Serengeti National Park

Overview

The Serengeti is the safari most people picture when they imagine Africa. Its name means endless plains in the Maasai language, and that is exactly what it is: grassland running to the horizon, dotted with lone acacia trees and rocky outcrops called kopjes. It covers around fourteen thousand square kilometres and has been a national park since 1951.

What you will see

This is big cat country. Lions are common, often in large prides, and it is one of the best places in Africa to see cheetah on the open plains and leopard in the riverine trees. Above all it is known for the Great Migration, well over a million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebra moving through the ecosystem in a constant search for fresh grazing.

When to go

There is no bad time, but the migration shapes the year. Calving on the southern plains falls around January and February. The dramatic river crossings in the north usually happen between July and September. The dry season from June to October is excellent for general game viewing everywhere.

Highlights

• The Great Migration and the river crossings
• Big cats on the open plains
• Hot-air balloon flights at dawn
• The Seronera Valley for year-round wildlife

How it fits your journey

Almost always combined with the Ngorongoro Crater, and often Tarangire, to make the classic northern journey.