Experiences
The Great Migration
More than a million wildebeest on a loop that never quite repeats.
The Great Migration is not an event with a date. It is a continuous circuit of roughly 1,800 miles that wildebeest and zebra walk every year, and the trick is being in the right part of the Serengeti in the right month. That is a question of planning, and it is the one our guides are asked most.
Where the herds are, month by month
January to March: calving on the short-grass plains of the southern Serengeti and Ndutu, with predators close behind. April and May: the long rains, and the herds drift north and west. June and July: the western corridor and the Grumeti River. July to October: the north and the Mara River crossings. November and December: back south with the short rains.
The river crossings
The Mara River crossings between July and October are the part everyone has seen on television: thousands of animals massed on a bank, crocodiles waiting, and then a rush that can last minutes or hours. They are also the part nobody can promise. Herds gather at a crossing point for a day and then walk away from it.
Calving season, the quieter alternative
February in the south is the other great time to come. The calves arrive within a few weeks of each other, the plains are green, the predator action is constant, and there are a fraction of the vehicles of the northern season.
How we plan around it
We book camps in the right region for your month, not a fixed address for the week, and we use mobile camps that move with the herds where it helps. Your guide talks to other guides every evening. What we will never do is tell you a crossing is guaranteed.
Questions
Asked by people planning this trip
When should I come for the river crossings?
Late July through September is the strongest window for the Mara River in the northern Serengeti. Book six to nine months ahead, because the northern camps are small and fill first.
Will I definitely see a crossing?
No, and be careful of anyone who says otherwise. The herds cross when they decide to. What we can do is put you in the right region with a guide who knows the crossing points and the patience to wait at one.
Is calving season worth it instead?
For many people, yes. February in the southern Serengeti gives you newborn calves, constant predator activity, green plains and far fewer vehicles, usually at a lower price than the northern season.
How many days do I need?
Seven at a minimum for a migration trip, with two or three nights in the region the herds are in. One night is enough time to be unlucky.
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