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1. What the Great Migration Actually Is

(and What Drives It?)

Said very simple, the Great Migration is continuous movement of around 1.3–1.5 million wildebeest, accompanied by 250,000–300,000 zebras (and hundreds of thousands of gazelles too!), across the Serengeti–Mara ecosystem (one of the most impressive national parks in South-East Africa!).

Why this unbelievable amount of animals are constantly moving you might ask?

Well, there are several reasons, which can be reduced to four main ones: 

• Rainfall, that determine where fresh grass grows (food!)

• Grass protein content, determines whether females can lactate (reproduction!)

• Flat, open plains reduce predation during calving (survival!)

• Permanent rivers become bottlenecks later in the year (survival once again!)

Recent research on Serengeti wildebeest, has shown that lactating females require grass with ~7% crude protein to sustain milk production: when grass quality drops below that level, the herds move.

This explains a crucial point many articles gloss often over: the Migration does not follow months — it follows nutrition.

So, from now on, just keep in mind that when we are talking about “months”, those are just averages based on long-term rainfall data 🙂

2. Where the Migration Happens

in Tanzania (Regions Explained)

In Tanzania, the Migration unfolds almost entirely inside the Serengeti National Park, an area of roughly 14,750 km².

For planning your trip, it is probably helpful to think in “functional zones” rather than park boundaries.

Here after we will try to give you an idea of what happens where during the year. Said that, we also would recommend you to contact your tour guides in advance and ask for their recommendation based on current data (which as we’ve seen, might be different from historical ones, given that weather is often unpredicatable 😉 ).

This is, in brief, what you should keep in mind:

Southern Serengeti & Ndutu (Dec–Mar)

Short-grass plains where calving happens. Visibility is high, predators concentrate here, and the action is constant rather than episodic.

Central Serengeti (Seronera) (Apr–Jun)

A transition zone with permanent water. The herds pass through rather than stay, yet wildlife density remains high year-round (and it’s spectacular for taking epic shots!).

Western Corridor & Grumeti (May–Jul)

The most underestimated region in our opinion. River crossings happen here weeks before the Mara, with fewer vehicles and less chaos.

Northern Serengeti (Jul–Oct)

Home to the Mara River crossings (the largest river of the region!). Dramatic, unpredictable, and less crowded than the Kenyan side!

Side note to keep in mind: Migration does not pass through Arusha, Lake Manyara, or Tarangire. Those parks are also wonderful, but simply are not part of this system 🙂

3. Month-by-Month:

Where to Be and What can you see?

Below we will leave you what normally happens in an average rainfall year.

When planning your trip, always take into account that real conditions may shift by a few weeks!

January –February

Calving season in Ndutu and the southern plains. At peak, up to 8,000 calves are born per day! (CRAZY!!!) Predation is intense and constant, as carnivores are trying to snatch some newborns from the herds. 

Overall, is one of the most interesting seasons to visit the parks of Tanzania and during these months, movements are constant!

March–April

The herds during these months begin moving northwest.

Long rains (it’s the rainiest season!) can make roads challenging. Said that, crowds are also at the lowest point, the landscapes is at its greenest and prices are lower.

May–June

Movement into the Western Corridor. First Grumeti River crossings occur, often with far fewer vehicles than later in the year.

July–September

Northern Serengeti and Mara River crossings: it’s peak drama season! Crossings during these months are not daily events. You may wait hours or days… but when they happen, they are chaotic and brief: crocodiles, steep banks, thousands of wildebeasts…it’s pure natural chaos! 🙂

October–November-December

The return south begins with the first short rains once more!

No river drama in these months, but massive columns of animals on the move and excellent softer light for photography 🙂

Fun Fact: Did you know that Zebras are often called the “meteorologists of the Savannah”? They can sense bad weather from 30km away and usually are the ones driving the packs! 🙂

If you want to know more about East Africa animal curiosities, be sure to check out also our article Why Lions Climb Trees, and other 15 Unique animal behavious of SE Africa ! 😉

4. Tanzania vs Kenya:

Where the Migration Is Better (and Why)

We wildly spoke about Kenya in our blog too (and also about when is the best time to visit it). In this paragraph, we thought of briefly giving you a comparison between Tanzania and Kenya to help you choose your next trip destination!

Two main factors you should take into consideration when planning your trip are scale and time:

• Serengeti ecosystem: ~30,000 km² (in Tanzania, this is the entire ecosystem where the migration happens, together with the Ngorongoro national park) 

• Maasai Mara Reserve: ~1,510 km² (in Kenya, north of Mara River)

The scale of savannah between the two countries is huge, with Tanzania having a much bigger part of the migration ecosystem!

 To oversimply complex facts, these is a brief comparison to give you an idea:

Kenya offers:

• Migration presence for ~3–4 months

• Easier access

• Higher vehicle density at crossings

Tanzania offers:

• Migration presence year-round

• More space and fewer vehicles

• Multiple phases beyond river crossings

Said in simple terms: if your goal is taking a single, dramatic crossing photo, Kenya can deliver on that wish :)On the other side, if your goal is understanding and living the Migration as a system, Tanzania offers a deeper experience, which can be enjoyed slower and for longer!

5. How to Plan a Migration Safari

Without Guessing

If you want to plan a good migration trip, remember to think backwards: season first (what interests you most?), location second (where you want to see it?), lodge last (where you’ll stay to enjoy your African experience at its fullest!).

A few rules that we believe are helpful to keep in mind:

• Stay at least 3 nights per area: safaris are wonderful, but they also take a lot of energy out of you! Early rides, strong heat, sunrays… sometimes you might find yourself at 14.00 calling it a day! Staying at least 3 nights in the same area gives your body time to recover, relax, and to your mind time to process all the incredible sights you’ll be seeing every day! 

• Mobile camps might outperform fixed lodgesfor migration tracking: lodges are awesome (and we love the comfort!). Said that, sometimes also mobile camps might do the trick, especially if you’re a passionate photographer or if you want to witness particular migration moments 🙂

• Be sceptical of agencies promoting “guaranteed crossings”: crossings are never truly guaranteed, of course the likelihood can be high, but never 100% 🙂 

• Ask operators where the herds were last week, not last year: on such a wide area, routes can change year-to-year and so are the nomadic periods. Your guides are your expert eyes, so be sure to have a good contact with your tour operators to get the best info about what’s next! 🙂

Extra Fun Fact: did you know that researchers track migration movements using NDVI vegetation indexes, satellite rainfall data, and ranger reports? Serious operators do the same.

Conclusion

And here we are at the end of this article 🙂

In this post, we’ve seen what the Great Migration is, why it happens, and how it happens along the year.

If there is a thing you should remember from this article, let it be this: the Great Migration is not an event, but a unique, constant, incredible, living pattern! 😉

Before going I’d like to ask you what you think about this article:

• Have you been to East Africa before?
• Have you ever been on a Safari before?
• How was your experience?

If you want, let us know in the comments below! (we always like chatting and meeting new people!).

Thanks for reading, and I wish you a happy life!

See you in the next article 🙂

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