Serengeti & the Mara Ecosystem
Two million wildebeest and zebra on the move across the Serengeti — the greatest wildlife spectacle on earth.
Serengeti & the Mara Ecosystem · Wild & Nature Safaris
The Experience
The Great Migration is the largest overland animal movement on the planet: a rolling, year-round circle of more than a million wildebeest, vast herds of zebra and gazelles, and the predators that follow them across the Serengeti–Mara ecosystem. Nothing about it is staged or scheduled — the herds move with the rains, and every season writes its own chapter, from the calving plains of the south to the dramatic river crossings of the north.
A migration safari is built around timing and patience. Your guide reads the grass, the weather and the herds, positioning you for the action of the season — crossings at the water’s edge in the dry months, or the newborn season when the southern plains teem with life. Whether you watch from a vehicle or drift over the columns at dawn in a balloon, the spectacle is the same: the wild, moving as it always has.
Highlights
The moments that define Great Migration — the encounters, landscapes and feelings that make this experience unforgettable.
Between June and October the herds gather on the riverbanks of the north — the crossing itself is never guaranteed, but the tension and drama are unforgettable.
From December to March the southern Serengeti fills with newborn wildebeest — and with the lion, cheetah and hyena drawn to the abundance.
Wildebeest and zebra stretch to the horizon in loose, shifting lines, raising dust clouds that glow gold in the late light.
Lions, leopards, cheetahs and hyenas shadow the herds day and night — the migration is as much about the hunters as the hunted.
An optional balloon flight reveals the true scale of the movement, with silent columns threading across the plains far below.
When to Go
The migration moves in a seasonal loop — here is what the year looks like along its path.
June – October
The dry months push the herds north towards the Mara River, where the drama of the crossings unfolds on the sandbanks.
December – March
Short rains refresh the southern plains and the herds gather to calve on the short grass — a season of new life and intense predator action.
Recommended Journeys
Hand-crafted itineraries where Great Migration takes centre stage — each one shaped around the wildlife, landscapes and rhythm of the season.
Follow more than a million wildebeest across the Serengeti’s endless plains — a private five-day journey through the greatest wildlife spectacle on earth, timed to the herds and shaped entirely around you.
From $3,450 per person
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Experience one of nature’s most extraordinary spectacles on this four-day Ndutu Migration Safari, specially crafted around the dramatic wildebeest calving season in Tanzania’s Southern Serengeti.
Private safari · enquire for pricing
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A four-day private Tanzania safari linking baobab-dotted Tarangire, the legendary Serengeti plains and the wildlife-filled floor of the Ngorongoro Crater.
Private safari · enquire for pricing
View ItineraryGood to Know
The questions travellers ask us most often about Great Migration.
— Wild & Nature Safaris
No sighting can be guaranteed — crossings happen when the herds decide. What we can promise is the right timing, patient guiding and unhurried hours where the action usually unfolds.
There is no single best month: June to October is prime for river crossings in the north, while December to March brings calving on the southern plains. We match the season to what you most want to see.
In comfortable tented camps and lodges positioned close to the herds of the season — moving with the wildlife rather than commuting to it.