Serengeti

An ecosystem, not a single park

The Serengeti National Park forms the largest part of an ecosystem shared with Kenya's Maasai Mara, and its scale means different sectors suit different months. The southern plains, near Ndutu, are known for the migration's calving season, when hundreds of thousands of wildebeest give birth within a short window. The central Seronera area holds resident wildlife year-round, while the western corridor and northern sector see the migration pass through as herds move toward and across the Mara River.

Reading the migration's calendar

Because the herds follow rainfall rather than a fixed timetable, timing a Serengeti visit around a specific event, such as calving or a river crossing, means choosing the right sector and month together rather than simply picking a season; our migration guide sets this out region by region. Beyond the migration, the Serengeti supports large resident populations of lion, leopard and cheetah, making it a rewarding safari destination at any time of year. Balloon safaris are also on offer here, launching before dawn over the plains for a different perspective on the herds and the landscape's sheer scale.

Pairing with the coast

Many itineraries combine the Serengeti with the Ngorongoro Crater on the way in or out, and with time on Zanzibar afterward; our Serengeti & Zanzibar itinerary follows this route. The park's name derives from the Maasai word for endless plains, an apt description of the horizon-to-horizon grassland that defines its central and southern reaches, mirrored across the border by Kenya's own Maasai Mara.