Travellers drawn to seasonal wildlife movement
The Great Migration is the year-round movement of wildebeest, zebras and gazelles around the Serengeti–Mara ecosystem, following the rain.
These safaris spend extra time in the Serengeti or the Maasai Mara so you can follow the herds where they are. Herd movements change each year, so sightings and river crossings cannot be promised.
9 safaris
8 days · Tanzania · Private or group
Four nights in the Serengeti, planned around the herds
Wildlife safari · Mid-range
An eight-day safari with four nights in the Serengeti, positioned where the herds are likely to be for your dates, plus Tarangire and the Ngorongoro Crater.
Price on request
4 days · Kenya · Private or group
Three nights, more time in the reserve
Wildlife safari · Budget
Three nights at Miti Mingi Eco Camp and two full days in the Maasai Mara: the extra time gives you more chances to follow what is happening on the plains.
From USD 430 pp
Group joining4 days · Tanzania · Group joining
Two nights in the Serengeti, then the crater
Wildlife safari · Budget
A Serengeti-focused safari from Arusha with an afternoon arrival drive, a full day following the herds where they are that season, and the Ngorongoro Crater on the way back.
Price on request
6 days · Tanzania · Private
Three nights in the Serengeti
Wildlife safari · Budget
A private camping safari with three nights in the central Serengeti, giving you two full days to follow the herds, plus Tarangire and the Ngorongoro Crater.
Price on request
7 days · Tanzania · Private
A private safari at budget rates
Wildlife safari · Budget
A private budget safari with three nights in the Serengeti, plus Tarangire, Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater.
Price on request
6 days · Kenya & Tanzania · Private or group
Across the ecosystem the herds share
Wildlife safari · Mid-range
Two nights in the Maasai Mara, a cross-border drive into the Serengeti for two nights, then the Ngorongoro Crater: the Serengeti–Mara ecosystem from end to end.
Price on request
7 days · Kenya & Tanzania · Private or group
Nakuru, the Mara, the Serengeti and the crater
Wildlife safari · Mid-range
Seven days from Lake Nakuru to the Maasai Mara, across the border into the Serengeti and on to the Ngorongoro Crater.
Price on request
8 days · Kenya & Tanzania · Private or group
The Mara, the Serengeti and back to Amboseli
Wildlife safari · Budget
A budget loop that crosses from the Maasai Mara into the Serengeti, visits the Ngorongoro Crater and returns to Kenya for two nights in Amboseli.
Price on request
10 days · Kenya & Tanzania · Private or group
A full loop of the two countries' great parks
Wildlife safari · Budget
Ten days from Lake Nakuru and the Maasai Mara into the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara, then back into Kenya for Amboseli.
From USD 1,960 pp
Things to consider
The herds are often in the southern Serengeti early in the year and in the north and Maasai Mara later in the year.
More nights in the Serengeti or Mara give you more chances to find the herds.
River crossings depend entirely on the herds and can involve long waits.
Useful answers
There is no single best time. Calving often happens in the southern Serengeti around January to March; the herds are often in the northern Serengeti and Maasai Mara from around July to October.
No. Crossings happen when the herds decide, and some days none happen at all.
It depends on the month. The herds usually spend early in the year in the southern Serengeti, then move north; in many years they reach the Maasai Mara around July to October. Patterns vary with the rains.
Three or more nights in the area where the herds are expected gives you time to find them and to wait at the river if they gather to cross.
Further reading
Start with a conversation
Tell us your dates and who is travelling, and we will suggest the right options.
