Over 1.5 million wildebeest, alongside hundreds of thousands of zebra and gazelle, move in a roughly circular route between the Serengeti and the Maasai Mara every year, chasing rain and fresh grazing. It isn't a single event - it's a year-round cycle, and where the herds are depends entirely on the month.
The Circuit
Calving happens in the southern Serengeti's short-grass plains, typically January to March, when hundreds of thousands of calves are born within a few weeks of each other. As the plains dry out, the herds move north and west through the Serengeti from April to June, then push toward the Mara River from July onward.
The River Crossings
July through September is when the herds cross into the Maasai Mara itself, and the river crossings - wildebeest plunging down steep banks into crocodile-filled water - are what most people picture when they think "migration." Crossings happen on the herds' own schedule, not a timetable, so several days in the Mara during this window gives a far better chance than a single day trip.
Predators Follow the Herds
Lion, cheetah, and leopard sightings tend to spike wherever the migration currently is, since predators position themselves along the route. A Mara safari in migration season isn't just about the wildebeest themselves - it's some of the best predator viewing of the year as a direct result.
Reserve or Conservancy
The Mara's public reserve sees the migration at its biggest and most crowded. The private conservancies bordering it - lower vehicle density, walking safaris and night drives permitted - see the same herds with far fewer other vehicles around, at a higher nightly rate.
Timing a trip around the crossings takes some coordination with your guide's read of where the herds are that week. Start planning your migration-season trip and we'll build the timing around it.
