With the beginning of the long rainy season that runs until May, the Great Wildebeest Migration will start to move on. April usually marks the last month that you can encounter the wildebeest herds on the southern Serengeti plains. It is however impossible to predict the exact time when the herds will continue their move further north.

May is definitely a major moving month as the wildebeest herds proceed to the northern grazing grounds. Some herds will head directly north but the majority will move into Serengeti’s western corridor. As it is very difficult to allocate the exact position, it is best to focus on staying in Central Serengeti as you are able to move easily in whichever direction the herds will be!

The wildebeest herds will now be mainly in Serengeti’s Western Corridor. Here they will face their first obstacle on the way – the Grumeti river! Encountering the Great Wildebeest Migration in June is bizarrely noisy as the males fight for dominance and mating partners.

During the entire month of June, the wildebeest herds are widely spread – some will cross Grumeti river and proceed north through the private game reserve of Grumeti; others will cross via Central Serengeti and head further through Lobo – the connection between Central and Northern Serengeti.

If you are travelling in June, we suggest splitting your time between the Western Corridor and Central Serengeti to maximize your chances of seeing the herds. The first front-runners are expected to arrive in Northern Serengeti by early July.

From July to October, the Great Wildebeest Migration is now expected to concentrate in Northern Serengeti around Kogatende area as well as partially in Kenya’s Masai Mara. Kogatende is simply remarkable and the famous river crossings that you may be familiar with from wildlife documentaries take place here at the legendary Mara river. The Mara river, with its dangerous Nile crocodiles and strong current, is a major obstacle that the herds must overcome to reach green pastures!

July and August are considered as the prime river-crossing months and Kogatende is definitely the place to be. You can witness some of the largest river crossings. It is also peak travel season so it is recommended to arrange your visit well in advance. The month of September is much quitter in terms of travelers and the wildebeest herds will still be crossing. The Mara river region with its lush landscape is a wonderful area – truly outstanding in its natural beauty!

Many travelers assume that the Great Migration heads North from June onwards, proceeds to Kenya in July and stays in Masai Mara until October before returning to Tanzania in November. This sounds like a nice theory but the reality is quite different. The Great Migration spectacularly crosses back and forth over the dangerous Mara river. Rather than one big mass crossing of this dramatic obstacle, there are many small and hectic crossings based on spontaneous decisions.

With the beginning of the short rainy season in November, the Great Migration will start to move again. November is considered a major moving month and it is an incredible encounter to see the mega-herds. They will spread between Serengeti’s Lobo area and the Seronera Valley.

November is also a good travel month that offers great value due to low-season rates at the camps and lodges. We recommend to focus on Central Serengeti as it gives you the largest flexibility for game drives in search for the wildebeest herds.

Although the rain is unpredictable, it does help to reduce the dust and by far there are less travelers on the road.

December is definitely a challenging month to predict the exact location of the wildebeest herds as their movement is reliant on the rains. They are still moving south to the wet grazing grounds of southern Serengeti and Lake Ndutu within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Predators are already waiting for the herds to arrive!

Finding the main herd during this time is notoriously difficult as they cover great distances daily and spread across the southern Serengeti ecosystem. If you are travelling at the beginning of the month it is best to focus on a stay in Central Serengeti, while towards the end of December it is best to split your stay between Central Serengeti and Lake Ndutu.