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Β The Great Migration unfolds across the vast Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, spanningΒ Serengeti National ParkΒ in Tanzania and theΒ Masai Mara National ReserveΒ in Kenya. Every year, more than a million wildebeest, accompanied by hundreds of thousands ofΒ zebraΒ and gazelle, follow the rains in search of fresh grazing. Their journey ignores national borders, moving through protected reserves and community conservancies where wildlife and local Maasai communities have coexisted for generations.Β
One of the mostΒ common questionsΒ we hear is,Β "When should I go?"Β The answer depends entirely on which chapter of the migration you want toΒ witness. WhetherΒ it'sΒ the remarkable calving season on the southern Serengeti plains or the heart-stopping river crossings further north, every stage offers a completely different safari experience.Β
We'llΒ help you choose the right location, the rightΒ timingΒ and the right camps to maximise your chances of seeing the migration at its best.Β
Talk of 'peak season' and 'high season' gives the impression that there must also be an 'off-season' for the wildebeest migration. AndΒ indeedΒ manyΒ lodgesΒ do close during theΒ long rains of April into May. ButΒ the migration is a constant pattern of movement.Β
Β The cycle of life begins in the sweet grass plains in the southern part of theΒ Serengeti,Β where animals give birth betweenΒ December and March.Β The plains teem with game and well-fed predatorsΒ due to the calving season.Β But as the dry season approaches, the herdsΒ mustΒ move north in search of water and better grazing. BetweenΒ July and AugustΒ many of them make the dangerous river crossings over theΒ GrumetiΒ and Mara rivers into the fresh green grasses of the Masai Mara. FromΒ August to OctoberΒ the greatest concentrations of animals are in theΒ Masai MaraΒ TheyΒ thenΒ start returning southwards back into the Serengeti of Tanzania.Β
Our Africa experts follow the migration year after year. Let us help you choose the perfect timing and camps for an unforgettable Great Migration safari. Contact us!
It depends on whatΒ you’dΒ like to experience. River crossings usually occur between July and October, while calving season takes place from late January to March in the southern Serengeti.Β
Yes. Many itineraries combine the Serengeti and Masai Mara, although a single-country safari can also offer exceptional migration viewing.Β
No. The migration is driven by rainfall and animal behaviour, so crossings can never be predicted with certainty. Staying several nights in the right locationΒ greatly improvesΒ your chances.Β
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