Serengeti

The "endless plains" and main stage of East Africa's Great Migration; stay in Seronera or at seasonal mobile camps that follow the herds.

The Serengeti lies in northern Tanzania. The national park covers about 14,800 sq km and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. Together with the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to the southeast and Kenya's Maasai Mara to the north, it forms a single ecosystem, through which about 1.5 million wildebeest, along with hundreds of thousands of zebra and gazelle, migrate in a continuous cycle each year. The park can be divided into several areas. In the centre, the Seronera Valley has water all year and a very high density of lions, leopards and cheetahs; it is the year-round core, with Simba Kopjes, Moru Kopjes and the hippo pool nearby. The southern short-grass plains and Lake Ndutu are the stage for the calving season from December to March, and the Gol Kopjes are known for cheetahs. The Western Corridor sees Grumeti River crossings from May to July. In the north, the Mara River near Kogatende hosts the dramatic river crossings from July to October, and Lobo in the northeast is quiet and scenic. April–May is the long rainy season, when some camps close but prices are low. Getting there: from Arusha, the drive via Ngorongoro to Naabi Hill Gate takes about 8 hours, or you can take a light aircraft for 1–1.5 hours to airstrips at Seronera, Kogatende and elsewhere. Game drives must be in a 4x4 vehicle with a licensed guide. We recommend 3–4 nights, staying at a permanent camp in the centre or a mobile camp that follows the herds, depending on the season. Notes: park fees are about US$70–83 per person per 24 hours, plus camp and vehicle fees, which must be paid in advance; do not walk alone around camp at night; bring long sleeves to guard against tsetse flies.

Top sights

• Serengeti National Park – “Endless plains,” the stage of the great animal migration, where lions, cheetahs, herds of wildebeest, and acacia trees make up the most cl…
• Seronera Valley – The core game-viewing area of central Serengeti. A year-round river and acacia woodland draw large numbers of lions, leopards and cheetahs…
• Serengeti Hot Air Balloon Safari – A sunrise hot-air balloon flight of about an hour drifts low over the savanna, offering views of wildlife herds and river valleys, followed…
• Mara River, Northern Serengeti (Kogatende) – The Mara River section in northern Serengeti, where wildebeest herds cross repeatedly from July to October. It faces Kenya’s Masai Mara acr…
• Moru Kopjes – Granite kopjes about 30 km southwest of Seronera, with Maasai rock art and a ‘gong rock’, a black rhino sanctuary, and believed to be one o…
• Lake Ndutu – An alkaline lake on the short-grass plains of southern Serengeti, where hundreds of thousands of wildebeest give birth from December to Mar…
• Simba Kopjes – Rock outcrops on the route from the southern gate to Seronera. The name means ‘lion’ in Swahili, and prides often rest and keep watch on th…
• Gol Kopjes – Kopjes on the eastern side of the southern short-grass plains, famed for their high density of cheetahs. In the rainy season the Great Migr…
• Naabi Hill Gate – The southern entrance to Serengeti. Anyone entering from the Ngorongoro side must check in here, and a short climb up the hill offers views…
• Retima Hippo Pool – A deep pool at the river confluence about 20 km north of Seronera, packed with hundreds of hippos. It is one of the few spots in the park w…
• Western Corridor & Grumeti River – A narrow western corridor stretching toward Lake Victoria, where from June to July wildebeest cross the Grumeti River and dramatic ambushes…
• Lobo Valley – A landscape of rocky kopjes and rolling hills in the northeast of Serengeti. The scenery is varied, visitors are few, and the resident lion…

Itineraries

• Classic Northern Circuit: 4 National Parks 7-Day Safari – A classic first-timer's route starting from Arusha, connecting Tarangire, Lake Manyara, the Serengeti, and the Ngorongo…
• Northern Safari & Zanzibar Island – Complete the Northern Circuit in eight days, then fly to Zanzibar to explore Stone Town and relax on the beaches.
• Lake Natron, Rift Valley & Serengeti 8-Day Off-Road Safari – Head north along the Rift Valley to Lake Natron, then enter the Serengeti from the northeast, avoiding the main tourist…
• Kenya & Tanzania Cross-Border Loop – Depart from Nairobi on a grand loop connecting the Maasai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Amboseli.