The Great Migration – The Serengeti Wildebeest Migration Safari
FROM $ 800 USD* PER PERSON
*price p.p. incl. guide, safari-jeep, hotel and park entrance fees, excl. international flight (Based on 6 persons)
The Great Migration – The Serengeti Wildebeest Migration
The Great Migration – also known as the annual Migration or the Wildebeest Migration is the greatest show of the world. It’s an impressive migration that involves about two million herbivores including the African buffaloes, zebras and gazelles as they move circulating the Northern Tanzania and Kenya in search of a better pasture. It’s indeed and impressive event.
This movement attract several predators such as lions, leopards, cheetahs and hyenas and it regarded as a must watch experience. It gets even much more exciting as the herbivores traverse the crocodile feasted rivers as they cross the other side of the river while being chased by the predators.
The Greta Migration is indeed one ] of the most sought-after experiences for wildlife and nature lovers. The Wildebeest migration in Tanzania is makes Serengeti & Masai Mara the most visited parks as it occurs majorly and only in the Serengeti-Mara regions.
Simply put, this is the greatest representation of the pattern of life on planet earth. This is the best place and time to watch animals in their natural habitat and they interaction with the environment.
Why do wildebeest migrate?
The 800 kilometer movement – the largest mammal migration ever recorded on earth that includes the immense number of herbivores is purposely in search of greener pastures.
This is a very predictable pattern in that the timing of the migration is perfectly in respect to the greening of nutritious grasses on the short-grass plains during the wet season.
Besides the search for a greener and more nutritious pastures, the other exciting purpose for the migration is to locate a habitat with relatively shorter grasses that enables the herbivores to perfectly graze while easily able to spot predators from a distance.
When the shorter and greener plains dry, the wildebeest are forced to move in search of greener pastures in the western corridor before embarking on a movement to the Northern part of the ecosystem before coming to the southern part –hence the clockwise annual rotated movement.
Great Migration Safari Holidays: the basics
The Great migration is usually year round and when booking a specific Wildebeest migration, you just have to consult so we can professionally advice. The wildebeest migrate in a circular motion around the Serengeti National Park and for just about two months, this incredible wildlife show shall be present in the famous Masai Mara.
The entire Greta migration hypothesis is a complicated idea that may be hard to wrap your head around but, with the help from our experienced and local team, we are happy to have a call to clearly explain this to you and guide you as per the recommended safari accommodations and part of the park to be at for the most ultimate experience.
Our professional team shall always coordinate to take you to areas of the park with the highest concentration of these herbivores so as to get the very best of the migration.
If you want the very best of the experience, the months of July to November is your best bet so that you can have the chance of witnessing the dramatic Mara River crossings.
As a general rule of thumb, it is never guaranteed that if we send you to a certain area that you will definitely see the migration, as their route can be notoriously unreliable. Because of this, we strongly recommend you plan your stay in Serengeti for about 4-5 nights to get the very best of the Wildebeest Migration.
Suggested Safari Packages
The ultimate Wildebeest Migration guide
Our ultimate Wildebeest Great migration guide covering the entire migration circle in Tanzania and Kenya gives you an informed and trusted knowledge of the exact time to plan your Wildebeest migration encounter in Tanzania’s famed Serengeti or Masai Mara.
Much as these are wild animals and their behaviors may be unexpected. The outlined information is well researched and confirmed to be accurate and have very little deviation for example, you can be rest assured that every year around November or late October, the herbivores including wildebeest, gazelles and zebras shall cross from Tanzania into Kenya, the wildebeest only ever cross in between Kogatende and the Lamai Wedge (Tanzania to Tanzania).
If you would like to plan your Wildebeest Migration adventure to Serengeti or Masai Mara, you definitely want to do this by the help of a professional and sound recognized company like Serengeti Mara experts to be perfectly and properly guided on the right time and right accommodation to choose from so as to have the very best experience from the adventure.
You don’t want to book an accommodation yourself and find out later that it’s quite far from the migration location.
If going mobile is a little too adventurous for you, then the Serengeti Mara Experts team is happy to plan a more luxurious stay inside the permanent migration lodges depending on your budget. All you need to do is engage our expert team and we shall present various options and perfectly guide on the time, where and best way to go for your Serengeti Wildebeest Migration.
Now, the Great Migration month by month.
December to March
During the months of December and March, the great migration is always in the short green plains of the Southern Serengeti that extends into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
The herbivores migrate to the Southern part of Serengeti to prepare for calving. This is because the shorter grass provides an ample view of the predators and they can easily escape in case they sense any threat.
The presence of Lake Ndutu ensures that there is sufficient drinking water after a satisfying grazing in the short plains of Ndutu. Serengeti Mara recommends overnight at Africa Safari South oar Ndutu Lodge and Kusini during your stay here.
April to May
During the months of April and May, the Ndutu plains has started to bush, making it hard for the herbivores to clearly see predators and therefor, they move to the Western corridor. The Wildebeest migration moves north into the plains of the southern Serengeti with front runners stretching out to the Western Corridor and center of the park at Seronera.
Much as the migration may still be sighted in the Seronera part of Serengeti, we recommend booking accommodations that are in the Grumeti area as the migration is easier and more fun to experience from there.
June and July
In the month of June and July, the Serengeti great Migration is in the western corridor of Serengeti. His is also regarded as the mating season for the herds, so can be very noisy if you catch many together.
Being he mating season, there is a zig zag and dramatic movement as one group tends to head West into the Western Corridor and crosses the Grumeti River before leaving the park and entering the exclusive Singita Grumeti Reserves while others may choose to remain in the park.
Some groups head to the Ikorongo Game reserve on the Serengeti’s Western corridor before the early and fast runners arrive into the Kogatende (Northern Serengeti) area in late July.
Meanwhile, the other herds migrate immediately to the north of the Serengeti, passing through Seronera, Lobo, and the Bologonja River region along the eastern boundary with the Loliondo reserve at Kleins. There is a great possibility of sighting some herds in any part of the Western corridor as they move freely in search of nutritious pasture this period.
August through to October
In the months of August, September and October, the wildebeest, gazelles and zebras are in the Northern Serengeti at Kogatende and some are in Kenya’s Masai Mara.
It’s fairly easy to witness River crossings happen daily here. With only a fraction of the visitor numbers that visit Kogatende compared to the multitude that flock in Masai Mara this period, witnessing the Great migration from the Kogatende is highly recommended for an intimate satisfying adventure.
This is an exciting experience as the wild herds are simply following local rainfall, some moving northwards, as some move southwards and many move in both directions in the same day.
These wild herbivores are social in that, if one wildebeest takes the leap of faith, many may cross too, and similarly if one decides to turn back and cross over again, many will most likely follow suit; there may be 10 which decide to cross or 10,000.
The month of August to October is regarded by many as the very best time to witness both the migration and river crossing however, because of the adventurous nature of the experience, many tourists will crowd to witness the same hence making this month the most crowded of all. Because of this, an early preparation and booking is greatly recommended to avoid finding the accommodations unavailable.
November
In November, the remaining herbivores that haven’t comeback from the Mara river are now crossing to the Southern part of Serengeti as the multitude of wildebeest, gazelles and zebras start their second Great Migration south towards the fertile lands of the Ndutu plains where the rains will have rejuvenated the grasses since the herds were last there earlier in the year.
This movement is also in preparation for the forthcoming calving season. They need the greener pasture for grazing and the shorter plains for the clear sight of predators.
November is one of your best bet if you want to avoid the large crowd that come for the Great migration witnessing in the months of July-October.
Having provided the above, we need you to know that these are wild and their movement may not be as much predictable as indicated
The Migration is also entirely dependent on rain, and this is something we have no control to however, with the help of weather forecast and the highly accumulated experience, we are able to professionally advice.
Summary
| Month of the year | Wildebeest Migration location |
| December – February | Southern Serengeti & Ndutu plains of Ngorongoro and Serengeti Ndutu |
| March | Southern Serengeti, Ndutu & Central Serengeti |
| April – May | Western Corridor (Grumeti) |
| June-October | Northern Serengeti and Masai Mara – Kogatende & Lamai |
| November | Northern Serengeti, Masai Mara & Central Serengeti |
Accommodation options on a Great Migration safari
When it comes to The Great Migration accommodations, there is no need to worry because many camps are always available with great services and facilities wherever the migration is.
The choice of a mobile tent may be a perfect idea as it guarantees you immense satisfaction due to the strategic location of the camp respective of the current migration location.
If you prefer to explore the wildf in a more luxurious manner, planning a Great wildebeest migration as you lodge in a luxury permantnet tent is your best bet.
Many of these luxurious migration lodges such as Namiri Plains and Four Season Serengeti are designed to deliver ultimate wild experience as you enjoy your perfect wildebeest migration encounter in Serengeti.
What Is the best time for The Great Migration?
This is a question with no clear answer. The great wildebeest migration is observable throughout the year and therefore, it is pretty much a matter of personal choice and depending on the activity of your desire, you can plan your migration safari anytime of the year and yes, it will be fun and mind-blowing.
Having mentioned that, if you want to witness the grazing and merely movement of the migration, any month of the year is awesome for you. If you would like to witness the grazing and calving of the herbivores, the months of December to March is the greatest time for you. Precisely, the months of February would be fun for you.
Meanwhile, the months of June-October and early November are much recommended for guests who want to witness the massive crossing of the Mara River.
When is the Great Wildebeest Migration in Tanzania and when is it in Masai Mara, Kenya?
Yes, it’s true that throughout the entire year, the wildebeest & gazelle herds are always in Tanzania and for just a few months, some of the herds are in Kenya.
The migration is always in the Mara area of Kenya around the months of August to November. Around this time of the year, the herds are crossing the Mara River in Tanzania between Kogatende and the Lamai wedge which is literally the land between the Mara River and the border to Kenya.
Given the fact that the Masai Mara is somewhat small and many tourist always crowd in Masai, we strongly recommend basing in the Kogatende area of Tanzania as the area has lesser guests and offers more exciting and experience.
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Low season
Oct, Nov, Mar, Apr, may
Peak season
Jun, July, Aug, Sept, Dec