Great Migration Safaris

The Great Migration is the year-round movement of more than a million and a half wildebeest, plus hundreds of thousands of zebra and gazelle, in a huge clockwise loop through the Serengeti in Tanzania and the Maasai Mara in Kenya. Driven by the rains and fresh grazing, it's the largest overland wildlife movement on earth, and it never stops, so there is something to see in every month of the year.

It depends which chapter you want. For the famous Mara River crossings in the northern Serengeti and Maasai Mara, come roughly July to October. For the calving on the southern Serengeti plains, come in January and February. The main window to avoid is the long rains from late March to May. Tell us which spectacle you're chasing and we'll time your trip and camps around it.

They're the same ecosystem and the same herds, just either side of the border. The Serengeti in Tanzania holds the migration for most of the year, including the calving in the south and the northern crossings, while the Maasai Mara in Kenya is best from around August to October when the herds push north. Many of our best migration trips combine both. We'll advise which side to be on for your dates.

No honest operator can, because the crossings are wild and unpredictable, herds can wait days on the bank before they move. What we can do is stack the odds heavily in your favour: travel in the crossing window, base you in camps right on the Mara River, and build in enough days at the crossing points so you're there when it happens. Guides and a little patience do the rest.

We'd suggest a minimum of around 7 days to reach the migration and give yourself time at the crossing points or the calving grounds, rather than rushing. Eight to ten days lets you pair the herds with the Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire, or combine the Serengeti with the Maasai Mara. Tell us how long you have and we'll build the right balance.

Every trip is tailor-made, so it depends on the camps and how you travel. A classic migration safari staying in luxury tented camps starts from around $9,275 per person, while longer trips that combine the Serengeti and the Maasai Mara, or add Zanzibar, run higher. We hold exclusive rates at many of the best camps on the migration routes, and we'll build a trip to match your budget.