Jan
Calving begins
Southern Serengeti (Ndutu)
Best base: Ndutu plains
Last births cluster now. Predator density peaks. Easy game viewing. Warm days, cool nights.
Two MillionHooves.
A Great Migration safari follows the world's largest terrestrial migration — 1.5 million wildebeest, 300,000 zebra, 500,000 gazelle, moving in a perpetual 1,800-mile circuit across the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem.
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1.5M
wildebeest
Plus 300k zebra, 500k gazelle
1,800mi
annual circuit
Between Serengeti and Mara
6 mo
to plan
Minimum for optimal camp positioning
12
months
The migration never stops
Month by month
Where the Herds Are on a Great Migration Safari
The migration is continuous — never 'happening' vs 'not happening'. Pick a month to see where the herds are and where to base yourself.
JanNdutu · southern plains
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Four headline events
The Key Moments
Late Jan – Feb
Calving
Ndutu / southern Serengeti
500,000 wildebeest born in three weeks. Highest predator activity of the year. Often preferred over crossings — less crowded, higher visibility.
May – Jun
Grumeti Crossings
Western Corridor
The 'first crossings' — less famous than Mara crossings but equally dramatic with giant crocodiles. Smaller crowds, private camps.
Jul – Oct
Mara River Crossings
Northern Serengeti (Kogatende)
The iconic migration image. Tens of thousands stampeding into crocodile-infested waters. Book camps 10+ months ahead for peak weeks.
Nov – Dec
Southward Push
Eastern → Central Serengeti
Reverse migration as short rains pull herds south. Less photographed, intimate experience. Excellent for birders and repeat visitors.
While you're with the herds
Things to Do on a Migration Safari
Add any of these to your trip. Your guide times them to where the herds are that week.
01At sunrise · about an hour aloft
Balloon safari
Lift off at first light and drift low over the herds as the sun comes up. Flights run from Seronera all year and from the north and the south in season, so we book the launch site closest to the herds.
02On foot with an armed ranger
Walking safari
Step out of the vehicle and follow the tracks with your guide and an armed park ranger. Prints, dung, birdsong and the sound of the herds moving past: the plains feel very different at ground level.
03Lunch or dinner in the open
Hot bush meals
A hot lunch or dinner cooked and served by the camp team out in the bush, at a spot chosen for the view. No need to drive back to camp and miss the action.
04While the herds graze around you
Bush breakfast
Head out before dawn, when the predators are most active, then stop for a cooked breakfast under an acacia and watch the wildebeest and zebra move across the plains.
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Where to stay
Camps by Migration Window
Migration positioning matters more than camp brand. Pair your travel window with the right camps.
Jan – Feb (Calving)
Ndutu Safari Lodge, Lake Masek, Mobile camps in Ndutu
Exceptional predator action, warm weather, photography-focused. Private-feeling plains.
May – Jun (Grumeti)
Kirawira, Singita Grumeti, Sabora, Mwiba
Exclusive private reserves, high-end lodges, first river crossings.
Jul – Oct (Mara crossings)
Lamai Serengeti, Sayari, Serengeti Under Canvas (N), Olakira
Positioned at Mara River crossings. Book 10+ months ahead. Premium pricing.
Year-round (Central anchor)
Four Seasons Serengeti, Melia Serengeti, Singita Sasakwa
Consistent game viewing regardless of migration position. Family-friendly, luxury.
Chase the herds
Migration Packages
Every one of these is timed to the herds: the river crossings from July to October, the calving on the southern plains from January to March.
Mid-range
8
Follow the herds Birth of the Herds
Arusha · Tarangire · Seronera · Ndutu · Crater · Manyara
Every year the wildebeest come south to the Ndutu plains to have their calves. On this trip you sleep three nights in a migration…
Mid-range
8
Where the herds Meet the River
Arusha · Tarangire · Central · Mara · Crater · Manyara
Eight days, timed for the months when the wildebeest reach the Mara River. Two full days in the far north of the Serengeti, plus…
Luxury
10
Ten days, north to The Mara River
Arusha · Tarangire · Central · Mara · Crater · Manyara
A slower, more comfortable way to reach the migration. Two nights by the Mara River in crossing season, a night up in the…
Migration
8
Follow the herds across the Serengeti
Arusha · Tarangire · Ngorongoro · Serengeti
Eight days tracking the wildebeest migration, timed to where the herds are when you travel.
Let's time it right
Chase the herds.
Tell us when you can travel and we'll position you with the migration — right camps, right timing, right expectations. The herds will be where they need to be.
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