Book 9 to 12 months ahead for a Great Migration safari between July and October, or for anything over Christmas and New Year if you want specific camps. Book 6 to 9 months ahead for Uganda gorilla trekking in the busy months, and 3 to 6 months ahead for most other Kenya and Tanzania trips. In green season (April, May and November) 4 to 8 weeks is often enough. What decides the lead time is how many beds or permits exist where you want to be, on the dates you want. This guide gives you lead times by season and destination, the order to book things in, and what you can safely leave until later.
Last updated: November 2026. If you’re planning for summer 2027, you’re booking at the right time now.
Key Takeaways
Migration season in the Masai Mara and northern Serengeti (July to October): book 9 to 12 months ahead, and 12 to 18 months for the smallest camps near the river crossings.
Christmas and New Year: book 9 to 12 months ahead. It’s the busiest fortnight of the year in every park.
Uganda gorilla permits cost USD 800 (USD 600 in April, May and November). Book 6 to 9 months ahead for June to September and December to February.
Serengeti calving season (late January to March): book 6 to 9 months ahead, earliest for February.
Green season (April, May, November): 4 to 8 weeks is usually enough, and it’s when last-minute availability is easiest to find.
Paperwork comes last: visas and Kenya’s eTA 2 to 4 weeks before you fly, and a yellow fever jab at least 10 days before arrival.
How Far in Advance Should You Book a Safari?
For most people, 3 to 9 months. The closer your dates are to the peak of the season and the smaller the camp you want, the further ahead you need to go. Use this table to find your trip.
Your trip | When you travel | Book this far ahead |
|---|---|---|
Masai Mara migration | July to October | 9 to 12 months |
Northern Serengeti river crossings | July to October | 9 to 12 months |
Any park over the holidays | Mid-December to early January | 6 to 9 months |
Serengeti calving season (Ndutu) | Late January to March | 3 to 6 months |
Uganda gorilla trekking, peak | June to September, December to February | 6 to 12 months |
Uganda gorilla trekking, quieter months | March to May, October, November | 3 to 5 months |
Kenya or Tanzania, shoulder months | June, early July, late October, early December | 3 to 6 months |
Kenya or Tanzania, green season | April, May, November | 4 to 8 weeks |
Why Do Safaris Need Booking So Far Ahead?
Because there’s very little room. Many of the best camps have 6 to 20 tents, private conservancies cap the number of beds and vehicles, and Uganda allows only 8 visitors per gorilla family per day. When a few thousand travellers want the same six weeks of river crossings, the small camps go first, then the mid-sized ones, then whatever is left.
Booking early rarely gets you a lower nightly rate, since most camps publish one rate per season about a year ahead. What it gets you is choice: the camp, area and room type you picked, instead of the one that was still free.
When to Book a Kenya Safari
Kenya’s pressure point is the Masai Mara from July to October, when the herds cross from the Serengeti. Camps in the Mara Triangle, Musiara and the northern conservancies fill first, because they’re small and close to the river. For those, book 9 to 12 months ahead. Our Masai Mara guide explains which area suits which month.
Outside migration season, most Kenya trips can be booked 3 to 6 months ahead. Amboseli, Samburu and Tsavo rarely sell out except over Christmas. In April and May some Mara camps close for the long rains, and the ones that stay open usually have space at short notice. See Kenya Safari Seasons Explained for what each season looks like on the ground.
Book your Mara bush flights from Wilson Airport at the same time as your camp. Seats on the small aircraft are limited in August, and the camp tells you which airstrip to fly to. Our Nairobi to Masai Mara guide compares flying and driving.
When to Book a Tanzania Safari
Tanzania has two peaks. The first is the northern Serengeti from July to October, when the herds reach the Mara River around Kogatende. There are only a handful of permanent camps there, so book 9 to 12 months ahead.
The second is calving season in Ndutu, in the southern Serengeti, from late January to March. Around half a million calves are born in a few weeks, and the camps cluster in one small area. Book 6 to 9 months ahead, and earliest for February. Our Calving Season Safari itinerary is built around those dates.
Lodges on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater are few, so book them together with your Serengeti camps rather than adding them later. If the price surprises you, Why Is Tanzania So Expensive? explains where the money goes.
When to Book a Uganda Safari (Start With the Gorilla Permit)
In Uganda, everything depends on the gorilla permit. Each habituated family in Bwindi and Mgahinga can be visited by 8 people a day, so permits run out long before lodges do. Secure the permit first, then book a lodge in the same sector of Bwindi, then build the rest of the trip around it.
Permit prices for foreign non-residents, from the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s February 2026 notice:
Permit | Price per person | Book this far ahead |
|---|---|---|
Gorilla trekking (1 hour) | USD 800 | 6 to 9 months for June to September and December to February |
Gorilla trekking, low season (April, May, November) | USD 600 | 3 to 5 months |
Gorilla habituation (4 hours) | USD 1,500; USD 1,800 from 1 January 2027 | As early as you can |
Two rule changes matter for timing. Low-season permits at USD 600 can’t be rescheduled, so only book them if your dates are fixed. And UWA has dropped its old 7-day hold, so a permit is now paid for when it’s reserved. You must be 15 or older to trek. For everything else about the trek itself, see our 14 most asked gorilla trekking questions and the Uganda Safari guide.
What Should You Book First?
Book the scarcest thing first and fit everything else around it. In practice that means this order:
Pick your dates and the one thing that limits them. That’s a migration camp, a calving camp or a gorilla permit.
Book it and pay the deposit. Until a deposit is paid, most camps won’t hold a room for long.
Build the rest of the route around it. Other camps, the lodge before or after, and a beach if you want one.
Book bush flights with the camps. The camp’s airstrip decides the flight.
Book international flights. Doing this after the camps are confirmed stops you paying for flights to dates you can’t fill.
Buy travel insurance when you pay the deposit, so cancellation cover starts straight away.
Sort vaccines and visas in the last 2 months. See the next section.
Ready to start? On Gotukio you can build your custom safari in minutes, with real availability for each camp. Start building your safari →
Visas, Vaccines and Paperwork: How Late Can You Leave It?
Item | When to do it | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
Kenya eTA | At least 2 weeks before travel | It’s valid for 90 days from issue, so don’t apply too early |
Tanzania e-visa | 3 to 4 weeks before travel | Processing times vary; apply only on the official immigration site |
Uganda e-visa | 3 to 4 weeks before travel | Apply only on the official immigration site |
Yellow fever vaccine | At least 10 days before arrival | Required for Uganda; for Kenya and Tanzania it depends on your route |
Other travel vaccines and malaria tablets | 6 to 8 weeks before travel | Some courses need more than one dose |
Kenya’s official eTA site says to apply at least two weeks before you travel, with standard processing of about three working days (Kenya eTA). Full details for every country are in our East Africa entry requirements guide.
Can You Book a Safari Last Minute?
Yes, if you’re flexible. In green season and the shoulder months you can often book 2 to 6 weeks out, especially for mid-range camps and road safaris in Kenya. Uganda gorilla permits for April, May and November are also easier to find at short notice.
It’s much harder for the Mara or northern Serengeti in August, for Christmas week, and for gorilla permits in July and August. If you’re booking late for those, be flexible on the camp and the area, and be willing to drive rather than fly.
Pro tip: a lot of rooms especially at mid-range lodges get released 30 days to check-in. This happens because of large tour operator blocks that are not sold, and is also valid in the peak/migration season, so in case you do have this sort of last minute flexibility, you might be able to get a last-minute booking.
Does Booking Early Save Money?
Some camps run early-booking offers or free-night deals, but the bigger saving is avoiding the expensive rooms that are left once the good-value ones have gone. Late discounts do exist, but mostly in green season. Before you pay, check the deposit and the cancellation terms, which usually get stricter as the date gets closer. Our guide to the best way to book a safari compares booking direct, through an agent and through a platform.
Common Mistakes When Timing a Safari Booking
Booking international flights before the camp. If the camp is full, you’re left holding flights to dates that don’t work.
Leaving Christmas until the autumn. By then, the best camps are usually full.
Booking a USD 600 low-season gorilla permit on dates that might move. Those permits can’t be rescheduled, and are not refundable.
Applying for Kenya’s eTA months ahead. It expires 90 days after it’s issued.
Booking a 2-night migration stay. The herds don’t cross on a timetable. Four nights gives you far better odds of seeing a crossing.
How Far in Advance to Book a Safari: FAQ
How far in advance should I book a Kenya safari?
Book 9 to 12 months ahead for the Masai Mara between July and October, and 3 to 6 months ahead for most other times of year. In April and May, 4 to 8 weeks is usually enough.
How far in advance should I book a Tanzania safari?
Book 9 to 12 months ahead for the northern Serengeti in July to October, 6 to 9 months ahead for calving season in Ndutu, and 3 to 6 months ahead for most other trips.
How far in advance do I need to book gorilla permits in Uganda?
Book 6 to 9 months ahead for June to September and December to February, and 3 to 5 months ahead for the quieter months. Habituation permits are the scarcest, so book those as early as you can.
Is it too late to book a safari for summer 2027?
No. In November 2026 you’re 8 to 11 months out from July to October 2027, which is the right window. The smallest river camps may already be filling, so decide soon.
When should I book a Christmas safari?
Book 9 to 12 months ahead. For Christmas 2027, that means booking between December 2026 and March 2027.
Can I book a safari one month before travelling?
Yes, in green season or the shoulder months, and especially in Kenya. Expect fewer choices, and be ready to take a different camp from the one you first wanted.
When should I book flights for a safari?
After your camps and permits are confirmed. Book bush flights at the same time as the camps, and international flights once the itinerary is fixed.
What to Read or Do Next
If you haven’t picked a country yet, read Kenya vs Tanzania Safari 2027.
If you’re planning the migration, read The Great Migration Circuit.
If you’re budgeting, see The Tukio Safari Pricing Index 2026.
If you’re going to the Mara, check the Masai Mara park fees guide.
Planning a 2027 safari? Build your trip at gotukio.com: browse verified itineraries, see real prices and book the camps you want while they’re still free.
Read More
Join the GoTukio Travel Club!
Receive exclusive inspiration and deals for your next trip.
