The single most common migration mistake is treating it as one event with one date. It is a continuous, roughly clockwise loop driven by the rains and the grass. There is no month with no migration — only different chapters in different places. Pick your chapter, then put yourself next to it.
Month by month
- January — herds gather on the southern short-grass plains (Ndutu); calving begins.
- February — calving peak. Hundreds of thousands of calves born; intense predator activity.
- March — herds still south, beginning to drift west as the long rains approach.
- April–May — long rains. Herds fracture and move through the western corridor; quietest, greenest, cheapest. Some camps close.
- June — the rut; columns push north and west, often around the Grumeti.
- July — herds reach the north; Mara River crossings begin.
- August–September — peak northern crossings. The iconic chaos at the river.
- October — final crossings; herds begin turning south as the short rains build.
- November–December — short rains; herds disperse back toward the southern plains. Green, good value.
How to actually use this
Two rules turn the calendar into a booking decision:
- Match your camp’s location to your month. A permanent camp in the central or southern Serengeti is the wrong base for August crossings — and a northern camp is wrong for February calving.
- Consider a mobile (seasonal) camp. Some camps physically relocate twice a year to follow the herds — the simplest way to guarantee you wake up near the action.
Where Zanzibar comes in
Most travellers fly Serengeti → Zanzibar to end on the beach. After early-morning game drives, the east coast is the right kind of slow. See our bush + beach itineraries for how to time the combination, and getting to Zanzibar for the connection.