Destinations
Serengeti National Park
Endless plains, and the greatest wildlife spectacle on earth
Size
14,750 km² — Tanzania's largest and oldest park
Best time
Year-round; June–October for river crossings, January–March for calving
Getting there
45-min flight from Arusha or Zanzibar, or 7–8 hrs by road via Ngorongoro
How long to stay
Minimum three nights, split between two regions where possible
The place
The Serengeti is the reason most people come to Tanzania, and it rarely disappoints. Fourteen thousand square kilometres of grassland, granite kopjes and riverine forest hold the highest concentration of large mammals anywhere, and the Great Migration moves through it in a slow annual circle. Where you stay matters more here than anywhere else — the park is vast, and the herds are somewhere specific in any given month.
The southern plains
From December to March the short-grass plains around Ndutu turn green and half a million wildebeest calves are born within a few weeks. It is the most concentrated predator action of the year — cheetah on open ground, lion prides gorging, hyena everywhere. This is also the quietest, most photogenic corner of the ecosystem.
Seronera and the central corridor
The Seronera Valley holds resident wildlife year-round thanks to permanent water. Leopard in the sausage trees along the river, big lion prides on the kopjes, and reliable general game. It is busier than the fringes, but for a first Serengeti visit it delivers.
The western corridor and the north
By June the herds push west toward the Grumeti, and by July into the Mara River country of the far north. The Kogatende crossings between July and October are the images everyone knows — and the northern camps are small, remote and worth the extra flight.
Highlights
What people remember
The Great Migration
Two million wildebeest and zebra moving in a continuous loop, tracked month by month.
Big cat density
One of the best places on the continent for lion, cheetah and leopard in a single stay.
Balloon safaris
Sunrise over the plains from a hot-air balloon, followed by breakfast in the grass.
Kopjes and vistas
Ancient granite outcrops that hold prides, hyrax colonies and unforgettable sundowners.
Suggested journeys
Itineraries that include Serengeti National Park
From the Journal
