Wildebeest leaping from a riverbank into the water in a cloud of spray

Month by month · Arusha-based operator, TATO member

Great Migration Safari: Where the Herds Usually Are Each Month, and the Trip That Follows Them

The wildebeest herds circle the Serengeti all year. This page shows where they usually are each month on the Tanzanian side, which of our safaris goes there, the camp for every night and what it costs. For the full year with a map in one printable PDF, get our free Great Migration calendar; the rest of our planning is in the Tanzania safari planning guide.

The short answer

The year
Calving on the southern plains and Ndutu (usually December to March), the western corridor (usually May to July), the northern Serengeti and the Mara River (usually July to October), then back south (usually November). Month by month: the table below.
Two trips to start with
For calving, the 5-Day Ndutu Migration & Calving Safari (Dec to Apr) (from $2,150). For the Mara River, the 6-Day Luxury Mara River Migration Safari (luxury, from $3,630) or the 8-Day Tanzania Great Migration Mid-Range Safari (mid-range, from $2,703). Starting prices per person for two travellers sharing.
How sure
Rain moves the herds, so the months shift from year to year; we place you where they were last week, not where a chart says.
Plan a migration safariWhatsApp the Arusha desk

Both buttons do the typing. Plan a migration safari opens a one-minute form on this page with your month and what you want to see; WhatsApp opens with your request written out.

Arusha-based operator, TATO member.

Updated 25 October 2026. Prices read from our tour pages that day.

Month by month

Where the Herds Usually Are, Month by Month

Each row gives the area on the Tanzanian side where the herds usually are, what you usually see there, and the trips of ours whose own itinerary goes there. Tap a trip to jump to its card, or ask about your month and we reply with where the herds were that week.

Map of the Serengeti showing the migration loop: calving around Ndutu from mid-December to March, west to the western corridor and the Grumeti River from April to June, north to the Mara River from July to October, and back south through Lobo from October to December, with the Seronera, Ndutu, Lobo, Kogatende, Lamai, Grumeti, Sasakwa and Serengeti South airstrips
The migration loop, from our free Great Migration calendar. Tap the map to open it full size. Positions are approximate and shift from year to year.

The migration loop on one map

The herds move clockwise round the Serengeti, following the rain. The numbers on the map are these five stages:

  1. Ndutu area: calvingusually mid-December to March
  2. Southern Serengeti to the western corridor, crossing the Grumeti Riverusually April to June
  3. Western corridor to the northern Serengetiusually June to July
  4. Northern Serengeti to the Maasai Mara: the Mara River crossingsusually July to October, busiest in August and September
  5. Maasai Mara back to the northern Serengeti, Loliondo and Lobo, then southusually October to mid-December

The airstrips on the map are where fly-in trips land: Seronera in the centre, Ndutu in the south, Kogatende and Lamai by the Mara River.

Get the free calendar with this map

Where the herds usually are, month by monthJanuary: Southern Serengeti plains and Ndutu; February: Ndutu and the southern plains; March: Ndutu, then the central Serengeti; April: Central Serengeti; May: Central Serengeti, moving toward the western corridor; June: Western corridor, along the Grumeti River; July: Western corridor, then the northern Serengeti; August: Northern Serengeti and the Mara River; September: Northern Serengeti and the Mara River; October: Northern Serengeti, then south; November: Lobo and the central Serengeti, heading south; December: Central Serengeti to NdutuJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecSouthern plains, NdutuCentralWestNorthern Serengeti, Mara RiverCentralSouthCalvingMara River crossings
Drawn from the twelve rows below, not from a map: the colour is the area the herds are usually in that month.
Where the Great Migration usually is each month, and the Safari-TZ trips that go there
MonthWhere, usuallyWhat you usually seeOur trips there
JanuarySouthern Serengeti plains and NdutuCalving usually begins; the herds settle on the short-grass plains and lion, cheetah and hyena follow them.5-Day Ndutu Migration & Calving Safari (Dec to Apr) $2,1508-Day Southern Serengeti Migration Safari Tour $2,970Ask about January
FebruaryNdutu and the southern plainsCalving usually peaks: the most calves and the most predator action of the year.5-Day Ndutu Migration & Calving Safari (Dec to Apr) $2,1508-Day Southern Serengeti Migration Safari Tour $2,970Ask about February
MarchNdutu, then the central SerengetiCalving usually winds down; the herds start north as the long rains begin.5-Day Ndutu Migration & Calving Safari (Dec to Apr) $2,1508-Day Southern Serengeti Migration Safari Tour $2,970Ask about March
AprilCentral SerengetiLong rains: the herds usually drift north and spread out; some northern tracks are hard to pass.No migration trip is timed for this month. The 8-Day Tanzania Great Migration Mid-Range Safari and the 7-Day Serengeti Migration Luxury Safari spend nights in the central Serengeti, which our guides call productive all year.Ask about April
MayCentral Serengeti, moving toward the western corridorShowers ease; the herds usually move west across the central plains.No migration trip is timed for this month. The 8-Day Tanzania Great Migration Mid-Range Safari and the 7-Day Serengeti Migration Luxury Safari spend nights in the central Serengeti, which our guides call productive all year.Ask about May
JuneWestern corridor, along the Grumeti RiverThe herds usually gather in the western corridor, and the Grumeti River crossings usually start.No migration trip is timed for June. Our 6-Day Camping Northern Circuit Safari ($1,815) camps in the western and southern Serengeti; its own text says the migration is best seen June to September.Ask about June
JulyWestern corridor, then the northern SerengetiGrumeti crossings usually come first; the first Mara River crossings usually begin at Kogatende.5-Day Serengeti Migration & Big Five Safari $2,5536-Day Luxury Mara River Migration Safari $3,6307-Day Serengeti Migration Luxury Safari $4,2908-Day Tanzania Great Migration Mid-Range Safari $2,7038-Day Mara River Migration Mid-Luxury Safari $3,94010-Day Classic Mid-Range Migration Safari $3,740Ask about July
AugustNorthern Serengeti and the Mara RiverMara River crossings usually repeat through the month: the busiest month of the year.5-Day Serengeti Migration & Big Five Safari $2,5536-Day Luxury Mara River Migration Safari $3,6307-Day Serengeti Migration Luxury Safari $4,2908-Day Tanzania Great Migration Mid-Range Safari $2,7038-Day Mara River Migration Mid-Luxury Safari $3,94010-Day Classic Mid-Range Migration Safari $3,74017-Day Serengeti Migration Safari & Zanzibar Extension $6,750Ask about August
SeptemberNorthern Serengeti and the Mara RiverCrossings usually still happen, and the herds gather at the water.5-Day Serengeti Migration & Big Five Safari $2,5536-Day Luxury Mara River Migration Safari $3,6307-Day Serengeti Migration Luxury Safari $4,2908-Day Tanzania Great Migration Mid-Range Safari $2,7038-Day Mara River Migration Mid-Luxury Safari $3,94010-Day Classic Mid-Range Migration Safari $3,74017-Day Serengeti Migration Safari & Zanzibar Extension $6,750Ask about September
OctoberNorthern Serengeti, then southThe herds usually split between the northern Serengeti and Kenya’s Maasai Mara, then start south.5-Day Serengeti Migration & Big Five Safari $2,5536-Day Luxury Mara River Migration Safari $3,6307-Day Serengeti Migration Luxury Safari $4,2908-Day Tanzania Great Migration Mid-Range Safari $2,7038-Day Mara River Migration Mid-Luxury Safari $3,94010-Day Classic Mid-Range Migration Safari $3,74017-Day Serengeti Migration Safari & Zanzibar Extension $6,750Ask about October
NovemberLobo and the central Serengeti, heading southShort rains: the herds usually come back from the Mara into Tanzania, through Lobo and the central Serengeti, and move south.No migration trip is timed for this month. The 8-Day Tanzania Great Migration Mid-Range Safari and the 7-Day Serengeti Migration Luxury Safari spend nights in the central Serengeti, which our guides call productive all year.Ask about November
DecemberCentral Serengeti to NdutuThe herds usually reach the southern plains; calving can begin late in the month.5-Day Ndutu Migration & Calving Safari (Dec to Apr) $2,1508-Day Southern Serengeti Migration Safari Tour $2,970Ask about December

Months from our own guides: the Great Migration calendar, the best time to visit Tanzania for a safari and the month strip in our 7-day itinerary. They differ by a few weeks at the edges (calving January to February in one, December to March in another), so each row gives the wider range. Calving in detail: our Ndutu calving safari guide.

Free download

Get the Free Great Migration Calendar

Our 8-page PDF calendar puts the whole year on paper: the migration loop map above, where the herds usually are each month, and how to plan around the crossings. Print it, or keep it on your phone while you choose dates.

  • The migration loop: this map, a year on one page
  • The migration year: January to December, month by month, with the best base for each
  • The river crossing reality: why you plan a week in the right area, not a date
  • Three ways to plan: for calving, for the crossings, or for a broader safari
  • Ready to plan: how to put it into a trip with us

PDF, 8 pages, about 2.2 MB. The same calendar as on our Great Migration calendar page.

Send me the calendar

We use your email to send you the calendar and to answer if you write back. No spam.

Trips that follow the herds

The Migration Safaris We Run, with Prices

9 trips whose own itinerary goes where the herds usually are, grouped by season. Each card names the camp for every night, the months its own text supports and what the tour page says the price includes. "From" prices per person for two travellers sharing, as printed on each tour page, read 25 October 2026. Per day is the price divided by the tour's days, rounded.

Calving usually December to March

$2,150 to $2,970 per person

Both trips spend nights at Ndutu, on the short-grass plains where the herds calve. Ndutu camps fill early in this window, so ask about your dates first. More on the season: our Ndutu calving safari guide.

Close-up of a male lion with a dark mane

5 days, 4 nights · mid-range

5-Day Ndutu Migration & Calving Safari (Dec to Apr)

From $2,150 per person

$430 / day

Migration months: December to March. Its day 3 names the December to March calving season at Ndutu (its title says December to April).

Camps by night
  1. Night 1 Arusha Planet Lodge
  2. Night 2 Eileen's Trees Inn
  3. Night 3 Tanzania Bush Camps Ndutu Mobile Camp
  4. Night 4 Embalakai Ngorongoro Camp
Flights during the trip
Not included (tour page list)

Per person by group size (tour page)

2
$2,150
3 to 4
$1,725
5 to 6
$1,495
Solo
ask us

Price includes (tour page list): a driver-guide, park fees, meals, accommodation, activities, transport, taxes and VAT and round-trip airport transfers.

View itinerary and book: 5-Day Ndutu Migration & Calving Safari (Dec to Apr)Ask about dates: 5-Day Ndutu Migration & Calving Safari (Dec to Apr)Get a quote for this trip: 5-Day Ndutu Migration & Calving Safari (Dec to Apr)
Cheetah mother lying in dry grass with four cubs

8 days, 7 nights · mid-range

8-Day Southern Serengeti Migration Safari Tour

From $2,970 per person

$371 / day

Migration months: December to March. Runs year-round; best for the migration in December to March because it spends two nights at Ndutu Heritage Camp.

Camps by night
  1. Night 1 Arusha Planet Lodge
  2. Night 2 Farm of Dreams Lodge
  3. Night 3 Heart and Soul Lodge
  4. Nights 4 to 5 Ndutu Heritage Camp
  5. Night 6 Central Serengeti Luxury Camp
  6. Night 7 Arusha Planet Lodge
Flights during the trip
Not included (tour page list)

Per person by group size (tour page)

2
$2,970
3 to 4
$2,959
5 to 6
$2,926
Solo
ask us

Price includes (tour page list): a driver-guide, meals, activities, transport, taxes and VAT, round-trip airport transfers and bath towels. The list does not show park fees and accommodation; we confirm them in your quote.

Its tour page list does not show park fees or accommodation, although every night is named; ask us before you compare it with the others.

View itinerary and book: 8-Day Southern Serengeti Migration Safari TourAsk about dates: 8-Day Southern Serengeti Migration Safari TourGet a quote for this trip: 8-Day Southern Serengeti Migration Safari Tour
Ask about calving datesWhatsApp us

River crossings usually July to October

$2,553 to $4,290 per person

All five spend at least one night in the northern Serengeti near the Mara River. Shortest first. More time in the north gives more chances at a crossing; the Serengeti National Park guide covers the park's regions.

Wildebeest and zebra massed on a riverbank at the water

5 days, 4 nights · mid-range

5-Day Serengeti Migration & Big Five Safari

From $2,553 per person

$511 / day

Migration months: July to October. Its day 1 says the crossings season runs between July and October.

Camps by night
  1. Night 1 Mbuni Serengeti Camp
  2. Night 2 Sero Tented Camp
  3. Night 3 Mbuni Serengeti Camp
  4. Night 4 Marera Valley Lodge
Flights during the trip
Included (tour page list)

Per person by group size (tour page)

2
$2,553
3 to 4
$2,202
5 to 6
ask us
Solo
ask us

Price includes (tour page list): a driver-guide, park fees, meals, accommodation, activities, transport, taxes and VAT, round-trip airport transfers and bath towels.

Starts in Zanzibar: the morning flight into the Serengeti is on its list as included. It ends in Arusha.

View itinerary and book: 5-Day Serengeti Migration & Big Five SafariAsk about dates: 5-Day Serengeti Migration & Big Five SafariGet a quote for this trip: 5-Day Serengeti Migration & Big Five Safari
Leopard resting in the fork of a tree

6 days, 5 nights · luxury

6-Day Luxury Mara River Migration Safari

From $3,630 per person

$605 / day

Migration months: July to October. Its day 4 places the Mara River crossings in July to October.

Camps by night
  1. Night 1 Gran Meliá Arusha
  2. Night 2 Kitela Lodge
  3. Night 3 Signature Serengeti Luxury Tented Camp
  4. Night 4 Mara Mara Tented Lodge
  5. Night 5 Signature Serengeti Luxury Tented Camp
Flights during the trip
Not on its list

Per person by group size (tour page)

2
$3,630
3 to 4
$3,630
5 to 6
$3,630
Solo
ask us

Price includes (tour page list): a driver-guide, park fees, meals, accommodation, activities, transport, taxes and VAT, round-trip airport transfers and bath towels.

View itinerary and book: 6-Day Luxury Mara River Migration SafariAsk about dates: 6-Day Luxury Mara River Migration SafariGet a quote for this trip: 6-Day Luxury Mara River Migration Safari
Cheetah lying in long golden grass

7 days, 6 nights · luxury

7-Day Serengeti Migration Luxury Safari

From $4,290 per person

$613 / day

Migration months: July to October. Runs year-round; best for the migration in July to October because it spends a night at Mara Mara Tented Lodge in the northern Serengeti.

Camps by night
  1. Night 1 Arusha Serena Hotel
  2. Night 2 Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge
  3. Night 3 Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge
  4. Night 4 Mara Mara Tented Lodge
  5. Night 5 Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge
  6. Night 6 Arusha Serena Hotel
Flights during the trip
Not on its list

Per person by group size (tour page)

2
$4,290
3 to 4
$4,290
5 to 6
$4,290
Solo
ask us

Price includes (tour page list): a driver-guide, park fees, meals, accommodation, activities, transport, taxes and VAT, round-trip airport transfers and bath towels.

View itinerary and book: 7-Day Serengeti Migration Luxury SafariAsk about dates: 7-Day Serengeti Migration Luxury SafariGet a quote for this trip: 7-Day Serengeti Migration Luxury Safari
Lioness walking through long dry grass

8 days, 7 nights · mid-range

8-Day Tanzania Great Migration Mid-Range Safari

From $2,703 per person

$338 / day

Migration months: July to October. Runs year-round; best for the migration in July to October because it spends a night at Sero Tented Camp in the northern Serengeti.

Camps by night
  1. Night 1 Arusha Planet Lodge
  2. Night 2 Farm of Dreams Lodge
  3. Night 3 Serengeti Classic View Camp
  4. Night 4 Sero Tented Camp
  5. Night 5 Serengeti Classic View Camp
  6. Night 6 Farm of Dreams Lodge
  7. Night 7 Arusha Planet Lodge
Flights during the trip
Not on its list

Per person by group size (tour page)

2
$2,703
3 to 4
ask us
5 to 6
ask us
Solo
ask us

Price includes (tour page list): a driver-guide, park fees, meals, accommodation, activities, transport, taxes and VAT, round-trip airport transfers and bath towels.

View itinerary and book: 8-Day Tanzania Great Migration Mid-Range SafariAsk about dates: 8-Day Tanzania Great Migration Mid-Range SafariGet a quote for this trip: 8-Day Tanzania Great Migration Mid-Range Safari
Wildebeest leaping down a dusty riverbank into the water

8 days, 7 nights · luxury

8-Day Mara River Migration Mid-Luxury Safari

From $3,940 per person

$493 / day

Migration months: July to October. Its day 5 names the migration season in the northern Serengeti as July to October.

Camps by night
  1. Night 1 Kahawa House
  2. Night 2 Ngorongoro Marera Mountain View Lodge
  3. Night 3 Nyota Luxury Camp
  4. Nights 4 to 5 Enkutoto Migration Camp
  5. Night 6 Nyota Luxury Camp
  6. Night 7 Ngorongoro Marera Mountain View Lodge
Flights during the trip
Not on its list

Per person by group size (tour page)

2
$3,940
3 to 4
$3,660
5 to 6
ask us
Solo
ask us

Price includes (tour page list): a driver-guide, park fees, meals, accommodation, activities, transport, taxes and VAT and round-trip airport transfers.

Its tour page rates are set for 10 July to 31 October 2026. For 2027 dates, ask us.

View itinerary and book: 8-Day Mara River Migration Mid-Luxury SafariAsk about dates: 8-Day Mara River Migration Mid-Luxury SafariGet a quote for this trip: 8-Day Mara River Migration Mid-Luxury Safari
Ask about river crossings datesWhatsApp us

Longer trips crossings plus more parks or Zanzibar

$3,740 to $6,750 per person

Ten days with a flight back, or seventeen days ending on the Zanzibar beach. For other ways to add the coast, see our safari and Zanzibar beach packages.

Two giraffes standing under palm trees

10 days, 9 nights · mid-range

10-Day Classic Mid-Range Migration Safari

From $3,740 per person

$374 / day

Migration months: July to October. Runs year-round; best for the migration in July to October because its fifth night is at Heritage Mara Camp in the northern Serengeti.

Camps by night
  1. Nights 1 to 2 Arusha Planet Lodge
  2. Night 3 Farm of Dreams Lodge
  3. Night 4 Central Serengeti Luxury Camp
  4. Night 5 Heritage Mara Camp
  5. Night 6 Rhino Lodge
  6. Night 7 Farm of Dreams Lodge
  7. Night 8 Arusha Planet Lodge
Flights during the trip
Included (tour page list)

Per person by group size (tour page)

2
$3,740
3 to 4
$3,740
5 to 6
$3,740
Solo
ask us

Price includes (tour page list): a driver-guide, park fees, meals, accommodation, activities, transport, taxes and VAT and round-trip airport transfers.

Its tour page says 10 days; the day-by-day shows 9, and its list includes flights though no flight day is shown. We send the full plan with your quote.

View itinerary and book: 10-Day Classic Mid-Range Migration SafariAsk about dates: 10-Day Classic Mid-Range Migration SafariGet a quote for this trip: 10-Day Classic Mid-Range Migration Safari
Wildebeest herd walking across the plain with a hot-air balloon in the distance

17 days, 16 nights · luxury and mid-range

17-Day Serengeti Migration Safari & Zanzibar Extension

From $6,750 per person

$397 / day

Migration months: August to October. Its day 9 places the river crossings between August and October; three nights at the Mara River.

Camps by night
  1. Night 1 Pazuri Inn
  2. Nights 2 to 3 Tarangire Simba Lodge
  3. Nights 4 to 5 Eileen's Trees Inn
  4. Night 6 Ang'ata Ngorongoro Camp
  5. Nights 7 to 8 Embalakai Serengeti Camp
  6. Nights 9 to 11 Tanzania Bush Camps Mara River
  7. Night 12 Maru Maru Hotel
  8. Night 13 Z Hotel
Flights during the trip
Not on its list

Per person by group size (tour page)

2
$6,750
3 to 4
$6,480
5 to 6
$5,825
Solo
ask us

Price includes (tour page list): a driver-guide, park fees, accommodation, activities, transport, taxes and VAT, round-trip airport transfers and bath towels. The list does not show meals; we confirm it in your quote.

Its tour page says 17 days; the day-by-day shows 14 and its list does not mention meals. We send the full plan with your quote.

View itinerary and book: 17-Day Serengeti Migration Safari & Zanzibar ExtensionAsk about dates: 17-Day Serengeti Migration Safari & Zanzibar ExtensionGet a quote for this trip: 17-Day Serengeti Migration Safari & Zanzibar Extension
Ask about longer trips datesWhatsApp us

On a budget: our 6-Day Camping Northern Circuit Safari ($1,815 per person, $303 a day) camps inside the central, western and southern Serengeti; its own text says the migration is best seen June to September and calving runs January to March. Ask about the 6-Day Camping Northern Circuit Safari. How a migration trip compares with a standard week: 7 day Tanzania safari.

None of these fits?

Tell us your month and what you want to see. We build the route around where the herds usually are, privately, and price it per person with every night named.

Plan my own migration safariAsk on WhatsApp

The uncertainty

How Sure Is It?

The herds follow the rain, and the rain is different every year. Calving moves with the short rains on the southern plains; the move north follows the end of the long rains; a crossing depends on where the herds are, how high the river runs and how the animals behave on the bank. A crossing can happen several times in one day, or not for four days. So every month on this page says "usually". Our guides track the herds through ranger reports and other guides on the ground, and we route your days on that news, not on a chart. More nights in one area give better odds than more parks.

Ask where the herds are now

How many wildebeest?

About 1.3 million migratory wildebeest in the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute's 2023 aerial census, as reported by Africa Geographic (30 October 2025).

Fewer than 600,000 in the August dry-season range in 2022 and 2023, counted from satellite images by machine learning (Duporge and others, PNAS Nexus, 2025). The authors write that this "should not necessarily be interpreted as evidence of a population decline" and call for more surveys (The Conversation, via Down To Earth, 23 October 2025).

Both figures, side by side, because they measure different things in different ways. The herds travel roughly 800 to 1,000 km a year between Tanzania and Kenya (same article).

Two windows

Calving or Crossings: Which to Choose

Calving usually December to March

  • Where: Ndutu and the short-grass plains of the southern Serengeti.
  • What you see: newborn calves, and the lion, cheetah and hyena that follow the herds.
  • Getting there: by road; Karatu to Ndutu is 200 to 230 km, 4 to 5 hours, on our 5-Day Ndutu Migration & Calving Safari (Dec to Apr).
  • Camps on our trips: Ndutu Heritage Camp and Tanzania Bush Camps Ndutu Mobile Camp.
  • The feel: green season, showers and some muddy tracks; fewer vehicles than July to September.
  • Our trips: 5-Day Ndutu Migration & Calving Safari (Dec to Apr) from $2,150; 8-Day Southern Serengeti Migration Safari Tour from $2,970.
Ask about calving

River crossings usually July to October

  • Where: the northern Serengeti around Kogatende and the Mara River.
  • What you see: herds crossing the river, with crocodiles in the water and predators on the banks.
  • Getting there: a long drive (360 to 400 km, 7 to 8 hours in one day on our 8-Day Mara River Migration Mid-Luxury Safari) or a flight (the 5-Day Serengeti Migration & Big Five Safari flies in from Zanzibar).
  • Camps on our trips: Sero Tented Camp, Mara Mara Tented Lodge, Enkutoto Migration Camp, Heritage Mara Camp and Tanzania Bush Camps Mara River.
  • The feel: dry season, firm tracks and dust; the busiest weeks of the year, and northern camps fill 6 to 12 months ahead.
  • Our trips: from $2,553 (5-Day Serengeti Migration & Big Five Safari) to $4,290 (7-Day Serengeti Migration Luxury Safari).
Ask about crossings

Time in the central Serengeti suits both windows and every other month. When to go for weather and prices, month by month: the best time to visit Tanzania for a safari. Whether a week is long enough: Is 7 days enough for the Serengeti?

Inside the price

Park Fees Inside These Trips

Every trip on this page lists park fees as included on its tour page, except the 8-Day Southern Serengeti Migration Safari Tour, whose list does not show them: ask us. The Serengeti fee is $82.60 per adult per 24 hours in peak season (16 May to 14 March) and $70.80 in low season (15 March to 15 May), VAT included; most calving and crossing dates fall in peak season. Ngorongoro, the crater fee and the other parks, with their sources, are in the fee table on our Tanzania safari cost page.

Ask about fees on my dates

Add if you want it

A Balloon Flight over the Herds

Serengeti Balloon Safaris flies every morning from the central Serengeti all year, from Ndutu from 20 December to 31 March, and from the western corridor and the north Serengeti from June to October, as its booking page lists them (read 25 October 2026). The price is $599 per person in a shared balloon, all-inclusive, with park entry not included; its FAQ says the Serengeti price becomes $660 from 1 January 2027, so a calving flight in 2027 is $660. The FAQ gives wider windows for the west and north than the booking page, so we confirm the launch site for your camp. What the flight is like: our Serengeti balloon safari guide.

Add the balloon to my trip

Plan Your Migration Safari: One Minute, Per Person, for Your Month

Tell us what you want to see, when and how many of you. We reply with where the herds usually are in your month, the trip that fits and a price per person with the park fees and the camp for every night. Prefer WhatsApp? The green button sends the same request, already written out.

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Your request goes to our Arusha desk only. What you choose is kept on this device so every WhatsApp and email button on the page is filled in for you.  Payment and cancellation terms are on our terms page.
Questions
Great Migration Safari: Your Questions Answered
When is the best time to see the Great Migration in Tanzania?
It depends on what you want to see. For calving, usually December to March on the southern Serengeti plains and at Ndutu, with January and February the core. For the Mara River crossings, usually July to October in the northern Serengeti. Rain moves the herds, so the months shift a little every year.
When do the Mara River crossings happen?
Usually July to October, in the northern Serengeti around Kogatende, with August the busiest month. Crossings can come several times in a day or stop for four days, so more nights in the north give better odds. Our trips there are on the river crossings cards, from $2,553 for 5 days.
When is calving season in the Serengeti?
Usually December to March, on the short-grass plains of the southern Serengeti and around Ndutu. Our own guides put the peak in February. Our 5-Day Ndutu Migration & Calving Safari (Dec to Apr) spends a night at Ndutu for $2,150 per person; the 8-Day Southern Serengeti Migration Safari Tour spends two nights there for $2,970.
How much does a Great Migration safari cost?
On our tour pages, read 25 October 2026: from $2,150 per person for 5 days at Ndutu to $6,750 for 17 days with Zanzibar, two travellers sharing. Per day that is $338 to $613. On several trips each person pays less from three travellers.
Can I see the migration on a 5-day safari?
Yes. The 5-Day Ndutu Migration & Calving Safari (Dec to Apr) ($2,150) spends a night at Ndutu in the calving months. The 5-Day Serengeti Migration & Big Five Safari ($2,553) flies you in from Zanzibar, flights included, for a full day in the north from July to October.
Is the migration guaranteed?
No. The herds follow the rain, which is different every year, and nobody can book a crossing. We place you in the right area for your month, route your days on where the herds were the week before, and suggest more nights in one area rather than more parks.
How many wildebeest are in the migration?
Two counts disagree. The Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute's 2023 aerial census put migratory wildebeest at about 1.3 million. A 2025 satellite-and-AI study counted fewer than 600,000 in the August dry-season range in 2022 and 2023, and its authors say that should not be read as a decline without more surveys.
Is the Great Migration in Tanzania or Kenya?
Both, but mostly Tanzania. Our guides put the herds in Tanzania about eight months of the year; from July to October they spread across the Mara River into Kenya, and crossings happen on both sides. Every trip on this page stays on the Tanzanian side, in the Serengeti.
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When to go
The parks
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From Zanzibar, or all our tours
Plan Your Great Migration Safari
Tell us your month, how many of you are coming and what you want to see. We reply within 24 hours with where the herds usually are, the trip that fits and a price per person with every night named.
Plan a migration safariWhatsApp the Arusha desk
Arusha-based operator, TATO member.
Salma Rajab, Travel Consultant at Safari-TZ
Salma Rajab
Travel Consultant, Safari-TZ
Send Salma your month and she will match it to the trip that goes where the herds usually are.
Payment and cancellation terms are on our terms page.
Email info@safari-tz.com (the request is pre-written) or call or WhatsApp +255 740 666 662.
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