Serengeti travel guide

Serengeti Travel Guide: Migration, Seasons & Where to Stay

Endless plains, resident predators and the greatest wildlife movement on earth. Here is how the Serengeti works through the year, and how we plan it from Arusha.

Wildebeest herds on the Serengeti plains

The Serengeti is good all year. It is simply different each month.

Most people come for the migration, but the park holds lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant and giraffe every day of the year. What changes is where the herds are, how green the plains look and how many other vehicles you share the road with.

Tell us your travel dates and we will tell you honestly which part of the park to sleep in. That single decision matters far more than the lodge name.

The migration, month by month

Where the herds are when you travel.

December – March: Calving season in the southern plains around Ndutu. Thousands of calves are born in a few weeks and the predators are never far away. Wonderful for cats and open, short-grass views.
April – May: Long rains. The herds begin moving north-west through the central Serengeti. Quieter in the parks and softer prices, with some muddy roads.
June – July: The herds gather in the Western Corridor and the Grumeti river. Dry season begins, wildlife concentrates around water and game viewing is excellent everywhere.
August – October: The northern Serengeti and the Mara river crossings. This is the dramatic season — and the busiest. Book early if these dates matter to you.
November: Short rains bring the herds back south through the central and eastern plains. A lovely, quieter window with green landscapes.

Nature keeps its own calendar. These patterns repeat every year, but rain can move the herds early or late — we follow the reports from guides in the park while you travel.

Where to stay in the park

Seronera (central): The classic base. Resident lion, leopard and cheetah all year, river valleys and the shortest drives from the airstrip. Good for a first safari or a shorter trip.
Ndutu and the southern plains: Best from December to March for calving and open-plain predator action.
Western Corridor: Grumeti river country, strongest in June and July.
Northern Serengeti (Kogatende): Mara river crossings from roughly July to October, and far fewer vehicles outside the crossing points.

How many days do you need?

Two nights in the Serengeti is the minimum that still feels like a safari. Three nights is our usual recommendation — one day to arrive, one full day on the plains and a sunrise drive before you move on. If you are chasing the migration in the north, plan three or four nights there so a crossing has time to happen.

Most of our guests pair the Serengeti with the Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire, then finish beside the ocean in Zanzibar.

Getting there

We drive from Arusha through the Ngorongoro highlands — a long but beautiful day with wildlife along the way — or fly from Arusha or Kilimanjaro to a park airstrip in about an hour. Many trips do one of each: drive in, fly out.

Park fees, a private vehicle with a pop-up roof and your own guide are part of every itinerary we build.

A day on the plains

What your safari day actually looks like.

Wildebeest herds spread across the Serengeti plains

Wildebeest crossing a river in the Serengeti

Cheetahs resting on the Serengeti short-grass plains

The Serengeti National Park entrance gate

Zebra grazing on the open Serengeti plains

A balloon drifting over the Serengeti at sunrise

Sunrise: Coffee before first light, then out with the cold air and the first golden hour — the best time for cats still moving.
Mid-morning: Slow driving between kopjes and river lines. This is when leopards settle into trees and elephants come to drink.
Midday: Picnic lunch under an acacia or back to camp for a rest through the hottest hours.
Afternoon: Out again as the heat drops, staying with whatever the plains give you until the gates or camp curfew.
Evening: Dinner under the stars, and the sounds of the Serengeti around the camp all night.

Ready-made routes

Serengeti trips we run most often.

A short crater and Serengeti escape, a full northern circuit, or the long journey that ends on the beach. Every route is private and shaped around your dates.

4-day Ngorongoro & Serengeti 8-day Great Migration Serengeti destination page

Plan your Serengeti safari

Tell us your dates and we will place you in the right part of the park.

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