The Great Migration: Where the Herds Are Each Month

Around 1.5 million wildebeest, 250,000 zebra and hundreds of thousands of gazelle move clockwise through the Serengeti–Mara ecosystem, following rainfall and fresh grass. The herds never stop, so 'seeing the migration' is really a question of positioning your camp in the right sector for your dates.

December to March — Ndutu and the southern plains

Volcanic soils in the south produce mineral-rich short grass, ideal for nursing mothers. The herds arrive in December and calve from late January through February. Predator density here in February is as high as anywhere on earth.

April and May — the central and western Serengeti

As the long rains fall, the herds drift north-west in long columns through the Moru kopjes towards the western corridor. Rutting season begins in May and the noise of half a million wildebeest at dusk is unforgettable.

June — the Grumeti River

The first serious water obstacle. Crossings on the Grumeti are less famous than the Mara but just as dramatic, and the resident crocodiles here are enormous. Far fewer vehicles come this way.

July to October — the Mara River in the north

This is the crossing everyone pictures. Herds mass on the southern bank, hesitate, and then pour across. Crossings are unpredictable — some days there are three, some days none — so plan at least two nights in the north if this is your goal.

November — moving south again

The short rains pull the herds back down through the eastern and central Serengeti, and by December the loop is closing on the southern plains again.

Two honest warnings

• ·The migration follows rain, not calendars. Shifts of two to three weeks either way are normal.
• ·River crossings cannot be guaranteed by any operator. Anyone who guarantees one is selling you something they do not control.