‘Serengeti’ comes from the Masai word ‘siringet’, which means ‘a place where the land goes on forever’. But it’s also a place where time goes on forever. The ecosystem has barely changed at all since early man first walked here two million years ago.The landscape is a combination of nutritious grasslands and sparse woodlands: grassy areas dotted with Acacia trees, the iconic image of the Serengeti. The entire ecosystem spans 30,000 km² from north Tanzania extending to south-western Kenya.Around 14,750 km² of that is made up of the Serengeti National Park, the oldest in Africa and the most famous protected area in the world. The National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has been named as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa.The sheer concentration of wildlife, as well as the spectacle of the Great Migration, makes the Serengeti National Park one of the most popular destinations in Africa for safari-goers. It’s estimated that the National Park receives around 90,000 visitors a year.
If you’re planning on visiting this extraordinary, awe-inspiring land, here’s everything you need to know about the Serengeti National Park.
The Serengeti National Park is made up of four predominant regions:
The Southern Plains
Flat, open areas of short grassy plains stretching from southern Seronera into the Ngorongoro Conservation area. This is the classic landscape the Serengeti is famous for.
The Central Seronera Valley
A network of river valleys whose rich grazing lands attract the largest concentration of wildlife in the region.
The Western Corridor
Stretching west to the edge of Lake Victoria, the Western Corridor follows the path of the Grumeti River, where the first perilous river crossing takes place during the Great Migration.
The Northern Serengeti
The most remote area of the Serengeti National Park and the best place for visitors to witness the famous Mara River crossings along the border that separates the Serengeti from the Masai Mara National Park.
The National Park has the largest concentration of predators in Africa. Wildlife protected in this region includes the big five: buffalo, lions, leopards, elephants and rhinos.
There are around 3-4,000 lions here, as well as large numbers of cheetahs, spotted hyenas and jackals.
However, the Serengeti National Park is not just home to predators and the big five, even if they are the park’s biggest attractions. Here you’ll also find elephants, giraffes, mongoose, baboons, bat-eared foxes, aardvarks, over 500 bird species including ostrich and eagles, colobus monkeys, monitor lizards, rock hyraxes, agama lizards, and giant Nile crocodiles and hippos that lie beneath the murky waters of the Grumeti and Mara Rivers.
But the biggest attraction of the Serengeti National Park for many visitors is the annual migration of around 2 million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebras, gazelles and impala that follow the rains in search of food and water.
The Great Migration is an annual journey running in a clockwise direction north from the Serengeti plains of Tanzania to the Masai Mara in Kenya, and then down again.
January to February
At the beginning of the year, herds congregate on the edge of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area on southern edge of the park to feed on the nutrient rich grasses of the Southern Plains. It’s also calving season. Over a three-week period, usually in February, around half a million wildebeest calves are born.
March to April
The Southern Plains get drier and drier, so the herds gradually move westwards, up along the Western Corridor towards the heavy rains of the north.
May to June
The migration moves north along the western edge of the Serengeti, arriving at the Grumeti River. June is the perfect time to visit the National Park and get a chance of witnessing this gruesome yet spectacular fight for survival.
In order to reach the greener grasses of the Northern Serengeti, the herds must cross the perilous Grumeti, home to enormous Nile crocodiles and hippos. The hungry crocodiles lie below the surface, ready to strike out as thousands of wildebeest line up along the banks of the river.
But the danger isn’t over. Those that survive the Grumeti River Crossing are weakened and exhausted, making them easier prey for the predators that are waiting for them on dry land. Lions lie in wait, ready to spring, while spotted hyenas and vultures fight for the leftovers.
July to October
The herds can now be found in the Northern Serengeti. But as the dry season continues and the grasses begin to yellow, they follow the rains, heading further north towards the Masai Mara of Kenya.
Before they can leave the Serengeti to enter the Masai Mara National Park, they must face the most perilous river crossing of all: the Mara River, a mass of deep, powerful currents, steep, slippery banks and home to large, hungry crocodiles.
Some die from the fall, others are dragged underwater by the crocodiles, while many drown in the turbulent waters of the mighty river. Gruesome and traumatic as it is, the Mara River crossing is a spectacular display of survival of the fittest. Most visitors to the Serengeti National Park come from July to October specifically for this dramatic, yet awe-inspiring event.
November to December
As the rains begin to fall on the Serengeti, the herds start to make their way back down again along the eastern side of the National Park.
By late December, most of the herds are back on the Southern Plains, pregnant and tranquil. They will stay here until the whole cycle begins again.
All of the trips we create for Serengeti National Park are designed and tailored specifically for you. We create each trip from a blank piece of paper, building the holiday you had dreamed, using our experience, knowledge and contacts to design the ultimate experience.
Below are some of examples of trips in Serengeti National Park that we have created, designed to showcase the destination, our expertise and create some inspiration.
7 Day Itinerary
Guide Price: £10,000pp
Witness the dramatic scenes of the Great Wildebeest Migration unfold in the Serengeti, an incredible wildlife spectacle which can be viewed from different perspectives, be it the luxury of a lodge or from the skies via a hot air balloon.
12 Day Itinerary
Guide Price: £13,200pp
Experience an exhilarating African journey featuring an exciting Serengeti safari, offering unparalleled opportunities to encounter the Big Five, complemented by a tranquil beach escape to the sparking waters of Zanzibar.
10 Day Itinerary
Guide Price: £15,500pp
Witness the wildlife wonders on an unforgettable African adventure. Experience thrilling treks to seek out gorillas and endangered golden monkeys, explore stunning National Parks and witness the captivating Great Wildebeest Migration.
12 Day Itinerary
Guide Price: £19,300pp
Embark on the ultimate safari adventure through Africa and explore the unique landscapes to witness a plethora of wildlife, including the rare spectacle of the annual wildebeest migration over the Mara River.
7 Day Itinerary
Guide Price: £5,600pp
Embark on an unforgettable trip to enjoy the highlights across Northern Tanzania, consisting of an exclusive hot air balloon safari, panoramic views of the famed Big Five and the iconic wildebeest migration.
15 Day Itinerary
Guide Price: £13,800pp
An African journey visiting the renowned Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, exploring the wildlife-rich Grumeti Reserve, soaring over the Serengeti in a hot air balloon and experiencing an unforgettable night under the stars before a trek in search of mountain gorillas.
Duration: 7 Days
Guide Price: £10,000pp
Destination:
Witness the dramatic scenes of the Great Wildebeest Migration unfold in the Serengeti, an incredible wildlife spectacle which can be viewed from different perspectives, be it the luxury of a lodge or from the skies via a hot air balloon.
Duration: 10 Days
Guide Price: £15,500pp
Witness the wildlife wonders on an unforgettable African adventure. Experience thrilling treks to seek out gorillas and endangered golden monkeys, explore stunning National Parks and witness the captivating Great Wildebeest Migration.
Duration: 7 Days
Guide Price: £5,600pp
Destination:
Embark on an unforgettable trip to enjoy the highlights across Northern Tanzania, consisting of an exclusive hot air balloon safari, panoramic views of the famed Big Five and the iconic wildebeest migration.
Duration: 15 Days
Guide Price: £13,800pp
An African journey visiting the renowned Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, exploring the wildlife-rich Grumeti Reserve, soaring over the Serengeti in a hot air balloon and experiencing an unforgettable night under the stars before a trek in search of mountain gorillas.
Featured
Lamai Serengeti sits tucked amongst the rocks of Kogakuria Kopje with panoramic views of the surrounding landscape, just a few miles from where the wildebeest cross the Mara River.
Lamai Serengeti Private Camp adjoins the Lamai Serengeti Main Camp and has the same expansive views from the vantage point of the Kogakuria Kopje in the Northern Serengeti.
This stylish and seductive camp is made up of eight tented suites and offers a more contemporary safari experience, while still in keeping with the surrounding nature.
Featured
A secluded hideaway haven set amongst stone boulders, and overlooking a rocky gorge on the Arugusinyai River
Sayari Camp is tucked away in a remote region of the northern Serengeti, perfectly positioned to witness the Great Migration
Tanzania’s pioneering mobile camp that moves seasonally to be in the best possible location to witness the great herds; still doing it in East African tented style with migration-chasing adventures accompanied by top quality guides.
The least-celebrated of the parks on Tanzania’s well-trodden ‘Northern Circuit” the Tarangire National Park is arguably the most rewarding of them all to visit, offering an amazing wildlife viewing experience in an incredible landscape studded with baobab trees and termite mounds. Perennial rivers run through the park and help to attract a huge volume of wildlife.
A short drive down the road from Kilimanjaro airport, sitting in the shadow of Mount Meru, the safari town of Arusha is the starting point for all safaris through northern Tanzania, with all visitors spending at least the first night of their trips here. Safari operators base themselves here, as do guides so it is a natural spot to start and end any trip.
The westernmost of all Tanzania’s National Parks, the Mahale Mountains overlook Lake Tanganyika and to the D.R.
Found in the remote western part of Tanzania, the Katavi National Park undoubtedly qualifies for “hidden gem” status, with its annual visitor total of around 1000 being less than the Ngorongoro Crater receives during a day. Best combined with the Mahale Mountains and sometimes the Ruaha National Park, Katavi is at the heart of Tanzania’s western safari circuit.
At the heart of Tanzania’s northern safari destinations is the renowned Lake Manyara National Park. Accessed by road or air from Arusha, with the Ngorongoro Crater the next natural stopping point, the park offers the chance for excellent game viewing and the chance to be active as well.
When it comes toblissful hammock-lounging beaches, the mainland can teach the islands a thing or two. Pretty much every coastal town and hamlet fronts tropical turquoise waters and crystal-white sands, and in between are hundreds of other beaches known only to the odd passing fishermen.
Mount Kilimanjaro, with its three volcanic cones, “Kibo”, “Mawenzi”, and “Shira”, is a dormant volcano in Tanzania. It is the highest mountain in Africa, rising to approximately 5,895 metres above sea level.
Ruaha National Park is the largest national park in Tanzania, almost 50% bigger than the Serengeti, yet with a fraction of the visitors. The park is rich in its flora and fauna, making for an exceptional game viewing experience.
The Selous is one of the largest game reserves in Africa and holds one of the most revered strongholds of animals on earth. Wildlife enthusiasts love the Selous, a huge area in Southern Tanzania with millions of acres of bush, woodland, hills and grasslands.
If you are looking to get off the beaten track then Western Tanzania is a great destination. Rarely a choice for the first time safari, Katavi National Park and the Mahale Mountains National Park receive only a tiny fraction of the visitors to Tanzania’s more famous reserves.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area spans vast expanses of highland plains, savanna, savanna woodlands and forests. Established in 1959 as a multiple land use area, with wildlife coexisting with semi-nomadic Maasai pastoralists practicing traditional livestock grazing, it includes the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest caldera.
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