Maasai Mara vs Serengeti: Where and When to See the Great Migration
The Great Migration is a year-round circuit, not a single event. A month-by-month guide to where the herds are, and which park to book for the crossings or the calving.
The short answer: the Maasai Mara for the river crossings from July to October, and the southern Serengeti for the calving season from January to March. The herds move in a continuous loop, so the right park is the one that matches your dates.
The Great Migration is one of the grandest natural spectacles on earth. Over two million wildebeest, zebras and gazelles move across the linked ecosystems of Kenya's Maasai Mara and Tanzania's Serengeti in a continuous cycle.
Because Wildtouch operates across Kenya and Tanzania under one dedicated management team, you do not need to choose blindly or coordinate between separate operators.
The migration calendar: where are the herds?
| Months | Where the herds are | What you would see |
|---|---|---|
| January – March | Southern Serengeti (Ndutu) | Calving season on the short-grass plains, and the predators that follow it. |
| April – May | Western corridor and central Serengeti | The columns forming and moving north through the long rains. |
| June – July | Grumeti and northern Serengeti | The Grumeti River, and the herds massing before the Mara River. |
| August – October | Maasai Mara and Mara River | The river crossings, and the Mara's high predator density. |
| November – December | Eastern Serengeti | The return south, ahead of the next calving season. |
July to October: the Mara River crossings
Where: the northern Serengeti in Tanzania, and the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya.
The experience: the herds navigate high-stakes river crossings patrolled by Nile crocodiles. The compact geography of the Maasai Mara means dense game viewing and frequent predator interaction between crossings, so the days in between are far from quiet.
January to March: the calving season in the southern Serengeti
Where: Ndutu and the southern Serengeti plains.
The experience: around 8,000 wildebeest calves are born each day on the nutrient-rich short-grass plains. That concentration attracts big cats, hyenas and wild dogs, and produces the most dramatic predator action of the migration year.
Maasai Mara vs Serengeti: the key differences
| Maasai Mara (Kenya) | Serengeti National Park (Tanzania) | |
|---|---|---|
| Park size | ~1,510 sq km — compact and quick to cover | ~14,763 sq km — vast and expansive |
| Best migration months | July – October | December – July, varying by sector |
| Landscape | Rolling savannah, acacia woodland, the Mara River | Open plains, granite kopjes, riverine forest |
| Ideal trip length | 4 to 6 days | 6 to 9 days |
Combining both for the fuller migration experience
If your schedule allows 10 to 14 days, combining Kenya's Mara with Tanzania's northern circuit gives you both landscapes and a far better chance of meeting the herds whatever the rain does. Cross-border bush flights make moving between camps straightforward.
Our 6-Day Serengeti & Great Migration Luxury Safari is built around the herds, and the Great Migration hub covers the whole circuit season by season.
