The Great Migration is a loop, not an event. More than a million wildebeest and zebra follow the rain around the Serengeti ecosystem, so the question is never whether you will see them — it is where you should be standing.
January to March — Ndutu and the southern plains
The herds spread across the short-grass plains of the southern Serengeti and the Ndutu area to calve. Hundreds of thousands of calves are born within a few weeks, and lions, cheetah and hyena follow. For predator behaviour, this is the strongest window of the year.
April to May — moving west and north
As the long rains fall, the columns drift towards the central and western Serengeti. Sightings are less predictable, but the parks are empty and green.
June to July — the Grumeti corridor
The herds push through the Western Corridor, where the Grumeti River provides the season’s first crossings. Central Serengeti resident game is excellent at the same time.
July to September — the Mara River
The northern Serengeti holds the herds and the famous Mara River crossings. Crossings are unpredictable by nature: they depend on rain, grazing and the mood of the front runners, so plan three or four nights in the north rather than one.
October to December — the return
Short rains draw the herds south again through the eastern Serengeti, arriving back on the calving plains by December or January.
How we plan a migration safari
- Position you in the right sector for your travel month, not the average
- Allow enough nights for crossings to happen on their own schedule
- Use a private vehicle so waiting at a crossing point is your decision
- Pair the Serengeti with the crater so the trip holds up whatever the herds do
Send us your dates and we will tell you which sector to sleep in — and how many nights it deserves.
