Serengeti

The Serengeti — 14,763 km² of Africa's most iconic savannah and the heartbeat of the Great Migration.

Overview

About Serengeti

Serengeti National Park spans 14,763 square kilometres of grassland, savannah, and riverine forest in northern Tanzania, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. The Serengeti ecosystem, including adjacent reserves and conservancies, covers over 30,000 square kilometres and supports approximately 1.5 million wildebeest, 250,000 zebra, and 500,000 Thomson's gazelle in the annual Great Migration circuit. The park sustains an estimated 3,000 lions — one of the largest populations on Earth.

Best Time to Visit

When to Go

December to March for calving in the southern plains. June to July for the western corridor river crossings. Year-round for resident game and predators.

Wildlife

What You'll See

Over 3,000 lions, 1,000 leopards, 500 cheetahs, large packs of wild dog in the northern sector, over 500 bird species. The southern short-grass plains host the largest concentration of predators during the February calving season.

Getting There

Your Journey Begins

Scheduled flights from Arusha Airport to Serengeti airstrips (Seronera, Kogatende, Lamai, Grumeti, Ndutu) take 1-2 hours. Road access from Arusha via Ngorongoro is approximately 335 km (7-8 hours).

Areas to Explore

Within Serengeti

Southern Serengeti & Ndutu Plains

8,000 wildebeest born daily in February — the Great Migration's dramatic calving season on the open plains.

The southern Serengeti short-grass plains and adjacent Ndutu area in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area form the calving grounds where approximately 8,000 wildebeest are born daily during a 2-3 week peak in February. The alkaline Lake Ndutu and Lake Masek attract flamingos and waterfowl. Predator density peaks here during calving — cheetah, lion, and hyena follow the herds onto the open plains.

Central Serengeti & Seronera Valley

Year-round Big Five viewing at the Seronera Valley — leopards in riverine forest and lions on the iconic kopjes.

The Seronera Valley in the central Serengeti is the park's year-round game-viewing epicentre, where the Seronera River and its tributary kopje-studded valleys support resident populations of lion, leopard, elephant, and buffalo. The iconic Simba Kopjes — granite rock outcrops — are favoured by lions as vantage points. Seronera is also the park's administrative hub with the Serengeti Visitor Centre.

Northern Serengeti & Kogatende

The Mara River's most dramatic crossings — massive crocodiles, million-strong herds, and the fewest visitors.

The northern Serengeti around Kogatende and the Mara River hosts the migration's most spectacular river crossings from July to November. The Mara River runs through narrow gorges here, creating perilous crossing points where crocodiles up to 5 metres long await the herds. This remote sector sees far fewer visitors than the central Serengeti, with several fly-camps and luxury tented lodges along the river.

Western Corridor & Grumeti

Singita's 140,000-hectare private concession — the migration's first river crossings at the Grumeti.

The western corridor stretches from Seronera to Lake Victoria and includes the Grumeti River system, where the migration passes through in May and June. The Grumeti Reserves (managed by Singita) encompass 140,000 hectares of private concession with exclusive access. The Grumeti River's resident Nile crocodile population — some individuals exceeding 5 metres — creates intense crossing drama here before the main Mara River events.

Curated Journeys