EXPERIENCE TANZANIA
The Great Migration
THE EXPERIENCE
A Journey Without a Beginning or End
The Great Migration is not a single event or a spectacle confined to one month. It is a continuous movement through the greater Serengeti ecosystem, driven by rainfall, fresh grazing and the instinct to survive.
Throughout the year, vast herds of wildebeest move alongside zebra and other grazing animals across the plains of Tanzania and Kenya. Their journey brings moments of extraordinary drama, from thousands of calves being born on the southern plains to predator encounters and the famous river crossings farther north.
Yet experiencing the migration is about more than witnessing one dramatic moment. It is about being in the right part of the ecosystem at the right time, watching the landscape change and understanding how wildlife responds to the seasons.
At Wild Horizon Safaris, we design migration journeys around when you plan to travel, positioning your safari where the herds are most likely to be rather than treating the Serengeti as one fixed destination.
WAYS TO EXPERIENCE IT
Your Migration Safari, Your Way
Calving Season Safari
Southern Serengeti • Ndutu
Experience the migration during one of its most intense periods, when enormous herds gather on the southern plains and thousands of young wildebeest enter the ecosystem.
River Crossing Safari
Northern Serengeti
Spend several days in the northern Serengeti during the period when migrating herds may attempt to cross the Mara River.
Private Migration Safari
Tailored Around Your Travel Dates
Let us design a private journey around the expected location of the migration, combining the Serengeti with other highlights of Tanzania’s Northern Circuit.
FOLLOW THE HERDS
The Migration Through the Year
Calving Season
The herds gather across the nutrient-rich short-grass plains of the southern Serengeti and Ndutu region. Large numbers of wildebeest calves are born during the peak calving period, attracting lions, cheetahs, hyenas and other predators.
The Herds Move North
As seasonal rains transform the landscape, the herds begin moving away from the southern plains. Large columns of wildebeest and zebra may spread through the central and western parts of the ecosystem as they follow fresh grazing.
The Journey North
The migration continues towards the north. Depending on rainfall and herd movement, dramatic crossings may occur along rivers encountered on the journey, while predators follow the enormous concentration of prey.
River Crossing Season
The northern Serengeti becomes one of the major migration areas as herds move between Tanzania and Kenya. Crossings of the Mara River can produce extraordinary scenes as wildebeest confront steep banks, currents and crocodiles.
The Return South
Short rains encourage fresh grass and begin drawing the migration southwards again through the Serengeti. The cycle gradually returns towards the southern plains, where another calving season will begin.
FOLLOW THE HERDS
Be There When the Wild Is Moving.
Tell us when you want to travel and we’ll design your safari around the seasonal movement of the Great Migration.Â