The Great Migration
Follow one of nature's greatest wildlife spectacles as wildebeests and zebras move through the ecosystem.
Tanzania National Parks
Serengeti National Park
Endless golden plains, extraordinary wildlife and the legendary Great Migration come together in one of Africa's most celebrated safari destinations.
- Location
- Northern Tanzania
- Known For
- Great Migration
- Wildlife
- Big Five & 70+ species
- Experience
- Year-round safari
Discover Serengeti
Where the plains seem to stretch forever.
Serengeti National Park is one of Africa's most celebrated safari destinations, known for endless golden plains and exceptional wildlife. Its ecosystem supports elephants, lions, buffaloes, leopards and many other species, while the annual Great Migration brings millions of wildebeests and zebras across the landscape.
Together with the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Mount Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti forms part of Tanzania's remarkable natural heritage and offers an unforgettable setting for wildlife encounters.
Why Serengeti
One destination, countless safari moments.
From dramatic predator encounters to peaceful views across the plains, the Serengeti offers a wildlife experience that changes with the seasons.
The Big Five
Lions, elephants, buffaloes, leopards and rhinos are among the iconic animals found across the ecosystem.
Endless Landscapes
Open grasslands, rivers, woodland and rocky outcrops create a constantly changing safari backdrop.
Year-Round Wildlife
The Serengeti remains rewarding throughout the year, with different seasons bringing different highlights.
Location
Where is Serengeti National Park?
Serengeti National Park is located in northern Tanzania and forms part of one of Africa's most significant wildlife ecosystems. The park covers approximately 1.5 million hectares and stretches west toward Lake Victoria.
To the north, the Serengeti connects with Kenya's Maasai Mara ecosystem, allowing wildlife to move freely across borders during the Great Migration. To the south lies the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
When to visit
Every season tells a different Serengeti story.
Wildlife movements, rainfall and landscape conditions change throughout the year. Your ideal travel period depends on the experience you want most.
Calving Season
The southern plains become especially rewarding as wildebeests give birth and predator activity increases.
Green Season
Lush scenery, fewer visitors and excellent opportunities for a quieter safari experience.
Dry Season & Migration
Wildlife concentrates around water while migration activity moves through the western and northern regions.
Short Rains
The landscape turns green again as the migration cycle continues southward toward the plains.
What is the best month to visit Serengeti?
There is no single perfect month. Each period offers its own combination of wildlife, scenery, migration activity and visitor levels.
Calving season in the southern Serengeti. Green scenery, abundant wildlife and strong predator activity.
Calving continues, with predators taking advantage of vulnerable newborns and excellent wildlife viewing.
The landscape remains lush as the herds prepare to move and seasonal conditions begin to change.
Long rains bring greener scenery and fewer visitors, although some roads can become challenging.
The rains begin to ease while the migration starts moving northward and the landscape remains lush.
Dry-season conditions begin and migration river crossings become a major highlight in the western corridor.
A prime period for migration activity, dramatic river crossings and excellent general game viewing.
Migration spectacle continues in northern Serengeti near the Mara River, with strong wildlife concentrations.
Dry weather and good wildlife viewing continue, offering a balanced safari experience with fewer crowds than August.
As the dry season ends, wildlife remains easy to spot and migration activity begins shifting southward.
Short rains refresh the landscape while the migration continues southward across the plains.
The herds return toward the southern plains as the landscape becomes lush and wildlife remains rewarding.
Explore the area
Discover the different faces of Serengeti.
The Serengeti is vast, and each region offers a different landscape, wildlife rhythm and safari atmosphere.
Central SerengetiSeronera ValleyThe heart of year-round wildlife activity, known for permanent water sources and excellent opportunities to see lions, leopards, cheetahs and elephants.
Western SerengetiGrumeti CorridorA quieter region of savanna, riverine forest and floodplains, famous for the migration's western movement and dramatic river crossings.
Northern SerengetiMara River CountryA more remote landscape where rolling hills, rivers and open plains create excellent conditions for wildlife encounters and migration crossings.
Southern SerengetiNdutu AreaWhere the southern Serengeti meets the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Ndutu's short-grass plains and soda lakes host the wildebeest calving season from around December to March, drawing lions, cheetahs and hyenas in remarkable numbers.
Wildlife
A wildlife-rich ecosystem on an extraordinary scale.
The Serengeti is home to more than seventy species of large mammals and is one of Africa's most wildlife-rich areas. Wildlife movements can be constant and unpredictable, making every game drive different.
Experienced safari guides use local knowledge, communication systems and an understanding of animal movements to help create rewarding viewing opportunities.
12 animals to look for
Lion
Chance of seeingVery common
Where to look: Seronera Valley, the kopjes and the southern plains
The Serengeti holds one of Africa's largest lion populations. Prides rest on the granite kopjes and follow the migration herds across the plains.
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Leopard
Chance of seeingOccasional
Where to look: Sausage and acacia trees along the Seronera River
Shy and solitary, leopards are best found draped in trees along the Seronera River. Patient guides and good luck make all the difference.
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Elephant
Chance of seeingCommon
Where to look: Northern and western woodlands, and Seronera
Family herds move through the woodlands and riverine areas, especially in the northern and western Serengeti.
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Buffalo
Chance of seeingCommon
Where to look: Throughout the park, near water and long grass
Large herds graze across the park, while old bulls often rest alone near rivers and marshes.
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Rhino
Chance of seeingRare
Where to look: Moru Kopjes, a protected area in the south-west
Black rhinos are rare and closely protected. Sightings are a real privilege, most likely around the Moru Kopjes.
5 / 12
Cheetah
Chance of seeingCommon
Where to look: Open short-grass plains of the south, including Ndutu
The open southern plains are perfect cheetah country. Look for them on termite mounds, scanning the grass for gazelles.
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Giraffe
Chance of seeingVery common
Where to look: Acacia woodland across the park
Graceful Masai giraffes, the tallest of all, browse the acacia woodlands throughout the Serengeti.
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Zebra
Chance of seeingVery common
Where to look: Everywhere, moving with the migration
Hundreds of thousands of zebras travel with the wildebeest, often leading the herds to fresh grazing.
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Wildebeest
Chance of seeingVery common
Where to look: Wherever the migration is: south in Jan–Mar, north in Jul–Oct
Around a million and a half wildebeest move in a great circle through the ecosystem, the heart of the Great Migration.
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Hyena
Chance of seeingVery common
Where to look: Plains and kopjes throughout the park
Spotted hyenas are skilled hunters and scavengers, very common across the plains and especially active at dawn and dusk.
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Gazelles
Chance of seeingVery common
Where to look: Short-grass plains, especially in the south
Thomson's and Grant's gazelles graze the open plains in their thousands, and are a favourite prey of cheetahs.
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Hippo
Chance of seeingVery common
Where to look: Retima Hippo Pool, and the Grumeti and Mara rivers
Dozens of hippos crowd the Retima Hippo Pool and the larger rivers, grunting and splashing through the day.
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The Great Migration
Follow one of nature's greatest journeys.
Millions of wildebeests and zebras move through the Serengeti ecosystem in search of fresh grazing and water. The route changes with seasonal rainfall and grazing conditions, creating different wildlife highlights throughout the year.
From calving in the southern plains to river crossings farther north, the migration brings intense predator activity and some of the most memorable moments in safari.
Safaris to 中文
Serengeti safaris
Hand-crafted itineraries that include the Serengeti, from short fly-in escapes to classic northern circuit journeys.
Tanzania · 5 days
5-Day A Luxury Tour by Air (Mto wa Mbu, Ngorongoro, Serengeti)
Ngorongoro · Serengeti
Private & tailor-madePrice on requestView trip
Tanzania · 9 days
9-Day Ultimate Tanzania Luxury Safari (Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti, Mto wa Mbu)
Tarangire · Ngorongoro · Serengeti
Private & tailor-madePrice on requestView trip
Tanzania · 13 days
13-Day Exceptional Safari: Premium Northern Parks & 1 Southern Park
Tarangire · Lake Manyara · Serengeti · Nyerere
Private & tailor-madePrice on requestView trip
Tanzania · 10 days
10-Day Exceptional Northern Tanzania Safari: A Luxury Tour by Air
Tarangire · Lake Manyara · Serengeti
Private & tailor-madePrice on requestView trip
Tanzania · 4 days
4-Day Serengeti Luxury Fly-In Safari
Serengeti
Private & tailor-madePrice on requestView trip
Tanzania · 5 days
5-Day Ultimate Fly-In/Out Safari from Arusha/Zanzibar
Serengeti · Ngorongoro
Private & tailor-madePrice on requestView trip
Tanzania · 5 days
5-Day Ultimate Luxury Fly-In & Out Prodigy
Serengeti · Ngorongoro
Private & tailor-madePrice on requestView trip
Tanzania · 7 days
7-Day Lion Safari Experience
Tarangire · Serengeti · Ngorongoro · Lake Manyara
Private & tailor-madePrice on requestView trip
Tanzania · 6 days
6-Day Elephant Safari Experience
Ngorongoro · Serengeti
Private & tailor-madePrice on requestView trip
Stay in 中文
Handpicked places to stay.
Choose accommodation based on your preferred region, safari style and the wildlife experience you want to enjoy.
Silver tier
Central Serengeti, TanzaniaSerengeti Simba LodgeA hilltop safari lodge overlooking the western Serengeti, combining panoramic plains views, permanent tented accommodatiTented lodgeView lodge
Gold tier
Central Serengeti, TanzaniaSerengeti Serena Safari LodgeA much-loved classic lodge in the heart of the Serengeti, with Maasai-inspired rondavels and sweeping views across the pClassic safari lodgeView lodge
Platinum tier
Central Serengeti, TanzaniaFour Seasons Safari Lodge SerengetiFive-star safari luxury in Central Serengeti, where elephants drink at the waterhole below the infinity pool.Luxury safari lodgeView lodge
Silver tier
Western Serengeti, TanzaniaMbalageti Tented CampA scenic safari lodge in the Western Serengeti overlooking the Mbalageti River Valley, combining comfortable tented accoTented safari lodgeView lodge
Gold tier
Western Serengeti, TanzaniaKirawira Serena CampAn elegant luxury tented camp on a hillside in the Western Serengeti, with Edwardian-style interiors and wide views overLuxury tented campView lodge
Platinum tier
Western Serengeti, TanzaniaMbalageti Serengeti LodgeThe Mbalageti Serengeti Lodge sits high on Mwamyeni Hill in the Western Corridor, with panoramic views over the MbalagetSafari lodgeView lodge
Gold tier
Northern Serengeti, TanzaniaSerengeti Sametu CampA peaceful tented camp on the quiet eastern edge of Central Serengeti, beside the Ngare Nanyuki River and away from the Tented campView lodge
Silver tier
Northern Serengeti, TanzaniaMara Kati Kati Tented CampA classic mobile camp near the Mara River, close to the dramatic river crossings of the Great Migration.Mobile tented campView lodge
Gold tier
Northern Serengeti, TanzaniaMara Mara Tented LodgeA smart tented lodge on a hilltop near the Mara River, with a pool and views over the northern Serengeti.Hilltop tented lodgeView lodge
Platinum tier
Northern Serengeti, TanzaniaSerengeti BushtopsAn intimate luxury camp in the remote northern Serengeti, where every tent has its own hot tub overlooking the plains.Luxury tented campView lodge
Silver tier
Ndutu, Southern Serengeti, TanzaniaNdutu Safari LodgeA classic, much-loved lodge among the acacias above Lake Ndutu, in the heart of the calving grounds.Classic safari lodgeView lodge
Gold tier
Ndutu, Southern Serengeti, TanzaniaLake Masek Tented CampStylish tents on the shores of Lake Masek, with a front-row seat to the calving season of the Great Migration.Lakeside tented campView lodge
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Usually replies within minutesHeritage
The story behind the Serengeti.
Long before European exploration, the Serengeti plains were inhabited by indigenous African communities who coexisted with wildlife for generations. The region was later documented by European explorers and became increasingly important for conservation.
Conservation efforts expanded through the twentieth century, with the Serengeti officially declared a national park and later recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its global ecological significance.
Today, the Serengeti remains one of Africa's most iconic protected areas and attracts visitors from around the world while continuing to support one of the planet's great natural ecosystems.
Is Serengeti National Park worth visiting?
Yes. Its vast landscapes, exceptional biodiversity and the Great Migration make Serengeti one of the world's most renowned safari destinations.
How many days are enough for the Serengeti?
The ideal number of days depends on the regions and experiences you want to include. A longer stay gives you more time to explore different areas and follow wildlife movements.
When is the best time to visit Serengeti?
Every season has advantages. The dry season is excellent for general wildlife viewing, while January to March is particularly rewarding for the calving season.
When can I see the Great Migration?
The migration takes place throughout the year as the herds move through different parts of the Serengeti ecosystem. The exact timing varies with rainfall and grazing conditions.
What animals can I see in Serengeti?
Wildlife includes lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, cheetahs, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, hyenas, hippos and many antelope species.
Can Serengeti be combined with Ngorongoro?
Yes. Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area are commonly combined in northern Tanzania safari itineraries.
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