Serengeti

The Endless Plains of Tanzania

The Serengeti National Park is the flagship of Tanzania's Northern Safari Circuit and one of Africa's most celebrated wildlife destinations. Covering approximately 1.476 million hectares, the park forms the central protected area of the much larger Serengeti–Mara ecosystem. Its name comes from the Maasai word “Siringet,” meaning “the place where the land runs on forever”—a fitting description of its immense grasslands and open horizons.

The Serengeti is internationally renowned for the Great Wildebeest Migration, one of the world's most remarkable natural spectacles. UNESCO recognizes the park for its exceptional biodiversity and the large-scale annual movement of wildebeest, zebras and gazelles across the ecosystem. Serengeti National Park was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 under natural criteria (vii) and (x).

The Great Wildebeest Migration One of Nature's Greatest Journeys The Great Migration is not a single event that happens on one particular date. It is a continuous, seasonal movement of huge herds responding primarily to rainfall, fresh grass and water availability. UNESCO describes the Serengeti migration as involving around two million wildebeest, together with hundreds of thousands of zebras and gazelles, moving through an approximately 1,000-kilometre annual circuit across Tanzania and Kenya. The exact location of the herds changes from year to year depending on rainfall and grazing conditions.

Typical seasonal pattern January–March – Southern Serengeti & Ndutu The herds are commonly concentrated around the short-grass plains of the southern Serengeti and adjoining Ngorongoro ecosystem. This period is associated with the calving season, when large numbers of wildebeest give birth. Predators such as lions, cheetahs, hyenas and other carnivores take advantage of the abundance of young animals.

April–May – Central & Western Serengeti As the southern plains become drier, the herds gradually move toward areas offering fresh grazing and water. The landscape becomes increasingly green during the rainy period.

June–July – Western Corridor & Northern Movement The herds continue moving northward, passing through the Western Corridor and toward the northern Serengeti. River crossings may occur during this broader migration period, although timing varies considerably from year to year.

August–October – Northern Serengeti & Mara Ecosystem Large concentrations can occur in the northern Serengeti, with some herds crossing the Mara River between Tanzania and Kenya. River crossings are spectacular but cannot be guaranteed on a particular day or at a particular location.

November–December – Return South With the short rains, the migration begins moving southward again toward the southern plains, restarting the annual cycle.