The Serengeti: How the Migration Works and When to Go

The Serengeti is 14,763 square kilometres of savanna in northern Tanzania, sharing a border with Kenya’s Masai Mara to the north. The Maasai name Siringet means “the place where the land runs on forever,” which is a reasonably accurate physical description of the central plains. It is one of the oldest ecosystems on earth - the climate, vegetation, and fauna have remained largely unchanged for over a million years.

The singular event that drives most safari planning in the Serengeti is the Great Migration: the circular annual movement of approximately 1.5 million wildebeest, 250,000 zebra, and 500,000 Thomson’s gazelle through the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. The migration is not an event with a fixed date and location; it is a continuous, year-round movement driven by rainfall patterns and grass availability. Understanding where the herds are at any given month is the core of planning a Serengeti trip.

The Migration Calendar

December to March: The herds are on the Serengeti’s short-grass southern plains (the Ndutu area), where the calving season occurs. Around 400,000 to 500,000 wildebeest calves are born in a concentrated six-week window from late January to early March. The calving season attracts predators in high density - cheetah, hyena, lion prides with cubs, and wild dog. It is one of the most dramatic wildlife viewing periods in the ecosystem. The Ndutu area is outside the national park boundary, in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which means non-standard vehicle access rules apply.

April to May: The long rains begin. The herds start moving north and west through the western corridor. Wet season: some lodges close, tracks become difficult, but the landscape is green and the crowds are significantly reduced.

June to July: The herds congregate in the western corridor around the Grumeti River, where resident crocodile populations create river crossing opportunities that are less dramatic but safer to observe than the Mara crossings to the north.

July to October: The herds move north to the Masai Mara in Kenya and the Mara River crossings happen. The Mara River crossings - wildebeest throwing themselves into a crocodile-filled river and clambering up the far bank in their thousands - are the images most associated with the Serengeti migration, though the crossings technically happen at the Kenya side. The crossing density is highest in August and September. The Kogatende area in the north of the Serengeti is the best viewing location from the Tanzania side.

November: The short rains begin and the herds start moving south again, returning to the southern plains for the cycle to begin again.

Where to Stay

Lodge accommodation in the Serengeti runs from genuinely good budget tented camps (around $250-350 per person per night, all inclusive) to world-tier luxury at Singita’s Grumeti and Lamai camps ($1,500-3,000 per person per night, all inclusive). The all-inclusive model is standard: game drives, accommodation, meals, and park fees bundled together.

For the wildebeest calving (January-March): Stay in or near Ndutu, outside the park’s southern boundary. Ndutu Safari Lodge and the various tented camps around Lake Ndutu are the base. Plan 4-5 nights minimum.

For the river crossings (August-September): Stay at one of the north Serengeti camps - Lamai Tented Camp (Migration Camp brand), Sayari Camp (Asilia), or Kuria Hills Lodge (Elewana). These camps are purpose-positioned for crossing viewing. Demand is highest in August; book 6-12 months ahead.

For a general overview at a fixed budget: the central Seronera area has the highest year-round density of lion, leopard, and cheetah due to reliable water sources. Serena Safari Lodge and Seronera Wildfire Camp are in this zone. The density of day visitors in Seronera during high season can be heavy - multiple vehicles at a single predator sighting is common here in ways it is not at the more remote northern and southern camps.

The Ngorongoro Crater

The Ngorongoro Crater is most commonly visited as a day excursion from a Serengeti safari or as a standalone one-night stop. The crater is a 20-km wide collapsed volcanic caldera with walls 400-600 metres high; the floor contains approximately 25,000 large mammals including around 70 lion, significant populations of black rhinoceros (one of the densest concentrations in Africa), elephant, buffalo, and wildebeest that do not migrate because the crater wall prevents it.

The crater floor is effectively a self-contained ecosystem with its own predator-prey dynamics. Entry is strictly controlled - vehicles must enter and exit through designated gates during set hours. The rim viewpoint above the crater gives a visual overview of the floor and is where photographs of the entire caldera are taken.

Ngorongoro Crater Lodge (on the crater rim) is arguably the most dramatically positioned lodge in East Africa: 30 suites balanced on the crater edge, with floor-to-ceiling windows looking across the full caldera. Doubles from around $1,200-1,600 per person per night. Andronikos, Serena, and the Sopa Lodge are the more affordable options on the rim.

Practical Information

Getting there: The main gateway airports for the northern Tanzania circuit are Kilimanjaro International (JRO, near Arusha and Moshi) and Dar es Salaam (DAR). Multiple direct flights from European hubs to Kilimanjaro. From Arusha, you either drive into the Serengeti (4-6 hours) or take a scheduled light aircraft flight to one of the Serengeti’s several bush airstrips (Seronera, Kogatende, Ndutu) operated by Coastal Aviation, Auric Air, or Air Excel. Light aircraft are the most flexible option for reaching specific areas of the Serengeti efficiently.

Park fees: Serengeti National Park charges $70 per person per day for non-East African residents (2024 rates). Ngorongoro Conservation Area charges separately. These fees are typically included in lodge packages.

Tour operators: The standard approach for first-time visitors is to book through an established Arusha-based safari operator who handles park fees, driver-guides, vehicles, and lodge bookings as a package. Reputable operators include Asilia Africa, Elewana, and a range of independent operators; research through Tripadvisor and the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO) before booking.

Yellow fever vaccination is required for entry into Tanzania if arriving from a yellow fever-endemic country. Malaria prophylaxis is strongly recommended.