The Serengeti

The Serengeti: Planning Around the Migration

The Serengeti ecosystem covers roughly 30,000 square kilometres across Tanzania and Kenya (where it becomes the Masai Mara). The Tanzanian side – the Serengeti National Park – is 14,763 square kilometres and is managed by Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA). It is one of the oldest and largest protected wildlife areas in Africa and contains the highest concentration of large mammals on earth.

What makes the Serengeti specific is the Great Migration: the annual movement of approximately 1.5 million wildebeest (plus 500,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomson’s gazelle) in a clockwise circuit following seasonal rainfall across the ecosystem. The movement is not a single dramatic event but a continuous process, and where the herds are at any given moment depends on rainfall patterns that vary year to year.

Following the Migration

Understanding the rough seasonal pattern helps in planning:

January-March: The herds are in the southern Serengeti, particularly the Ndutu area and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This is calving season; approximately 500,000 wildebeest calves are born in a three-week window, typically in February. The concentration of predators is extreme; cheetah, lion, and hyena follow the calves. This is arguably the best overall wildlife viewing period, with photographic conditions excellent in the low amber light of the dry morning air.

April-June: The herds move north and west, crossing the central Seronera area. May and June see the herds massing near the Grumeti River in the Western Corridor, where large Nile crocodiles wait at the river crossing points. The drama of wildebeest crossing river crossings with crocodiles is real and occurs here.

July-October: The herds reach the Mara River in the far north, crossing into the Masai Mara in Kenya. The Mara River crossings (wildebeest attempting to cross while crocodiles attack) are the most photographed event in the migration and occur unpredictably throughout this period. No crossing happens every day; you need several days in the northern Serengeti or the Mara to have a reliable chance of witnessing one.

November-December: The herds return south as the short rains begin. The movement is more dispersed than the northward push.

Choosing Where to Stay

The Serengeti is divided into management zones; accommodation varies significantly by area.

Seronera in the central Serengeti is the most accessible and most heavily visited area. It has a high year-round concentration of big cats (the Seronera Valley is famous for leopard and lion sightings). Several permanent lodges and tented camps are here.

The Northern Serengeti (Kogatende, Lamai) is where the Mara River crossings occur in July-October. Camps here are more remote and more expensive; access requires either a small plane from the central airstrips or a long game drive.

The Southern Serengeti (Ndutu, Ngorongoro Conservation Area edge) is the calving area, best in January-March. Ndutu is technically in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area rather than the national park proper.

The Western Corridor (Grumeti area) is less visited and worth considering for the Grumeti River crossings in May-June. Several luxury camps here, including the Grumeti Reserve (private concession, higher prices, lower vehicle density).

Accommodation and Costs

Serengeti safaris are not cheap. A mid-range tented camp in the central Serengeti runs approximately USD 400-600 per person per night all-inclusive (accommodation, meals, game drives, park fees). Luxury camps (Singita, &Beyond, Four Seasons) run USD 1,000-2,000+ per person per night. Budget camping in the public campsites is possible at significantly lower cost but requires full self-sufficiency.

Park entry fees are charged per day (USD 70 per person per day for non-residents) and are usually included in package prices.

The minimum stay worth considering is three nights in any given area. The Serengeti is too large and wildlife too mobile for a single-night visit to be meaningful.

The Ngorongoro Crater

Usually combined with a Serengeti visit, the Ngorongoro Crater is 19 kilometres across, 600 metres deep, and contains a self-sustaining wildlife population that does not significantly migrate – it has essentially everything (lion, elephant, black rhino, hippo, flamingo in the soda lake) in an enclosed space. The concentration is extraordinary but the visitor density is high; the crater floor has strict rules about number of vehicles. A morning in the crater followed by an afternoon drive across the Serengeti plains is one of the standard itineraries and it works well.

Getting There

Most Serengeti safari guests arrive via Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) or Arusha, with internal flights on small prop aircraft (Coastal Aviation, Air Excel, Auric Air) to Seronera airstrip or one of the northern landing strips. The game drive from Arusha overland to the Serengeti takes 6-8 hours. Flying is expensive but saves two days of driving on each trip end.