Tour overview
GREAT MASAI MARA, SERENGETI WILDEBEEST MIGRATION GUIDE & BEST TIME TO SEE IT IN 2024-2025 MASAI MARA, SERENGETI MIGRATION BEST TIME EXPLAINED
Best Time to See Masai Mara Wildebeest Migration Kenya
Wildebeest Migration In Masai Mara
The Great Migration as it is known is the movement of a million plus wildebeest from Serengeti in Tanzania northwards into the adjoining Masai Mara Reserve in Kenya. It is one of the world’s most spectacular and thrilling display of wildlife behavior. The migration takes place every year with the animals’ primal instincts guiding them towards greener pastures following the climatic rain fall patterns over the Serengeti-Maasai Mara eco system. For the 2024 and 2025 seasons we recommend planning your travel for mid-July as this is when the migration typically starts proper with the larger herds of wildebeest starting the move into Masai Mara. The migration takes place till end of August, before declining into mid-September.
The Best Time to See The Wildebeest Migration
The Great Wildebeest Migration
Great Wildebeest Migration 2024 – Packages, Cost & More
Complete Guide To Wildebeest Migration Safari 2024 – 2025
Guide to a 2024/2025 Wildebeest Migration Safari
Trailing Great Migration Serengeti – Masai Mara 2024
2024/2025 Wildebeest Migration Update
BEST TIME TO VISIT MASAI MARA
The migration season from July to October is considered the best time of the year to visit the Masai Mara. Game viewing is optimal at this time as there is plenty of predator and prey interactions.
MASAI MARA MIGRATION GUIDE & BEST TIME TO SEE IT IN 2024-2025
The Great Wildebeest Migration in the plains of East Africa is one of the world’s most thrilling, intriguing and spectacular displays of wildlife behavior. As such, our travelers place great timing importance on having the best front row seats to see the event. By sharing our personal knowledge, local experience and expertise of the Great Migration in Masai Mara National Reserve.
A Complete Guide to The Great Migration in Africa
The Great Wildebeest Migration in the Masai Mara and Serengeti is the largest single
movement of wild animals in the world, deservedly listed as one of its eight Natural
Wonders and an exceptional inspiration for a dream nature tour of northern Tanzania.
Around 1.5 million wildebeests, with hundreds of thousands of zebras, elands, gazelles
along with a trailing retinue of predators, leave their calving grounds in southern
Serengeti, around March and April, heading for the next water source. Trekking via the
south-central Seronera outskirts into the Western Corridor and Grumeti River arriving
during the month of April to May and residing till June, and then finally towards the
Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya crossing the perilous Mara River around July or
August onwards with a return via the same death-defying river, this time heading to
the bearing of Lobo and Loliondo in eastern Serengeti around October to November. The
white bearded wildebeest journey continues back to the southern Ndutu calving grounds
with arrivals starting around December with temporary residence till March.
UPCOMING 2024 (WILDEBEEST MIGRATION HERD TRACKING UPDATES FOR MASAI MARA IN KENYA
Annual Wildlife Migration Safari Package
Great Wildebeest Migration Safaris 2024/2025
WILDEBEEST MIGRATION HOLIDAYS TOURS & HOLIDAYS IN 2024 & 2025
From late June to October, millions of wildebeest, zebra and antelope thunder across the
great plains in one of the world’s most astonishing wildlife spectacles. Wildebeest
migration holidays let you witness the animals crossing into Kenya from the Serengeti via
the Mara River – a treacherous crossing point stalked by big cats, crocs and vultures.
With such an abundance of wildlife, visitors can sit back, turn the engine off, and enjoy
the scenes.
The Best 2024 Great Migration Kenya Packages – Kenya Wildebeest Migration Safaris
Wildebeest Migration Safari in Masai Mara & Serengeti
MASAI MARA MIGRATION GUIDE & BEST TIME TO SEE IT IN 2024-2025
The great wildebeest migration is one of the most phenomenal natural spectacles in the in
the world. The participants are wildebeests, zebras, gazelles, elands and impalas across
the greater Mara/ Serengeti ecosystem. It is an endless pilgrimage, a constant search for
food and water.
This epic journey from North to South and vice versa spans 3,000 kilometres and is virtually
endless. The migration is in fact an all-year round event with each time of the year offering
a unique wildlife viewing experience.
Each year around the same time, the circular great Migration begins in the Ngorongoro
Conservation area of the Southern Serengeti in Tanzania and loops in a clockwise direction
through the Serengeti National Park and moves North to the Masai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya.
The migration is a natural phenomenon determined by availability of grazing lands. From January
to March is the calving season when there is plenty of rain ripened grass for the quarter a
million zebra, half a million gazelles and 2 million wildebeests.
During February, the wildebeests are situated on the short grass plains on the South Eastern
part of the Serengeti Ecosystem, grazing and giving birth to about half a million calves within
a 2-to-3-week period.
The movement is trailed by predators like lion, cheetah, leopard and hyena.
During April/May the rains end, and all the animals move Northwards to areas around the Seronera
area and Moru Kopjes of Central Serengeti.
Around May is the mating season and they all breed at the same time ensuring that the calving
season will happen at the same time en mass again.
By June calves born in February are around 4 months old and are now strong and healthy and thus
are able to keep up with their mothers during the long trek across the plains without slowing
down the herd. Heavy rainfall down pour at a place can completely alter the movement of the
massive herd.
Around June the herds move West to the Western Corridor and cross the Grumeti River. The river
here consists of a series of pools thus the crossing here is not as spectacular as that at the
Mara River in Masai Mara, Kenya.
During July to October the herds are in the Masai Mara. It is here that they cross the Mara River
and several drown, while others are feasted on by the Nile crocodiles who lie in wait.
The Mara River bisects the Savannah and forms a formidable obstacle to cross especially for the
older, weaker and the very young. Lions wait on the river’s edge pouncing on calves and the weakened.
Around quarter a million wildebeests die during the Serengeti/ Masai Mara migration. Wildebeests
mow down the grass in Masai Mara which had grown tall due to the April/ May long rains making it
palatable to short grass eaters.
In November, the herds are moving South to Serengeti from Masai Mara through the Western Loliondo
and Lobo area of the Serengeti National Park and reach Southern Serengeti by December.
During November and December, the wildebeest herds are situated on the short grass plains of the
Serengeti; namely the Ndutu and East of Seronera.
By year’s end the herd has returned to Ndutu in South Serengeti to begin the whole process again.
Wildebeest Migration frequently asked questions:
Rainfall varies: No one can predict exactly when, where or how much rain will fall. The migration
is a complex natural phenomenon and its timing varies from year to year.
Mara River crossings happen frequently during the migration in Masai Mara but are difficult to
predict. If you see a massing of wildebeest along the river and animals seem to be agitated, there
is good chance of them crossing the river.
How to watch a river crossing without harassing the animals: Stay inside the vehicle, do not make
noise, do not approach the crossing point too close and do not interrupt/block the moving wildebeest.
Can I get off the vehicle and photograph the crossing wildebeest?
No. You are not allowed to alight your vehicle in the park, unless at designated points.
Can I stand on top of my vehicle roof to photograph the crossing wildebeest?
No. You are not allowed to do so.
Is it okay for me to sit on the vehicle window to do game viewing?
No. It is dangerous and is not allowed.
Is it okay for me to sit on the vehicle window if I am watching a wildebeest crossing?
No. It is dangerous and is not allowed.
