Migrations
Two million animals on one unbroken circuit. Here is where they are each month, how long you should stay to actually see it, and why we fly to the north.
Why it began
The migration is not a journey with a destination — it is a loop that the Serengeti–Mara ecosystem has forced on the herds for hundreds of thousands of years. Ash from the Ngorongoro Highlands volcanoes settled over the southern plains and set hard, creating a shallow, mineral-rich soil that supports only short grass. That grass is unusually high in calcium and phosphorus — exactly what a wildebeest cow needs to carry and feed a calf.
But that soil cannot hold water. When the short rains arrive in November the southern plains flush green and the herds pour down to calve. When the rains stop in May the plains dry out within weeks and the same herds are pushed north-west toward the taller, wetter grasslands of the western corridor and, eventually, the permanent water of the Mara River.
Why it still exists
Almost every other great herd migration on the planet has been broken by fences, roads, farmland and settlement. This one survives because roughly 30,000 square kilometres of connected, protected land — Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Maswa, Grumeti, Ikorongo and the Maasai Mara — were kept open to movement.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is central to that: it is a multiple land-use area where Maasai pastoralists and wildlife share the same grazing, which is why the calving grounds were never ploughed. Tourism revenue and community conservancy agreements are now what keep the corridors unfenced, which is a plain fact worth knowing when you pay your park fees.
Season by season
The herds do not read calendars — rainfall shifts these windows by two or three weeks each year. We confirm current herd positions before we finalise any migration itinerary.
Around half a million calves are born in roughly three weeks on the mineral-rich volcanic grasslands. Predator action is at its most intense of the entire year, and the herds are concentrated in open country that is easy to read and photograph.
Minimum 2 nights in Ndutu / southern Serengeti — 3 is better.
Green, quiet and excellent value. Columns of wildebeest string through the central Serengeti on their way to the western woodlands. Some roads are slow and a few camps close, so routing matters more than usual.
Minimum 2 nights in central Serengeti.
The rut is in full voice and the herds face the Grumeti River and its very large crocodiles. Crossings here are less predictable than the Mara River, but the build-up along the riverine forest is spectacular.
Minimum 2 nights in the western corridor.
The scene most travellers picture: thousands of animals massing on the bank, hesitating, then pouring across. Crossings are unpredictable — they may happen twice in a morning or not at all for two days. This is the season where patience is the whole strategy.
Minimum 2 nights at Kogatende / Lamai — we strongly recommend 3.
The first storms pull the herds back down the eastern side of the Serengeti. Skies are dramatic, the parks are quiet, and the year begins again.
Minimum 2 nights in central or northern Serengeti.
Our booking requirement
We do not sell single-night stops in Ndutu, the western corridor or the northern Serengeti. It is the one rule we hold to, and it is not an upsell — it is the difference between seeing the migration and driving past where it was.
Plan by your dates
Tap the months you could travel. We map them to the migration area the herds should be in, the minimum nights we require there, and whether to fly or drive.
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Pick one or more months above to see where the migration should be and how long to stay.
At a glance
Months, where the herds are, and our minimum-stay rule for each migration area. Save it as a PDF to share with your travel companions.
| Months | Where the herds are | Season | Minimum stay |
|---|---|---|---|
| December – March | Ndutu, Kusini, southern short-grass plains | Calving season, southern Serengeti & Ndutu | 2 nights in Ndutu / southern Serengeti — 3 is better. |
| April – May | Moru Kopjes, Seronera, central Serengeti | Long rains, herds moving north-west | 2 nights in central Serengeti. |
| June – July | Grumeti Reserve, western corridor | Western Corridor & the Grumeti | 2 nights in the western corridor. |
| August – October | Kogatende, Lamai Wedge, Nyamalumbwa | Mara River crossings, northern Serengeti | 2 nights at Kogatende / Lamai — we strongly recommend 3. |
| November | Lobo, Seronera, moving toward Ndutu | Short rains, the herds turn south | 2 nights in central or northern Serengeti. |
Why we fly north
Arusha to Kogatende by road is 9–11 hours of corrugated gravel, and you have to do it again on the way out. By light aircraft it is roughly two hours. On a seven-day trip, flying gives you back almost two full days — and those are precisely the days you need spare when you are waiting for a crossing.
We normally fly Arusha or Zanzibar to Kogatende / Lamai, where your guide and 4x4 meet you at the airstrip, then fly out again from Seronera or Kogatende. Short-hop flights also open up the calving grounds at Ndutu in one hop from the coast.
Good to know
The migration is a moving animal, not a fixed attraction. A single night gives you one afternoon and one morning drive — if the herds shift 20km or a river crossing does not happen that day, you have missed it. Two nights doubles your game-drive windows and lets your guide follow up on what the herds did yesterday. In the northern Serengeti during crossing season we push for three.
No honest operator can. We can position you in the right area at the right time of year, in a camp within reach of the crossing points, and give you the days needed for the odds to work in your favour. Everything beyond that belongs to the wildebeest.
Arusha to Kogatende is a full day — often 9 to 11 hours — on rough road. The flight is about two hours. Flying converts two wasted driving days into two extra game-viewing days, which is exactly what you need when you are waiting on a crossing. We use a light aircraft to Kogatende or Lamai and a 4x4 with your guide waiting at the airstrip.
Yes. Calving season in the south is arguably the richer wildlife experience: enormous concentrations, constant predator activity, and far fewer vehicles than the northern crossings in August.
Plan further
Tell us your travel window and we will tell you honestly where the migration should be, how many nights you need, and whether to fly or drive.
Request my migration safari