The Serengeti Migration, Month by Month

January to March — the southern plains

From January to March the herds are best watched from a mobile camp on the plains, because there are few permanent lodges in this area. The camps that do exist range from simple and good value to luxury. Tell us your budget and we will say honestly which suits it.

April and May — the herds move west and north

By May the depleted short grass plains are unable to sustain the endless herds. The migration sweeps west and north, to the Serengeti's Western Corridor and almost to Lake Victoria, where there's long grass and more dependable water. Not all the wildebeest and zebra follow the same route. Some head to the Western Corridor and Grumeti before going north, and large numbers simply head north through Seronera.

In April the herds are usually still around Ndutu and the southern plains, and by May they are moving through the centre, where resident game is good all year. The centre is also the busiest part of the park.

June — the Western Corridor and the Grumeti

The Serengeti migration herds continue westwards, towards the Grumeti River. The riverine forest harbours plentiful buffalo and elephant, while there are many hippo and huge, hungry crocodiles in the river waiting for the wildebeest as they come to drink.

In June the herds are in the western corridor around the Grumeti River. The private reserve on the northern side of the corridor allows walking, off-road driving and night drives, which the national park does not. Camps along the Grumeti inside the park are well placed for the crossings there.

July — spreading north toward the Mara

The wildebeest rapidly deplete the grass and water in the Western Corridor and Grumeti and start to move on. The herds may still be in the Grumeti area during July, but the odds become slimmer as you move through the month. In a typical year the migration can be spread over huge distances, with the first zebra herds arriving in the northern Serengeti by early July and big herds of wildebeest following later in the month.

In a dry year the first wildebeest can be near the Mara River, the only reliable permanent water in the ecosystem, by early July. In a wet year, by mid-August. If conditions are very good, with plenty of grass and water, the herds spread out all the way from Seronera to the Mara River.

Late July to October — the northern Serengeti and the river

Normally from late July to mid October the Serengeti wildebeest reside in the northern Serengeti and Masai Mara. The dry season is well under way and the Serengeti herds congregate near water, especially the Mara River filled with hungry crocodiles. Mid to late October dramatic thunder clouds herald the onset of the short rains and call the migration southward. Wherever rains fall the change is dramatic with thousands of animals arriving almost overnight.

Camps in the far north range from luxury tented camps a few minutes from the main crossing points to simpler mobile camps in the Kogatende area, which work well if you want to keep the cost down. Ask how far a camp is from the river before you book. An hour's drive each way matters here. Tsetse flies can be a real nuisance in the wooded parts of the north, so pack long sleeves and avoid dark colours.

November and December — back to the south

As the rains continue through November, the herds move south and east. Heading into December long lines of wildebeest can be seen moving back to the southern Serengeti and its short, rich grasses. They begin to arrive in late December and early January, and the cycle starts again. Elsewhere in the Serengeti the grass grows fast and tall making wildlife viewing more difficult.

The north-east of the park, towards the Loliondo boundary, has some of the best scenery in the Serengeti and some of its worst tsetse flies. The eastern plains hold good numbers of lion and cheetah all year. With the wildebeest on the move at this time of year, you may or may not see large herds there.

Planning a trip around the herds

Every month above is a long-run average, not a schedule. The herds follow rainfall, rainfall moves by weeks from one year to the next, and no operator can tell you in advance which bank of the Mara they'll be standing on. Use the calendar to choose which region to sleep in for your dates, give that region three or four nights, not one, and take advice from a guide who was in the park last week over anything written a year ahead.