The most common question we are asked is when to see the migration, and the honest answer is that it is always happening. Close to two million wildebeest, zebra and gazelle move in a broad, untidy loop through the Serengeti ecosystem, driven by rainfall and grass rather than by a calendar. What changes through the year is not whether the herds are moving, but what the movement looks like — and how easy it is to be near.
What follows is how we actually plan around it, month by month. Treat it as a pattern rather than a promise: the rains shift, and the herds shift with them.
January to March — calving on the southern plains
The herds gather on the short-grass plains around Ndutu and the southern Serengeti, where volcanic soil produces grass rich enough to support calving. Roughly half a million calves are born in a period of a few weeks, most of them within the same short window.
For visitors this is the most concentrated wildlife viewing of the year. Predators follow the vulnerability, sightlines run for kilometres across treeless plains, and the light in February is soft in a way the dry season never is. It is our first recommendation for photographers and for anyone who would rather watch behaviour than tick species.
The migration is not an event you attend. It is a system you step into for a week.
April to May — the long rains
The herds begin to drift north-west, and the rain arrives properly. Some camps close, some tracks become difficult, and afternoon storms are routine. In exchange the park is green, uncrowded and considerably less expensive.
We do send guests in these months, but we tell them what to expect: fewer vehicles, more mud, and a landscape that looks nothing like the postcard version of the Serengeti.
June to July — the western corridor
As the plains dry, the herds move through the western corridor towards the Grumeti River. The first crossings of the year happen here, usually smaller and less photographed than those further north, and often with far fewer vehicles present.
June is a good compromise month: dry enough for easy travel, early enough to avoid the peak-season pricing that arrives in July.
August to October — the Mara River
This is the period most people picture. Herds mass along the Mara River in the northern Serengeti and cross, sometimes repeatedly, sometimes not for days. Crossings cannot be predicted or booked. You position early, you wait, and you accept that the wait is part of it.
We plan northern stays with at least three nights for this reason. Two nights leaves too little room for the day when nothing happens.
November to December — the return south
The short rains draw the herds back down through the eastern Serengeti towards the southern plains. Skies are dramatic, camps are quieter, and rates soften until the festive weeks arrive.
By late December the leading herds are usually back on the short grass, and the cycle begins again.
How we plan around it
Two practical rules. First, stay longer in one region rather than moving every night — the migration rewards patience far more than mileage. Second, choose camps that move. A mobile camp positioned for the season will consistently put you closer to the herds than a permanent lodge in the wrong part of the park.
And when a guest asks us to guarantee a river crossing, we say no. We can put you in the right place at the right time of year with a guide who has watched the river for a decade. The rest belongs to the animals.
