Great Migration

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The Great Migration is the continuous movement of huge numbers of wildebeest and zebra throughout the Serengeti in Tanzania and the bottom of the Maasai Mara in Kenya.   These enormous herds migrate throughout the year following the seasonal rains that produce the freshest grazing and clearest water areas.  The migration’s specific location is entirely dependent on the rainfall patterns however it is possible to make a rough prediction of their location throughout the year as follows:

January / February / March: The herds are camped on the short grass plains enjoying the excellent grazing. The wildebeest calving season is a short window period during February creating a lot of activity and excitement.

April / May: The herds move west across the plains, around Moru Kopjes, often in prodigious columns, preparing for their dynamic movement northwards. This is also the wildebeest “rut” when males fight for their breeding rights.

June / July: Having moved into the Serengeti western corridor, the wildebeest start to file northwards with some dramatic scenes as they endeavour to cross the Grumeti River. As they head further north they tend to spread out a little more into the Grumeti Reserves and central Serengeti.

August / September / October: The herds are now spread out across the northern Serengeti, straddling the border of the Maasai Mara in Kenya. This is where the most dramatic river crossing scenes take place as the frantic herds traverse the Mara River travelling north and south.

November: As the short rains begin the wildebeest start migrating again, moving south through the Lobo area and Loliondo concessions, targeting the fresh green shoots that are starting to appear on the Serengeti short grass plains.

December: After the “short rains” the herds of wildebeest and zebra move south towards and into the Serengeti short grass plains in the south and east corner of the park around Ndutu whilst also crossing into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

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Itineraries

Read the Safari&Beach Guide to the Great Migration.

Recommended places to stay will be dependent upon where the migration is predicted to be at the time.  Broadly speaking, the Migration tends to be in the Serengeti in Tanzania from November to September moving to and from the Masai Mara in Kenya around the end of September to the beginning of November.  Some of our places on the circuit are as follows:

Great Migration

Dunia Camp

Dunia Camp is small, intimate luxury camp well located in the central Serengeti between Seronera and the Moru Kopje....

S&B Rating:
$680 Per person, per night  
Dunia Camp

Elephant Pepper Camp

Situated on the northern edge of the Masai Mara Nature Reserve in 3,600 sq km of wilderness within the protected Koikiya wilderness are...

S&B Rating:
$550 Per person, per night  
Elephant Pepper Camp

Faru Faru Lodge

Faru Faru Lodge is one of the three luxurious Singita lodges within the Grumeti Reserve on the border of the Serengeti....

S&B Rating:
$1000 Per person, per night  
Faru Faru Lodge

Four Seasons Safari Lodge

The Four Seasons Safari Lodge is a newly refurbished lodge that reopened under the Four Seasons umbrella and ideally is located the cen...

S&B Rating:
$700 Per person, per night  
Four Seasons Safari Lodge

Kazkaz Mara Camp

A new luxury semi permanent camp ideally placed, close to the Mara river, and perfect for catching the great wildebeest migration and q...

S&B Rating:
$500 Per person, per night  
Kazkaz Mara Camp

Kicheche Mara Camp

A classic tented camp hidden in the beautiful Acacia Valley in a prime wildlife location on the Mara North Conservancy...

S&B Rating:
$420 Per person, per night  
Kicheche Mara Camp

Kichwa Tembo

Luxurious and comfortable camp on the edge of the main reserve offering far reaching views across the plains. Kichwa Tembo has the rar...

S&B Rating:
$400 Per person, per night  
Kichwa Tembo

Lake Masek Tented Camp

Lake Masek Tented Camp is located by the shores of Lake Masek in Ndutu, situated between the vast plains of the Serengeti National Park...

S&B Rating:
$400 Per person, per night  
Lake Masek Tented Camp

Lamai Serengeti

An iconic camp in a prime site in the far northern sector of the Serengeti close to where the wildebeest migration cross the Mara river...

S&B Rating:
$600 Per person, per night  
Lamai Serengeti

Lemala Kuria Hills

Offering unrivalled luxury, the camp is situated in the Wogakurya Hills, close to the Mara River and within the main corridor of the wo...

S&B Rating:
$700 Per person, per night  
Lemala Kuria Hills

Mbalageti Camp

Mbalageti is uniquely placed for breathtaking panorama views of the Serengeti Plains and the Mbalageti River, ideal for catching the an...

S&B Rating:
$275 Per person, per night  
Mbalageti Camp

Naona Moru Camp

Award winning luxury tented camp from this fabulous Tanzanian operator....

S&B Rating:
$250 Per person, per night  
Naona Moru Camp

Nasikia Migration Camp

A safari rich mobile camp set to follow the wildebeest migration as it moves through the Serengeti....

S&B Rating:
$250 Per person, per night  
Nasikia Migration Camp

Ndutu Safari Lodge

Ndutu Safari Lodge is situated in the south-eastern region of the Serengeti ecosystem on the shores of Lake Ndutu....

S&B Rating:
$200 Per person, per night  
Ndutu Safari Lodge

Nomad Serengeti Camp

Nomad Serengeti Safari Camp is a traditional luxury mobile tented camp that changes location within the Serengeti every few weeks to be...

S&B Rating:
$450 Per person, per night  
Nomad Serengeti Camp

Ol Seki Hemingways Mara

This private tented camp bordering the Masai Mara is your enclave of luxury in the wildest terrain of Kenya....

S&B Rating:
$500 Per person, per night  
Ol Seki Hemingways Mara

Olakira Camp

Olakira Camp is a luxury mobile tented camp that moves through the southern and central Serengeti, into the areas which have the greate...

S&B Rating:
$400 Per person, per night  
Olakira Camp

Rekero Camp

Situated amidst the teeming wildife of the Masai Mara Nature Reserve at 4,800 ft and close to the famous and ancient animal crossings a...

S&B Rating:
$540 Per person, per night  
Rekero Camp

Kichwa Tembo

Masai Mara

Kazkaz Mara Camp

Tanzania, Serengeti

Naona Moru Camp

Tanzania, Serengeti

Lake Masek Tented Camp

Tanzania, Serengeti

Lamai Serengeti

Tanzania, Serengeti

Rekero Camp

Masai Mara, Kenya

Nasikia Migration Camp

Tanzania, Serengeti

Elephant Pepper Camp

Masai Mara, Kenya

Olakira Camp

Tanzania, Serengeti

Dunia Camp

Tanzania, Serengeti

favourite Great Migration places to stay

Nomad Serengeti Camp

Nomad Serengeti Safari Camp is a traditional luxury mobile tented camp that changes location within the Serengeti every few weeks to be...

S&B Rating:
$450 Per person, per night  
Nomad Serengeti Camp

Kicheche Bush Camp

A small, intimate tented camp set in the Olare Orok Conservancy in the Masai Mara game reserve. The ultra low-impact spread of six gue...

S&B Rating:
$460 Per person, per night  
Kicheche Bush Camp

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