By air
Kilimanjaro International (JRO), then light aircraft to the park airstrips
Africa · Tanzania
Serengeti, Tanzania
Endless plains of the great migration
Getting there
Best time to visit
June to October for the dry season; January to February for the calving
Don't miss
The Seronera valley
The Grumeti River
The Mara River
The Moru Kopjes
Things to do
Game drives
Following the migration
The Grumeti river crossings
Where to eat
What to pack
Neutral colours, binoculars; ask your doctor about malaria advice
A quieter corner
A balloon safari at dawn
Questions travellers ask
When should I go on safari in the Serengeti?
June to October for the dry season, or January to February for the calving.
Any packing tips for the Serengeti?
Neutral colours and binoculars, and ask your doctor about malaria advice.
What is a Serengeti safari like?
Game drives across endless plains, following the great migration, with the Grumeti river crossings a highlight. Look out for the Seronera valley, the Mara River and the Moru Kopjes.
How do I get to the Serengeti?
Fly into Kilimanjaro International (JRO), then take a light aircraft to the park airstrips. Once there, don't miss a balloon safari at dawn.
About Serengeti
- Inland
Where it is
Serengeti National Park lies in northern Tanzania, stretching across vast grassy plains and wooded savanna from the Ngorongoro highlands west towards Lake Victoria and north to the Kenyan border, where it meets the Maasai Mara.
History
The Maasai grazed these plains for centuries, and the name is usually traced to a Maa word meaning endless plains. Part of it was a game reserve before it became a national park in 1940, and its boundaries were finalised in 1951. The film and book Serengeti Shall Not Die by Bernhard and Michael Grzimek made it famous around the world, and it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981.
People
Maasai herders live in the Ngorongoro area to the east, and the Sukuma, Kurya and Ikoma peoples farm and herd on the park's western and northern edges, with Swahili as the common language. Many local people work as guides and rangers or in the lodges.
Known for
- The Great Migration of wildebeest and zebra
- Lions of the Seronera Valley
- Grumeti River crossings
- The Moru Kopjes
- Balloon safaris at dawn
Did you know?
Each year about a million and a half wildebeest, with hundreds of thousands of zebras and gazelles, move in a great loop between the Serengeti and the Maasai Mara in search of fresh grazing.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.