Great Migration Safari
Month-by-month guide to following 1.5 million wildebeest across the Serengeti.
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Serengeti National Park Safari
Endless plains, 3,000 lions and the Great Migration — how to see the Serengeti properly, and when.
Serengeti National Park
The endless plains at the heart of Tanzania
The Serengeti is the reason many travellers come to Africa. Roughly 15,000 square kilometres of grassland, riverine forest and granite kopjes hold one of the last intact large-mammal migrations on earth, plus the highest concentration of big cats in East Africa. The word itself comes from the Maasai siringet — the place where the land runs on forever.
Your experience depends on where in the park you stay and when. Seronera in the centre is reliable year-round for lion, leopard and cheetah. The southern plains around Ndutu explode with life during the December–March calving season. The northern Kogatende sector is where the wildebeest cross the Mara river between July and October.
Wildlife
What you can expect to see
- Lion — around 3,000 across the ecosystem, often on kopjes at dawn
- Leopard — Seronera's riverine acacias are among Africa's best places to find them
- Cheetah — the southern and central short-grass plains
- Elephant, buffalo and giraffe — widespread, especially in the woodland north
- Wildebeest and zebra — 1.5 million and 250,000 respectively on the move
- Hyena, jackal, serval and 500+ bird species — the supporting cast that makes long game drives interesting
Getting there
Fly in or drive in
By road it is a long but spectacular day from Arusha, through the Ngorongoro highlands and across the Naabi Hill gate onto the plains — most safari itineraries include a game drive as you enter. By air, light aircraft fly daily from Arusha and Kilimanjaro to Seronera, Kogatende and Ndutu in about 75 minutes.
A common compromise is to drive in, seeing Tarangire and Ngorongoro en route, and fly back to save a day. We are happy to price both.
Photographs
What it looks like
Questions
Questions about this trip
When is the best time to visit the Serengeti?
June to October for classic dry-season game viewing and the river crossings in the north; late December to March for the calving season on the southern short-grass plains, when predator action peaks. April and May are wet, green, cheap and quiet.
How many days should I spend in the Serengeti?
Two nights minimum, three or more ideally. The park is nearly 15,000 km² — a single night means most of your time is spent driving in and out rather than watching wildlife.
Can I do a hot-air balloon safari?
Yes, from the central Seronera area and the southern plains. Flights lift off before dawn, last about an hour and finish with a bush breakfast. Budget around USD 599 per person and book well ahead.
Are there tree-climbing lions in the Serengeti?
Occasionally, particularly around Seronera's sausage trees, though Lake Manyara is the park better known for the behaviour. Serengeti's real signature is the sheer density of lion prides and the cheetahs of the southern plains.
Enquiry
Request a free, no-obligation quote
We do not publish fixed prices, because no two trips are the same. Tell us your dates and what you would like to see, and a local guide — not a call centre — will send you a tailored itinerary and a personal quote.
- Reply within 24 hours from our Arusha office
- Itineraries built around your dates, pace and budget
- Free quote, no deposit and no obligation
Email info@rutalegacysafaris.com
WhatsApp / Call +255 670 912 578 (0670 912 578 in Tanzania)
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