Planning · 10 June 2026 · 7 min read
When (and Where) to See the Great Migration
The herds never stop moving — so timing is everything. A month-by-month guide to positioning yourself for the greatest wildlife spectacle on Earth.
Ask when to see the Great Migration and you'll get a different answer from every safari-goer — because the migration isn't an event, it's a year-round circuit. Nearly two million wildebeest, zebra and gazelle move clockwise around the Serengeti ecosystem, following rain and fresh grass.
The good news: there is no bad month. The better news: if you know what you want to see — calving, columns on the move, or river crossings — you can be in exactly the right place.
December to March: the southern plains
The herds mass on the short-grass plains of the southern Serengeti and Ndutu. In a roughly three-week window (usually February), half a million calves are born — and the predators know it. This is the best season for big-cat action and dramatic green-season skies.
April to June: the long trek west
As the plains dry, the columns push north and west through the Western Corridor. The long rains keep visitor numbers low, prices gentle, and the landscape luminous. The Grumeti River sees the year's first crossings.
July to October: river country
The season everyone pictures: herds stacked nervously on the banks of the Mara River in the northern Serengeti, crocodiles waiting below. Crossings can never be guaranteed, but staying several nights in the north puts the odds firmly in your favour.
Talk to us about which month fits your travel window — we'll build the camp placement around it.
