The Great Migration: A Seasonal Guide To Africa’s Greatest Spectacle Travel Guide

As the rains subside in the south, the plains begin to dry out and the herds begin a slow but steady movement northward through the central Serengeti and into the western corridor. This period is usually less crowded with tourists, offering a quieter safari experience with excellent sightings of large mixed herds. During May and June, many wildebeest gather in the Serengeti’s western corridor, near the Grumeti River. Here, crocodile-infested river crossings mark one of the first major physical challenges of the migration.

From July, the migration continues northward toward the northern Serengeti and the crossing into Kenya’s Maasai Mara. This is the peak tourist season in the northern Serengeti and the best time to view the dramatic crossings of the Mara River, as thousands of wildebeest leap from steep banks into fast-moving waters teeming with crocodiles. These crossings are unpredictable yet unforgettable, and travellers often spend days hoping to witness a single dramatic event. Once safely on the northern bank, the herds disperse across the Mara and northern Serengeti, moving back and forth between Tanzania and Kenya as they follow localised rainfall and fresh grazing.

By October, the herds are usually concentrated north of the border in Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve, but as the season of the ‘short rains’ begins, they start moving south once more. Migrating through the central plains, their long march returns them to the nutrient-rich grasslands of the southern Serengeti. By December, many of the wildebeest are approaching the calving grounds, completing the migration in a natural cycle that has been followed for thousands of years. As they head south, the movement of herds is less concentrated than in earlier months, but this period can still offer rewarding game viewing, especially in the central and eastern Serengeti. And, as the long rains begin to fall in January, and the calves conceived in the previous year are born onto the plains of the southern Serengeti, so the cycle repeats itself once more.