The Serengeti is Africa at its most iconic. Endless golden plains alive with lions, elephants, buffalo and the red-cloaked Maasai. This is the stage for the Great Migration, when over a million wildebeest and zebra journey north, facing crocodile-filled rivers and dramatic predator encounters. Yet even beyond migration season, the Serengeti teems with life year-round. From sunrise game drives to hot-air balloon safaris, every moment here feels timeless; wild Africa, perfectly preserved.
Home to the world’s greatest single concentration of wildlife, the Serengeti National Park is the Africa of the imagination. Known as ‘the land that goes on forever’, its rolling savannahs are where elephants, buffalo, big cats and antelope co-exist with red-robed Maasai herders.
It is of course most famous for its annual wildebeest migration when over a million animals move between the Serengeti and Kenya’s Masai Mara. But it is in the Serengeti that some of the most exciting chapters of the migration play out: the birthing season (when up to 400 000 calves are born) or the migration river-crossings, when the wildebeest herds run the gauntlet of monstrous crocodiles as they return to the Masai Mara.
But you don’t have to travel to the Serengeti during migration season to enjoy excellent game viewing. Wildlife is prolific throughout the year, and the park has an international reputation for predators – big cats, hyenas, birds of prey and wild dogs.
You’ll sit back to morning and afternoon game drives; if you stay in a private concession then you have the advantage of spot-lit night drives and guided walks too. Hot-air balloon safaris are a popular way to view the landscape, and many lodges offer the chance to interact with local communities during non-invasive cultural tours.
Talk to Safari Online about a Serengeti National Park safari. We’ll recommend the best tour for your requirements or tailor-make an itinerary for you. It’s easy to include Zanzibar and the well-known destinations on Tanzania’s Northern Safari Circuit (Lake Manyara, the Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire) as well as less well-known but equally rewarding places. Tanzania’s southern secrets of Rubondo Island, Katavi, Ruaha and the chimpanzee-filled forests of Mahale are waiting to be discovered.
Abundant wildlife and a relatively dry and temperate climate means the Serengeti National Park is a year-round safari destination. Maximum average temperatures hover between 26C° and 29°C (79°F – 84°F) all year and there are two distinct rainy seasons – the ‘short’ rains of October and November and the main rains of March and April.
The best time to go to the Serengeti depends largely on whether you are planning to see the wildebeest migration.
The migrating herds first arrive in the northern Serengeti after the October and November rains, massing in the central and southern regions by the end of the year. The December and February migration calving season is a popular time to visit, taking place before the herds trek en masse to the west for the dramatic river crossings from June to August.
From August to October the wildebeest herds are mostly in the Masai Mara but rainfall in the Serengeti is low and it is a lovely time to visit for crowd-free game viewing.
There is a wide range of Serengeti lodges to choose from. Some of Africa’s most glamorous safari lodges lie on the Serengeti plains, as do intimate tented camps and family-friendly accommodations. There are candle-lit tented camps, grand manor houses and larger resorts with individual cottages.
You’ll enjoy excellent game viewing all year round at our recommendations. Many of our choices lie on private concessions to ensure crowd-free safaris and exclusive sightings. You’ll also have a large selection of other activities ranging from hot-air balloon safaris to cultural tours. However, if you plan to see the wildebeest migration in the Serengeti then the location of your lodge is vital.
Serengeti lodges are set on the traditional path of the great migration, ensuring you have ringside seats for all the action. Timing is therefore very important as the migration is a fluid affair, moving through the Serengeti and then into Kenya’s Masai Mara. And if you want the best seats at migration hotspots like the Grumeti and Mara Rivers, then you’ll need to book your Serengeti accommodation far in advance.
Browse our recommended Serengeti lodges below or contact us for more advice on the most suitable accommodation for your needs and budget. We can also help you time your Serengeti safari with the wildebeest migration. The December and February migration calving season is a popular time to visit, taking place before the herds trek en masse to the west for the dramatic river crossings from June to August.
The award-winning Sayari Camp is renowned for extraordinary wildlife sightings and supreme comfort. Set on the unspoilt plains of the Northern Serengeti, Sayari gives you easy access to the Mara River and multiple river crossing points in the Serengeti National Park.
Serengeti Kati Kati is a mobile tented camp located in Central Serengeti, strategically located to cover the vast Serengeti Plains. The camp offers comfortable accommodation and a unique opportunity to enjoy a real safari camp experience.
Offering unrivalled luxury, Lemala Kuria Hills Lodge is situated in the Wogakurya Hills, close to the Mara River on the Tanzanian side of the border and within the main corridor of the world-famous wildebeest migration.
Immerse yourself in the Great Migration at Olakira Migration Camp. You will feel the earth vibrate during brave winter crossings of the mighty rivers in the north, or be moved beyond measure by the mass summer calving on the south’s grassy plains.
Thanks to the famous wildebeest migration, there’s enough drama in Tanzania’s flagship reserve to enjoy a Serengeti safari as a stand-alone holiday. But with the Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire National Park and Lake Manyara in close proximity, the Serengeti fits very easily into a classic ‘northern circuit’. You’ll be assured of a wide diversity of safari experiences and can take advantage of tried-and-tested travel logistics.
Travel further afield in Tanzania and your Serengeti safari combines with some of the most exciting wildlife experiences in East Africa: chimp tracking in the Mahale Mountains, exploring the vast Selous Reserve, or snorkelling off a coral reef in Zanzibar.
When planning your Serengeti safari, remember that the wildebeest migration is a seasonal affair and moves through the Serengeti as well as Kenya’s Masai Mara. Talk to us about booking a Serengeti safari to coincide with the migration or browse our Serengeti and Masai Mara combination safaris. Alternatively, simply contact us and we’ll create a Serengeti safari based on your needs and budget.
Our team of destination experts will design a holiday to meet your budget and interests. Let’s start planning your tailor-made African safari today!
The Serengeti lies at the centre of Tanzania’s Northern Safari Circuit, a diverse collection of parks that combine easily into a single itinerary. The Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara are the most popular combinations but Tarangire National Park is good in the June to October dry season.
Tanzania’s southern safari destinations are highly recommended for those seeking a crowd-free safari and who want to add chimpanzee sightings to their Serengeti safari. For a beach holiday finale, Zanzibar is often combined with the Serengeti but Rubondo Island on Lake Victoria offers an enticing beach experience with a unique safari theme.
