A simple guide to where the wildebeest are through the year, and the best months to see each spectacle.
The Great Migration is a continuous, circular movement of more than a million wildebeest, along with zebra and gazelle, through the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. The herds follow the rains, so timing shifts a little every year.
January to March: calving in the south
The herds gather on the short-grass plains around Ndutu. Calving peaks in February, and predators are close behind.
April to June: heading north and west
With the long rains the columns move through central Serengeti toward the Western Corridor and the Grumeti River.
July to September: the Mara River
The herds reach the north and cross the Mara River, often moving back and forth between Tanzania and Kenya. These crossings draw the most attention, but they can never be guaranteed.
October to December: the journey south
The short rains pull the herds back through the east and south. By December they are on the southern plains again, ready to calve.
Use our interactive migration map to slide through the months and see where the herds tend to be.
