When to go to Cameroon: climate, seasons and festivals

Four broad climates

• The coast (Douala, Kribi, Limbe): hot and very humid all year round. Douala gets about 3,600 mm of rain a year according to the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) 1991-2020 normals, including close to 700 mm in each of July and August. Daytime highs hover around 28 to 33 °C and night-time lows rarely fall below 23 °C. Kribi, further south, gets about 2,870 mm, peaking in September and October.
• The Centre (Yaoundé): milder thanks to altitude, with highs of 27 to 32 °C and lows around 19 °C. It gets about 1,500 mm of rain a year, in two rainy seasons (March to June, then September to November) separated by a relative lull in July and August.
• The western highlands (Bafoussam, Dschang, Bamenda): noticeably cooler. In Bafoussam, highs barely exceed 27 °C and lows are around 15 °C. The dry season runs from mid-November to mid-March; after that it rains heavily, especially in September and October.
• The North and Far North (Garoua, Maroua): savannah then Sahelian climate, hot all year round. There is almost no rain from November to February; March and April are stifling, with average highs of 38 to 40 °C; the rainy season is concentrated from June to September, peaking in August. Garoua gets about 1,000 mm a year and Maroua about 790 mm (NOAA 1961-1990 normals).

Rainfall month by month

The best time for each region

For wildlife watching in the national parks, the Wikivoyage guide recommends the dry season, from November to May depending on the region. For Mount Cameroon (4,040 m), the same guide advises December to early March, packing a warm jacket and rain gear: it is cold at altitude, even in the tropics. The climb, guides and the Race of Hope are covered on separate pages.

Festivals worth the trip

20 May commemorates 20 May 1972, when Cameroon dropped its federal structure to become a unitary state; 11 February marks the 1961 reunification and celebrates young people. Both are public holidays, as are 1 January, 1 May, 15 August and 25 December; Good Friday, Ascension Day, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are movable holidays.

The Ngondo, the water festival of the coastal Sawa peoples, builds up from September to the first Sunday of December on the banks of the Wouri, in the Ebélè (Deido) canton. Its high point is the immersion of an initiate who goes to collect the 'message of the waters'; there are also pirogue races, traditional wrestling and the election of Miss Ngondo. The 2025 edition peaked on 7 December. UNESCO added it to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on 4 December 2024.

The Nguon (or Ngouon) takes place in Foumban, capital of the Bamum kingdom. According to Wikipedia it has been held every two years in December since 1994, though it paused after 2018: the 2024 edition, the 548th according to the Nguon foundation quoted by Cameroon Tribune, lasted ten days instead of seven, from 29 November to 8 December. Highlights include the Kûmutngu, in which the king publicly answers for his rule, and a closing carnival-style parade. UNESCO inscribed it as intangible cultural heritage on 6 December 2023.

Before you book

• Weather is not the only consideration: the Far North, North-West, South-West and the border strips with Nigeria, Chad and the Central African Republic are subject to security warnings from foreign governments (France, UK, US, Canada, advice checked in October 2026). See the safety page.
• In the rainy season, unpaved roads become difficult or even impassable: see the getting around page.
• Visas, vaccinations and health precautions are covered on the visa and health pages.

Frequently asked questions