Serengeti National Park

Wildlife

The Serengeti’s great draw is the migration: according to UNESCO, around two million wildebeest move through the ecosystem each year with hundreds of thousands of zebra and gazelle, on a circuit of roughly 1,000 km between Tanzania and Kenya. Watching a column of wildebeest stream across the plains, or a herd hesitate on a riverbank before the first animal jumps, is one of the defining sights of African travel.

Where there are herds there are predators. UNESCO counts around 4,000 lions, 1,000 leopards and 3,500 spotted hyenas in the wider ecosystem, giving the Serengeti one of the highest concentrations of large predators anywhere. Cheetah hunt on the open southern plains, leopard favour the sausage trees and kopjes along the Seronera River, and lion prides lounge on the granite outcrops made famous by countless documentaries.

All of the Big Five are present, though rhino are the hardest to find: a small, closely protected population of black rhino lives around the Moru Kopjes. Elephant and buffalo are more common in the woodland of the north and west. Look out too for topi on termite mounds, eland, giraffe and the park’s ostriches, and bring binoculars, because more than 500 bird species have been recorded here.

Key wildlife

• Wildebeest
• Zebra
• Lion
• Cheetah
• Leopard
• Elephant
• Buffalo
• Black rhino
• Spotted hyena
• Giraffe
• Topi
• Eland
• Thomson's gazelle
• Hippo
• Nile crocodile

Best Time to Visit

Short answer: Jun–Oct. Also good: Dec–Mar.

Peak Good Quieter

There is no bad month in the Serengeti, only different ones, because the migration is always somewhere in the ecosystem. The long dry season from June to October is the classic time: the grass is short, animals are easy to see and the herds move from the Western Corridor, where the Grumeti River crossings usually begin around June, to the far north, where Mara River crossings are most likely from July to October.

From December to March the herds settle on the short-grass plains of the southern Serengeti and the neighbouring Ndutu area. Calving peaks around February, when thousands of young are born each day and predators are never far away. It is a wonderful, less crowded time to visit, with green landscapes and dramatic skies.

The long rains in April and May bring the quietest months. Some camps close, roads can be muddy and the herds are on the move, but the light is beautiful, rates are often lower and you may have sightings to yourself. Short rains usually fall in November as the herds drift south again through the eastern Serengeti.

Remember that the migration follows the rain, not the calendar. Timings shift by a few weeks from year to year, which is why choosing a camp in the right area for your month matters more than chasing a single crossing.

Getting There

Most international visitors fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), between Arusha and Moshi, and spend a night in Arusha before continuing. From Arusha Airport (ARK) and Kilimanjaro, scheduled light-aircraft flights connect to airstrips throughout the park, often stopping at Lake Manyara on the way. Seronera Airstrip (SEU) serves the central Serengeti, while Kogatende and Lamai serve the north and Grumeti and Fort Ikoma the west.

Flying is the most comfortable option on a luxury itinerary and turns a full day on the road into an hour or two in the air, with the plains unfolding below. Bags on light aircraft are usually limited to around 15 kg per person in soft-sided luggage, so pack accordingly.

By road, the Serengeti is the natural finale of Tanzania’s northern circuit. Most itineraries drive from Arusha via Tarangire or Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro highlands, entering the park at Naabi Hill Gate. The drive from Arusha to Seronera takes most of a day, so it is best broken with a night or two at the crater rim.

Fees & Access

Entrance fees

Conservation fees are charged per person per 24 hours. In peak season (16 May 2026 to 14 March 2027) non-resident adults pay US$70 plus 18% VAT (US$82.60); TANAPA now quotes this as TZS 178,850. In the low season (15 March to 15 May) the published rate is US$60 plus VAT (US$70.80). Children aged 5–15 pay US$20 plus VAT (US$23.60), and under-5s enter free.

Fees are paid electronically, by card or through your safari operator, and are normally included in a lodge or safari package. Camps inside the park also pay a nightly concession fee, which is usually built into the rate.

Gate hours

Game driving 06:00–18:00. Night drives are not permitted inside the national park.

Health

Malaria risk: Moderate. Ask a travel clinic about antimalarials before you go.

Fees and gate times change. Check the latest rates with the park authority before you travel.

Things to Do

Game drives are the backbone of a Serengeti safari. Early mornings and late afternoons are best for predators, and many camps offer full-day drives with a picnic so you can follow the herds. Night drives are not allowed inside the national park, and vehicles keep to designated tracks, which helps keep the plains unspoilt.

Hot-air balloon safaris lift off at dawn from the central, western and northern Serengeti. Drifting silently over the plains as the sun rises, then landing for a bush breakfast, is a highlight for many travellers, so book well ahead in the dry season.

Walking safaris are available in some areas and private concessions bordering the park. With an armed ranger, a walk reveals the smaller details of the bush: tracks, birds, plants and the reassuring scale of the landscape.

Cultural visits to Maasai communities on the edges of the ecosystem offer an insight into the people who have lived alongside this wildlife for generations, and combine well with time at Ngorongoro.

Combine it with the coast. The Serengeti pairs beautifully with a few days on Zanzibar or a stay in Nyerere National Park in the south. Browse our Tanzania luxury safari or all our safaris for ideas, or tell us what you have in mind and we will help shape a trip around the right months and areas.