Where the herds are, month by month
Around one and a half million wildebeest, with zebra and gazelle, walk a great circle through the Serengeti and the Masai Mara every year. Here is where they usually are, and when to go.
This month October Northern Serengeti
Month 1 of 12
Calving begins
Ndutu & the southern short-grass plains
The herds spread across the mineral-rich short-grass plains around Ndutu, and the first calves begin to drop. A green, fertile calm before the great birth peak.
Our tipThe predators follow the newborns: base yourself on the Ndutu plains.
Plan your January safariMonth 2 of 12
Peak calving
Ndutu & southern Serengeti
The year's most dramatic wildlife event: around half a million calves are born in just a few weeks. Lions, cheetahs and hyenas are never far - raw, unforgettable action.
Our tipCalving peaks this month, and southern camps book out first.
Plan your February safariMonth 3 of 12
Calving ends
Southern Serengeti
Calving winds down and the plains start to dry. The herds mass together and grow restless, ready to begin the long march north.
Our tipAfternoon storms, green plains and lower rates.
Plan your March safariMonth 4 of 12
Moving north-west
Central Serengeti (Seronera)
The great columns form and drift north-west through the central Serengeti under the long rains. Green, quiet and low-season - beautiful for photography.
Our tipThe quietest month in the park: few vehicles at every sighting.
Plan your April safariMonth 5 of 12
Rutting season
Moru & the Western Corridor
The rut is in full swing - males spar and bellow as the herds pour toward the Western Corridor in columns that stretch for miles.
Our tipRutting season: the bulls are loudest after dark.
Plan your May safariMonth 6 of 12
Grumeti crossings
Western Corridor & the Grumeti River
The migration reaches the Western Corridor and the Grumeti River, where giant crocodiles wait. The first river crossings of the year begin.
Our tipStay in the Western Corridor to catch the Grumeti crossings.
Plan your June safariMonth 7 of 12
Heading north
Northern Serengeti (Lobo / Kogatende)
The herds push into the northern Serengeti around Lobo and Kogatende. Tension builds toward the greatest spectacle of them all.
Our tipThe first Mara crossings: aim for camps around Kogatende.
Plan your July safariMonth 8 of 12
Mara River crossings
Mara River, northern Serengeti
The famous Mara River crossings - thousands plunge down the banks and brave the crocodiles. The most sought-after sight of the whole migration.
Our tipPeak crossings: give the river at least three nights.
Plan your August safariMonth 9 of 12
In the Mara
Masai Mara (Kenya) & northern Serengeti
The herds spread between the northern Serengeti and Kenya’s Masai Mara, crossing back and forth over the river. Prime crossing season continues.
Our tipCrossings carry on with fewer vehicles than in August.
Plan your September safariMonth 10 of 12 This month
The return south
Northern Serengeti
As the short rains approach, the herds turn south again, drifting back through the northern and eastern Serengeti.
Our tipShort grass and soft light make for easy game viewing in the north.
Plan your October safariMonth 11 of 12
Moving south
Eastern & central Serengeti
The short rains green the plains and the herds stream south-east, following the fresh grass back toward the calving grounds.
Our tipThe central Serengeti sits right in the path of the southbound herds.
Plan your November safariMonth 12 of 12
Back to the plains
Southern Serengeti & Ndutu
The migration returns to the southern Serengeti and Ndutu, and the great cycle begins again - the plains ready for the next calving season.
Our tipThe herds return to the short-grass plains before calving.
Plan your December safariThe usual pattern, not live positions: the herds follow the rain, so the timing shifts a little every year. Park boundaries and rivers are simplified.
Each chapter has its own drama. Pick the one you most want to see and we will build the trip around it.
Half a million calves are born on the southern short-grass plains, and the big cats are never far behind.
Ndutu & southern Serengeti
Columns miles long march north-west through green country while the bulls fight for the herd.
Central Serengeti & Western Corridor
The herds pour over the Grumeti and then the Mara, past waiting crocodiles, back and forth for weeks.
Northern Serengeti & Masai Mara
The short rains green the plains and the herds stream back south towards the calving grounds.
Eastern & central Serengeti
You visit: Ndutu · Ngorongoro · Serengeti · Tarangire
You visit: Lake Manyara · Ngorongoro · Serengeti · Tarangire
You visit: Ngorongoro · Serengeti · Tarangire
Still deciding when to go? Tell us your dates and we will tell you honestly what the herds are likely to be doing.
Ask a specialist
Tell us your month and we will place you where the herds are likely to be, with the right camp and enough days to wait for the moment.
