When to go · Arusha
Arusha in May
Mixed month. Rains ease late in the month.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Mixed
- Temperature
- 24°C (75°F)75°F (24°C) / 13°C (55°F)55°F (13°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 12
- Crowds
- Low
- Tanzania overall
- Prices
- Low
- Tanzania overall
Verdict
Rains ease late in the month.
All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.
Is another month better than May?
May is rated mixed. These months rate higher:
Weather in May
- ArushaHighs around 24 °C (75 °F), lows around 13 °C (55 °F), rain on about 12 daysHighs around 75 °F (24 °C), lows around 55 °F (13 °C), rain on about 12 days
- Northern circuit, Tanzania · Arusha, Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengetirainy
Short rains Nov–Dec are light; long rains Apr–May close some camps. Migration position changes month to month.
Long rains season
Green landscape and lower hotel prices; the quietest months for tourist traffic through town.
Watch: Muddy side streets and harder-going safari roads.
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.
Long rains
March to May · Citywide
Wettest season; some safari roads become harder going and side streets muddy.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Tanzania overall
- Low
- Prices · Tanzania overall
- Low
Tanzania overall: Rains ease; herds move through the central and western Serengeti; green-season rates.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Arusha, side by side.
Verdict
May: Mixed
Jan: Great (better)
Daytime high
May: 24 °C (75 °F)75 °F (24 °C)
Jan: 27 °C (81 °F)81 °F (27 °C)
Night low
May: 13 °C (55 °F)55 °F (13 °C)
Jan: 13 °C (55 °F)55 °F (13 °C)
Rain days
May: 12
Jan: 6 (better)
Crowds
May: Low
Jan: Medium
Prices
May: Low
Jan: Medium
Festivals listed
May: 1
Jan: 2
May: Rains ease late in the month.
January: Short dry spell; warm.
Arusha: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast