Serengeti National Park

The Serengeti covers about 14,750 km² of grassland, woodland and rocky outcrops in northern Tanzania. Its name is usually traced to the Maasai word siringet, meaning "the place where the land runs on forever", and on the southern plains it really does seem to.

The park is the heart of a much larger ecosystem that includes the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to the south-east and Kenya's Maasai Mara to the north. Through it moves the Great Migration, the largest overland movement of large mammals on Earth.

The Serengeti was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. It has one of the highest densities of large predators in Africa, including lions, leopards, cheetahs and spotted hyenas.

What to see and do

• The Great Migration

  Around 1.5 million wildebeest, with hundreds of thousands of zebras and gazelles, follow the rains in a year-round loop between Tanzania and Kenya.

• Calving season in the south

  Between roughly January and March, hundreds of thousands of wildebeest calves are born on the short-grass plains around Ndutu, drawing predators.

• River crossings in the north

  From about July to October the herds cross the Mara River, braving crocodiles in one of the most dramatic sights in nature.

• Big cats of the central Serengeti

  The Seronera area has water all year and is one of the best places in Africa to see lions, leopards and cheetahs.

• Hot-air balloon safaris

  Dawn balloon flights drift over the plains, ending with breakfast in the bush.

• Kopjes

  Granite outcrops rising from the grass, where lions often rest in the shade.

When to go

The Serengeti is good all year, but where you go depends on the month. December to March is best in the southern plains for calving. April and May are the long rains, quieter and greener, with lower prices. June and July usually find the herds in the western corridor around the Grumeti River, and from July to October they are in the north near the Mara River.

The dry season, June to October, is the easiest time for game viewing, as animals gather near water and the grass is short.

Getting there

Most visitors start in Arusha, which has an international airport nearby (Kilimanjaro International Airport). From there, safaris drive through the Ngorongoro highlands into the park, a full day's journey, or fly by light aircraft to airstrips such as Seronera in one to two hours.

Park fees are charged per person per day and are paid online or through your tour operator. Check the current fees with Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) before you book.

Good to know

• Combine the Serengeti with the Ngorongoro Crater, which is on the way from Arusha.
• Ask your operator where the herds are expected in your travel month. The migration moves with the rain, so timing is never guaranteed.
• Bring layers: early mornings on game drives can be cold, even when days are hot.
• Check your vaccination and malaria advice, and current travel advice, before you go.

More about Tanzania and Kenya in our country guides.