When Is The Best Time To Visit The Serengeti? The most well-known park for Tanzania safaris is Serengeti National Park, also known as the “world’s richest” park, where the magnificent Serengeti Wildebeest Migration takes place almost every year.
Given the abundance of wildlife, it is clear that Serengeti National Park can be visited all year. However, the best time to visit Serengeti National Park in the presence of the wildebeest migration may be during the driest months from June to mid-March, with the exception of October. But Serengeti National Park is still the best destination, whether migration herds are present or not.
The Serengeti Masai Mara ecosystem, which includes the Masai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya and the Park in Northern Tanzania, is likely the oldest ecosystem in the world and is home to a greater variety of wildlife than is found anywhere else on the planet.
SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK IN AFRICA TANZANIA
When deciding where to travel in Africa for beach vacations and wildlife safaris consider the Zanzibar beach and Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park. If you’re wondering where Serengeti National Park is, the answer is that you should make plans right away to travel to this fantastic safari location in Africa.
Serengeti National Park is located in Tanzania. Millions of wild animals, both large and small, live in the Serengeti. In order to create the Serengeti Masai Mara ecosystem, the Serengeti National Park joins forces with a number of Tanzanian game reserves, including the Southern Serengeti’s neighboring Maswa Game Reserve, Grumeti Game Reserve, Loliondo and Ikorongo Game Controlled Area, and others. The Kenyan Masai Mara Game Reserve is also included in this expansion.
SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK HISTORY
The word “Serengeti,” which means “endless plains” in Maasai, the language of the nomadic Maasai people, serves as a sufficient explanation of the fabled African Savannah. The Serengeti National Park was created during the fortress conservation era, when two sizable Maasai and Kuria tribes were expelled from the Serengeti. While the Maasai were relocated to the Southern Serengeti and the highlands of Ngorongoro, the Kuria tribe was made to move to areas near Lake Victoria. The Serengeti became a national park in 1951.
Serengeti National Park is the oldest park in Tanzania and is comprised of 14,763 sq. km of endless rolling plains that reach almost as far as Lake Victoria and the Kenyan border. The Serengeti is without a doubt the most well-known wildlife area in Africa due to its abundance of magnificent wildlife. Two World Heritage Sites and two Biosphere Reserves have been established here by UNESCO. Its distinctive environment has served as an inspiration to countless photographers, scientists, and writers from around the world.
The Great Wildebeest Migration, which is well known worldwide, spends the majority of its time in Tanzania between November and mid-August in the Serengeti. More than 1.5 million wildebeest, thousands of zebra, and gazelles travel thousands of miles in search of green pastures and water during this annual mass movement of wild animals from Kenya’s Serengeti to the Masai Mara Game Reserve. In Serengeti National Park, the annual wildebeest migration appears to have eclipsed the diversity of resident animals and bird life, but in reality, the Serengeti is always a wonderful place to visit, whether or not the herds are present.
THE BEST TIME TO VISIT SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
The months of January and February, or June and October, are the ideal times to visit the Serengeti. No matter what time of year you visit, the Serengeti’s abundance of wildlife offers a breathtaking safari experience. Because of the park’s open plains and mild climate, animals can always be seen in the vegetation, and the area’s two brief wet seasons—November to December and March to April—rarely cause too much discomfort. Month by Month Guide for Traveling to the Serengeti:
Visiting the Serengeti from January to March
The Serengeti’s rolling plains are a lush shade of emerald in January, there is little dust, and game viewing is excellent. Due to its greener terrain than other areas and year-round resident wildlife, including elephant, giraffe, and various antelope species, the Ndutu Plains region is very popular during this time.
The best time to take a Serengeti safari to see the numerous herds giving birth to their young is during the wildebeest calving season in February. Thousands of wildebeest, zebra, and gazelles can be seen moving through the Serengeti National Park on their yearly migration.
The ‘long rains’ start in March, signaling the end of the green season. The migratory herds start to leave the Ndutu region in the south and head west as the Serengeti enters a low-season period with fewer safari tourists. Although the humidity increases in March, this is the best month to visit the Serengeti because lodging is most affordable.
Traveling to the Serengeti from April to June
Due primarily to the humidity and rainy weather in April, the Serengeti begins to see fewer visitors. Although it’s not typically thought of as the best time to visit the Serengeti, it can be the perfect time to venture off the beaten path and discover the far reaches of the park.
May brings extremely heavy rains and relative quiet to the Serengeti’s camps and lodges. Unless you travel to the park’s central and western areas to follow the Great Migration, now is not the best time to take a safari in the Serengeti.
The best time to visit the Serengeti is in June, just before the busiest safari season begins and the popular dry season begins. Around this time, the Great Migration begins to migrate north, the land is mostly dry, and there is a small chance of sporadic afternoon thundershowers.
Visiting the Serengeti from July to September
From July to September, a lot of tourists visit the Serengeti to see the Great Migration. During these months, crossing rivers is a spectacle; frequently, the herds become frightened as crocodiles waiting to pounce try to grab them as they cross. At this time of year, more safari vehicles than at any other time are present in the Serengeti National Park.
In general, August is the best month to see the dramatic river crossings from the northern Serengeti into the Masai Mara because it is peak season. As the herds are easier to spot and there are many predators nearby, this is the best time to visit the Serengeti for abundant wildlife encounters. You’ll see some of Africa’s big cats on the hunt!
As the herds of animals cross the Mara River in smaller groups, September continues to be a very busy month for tourists in the Serengeti National Park, particularly along the Kenyan and Tanzanian borders. September is a quieter month in the park’s southern sections.
Traveling to the Serengeti from October to December
Although the Serengeti plains were largely dry by October, the dry season is now coming to an end. Even though the herds of the wildebeest migration have entered Kenya, Serengeti National Park game viewing is still nothing short of amazing.
The “short rains’ in the Serengeti National Park start in November, which is also a calmer time of year. In the southern regions, the rains bring new grasslands for grazing, and now is a good time to benefit from lower prices.
As the rains continue, rolling grasslands replace the previously dry, dusty plains in the landscape. In December, the Serengeti’s Great Migration cycle resumes. The migratory herds travel to the Ndutu region’s southern plains, where they get ready for breeding season. During the wet summer months, the temperatures and humidity start to rise. Booking your lodging well in advance is advised because the holiday season can be very busy.
Ready to start planning your Serengeti safari? Talk to someone who has experienced it. Contact one of our East Africa Safari Experts to help you create the ideal Serengeti safari itinerary for you.
