Over a million wildebeest, alongside large numbers of zebra and gazelle, move in a roughly circular pattern between Tanzania’s Serengeti and Kenya’s Maasai Mara each year, following the rains in search of fresh grazing — the single most talked-about wildlife spectacle in East Africa.
Where the herds are, and when
The migration doesn’t follow a fixed calendar, since it responds to rainfall, but a general pattern holds: calving season is roughly January–March on the southern Serengeti plains, the herds move north through the year, and the dramatic Mara River crossings typically happen from around July to October as the migration reaches Kenya.
Choosing where to base yourself
Travellers hoping specifically for river crossings should plan a Kenya-based safari around July–October; those more interested in newborn calves and the predator action that follows them should look at a Tanzania-based trip from January–March. We can help time your dates around what you most want to see.