Serengeti National Park takes its name from the Maasai word “Siringet,” meaning “wide endless plain” — and the landscape lives up to it. Golden grasslands stretch to the horizon, broken only by rocky kopjes, acacia woodland, rivers and seasonal water sources. It is the heart of Tanzania’s Northern Safari Circuit and the setting for the Great Wildebeest Migration, one of the most spectacular wildlife events on Earth.
Covering approximately 14,763 square kilometres, Serengeti is Tanzania’s first national park and forms the core of the wider Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, which extends north across the border into Kenya’s Maasai Mara.
Roughly two million wildebeest, alongside hundreds of thousands of zebra and gazelle, move through the ecosystem year-round in an unbroken cycle driven by rain and grazing.
Huge herbivore numbers support exceptional concentrations of lions, leopards, cheetahs and hyenas — and some of the most dramatic predator-prey interactions on the continent.
Inscribed in 1981 for its exceptional natural beauty and ecological importance, Serengeti is recognised as one of the world’s most productive large-mammal ecosystems.
Open grassland, granite kopjes, rivers and acacia woodland give Serengeti a scale and drama that few other parks can match.
Because the ecosystem hosts resident wildlife throughout the year, Serengeti offers exceptional game viewing even when the migration herds are elsewhere.
Southern plains, central Seronera, western river country and the northern Mara borderlands each offer a different safari experience within one park.
Serengeti’s abundant herbivores make this one of the best places on Earth to see lions — often resting on kopjes or beneath trees by day.
Solitary and superbly camouflaged, leopards favour woodland and rocky habitat, often resting in trees — a sighting takes patience.
Built for speed and suited to open grassland, cheetahs often use small rises or termite mounds to scan the plains for gazelle.
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Family groups move through woodland, grassland and areas near water, feeding and gathering throughout the park.
Large, powerful herds gather where grazing and water are favourable, and are important prey for Serengeti’s lions.
Browsing high into acacia canopies, giraffes are most at home in Serengeti’s woodland and scattered-tree areas.
Zebra travel in huge numbers alongside the migrating wildebeest, taking advantage of different grazing patterns.
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The defining animal of the ecosystem — around two million move in a continuous annual cycle shaped by rainfall and grass growth.
The Mara River, on the Kenyan border, is famous for the dramatic crossings that mark the later stages of the migration — natural events whose timing and location can never be guaranteed. In western Serengeti, the Grumeti River is an equally important water source, supporting hippos, crocodiles and resident wildlife year-round.
Both rivers become major wildlife draws whenever the migrating herds pass through, offering some of the most dramatic scenes on any Tanzania safari.
Isolated granite outcrops rising from the grassland, kopjes are among Serengeti’s most distinctive features — favourite resting spots for lions, shelter for smaller animals and reptiles, and some of the best landscape photography in the park.
Some kopjes have become famous safari landmarks in their own right, where a resting pride against the endless plains creates one of the classic scenes of an African safari.
Grassland, woodland, river and rocky habitats combine to make Serengeti an outstanding birding destination, with five species endemic to Tanzania.
Ostriches
Secretary Birds
Kori Bustards
Martial & Bateleur Eagles
Fish Eagles
Rollers & Bee-eaters
Open plains that provide vital grazing for wildebeest, zebra and gazelle, and clear sightlines for hunting predators.
Food and shelter for giraffes, elephants, antelope and birdlife, with shade for predators in the heat of the day.
The Grumeti and Mara systems provide water year-round and become focal points as the migration passes through.
Rocky outcrops offering elevated viewpoints for predators and some of Serengeti’s most iconic photography.
Serengeti can be visited in any month, but the migration’s location shifts throughout the year: calving in the south (January–March), green season across the park (April–May), herds moving north (June–July), river crossings in the north (August–October), and the return south with the short rains (November–December).
The main way to explore — morning and afternoon drives across different habitats with an experienced guide.
Travel farther into the park to explore multiple habitats or follow the seasonal movement of the herds.
A sunrise flight over the plains, offering a completely different perspective on the scale of the landscape and its wildlife.
Serengeti works well as the centrepiece of a longer Northern Circuit safari — often paired with Ngorongoro Crater before it, and Zanzibar afterwards for a beach finish.
Endless plains, the Great Migration, big cats and 500+ species of birds — let’s build a Serengeti itinerary around your interests, travel style and available time.
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