Migration Safaris

The Great Migration

The great migration isn’t a single event, but rather a constant commute for herds following Africa’s rains … and the land they bring to life. There’s no real start and finish to the migration, but rather a clockwise grazing and reproduction route that has followed the same pattern for thousands of years.

Every year, millions of wildebeest and other plains game embark on a journey, mapped by instinct, that follows Africa’s seasons in search of fertile land. This is the great Serengeti migration.

What You Need To Know

The path of the migration sweeps from the southern Serengeti and Ngorongoro plains through the western savanna woodland. From there the animals head towards the north-western part of the greater Serengeti and Mara ecosystems, and back southwards through the eastern part of the parks and reserves.

Along this path, key events occur that are appealing to safari-goers, such as witnessing the thundering mass of animals, watching them cross the Mara River, the birth of their young, and the predators that accompany them.

Migration species
Wildebeest make up 60% of the convoy’s volume, followed by zebras, Thomson’s gazelles and eland.

January to end March
Volumes of wildlife gather on the southern Serengeti and Ndutu plains
This is the best time to experience the sheer volume of the migration. The flat, green plains and uninterrupted views serve up one of the best opportunities to watch the massive movement of wildlife, and the core Ndutu and southern Serengeti areas are the best places to witness the spectacle.

From January to March, an estimated 8,000 young are born into their various wildebeest, zebra, Thomson’s gazelle and eland families. The plains between Naabi Hill Gate in the north, Gol Kopjes to the east, Olduvai Gorge in the south and west to Maswa thriving with new life. Safaris offer nail-biting highlights at this point, with plenty of action that is not always suitable for the faint-hearted. The newborns are fragile and easy targets for predators. Lions, cheetahs, hyenas and even jackals scramble for opportunities to fill their bellies.

July to September

Mara River crossings
From July to September, migration safaris hold the excitement of herds crossing the Mara River. As the animals enter the water, individuals are taken by crocodiles. Their sacrifice secures the survival of this extraordinary journey of species.

These two periods – January to March and July to September – are the best times to experience the most thrilling migration activity. Although the animals are still on the move during the months between and on either side of these times, they don’t offer particularly exciting viewing for two main reasons:

From April to June,

once the bulk of their youngsters have found their feet, the herds continue their journey north in search of new grass. The long rains of April and May provide enough water and grazing for the animals to spread out over the entire southern Serengeti plains. From east to west they split up into smaller herds in a slow but definite move towards the north. From October to December the herds are scattered throughout the greater Masai Mara conservancies (often even into Loliondo) and the hills and valleys of the north-eastern Serengeti. At this time of year it’s not uncommon to find animals in front of your camp in the evening. However, they will have disappeared by the following morning, having continued their journey southwards. This leg of the migration happens in stages and the herds split up into even smaller herds and groups.

May and June
Moving north

In April and May the heavens open and the Serengeti is showered daily with rain that manages to close many seasonal roads surrounding the area.

May and June make it into the top three best possible times to see herds on migration safaris (when the roads are open again). In June and July herds are harder to track on migration safaris, with the limited road network and private Grumeti Reserves concession in the way.

October to December
Moving south

By October, the animals have depleted the Mara plains of grass and the natural instinct that propels each one kicks in and has them venturing south once more to find fresh grazing. Remarkably, they arrive on the plains at Ndutu a few days after the first rain of the season has fallen. The herd leaves decent-enough grazing at Lobo and the Bologonja Springs and set off southwards again across the eastern and central savanna woodland.

Here, the animals spread out to areas with water and grazing that allow them to be within striking distance of the Ndutu lakes and plains. During this time predators often lurk in the Lobo grass. Will you see a lion strike? Only your migration safari experience will tell…