Destination

Serengeti National Park

Open plains, big cats and the migration herds

Two giraffes walking across the Serengeti plains with a hot-air balloon behind them

The Serengeti is Tanzania’s most famous national park: a UNESCO World Heritage Site of about 14,750 km² of open plains where more than a million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebra and gazelle follow the rains in a year-round cycle. It is also one of the best places in Africa to see lion, leopard and cheetah.

Size: About 14,750 km²
From Arusha: About 7–8 hours by road to the central Serengeti (Seronera), or a short scheduled flight
Best for: Big cats, the Great Migration, wide-open scenery
Best time: Year-round; the migration region changes with the month (see below)
Status: National park and UNESCO World Heritage Site (1981)

What stands out

Central Serengeti (Seronera): resident lion, leopard and cheetah all year
Southern Serengeti and Ndutu (about December to March): wildebeest calving season
Western Corridor and Grumeti River (about May to June): migration herds moving north
Northern Serengeti and the Mara River (about July to October): the river crossings
Hot-air balloon safaris at dawn (optional extra)

Animals you may see

Lion Leopard Cheetah Elephant Buffalo Giraffe Hippo Wildebeest Zebra Spotted hyena

Nothing is guaranteed, but your guide knows where to look and when.

When to go

The Serengeti is rewarding in every month because the herds are always somewhere in the ecosystem. Calving on the southern plains peaks around February; river crossings in the north are most likely from July to October; the central Serengeti is reliably good for predators year-round. The long rains (about April and May) bring green landscapes, fewer visitors and lower prices.

Month-by-month guide