Jan
01
Southern Serengeti (Ndutu plains)
Calving season
Wildebeest give birth to 500,000 calves in three weeks. Predator density peaks — lions, cheetahs, hyenas feast. Best photography month.
The EndlessPlains
14,750 km² of protected savannah. Two million wildebeest. Africa's most iconic park and the reason most travellers come to East Africa for a Serengeti safari. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Explore the park
14,750
km²
Protected since 1951
2M
wildebeest
In the Great Migration
3,000
lions
Largest lion population in Africa
500+
birds
Species recorded
The Great Migration
Month by Month, Where the Herds Are
Two million wildebeest follow an 800km loop every year. Here's what's happening each month — so you know when to come for what.
01—12
Feb
02
Southern Serengeti (Ndutu)
Peak calving
Short grass plains packed with new life. Wildebeest herds at their most concentrated — often visible from a single ridge.
Mar
03
Southern → Central
Herds begin moving north
Rains green the central plains. Herds begin drifting north-west through Seronera. Easier game viewing in the central corridor.
Apr
04
Central Serengeti (Seronera)
Long rains — herds scattered
Most dramatic month for storms and light, but wildest weather. Some camps close. Prices at their lowest.
May
05
Western Corridor
Rut begins · Grumeti rivers
Herds converge on the Western Corridor. Mating frenzy. First Grumeti river crossings — crocodiles waiting.
Jun
06
Western → Northern Serengeti
Columns moving north
Dry season begins. Spectacular moving columns of wildebeest heading toward the Mara. Easier tracking, better roads.
Jul
07
Northern Serengeti (Mara River)
First Mara crossings
The iconic river crossings begin. Dramatic, unpredictable, often weeks of build-up before a single herd leaps.
Aug
08
Northern Serengeti
Peak crossing season
Multiple crossings per week. The most photographed wildlife event on earth. Book camps 8+ months in advance.
Sep
09
Mara (Tanzania & Kenya)
Herds split Mara/Serengeti
Some herds cross into Kenya's Maasai Mara, others stay north. Continued crossings both directions.
Oct
10
Northern Serengeti
Return crossings
Herds begin drifting south again. Crossings continue in reverse. Cooler nights — the dry season peak.
Nov
11
Central → Southern
Short rains · Southward push
Short rains trigger the southward migration. Green plains open up. Fewer tourists, excellent light.
Dec
12
Southern Serengeti
Back to Ndutu · Early calving
Herds settled on southern short-grass plains. First calves arrive in late December. Christmas premium pricing.
The wildlife
More Than the Big Five
The Serengeti holds the highest concentration of predator–prey interaction anywhere on earth. These are the six animals most travellers come to see.
01
Lion
3,000+Resident population
Serengeti holds the largest lion population in Africa. Prides of 15–30 are common along the Seronera river.
02
Leopard
1,000+Estimated population
Most commonly spotted in the sausage trees along the Seronera riverine forest. Early morning or late afternoon.
03
Elephant
5,000+Across the ecosystem
Large herds roam the Western Corridor and Northern Serengeti. Tuskers occasionally sighted in the Lobo hills.
04
Buffalo
50,000+Widespread population
Herds of several hundred common throughout the park. Old bachelor males — the 'dagga boys' — often found at watering points.
05
Rhino
~30Black rhino in Moru Kopjes
Rare and carefully protected. Best chance of sighting in the Moru Kopjes area of the central Serengeti.
06
Cheetah
300+In the ecosystem
The short-grass plains of the south are prime cheetah territory — especially during calving season when prey is abundant.
The four regions
Four Parks Within One
Most travellers imagine the Serengeti as one place. It is four, and each has its own season, character, and reason to visit.
01
Ndutu Plains
Southern Serengeti
Best timeDec – Apr
Short-grass plains that host the wildebeest during calving season. Flat, open, and teeming with predators. Accessed from Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
02
Seronera Valley
Central Serengeti
Best timeYear-round
The heart of the park. Riverine forest, kopjes, highest resident wildlife density. Best year-round big cat viewing. Base for most first-time safaris.
03
Grumeti
Western Corridor
Best timeMay – Jun
Follows the Grumeti River to Lake Victoria. Hosts the herds during the rut, and the first major crossings. Fewer vehicles than Seronera.
04
Mara River
Northern Serengeti
Best timeJul – Oct
Rolling hills, kopjes, the Mara River. Where the dramatic river crossings happen. Remote, exclusive camps — fewer vehicles, premium pricing.
Where to stay
Three Tiers. All Genuinely Good.
We work with camps across every price point. Here's what each tier gets you on our recommended properties.
01
Luxury
Premium tented camps
From $850/night
- Private plunge pools
- Butler service
- Helicopter transfers
- Premium drinks included
02
Upper-mid
Classic safari camps
From $480/night
- En-suite tented rooms
- Full-board dining
- Twice-daily game drives
- Evening briefings
03
Mid-range
Mobile migration camps
From $280/night
- Quality tented accommodation
- Follows the migration
- Shared game drives
- Bush meals
Into the plains
Serengeti Packages
Every trip that spends time in the Serengeti, from a short taste of the central plains to the Mara River crossings.
Mid-range
5
Crater first, Then the Serengeti
Arusha · Tarangire · Crater · Serengeti · Karatu · Manyara
A five-day circuit of the northern parks at a friendly price. You go down into the Ngorongoro Crater straight from Karatu, spend…
Mid-range
6
Four parks In Six Days
Arusha · Tarangire · Karatu · Serengeti · Crater · Manyara
Elephants under the baobabs in Tarangire, two nights out on the Serengeti plains, a morning on the Ngorongoro Crater floor and a…
Mid-range
7
Serengeti, then The Crater & Beyond
Arusha · Tarangire · Serengeti · Crater · Karatu · Manyara
Four parks in a week, in the order that makes sense on the road. Tarangire's elephants, two full days in the Central Serengeti, a…
Mid-range
7
Three nights On the Plains
Arusha · Tarangire · Karatu · Serengeti · Crater · Manyara
A week built around the Serengeti. After a day with Tarangire's elephants you spend three nights in a tented camp in the central…
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…
Mid-range
15
Five parks, then The Indian Ocean
Arusha · Arusha NP · Tarangire · Serengeti · Crater · Zanzibar
Nine unhurried days in five of northern Tanzania's parks, from the forests below Mount Meru to three nights in the central…
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.
Six signature activities
Beyond the Game Drive
Most Serengeti safaris centre on the game drive — but six other activities can transform an itinerary. Here's what to consider adding.
Iconic
01
Hot-air balloon safari
The signature Serengeti experience. Dawn lift-off over the plains, followed by a champagne breakfast in the bush. Available year-round across most of the park.
→
Northern sector
02
Walking safaris
Permitted in designated wilderness zones of the Northern Serengeti. Armed-ranger-led walks offer a completely different way to read the bush — tracks, scat, alarm calls.
→
Multi-day
03
Photography workshops
Dedicated photography vehicles with bean-bag mounts, professional guides, and flexibility to stay at sightings for hours rather than minutes. Multi-day workshops available.
→
Premium
04
Bush dining
Private bush breakfast or candlelit dinners under acacias. Arranged by most upper-tier camps — breakfast served at a river bend, or dinner with hurricane lamps on the plains.
→
Off-park
05
Cultural visits
Visit a genuine Maasai boma on the park's edge, or a Datoga blacksmith village. Curated cultural experiences that avoid tourist-trap villages — a serious anthropological angle.
→
Border reserves
06
Night drives
Not permitted inside the main park, but available in adjacent conservancies (Grumeti, Ikorongo). Nocturnal predators, aardvarks, porcupines, and civets under spotlight.
→
Common questions
Before You Book
When is the best time to see the Great Migration?
+
July to October for the famous Mara River crossings in the north. January to March for the calving season in the south — arguably more dramatic and with better predator action.
How do I get to the Serengeti?
+
Fly into Kilimanjaro International, then either drive via Ngorongoro (6–7 hours) or take a light aircraft into one of the park's airstrips (Seronera, Kogatende, Grumeti). We arrange both.
Is the Serengeti crowded?
+
Central Serengeti around Seronera can be busy in peak season. The Western Corridor and Northern Serengeti are considerably quieter. We route you away from crowds wherever possible.
Can I combine Serengeti with the beach?
+
Yes — most travellers fly direct from the Serengeti to Zanzibar after their safari. A week of dust and a week of sea is the most popular Tanzania itinerary we run.
Are hot-air balloon safaris worth it?
+
Absolutely. A balloon safari over the plains at dawn, followed by a champagne breakfast in the bush, is one of the most memorable experiences on any trip. Expensive but unforgettable.
— Your Serengeti
The Plains Are Waiting.
Tell us when you want to go and which part of the migration story you want to see. We'll design a trip around it.
