The dry season from November to May is the best time to visit, with March to May being the peak wildlife-watching window. As the harmattan winds ease and the Saharan heat builds, water sources shrink and animals concentrate around the remaining pools and riverbends, making sightings far more reliable. Vegetation thins out dramatically in these months, which helps.
The rainy season runs from June to September. Most tracks become impassable and the park effectively closes to visitors. The Niger River floods its banks, the gallery forest turns impenetrable, and wildlife disperses across the landscape.
October and November are transitional — the rains are over, the tracks are drying out, and the vegetation has not yet thinned. You will find the park accessible but game sightings remain patchy.