The Great Migration is often imagined as a single dramatic river crossing. In reality, it is a continuous 12-month cycle — the herds never stop moving. Understanding this cycle is the key to positioning yourself for the experience you want.
The Cycle
The migration follows a roughly clockwise route through the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, driven by rainfall and the fresh grazing it produces. There is no fixed start or end point — it is an endless loop.
December to March: Southern Serengeti
The herds gather on the short-grass plains around Ndutu and the southern Serengeti for calving season. An estimated 8,000 calves are born daily during the peak in February. Predators — lion, cheetah, hyena, and wild dog — follow in astonishing concentrations. This is one of the migration's most photogenic phases.
April to June: Central & Western Serengeti
As the southern plains dry out, the herds move north and west. The western corridor around Grumeti River sees localised river crossings as the herds push toward the Mara River.
July to October: Northern Serengeti & Mara River
This is the phase most people picture — vast columns of wildebeest approaching the Mara River, plunging through crocodile-infested waters. The crossings are unpredictable and deeply dramatic. Patience and flexible scheduling are rewarded.
November: Return South
The short rains trigger the herds' return south toward the Ndutu plains, completing the cycle. The Serengeti is quieter and greener, and the herds move fast.