Serengeti National Park

Where It Is and How It Is Laid Out

The park sits between the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to the southeast, the Grumeti and Ikorongo reserves to the west, Loliondo to the east and the Masai Mara to the north. It helps to think of it in four parts:

• The southern plains around Ndutu, open grassland where the herds calve early in the year
• Seronera in the centre, with resident wildlife all year
• The Western Corridor, following the Grumeti River toward Lake Victoria
• The north, around Kogatende and the Mara River

Wildlife and Activities

The migration is the headline, but the Serengeti holds plenty of resident wildlife too. The wider ecosystem supports more than 3,000 lions, and Seronera is known for big cats year-round. Leopard, cheetah, spotted hyena, elephant, buffalo and giraffe are all regularly seen, and more than 500 bird species have been recorded.

Inside the national park, days revolve around morning and afternoon game drives on the road network. Walking and night drives are restricted inside the park and are easier to arrange on the private land around it, like the Grumeti Reserve.

Best Time to Go

The herds follow the rain, so dates shift a little every year. A rough calendar:

• January–March: calving on the southern plains around Ndutu. Most calves are born within a few weeks of each other, usually around February, and predators gather.
• April–May: the long rains. The herds start moving northwest, and some camps close.
• May–July: the herds pass through the Western Corridor and Grumeti.
• July–October: the herds are in the far north and across the border in the Mara, with Mara River crossings. Crossings are never guaranteed.
• November–December: the short rains bring the herds back south through the east of the park.

Our month-by-month safari guide covers how the Serengeti fits with the rest of Africa through the year.

Getting There and How Long to Stay

Most people fly in by light aircraft from Arusha, landing at airstrips such as Seronera in the centre or Kogatende in the north. Driving in from the Ngorongoro highlands is possible but makes for a long day on rough roads. Plan on at least three or four nights, and if you have a week, split it between two camps in different parts of the park so you are where the herds are. Light aircraft have strict luggage limits, so check our safari packing list.

Where to Stay in the Serengeti

Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti is a large, full-service hotel in the central Serengeti, with a waterhole in front of the pool and plenty of space for families. Seronera's resident game is within easy reach all year.

Lamai Serengeti is a small Nomad Tanzania camp built into a kopje in the far north, close to the Mara River. It is the one to book for the crossing season, roughly July to October.

For the private reserve on the western edge, see Grumeti Reserve. If you are comparing both sides of the border, our guide to the Masai Mara explains how the Kenyan side works.