Tanzania travel
Understanding the Serengeti migration
Over two million wildebeest, zebras and gazelles follow the rain through the Serengeti and the Masai Mara. Here is where they usually are, month by month.
The Great Wildebeest Migration
Every year, huge herds of grazers move across northern Tanzania and Kenya. Over two million wildebeest, zebras and gazelles travel through the Serengeti and Masai Mara ecosystems in a regular pattern, searching for green pasture. It is one of the great wonders of the natural world.
When to see the migration
The wildebeest move around the Serengeti and into the Masai Mara for one reason: to follow the rain. They always begin their cycle in the Ndutu area of the southern Serengeti, calving there from December to March, and then go wherever the grass is greener.
We have a good idea of where the herds should be at any time of year, but it really depends on where the rain falls. Planning your whole safari around the unreliable location of the wildebeest can sometimes be a mistake.
There are advantages to every time of year, but the herds are most concentrated during two main periods:
- July to October: the wildebeest are on the northern Serengeti plains, and you have a chance of seeing thousands crossing the Mara River.
- December to March: the wildebeest are on the southern Ndutu plains of the Serengeti for the calving season, a wonderful time to see the herds on the wide plains of the south.
The migration, month by month
01December to March
The huge grass plains of the southern Serengeti extend into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. From December to March, the migration gathers around Lake Ndutu in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. When the herd arrives it splits up and spreads out, leaving wildebeest as far as the eye can see.
Ndutu Lodge and Kusini are the only permanent lodges in the area. Kusini is best towards the end of the period, while Ndutu Lodge works throughout. Asilia's Dunia Camp is also a good option at the beginning of December, and again when the herds push north in March.
02April to May
The migration moves north onto the plains of the southern Serengeti, with the front runners stretching out to the Western Corridor and to Seronera in the centre of the park. Asilia's Dunia Camp is a good option at this time, as are central Serengeti hotels such as the Serena or Sopa. Early herds may already have reached the area of Grumeti River Camp, Kirawira and Mbalageti Lodge in the Western Corridor.
03June
By June, herds are spread from the Western Corridor through the heart of the park. One group tends to head west into the Western Corridor and cross the Grumeti River before leaving the park and entering the exclusive Singita Grumeti Reserves. This herd then moves up through the Ikorongo Game Reserve before the front runners reach the Kogatende area in July.
The other herds head straight north through the middle of the park, via Seronera and Lobo, up to the Bologonja River area near the eastern border with the Loliondo reserve at Klein's. At this time, herds can be anywhere from the Western Corridor to the eastern side of the park, and splinter groups break away to cover huge areas in search of fresh grass.
For the Western Corridor we recommend Grumeti River Camp, Faru Faru, Sasakwa, Sabora, Mbalageti Lodge and Kirawira. Some herds will have pushed as far as Migration Camp in the northern Lobo area. By late July, the permanent lodges at Kogatende will have good herds, with Serengeti Lamai and Sayari Camp the places to be towards the end of the month.
04August to October
From August to October the herds are in the northern Serengeti at Kogatende and in Kenya's Masai Mara, and river crossings often happen daily. With only a fraction of the visitors who crowd the Mara, Kogatende is an exceptional place to be. Because the herds simply follow local rainfall, some move north, some move south, and many move in both directions on the same day. The great mass of animals circles through the area during these months, which makes it a very good time of year to see them.
05November
In late October and November, the herds start their second great migration, south towards the fertile Ndutu plains, where the rains will have renewed the grass since the herds were last there. This can be a tricky time to catch the main herd, as it covers long distances every day. By the beginning of December the herds are returning to Ndutu to calve, and the cycle begins again.
A word of caution
Wildebeest are not the most predictable of animals. The migration depends entirely on rain, with the herds constantly searching for fresh grass, so it is hard to predict with any confidence where they will be in a particular week, and therefore where best to stay. The pattern above shows what the herds are supposed to do through the year. Choosing a permanent camp in the right area for the time of year will clearly improve your chances, but there are no guarantees. The very best way to be with the herds is to stay in one of the Serengeti's mobile camps, which move with them.
See our wildebeest migration safaris and read more about Serengeti National Park.
Start planning
Speak to our team in Arusha
Share your dates, who is travelling and what you would love to see. We will come back to you with ideas and a clear price.