The Great Migration: a cycle, not a date
The months are the park authorities’ rough guide.
Every year, according to Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), over 2 million wildebeest, together with hundreds of thousands of zebras and gazelles, move on a circuit of about 1,800 km (1118 mi) through the Serengeti in Tanzania and the Maasai Mara in Kenya. The migration goes on all year, following the rains and fresh grass; when the herds are where can shift.
TANAPA describes the cycle like this: calving in the south from January to March, moving through the central Serengeti in April and May, crossing the Grumeti River in the west in June and July, crossing the Mara River in August and September, returning through the north in October and November. In December the herds reach the southern plains again.
The authority advises staying flexible, booking early and choosing experienced guides who know where the herds are.
TANAPA: The Great Migration of Wildebeest, annual cycle (accessed 3 October 2026) ↗
In numbers
- Wildebeest (TANAPA)
- over 2 million
- Circuit
- about 1,800 km (1118 mi)
- Calves
- over 500,000 in 2 to 3 weeks
- Calving in the south
- January to March
- Central Serengeti
- April and May
- Grumeti in the west
- June and July
- Mara crossings
- August and September
- Return through the north
- October and November
- Ndutu (NCAA)
- late December to April
- Mara Triangle (Mara Conservancy)
- June/July to November
