The Great Migration is the most spectacular wildlife event on earth. More than two million wildebeest, zebra and gazelle move in a continuous loop across the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, driven by rainfall and the search for fresh grazing. It is an ancient, relentless cycle, hundreds of thousands of years in the making, and seeing it in person stays with you.
The Annual Cycle
The Migration is not one event but a year-round journey. The herds move in a roughly clockwise loop across the Serengeti in Tanzania and the Masai Mara in Kenya, chasing the rains and the grass.
January to March (Southern Serengeti): The calving season. More than half a million wildebeest calves are born on the short-grass plains of the southern Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Newborn calves draw predators in numbers, and the Ndutu area is the epicentre.
April to June (Central and Western Serengeti): As the southern plains dry out, the herds push northwest. By May and June they reach the western Serengeti and the Grumeti River, the first major water crossing, where huge Nile crocodiles lie in wait.
July to October (Northern Serengeti and Masai Mara): This is the scene most people picture: the Mara River crossings. Hundreds of thousands of wildebeest mass on the banks before plunging into the crocodile-filled water in a thundering rush. The crossings are unpredictable, but when one breaks, there is nothing else like it. By August and September, large numbers have moved into the Masai Mara.
November to December (Eastern Serengeti): The short rains begin, the herds turn south again, and the circuit closes as they head back toward the calving grounds.
Where to Stay
For the river crossings, July to October, the best base is a mobile camp in the northern Serengeti near the Mara River, or a lodge on the Kenyan side in the Masai Mara. The Mara is smaller and game density is often higher, which makes crossings a little easier to catch. For calving season, January to March, head for the Ndutu area in the southern Serengeti.
How to Plan
The Migration is one of those trips where expert planning earns its keep. Timing your visit to the right area, choosing camps that can move with the herds, and building in enough days to absorb the unpredictability all make a real difference. It anchors most of our East Africa safaris, and our month-by-month safari calendar lays out exactly where the herds are through the year.
We often pair a Migration safari with a few days in a South African reserve, the Sabi Sands or Tswalu, so you get both the scale of East Africa and the intimacy of a private southern reserve. If it is your first trip to the continent, our guide to your first safari covers the practical side.
The Migration rewards proper planning. Contact us and we will make sure you are in the right place at the right time.
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