Serengeti Vacations

The unpredictability and localised location of the light rains sees the herds spending the month moving back and forth across the plains in search of the best grasses. This immense region of short-grass plains is classic Serengeti, with vast open skies and endless plains sprawling as far as the eye can see. This is the Serengeti’s wet season, when the Serengeti looks stunning and the herds are massing on the short grass plains due to the fertility of the soil; the nutrient-rich grass is the best around. Calving often starts now, drawing in the predators and scavengers! The mega herds ‘migration hotspot’ and ultimately the best game viewing area stretches from Moru and Kusini within the park, to the Ndutu Plains just south of the border of the Serengeti itself.

Summary: excellent cat viewing (especially cheetah!) and large herds of the Great Migration. January is often the start of calving season and a slightly quieter travel period than February or Christmas.

February is very similar to January as the herds follow the rains across the entire southern Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This is often the peak of calving season, when literally 500,000 young wildebeest are born in a matter of weeks! Adding to this amazing sight is the sheer volume of predators – statistically the highest build-up of predators anywhere in Africa, at any time of year. The focus is the Ndutu Plains, the heart of an endless sea of rolling plains and open skies. The best game viewing at this time of year stretches from Ndutu to Kusini, as far south as Kakesio, and as far north as the Moru Kopjes (effectively the majority of the southern Serengeti, with a focus at Ndutu). 

Summary: amazing for the Great Migration’s calving period and very high concentrations of cats. A busy, but very productive time of year to travel. The probability of seeing cheetah hunts is high.

The hectic calving season starts to draw to a close in March but the herds still rely on the regions rains for the best grasses. March can often see the onset of heavier rains which keeps them down in the short grass plains for longer than many people think. Some early movers can be seen in the central Seronera River Valley of the Serengeti, while the main ‘mega-herds’ still tend to focus on the area around Kusini, Ndutu and the Moru Kopjes (just south of the centre of the park). It is worth mentioning that March can often see mega herds drawn back further south and east than the Ndutu Plains due to the heavier rains bringing this area of arid savanna to life. In summary, it’s a slightly unpredictable month, but a time of year that has the major advantage of great game and few tourists. 

Summary: great rates outside the February peak season. Significantly quieter than February in terms of other travellers, phenomenal game viewing and an excellent time to be in the far south of the park.

April is one of the best months for the short grass plains as heavier rain showers leave the area flourishing. Many companies believe the herds move north now but the reality, if anything, is that the heavier rains keep them in this area for longer! The Serengeti’s short grass plains including the northern plains of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area are still the place to be. Calving season is usually over and the herds will at some point towards the end of the month look to head north. Historically the heart of the southern short grass plains – Kusini and Ndutu – has had good rain and still focuses the herds. I’d go as far as to say that this is the best month to be in Ndutu, mainly because the crowds of tourists have left the country due to the light rains, which focus the herds on the short grass around Ndutu. It’s a clever time of year to travel, if you don’t mind a little rain! The problem is which camps are open, so we’ll often design trips that include Moru (just north of Ndutu) as well as Ndutu.

Summary: you may get a bit wet with the rains, but the game viewing, the Great Migration, and prices are absolutely exceptional! A clever time to travel.

May is a big ‘moving month’ as the herds move north. The herds often split up now, with the leading wildebeest heading directly north through Seronera. The majority however, approximately 60%, head out to the western corridor across the vast plains between the Mbalageti and Grumeti rivers. This western corridor is another area of exceptionally good grazing whilst both the central plains and the west have significantly more rainfall in May than the short grass plains in the far south. The herds have usually left the southern Serengeti entirely. The result is a mass of animals stretching from Mbalageti and Grumeti in the west to the heart of the park at Seronera and as far south as northern Moru. 

Summary: You may well get wet but during this month the game viewing, the Great Migration, and prices are absolutely exceptional! Predator concentrations in the heart of the Serengeti are exceptional. Again, as with April, May is a clever time to travel.

June often sees the first of the river crossings, as the majority of the herds leave the western corridor and push north. This movement north is the actual ‘Great Migration’, as the herds set off for the northern Serengeti and Maasai Mara. The mega-herds are spread from the western corridor through to the Singita and Ikorongo game reserves and the heart of the park, with a noticeable movement north. Although this is the time of river crossings, it’s worth mentioning that the mega-crossings happen on the Mara river (as opposed to the Grumeti), which is significantly farther north (see July onwards). June, however, is rutting month, when the males fight for dominance and start to mate… it’s remarkably noisy! Don’t underestimate the western corridor throughout this period….good herds often linger here. It’s often good to split your time between two parts of the park.

Summary: the rains are usually over and much of the Great Migration leaves the west. High concentrations of predators around. But the river crossings are much less impressive than many people think!

The mega-herds have usually left the central plains and are found from the western Serengeti to an area called ‘Lobo’ in the northern heart of the park. Some herds will often be located just north of the western corridor, stretching from the Singita and Ikorongo game reserves as far north as Kogatende. However, the clear movement is the push to the northern plains of the Maasai Mara and northern Serengeti. July will always see the first crossings of the Mara river in the far north, but we would only ever guarantee this towards the end of the month, from the 15th onwards. Splitting your time between two parts of the park is a great way to maximise your chances of being in the right place.

Summary: clear skies and beautiful days, but also a somewhat unpredictable month for the herds. We often split locations in July to cover the north and the northern heart of the park.

August sees the mega-herd spreading out across the entire northern Serengeti to the Maasai Mara. Herds can be found from central Lobo (the central strip of the northern Serengeti) to the western area of the northern Serengeti (Kogatende and Lamai) right through to the heart of the Maasai Mara. This is a prime river-crossing month, with Kogatende the place to be if this is your focus. A truly wonderful area, due to the energy and beauty of the Mara river system and the fact that the micro-climate created by Lake Victoria keeps good rain across the region…and tends to focus their movement near the Mara river. 

Summary: as per July, clear skies and beautiful days. Amazing river crossings and excellent resident game. One of the very best, albeit busiest, times to be in the Serengeti.

September is a very similar month to August, with the mega-herd spreading out across the entire northern Serengeti and well into the Maasai Mara. There are often noticeably more herds in the northern Serengeti as opposed to the central Lobo parts of the park, with the major focus on the crossings of the Mara river both sides of the border. This is a prime river-crossing month, with Kogatende and the busier Mara the places to be if this is your focus. Two truly wonderful areas, due to the energy and beauty of the Mara river system however the exact location of the megs herds is decided by local rainfall across the area.

Summary: as per July and August, clear skies and beautiful days. Amazing river crossings and excellent resident game. One of the very best times to be on either side of the border, but the Serengeti has significantly fewer tourists

October is often the Serengeti’s driest month. The herds are waiting for the rains to start in the southern Serengeti, which will launch the second movement of the actual ‘Great Migration’ when they push south to the Serengeti’s short-grass plains. The mega-herds are still spread out across the entire northern Serengeti and the Maasai Mara, with Kogatende, the Lamai Wedge, and the Mara Triangle often being the hotspots. River crossings still occur but at some point throughout October the first herds will head south.

Summary: again, clear skies and beautiful days. The last of the river crossings but still reliably brilliant game. A very dry park overall; everyone is waiting for the big push south.

A major moving month, as the herds head through the Serengeti towards the southern short-grass plains. This month will see the mega-herds on the move as the actual ‘Great Migration’ takes place. Towards the beginning of November, the Mara river in the far north but the first herds will be reaching the central Serengeti. There is good reason for splitting your time between two locations in the park – Kogatende and Seronera is often perfect. From the 15th onwards, river crossings of the Mara river are rare, so we often suggest that clients focus on areas around Seronera and Moru (south of central).

Summary: a major moving month, but one that offers great value due to low season rates. A very clever time to travel, in our opinion. Opting for a spilt location at this time of year makes for a great safari. The predator build-up starts in the southern plains.

December is quite a tricky month, as the herds are still pushing south. Reliant on the rains across what is an absolutely vast area, their exact location can fool even the best guides. The beginning of the month can be notoriously tricky, as the herds often spread out across the entire southern Serengeti. In our opinion, you cannot go wrong with focusing around Moru and Kusini at the beginning of the month, while towards the end of December the rains have often settled near Ndutu… and Ndutu literally comes to life!

Summary: the first rains settle as the herds start to hunker down into the southern plains. Come late December, Ndutu is often a focus due to the sheer quality of the nutrient rich grasses around this area. The predator concentrations around Ndutu are immense.