda
Namibia
Kenya
Botswana

Flag of ZimbabweZimbabwe in July

  • Animals are easy to spot in the Dry season
  • Lots of sunshine and no rain
  • Although it’s high season, the parks won’t be crowded except for Victoria Falls
  • Victoria Falls looks great without spray blocking the views
  • Early morning and evening game drives are chilly, you’ll need warm clothing

Flag of ZambiaZambia in July

  • Wildlife viewing is best in the Dry season
  • Sunny days and no rain
  • Although it is high season, the parks never get crowded
  • It is cold on early morning and afternoon game drives
  • There is a lot of haze in the sky

Flag of South AfricaSouth Africa in July

  • Wildlife viewing is excellent in the Dry season
  • It rarely rains (except for Cape Town and surrounds)
  • It is low season and visitor numbers are low except in school holidays
  • There are no mosquitoes
  • Evenings and early mornings are very cold, winter clothing is needed
  • Generally, the country is more enjoyable in the warm summer months (especially the Cape)

Flag of UgandaUganda in July

  • Gorilla and chimp trekking conditions are optimal in the Dry season
  • Great wildlife viewing in the savannah reserves as animals stay close to water
  • It is mostly sunny and rainfall is minimal
  • It is high season, gorilla permits need to be booked long in advance
  • Although not really crowded, some parks can get a little busy

Flag of TanzaniaTanzania in July

  • Excellent wildlife viewing as the bush is thin and animals stay close to water
  • Chance to see the wildebeest migration
  • Lots of sunny days and little rainfall
  • It gets chilly at night, warm clothing is recommended
  • It is high season, the Northern circuit parks become busy

Flag of RwandaRwanda in July

  • Best conditions for gorilla trekking
  • Excellent wildlife viewing in Akagera National Park in the Dry season
  • Lots of sunny days and minimal rainfall
  • It is high season and gorilla permits need to be booked long in advance
  • There is a lot of haze

Flag of NamibiaNamibia in July

  • Great wildlife viewing in all parks
  • Clear blue skies and no rain
  • Although it is peak season, most parks don’t get very crowded
  • It is cold at night, you’ll need winter clothes for open-vehicle game drives
  • It is peak season, it gets busy in Etosha NP and Sossusvlei

Flag of KenyaKenya in July

  • Good wildlife viewing
  • Lovely weather with lots of sunny days and little rain
  • There are very few mosquitoes
  • It is high season and some parks get busy

Flag of BotswanaBotswana in July

  • Outstanding wildlife viewing in the Dry season
  • Plenty of sunshine and no rain
  • Although it is peak season, most parks don’t get crowded
  • It’s cold on early morning and evening game drives
  • It is peak season and Chobe NP can get very busy

Visiting month

Flag of Botswana Botswana Excellent
Flag of Kenya Kenya Excellent
Flag of Namibia Namibia Excellent
Flag of Rwanda Rwanda Excellent
Flag of South Africa South Africa Excellent
Flag of Tanzania Tanzania Excellent
Flag of Uganda Uganda Excellent
Flag of Zambia Zambia Excellent
Flag of Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Excellent

Best Safari Parks to visit in July

See below for an overview of the best parks to visit in Africa by country. Please note that the listings focus on the most popular parks only and are not comprehensive.

Zambezi River

Flag of Botswana Botswana

Best Parks & Reserves in July

Chobe NP

Chobe NP Excellent

Moremi GR

Moremi GR Excellent

Okavango Delta

Okavango Delta Excellent

330 Botswana Safaris
Zambezi River

Flag of Kenya Kenya

Best Parks & Reserves in July

Amboseli NP

Amboseli NP Excellent

Lake Nakuru NP

Lake Nakuru NP Excellent

Masai Mara NR

Masai Mara NR Excellent

Samburu NR

Samburu NR Excellent

2440 Kenya Safaris
Zambezi River

Flag of Namibia Namibia

Best Parks & Reserves in July

Etosha NP

Etosha NP Excellent

Namib-Naukluft NP

Namib-Naukluft NP Excellent

148 Namibia Safaris
Zambezi River

Flag of Rwanda Rwanda

Best Parks & Reserves in July

Akagera NP

Akagera NP Excellent

382 Rwanda Safaris
Zambezi River

Flag of South Africa South Africa

Best Parks & Reserves in July

Kruger NP

Kruger NP Excellent

Phinda GR

Phinda GR Excellent

Sabi Sands

Sabi Sands Excellent

741 South Africa Safaris
Zambezi River

Flag of Tanzania Tanzania

Best Parks & Reserves in July

Lake Manyara NP

Lake Manyara NP Excellent

Ngorongoro Crater

Ngorongoro Crater Excellent

Nyerere NP

Nyerere NP Excellent

Serengeti NP

Serengeti NP Excellent

5145 Tanzania Safaris
Zambezi River

Flag of Uganda Uganda

Best Parks & Reserves in July

Bwindi NP

Bwindi NP Excellent

Kibale NP

Kibale NP Excellent

Murchison Falls NP

Murchison Falls NP Excellent

Queen Elizabeth NP

Queen Elizabeth NP Excellent

1473 Uganda Safaris
Zambezi River

Flag of Zambia Zambia

Best Parks & Reserves in July

Kafue NP

Kafue NP Excellent

Lower Zambezi NP

Lower Zambezi NP Excellent

South Luangwa NP

South Luangwa NP Excellent

167 Zambia Safaris
Zambezi River

Flag of Zimbabwe Zimbabwe

Best Parks & Reserves in July

Hwange NP

Hwange NP Excellent

Mana Pools NP

Mana Pools NP Excellent

203 Zimbabwe Safaris
SafariBookings.com Okavango Delta

All Parks & Reserves

Safari Highlights in July

The best thing about a safari is its unpredictability. Nature doesn’t follow a script. However, there is a strong seasonality to wildlife viewing and proper planning will ensure a successful trip. Read on if you’d like some tips on where to go on an African safari in July.

South Luangwa’s Walking Safari Season Starts in Zambia

SafariBookings.com Okavango Delta

Zambia’s tourist season only really gets going properly around July. By then, the bush has thinned out sufficiently to make the most of the walking safaris for which South Luangwa NP is famous. Some of Africa’s best guides work here, and you’ll be in good hands when going out on foot in Big Five territory. Seeing Africa’s iconic animals, such as buffalo, elephant and even lion, on foot is a thrilling experience. But a walking safari is also an opportunity to look at small creatures, footprints and flora often overlooked on game drives.

Zambia Tours

Start of the Whale Season in South Africa

SafariBookings.com Okavango Delta

Every year southern right whales migrate from Antarctica to the warmer waters of the southern Cape to breed and calve. They stay in the area from July to October. You can see these gentle giants from Cape Town all the way to Durban, but Hermanus is known as South Africa’s whale-watching hub. Whales can be seen by boat or from the air by scenic flight. But in Hermanus, whales regularly come as close as 5m/16ft from the shore and a 12km/7.5mi cliff path offers the best land-based whale watching in the world.

South Africa Tours

Animals Gather Around the Waterholes in Etosha, Namibia

SafariBookings.com Okavango Delta

From July to October, the middle and end of the Dry season, the waterholes south of Etosha Pan become a magnet for wildlife. Sit at one of the waterholes to see a constant stream of thirsty animals approaching; some of them bold and others apprehensive. It’s not unusual to see eight to 10 different species in one scene with opportunistic predators lurking around on the sidelines. Check out one of the floodlit waterholes at night for a chance to see a black rhino, one of the frequent nocturnal visitors.

Etosha Tours

Northern Botswana Is at Its Best

SafariBookings.com Okavango Delta

The Okavango Delta, Moremi GR, Chobe NP and the Linyanti region are at their best in July. Big herds of elephants gather on the Chobe waterfront. Take a boat trip to see them drinking and splashing. They might even put on a show by crossing the river. Thousands of zebras and other grazers have migrated to the floodplains to spend the Dry season here. Meanwhile the Okavango Delta is fully flooded and the rivers have spilled over to form a vast wetland best explored by mokoro (dugout canoe). The wildlife viewing in the whole region is exceptional at this time.

Botswana Tours