The Serengeti National Park is one of the oldest, largest, and most ecologically important wildlife areas on earth. Covering approximately 14,763 square kilometers in northern Tanzania, it sits at the heart of a wider ecosystem of around 30,000 square kilometers that includes the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Maswa Game Reserve, and Kenya's Maasai Mara to the north. The landscape shifts from the short-grass plains of the southern Serengeti, dotted with kopjes, to the long-grass woodlands of the Western Corridor, the riverine forests of the north, and the Lobo area's rocky hills and seasonal streams. The Serengeti was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 and is the site of the Great Migration, the largest overland movement of animals on earth: more than 1.5 million wildebeest, 250,000 zebras, and 500,000 Thomson's gazelles rotating clockwise through the ecosystem across the year in search of fresh grass and water.
Highlights
Top Experiences
The Great Migration, year-round and always somewhere in the ecosystem: calving on the southern plains (January to March), the great northward push (April to June), Mara River crossings at the Kenya border (July to October), and the return south (November to December)
Big cat encounters — the Serengeti has one of the world's highest densities of lions, along with strong cheetah populations on the southern plains and leopards in the woodland and riverine areas
Hot air balloon safari at dawn over the plains, one of the most iconic experiences in African travel, followed by a bush breakfast
Walking safaris with armed ranger guides from tented camps in the northern Serengeti and Western Corridor
Kopje climbing and exploration, the granite outcrops that dot the plains serving as lion prides' lookout points and hyena dens
Night game drives from private conservancies and lodges bordering the park
Birdwatching across multiple habitat types, with more than 500 species including the lilac-breasted roller, kori bustard, secretary bird, ostrich, and dozens of raptor species
Photography safaris, with professional guides and photographic vehicles available from specialist operators
Great Migration Calendar
January to March: wildebeest calving season on the short-grass southern Serengeti plains around Ndutu, with massive predator activity. April to May: the long grass season as herds move northwest. June to July: herds arrive in the Western Corridor and begin pushing north toward the Mara. July to October: Mara River crossings in the north, the most dramatic and photographed phase. November to December: the herds return south as the short rains freshen the southern plains.
Getting There
Daily scheduled flights from Arusha and Dar es Salaam serve Seronera, Kogatende (northern Serengeti), and Grumeti airstrips. Road access from Arusha via Ngorongoro and the Naabi Hill gate takes around six hours to Seronera.
🦍 With GorillaWise Collection & Safaris
We build Serengeti itineraries around the migration calendar, placing you in the right zone at the right time and pairing it with Ngorongoro, Tarangire, and Zanzibar for a complete northern Tanzania circuit.
Available Packages
🗓️ Best Time to Visit
Year round — each season has its own wildlife highlights. The Mara River crossings (July–October) are the most dramatic. Calving season (January–March) in the south is spectacular for predator action.
Tanzania 🇹🇿