Serengeti National Park

Endless plains, big cats and the Great Migration. Where to be in the Serengeti each season, plus the endemic birds most visitors drive past.

The Serengeti is huge, and where you go in it depends on the month. From December to March the wildebeest herds calve on the southern short-grass plains. Around June they move north-west, and from about July to October they’re crossing the Mara River in the far north.

The central Serengeti around Seronera has good game all year, especially lions and leopards along the rivers. That’s where most of our trips spend their time.

Birders get endemics here too: Grey-breasted Spurfowl, Fischer’s Lovebird and Karamoja Apalis, plus Secretarybirds striding across the grass and plenty of raptors.

Getting there

By road, the central Serengeti is a full day’s drive from Arusha via the Ngorongoro highlands. Scheduled light-aircraft flights from Arusha reach several airstrips in the park in about an hour.

Where to stay

Choose your area by season: the central Serengeti for year-round game, the south for calving from December to March, and the north for river crossings from July to October. We match your camp to the season.

Our guides’ tips

Give it at least two nights. One night means spending most of your time driving.
Go out at dawn. Big cats are most active in the first hours of the day.
Consider flying one way to save a long drive.
Ask us where the herds are for your dates, as the timing shifts every year.

Common questions

How many days do I need in the Serengeti?

Two to three nights is ideal for a first visit.

Where is the migration in each month?

See our month-by-month migration guide .

Is the Serengeti a World Heritage Site?

Yes. It’s listed by UNESCO for its outstanding natural value and the great migration.

Safaris that visit Serengeti National Park

10days

10-Day Classic Northern Tanzania Birding Safari

Arusha NP, Lark Plains, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro, Serengeti & Mererani

The classic northern circuit for birders: around 300 species in ten days, from Beesley’s Lark and Fischer’s Lovebird to the Serengeti specials and the Maasai steppe at Mererani.

See the itinerary Enquire

7days

7-Day Classic Northern Tanzania Safari

Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro, Serengeti & Endoro Forest

Lake Manyara, the Ngorongoro Crater, two nights in the Serengeti and a guided forest walk to the Endoro elephant caves.

See the itinerary Enquire

10days

10-Day Classic Northern Tanzania Safari

Arusha NP, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro & Serengeti

The classic Tanzania safari: all four northern-circuit parks plus the Ngorongoro Crater, a lodge every night and enough Serengeti days to settle in.

See the itinerary Enquire

Leopard resting in a tree in the Serengeti

4days

4-Day Luxury Fly-In Safari: Serengeti & Ngorongoro

Central Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater

Skip the long drive: fly straight into the Serengeti, stay in luxury lodges and finish with a game drive in the Ngorongoro Crater.

See the itinerary Enquire

Wildebeest and zebra herds on the move, Serengeti

10days

10-Day Great Wildebeest Migration Calving Safari

Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro, Ndutu & Southern Serengeti

Five nights in Ndutu and the southern Serengeti during the wildebeest calving season, plus Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater.

See the itinerary Enquire

Zebras on the plains of northern Tanzania

12days

12-Day Great Wildebeest Migration Safari

Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Central & Northern Serengeti

Three nights in the northern Serengeti searching for Mara River crossings, plus Tarangire, the Ngorongoro Crater and the central Serengeti.

See the itinerary Enquire

Bar-tailed Trogon perched in Usambara montane forest

39days

39-Day Ultimate Tanzania Birding Expedition

From Lake Victoria, Northern Savannahs to Eastern Arc Forests & Southern Wilderness

Tanzania’s most complete birding trip: 39 days from Lake Victoria and the Serengeti to the Eastern Arc forests, the southern highlands, Ruaha, Nyerere and Pugu Hills.

See the itinerary Enquire

Elephant herd crossing the Tarangire River

19days

19-Day Northern & Northeastern Tanzania Birding & Wildlife Safari

Arusha NP, Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti, South Pare & Usambara

Nineteen days combining the northern parks and their big game with the endemic birds of the Mbulu, South Pare and Usambara Mountains.

See the itinerary Enquire

Bird singing on an acacia branch, northern Tanzania

12days

12-Day Northern Tanzania Birding Safari

Arusha NP, Lark Plains, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro, Serengeti & Endoro

Twelve days on the northern circuit with time for the specialities: Beesley’s Lark, two days each in Tarangire and the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro highlands and Endoro Forest.

See the itinerary Enquire

Secretarybird walking through golden grassland in Tanzania

9days

9-Day Tanzania Birding & Big Game Safari

Arusha NP, Tarangire, Manyara, Serengeti & Ngorongoro

Nine days is the length where you stop choosing between birds and big game.

See the itinerary Enquire

10days

10-Day Big Game & Birding Tour

Arusha NP, Lark Plains, Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro & Manyara

We built this trip for a couple where one of them lives for birds and the other wants lions.

See the itinerary Enquire

Wildlife

Iconic wildlife of Serengeti National Park

The animals, trees and reptiles our guides look for here, with the best season and where to find them. See the full wildlife guide.

Mammal

African elephant

Loxodonta africana

Tarangire’s big herds are the classic sight: families drifting between baobabs to the river in the dry season.

Seen in

Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara National Park, Ruaha National Park, Arusha National Park, Rubondo Island National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro

Mammal

Lion

Panthera leo

The Serengeti holds one of the largest lion populations left in Africa. Prides of twenty are not unusual.

Seen in

Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ruaha National Park

Mammal

Leopard

Panthera pardus

Secretive and beautiful. The Seronera valley’s sausage trees are the best place in Africa to find one by day.

Seen in

Serengeti National Park, Tarangire National Park, Ruaha National Park, Lake Manyara National Park

Mammal

Cheetah

Acinonyx jubatus

Built for the short grass plains. Watch one scan from a termite mound in the southern Serengeti.

Seen in

Serengeti National Park, Tarangire National Park, Ruaha National Park

Mammal

Black rhino

Diceros bicornis

Critically endangered and closely guarded. The Ngorongoro Crater is the most reliable place in Tanzania to see one.

Seen in

Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park

Mammal

Cape buffalo

Syncerus caffer

The Big Five’s heavyweight. Herds of several hundred are a daily sight in Arusha National Park and the crater.

Seen in

Arusha National Park, Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ruaha National Park

Giraffes on the plains with Mount Meru behind, northern Tanzania

Mammal

Masai giraffe

Giraffa tippelskirchi

Tanzania’s national animal, with jagged star-shaped patches. Common almost everywhere except inside the crater.

Seen in

Arusha National Park, Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ruaha National Park, Lake Natron, Lake Eyasi

Mammal

Plains zebra

Equus quagga

The migration’s other half. Hundreds of thousands of zebra move with the wildebeest across the Serengeti.

Seen in

Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire National Park, Arusha National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Lake Natron, Lake Eyasi

Wildebeest herds of the Great Migration, Serengeti

Mammal

Blue wildebeest

Connochaetes taurinus

The Great Migration itself: 1.5 million animals circling the Serengeti, calving in the south each February.

Seen in

Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire National Park

Mammal

Hippopotamus

Hippopotamus amphibius

Noisy, territorial and surprisingly fast. The Serengeti’s hippo pools hold hundreds in a single bend of river.

Seen in

Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara National Park, Ruaha National Park, Lake Victoria, Rubondo Island National Park

Mammal

Spotted hyena

Crocuta crocuta

Clever, social and the crater’s top predator by numbers. Listen for the whooping call after dark.

Seen in

Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire National Park, Ruaha National Park

Primate

Olive baboon

Papio anubis

Lake Manyara’s troops are some of the biggest in Africa, and the most entertaining hour of any game drive.

Seen in

Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park, Tarangire National Park, Arusha National Park, Gombe & Mahale Mountains, Lake Tanganyika, Lake Eyasi

Grant’s gazelles on the open plains of Tanzania

Mammal

Impala

Aepyceros melampus

The graceful antelope you will see most often, and the leopard’s favourite meal.

Seen in

Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ruaha National Park, Arusha National Park

Reptile

Nile crocodile

Crocodylus niloticus

Ancient, patient and enormous. The Grumeti River’s crocodiles wait all year for the migration to cross.

Seen in

Serengeti National Park, Ruaha National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Lake Victoria, Rubondo Island National Park

Tree

Umbrella thorn acacia

Vachellia tortilis

The flat-topped tree of every safari photograph. Giraffes browse it and leopards sleep in it.

Seen in

Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire National Park, Lark Plains, Lake Natron, Lake Eyasi

Mammal

Grant’s gazelle

Nanger granti

The tall, pale gazelle of the open plains, happy a long way from water. Look for the white rump that reaches above the tail.

Seen in

Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire National Park, Lark Plains, Lake Manyara National Park, Lake Natron

Birding

Birds to look for in Serengeti National Park

Specialities, endemics and the birds that make this place different, chosen by our birding guides. Browse all birds.

Resident

Secretarybird

Sagittarius serpentarius

A raptor that hunts on foot, stamping snakes to death in the grass. Unmistakable striding across the plains.

Seen in

Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire National Park, Lark Plains, Lake Natron

Resident

Grey Crowned Crane

Balearica regulorum

The golden crown, the dance and the bugling call. Endangered, but still a daily sight on the crater floor.

Seen in

Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park, Arusha National Park, Lake Manyara National Park

Resident

Kori Bustard

Ardeotis kori

The heaviest flying bird in the world, pacing the plains with its neck puffed up in display.

Seen in

Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire National Park, Lark Plains, Lake Natron

Flamingos in flight over a Rift Valley soda lake

Resident

Lesser Flamingo

Phoeniconaias minor

Pink crowds on the soda lakes. Numbers rise and fall with the water, so your guide checks before you go.

Seen in

Arusha National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park, Lake Natron, Lake Eyasi

Endemic

Yellow-collared Lovebird

Agapornis personatus

Green, yellow and masked in black, chattering in flocks around the baobabs. A Tanzanian endemic you will hear before you see.

Seen in

Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park, Ruaha National Park

Endemic

Fischer’s Lovebird

Agapornis fischeri

Orange face, green body and a fast, chattering flight. The Serengeti’s own lovebird, and a Tanzanian endemic.

Seen in

Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater

Resident

Lilac-breasted Roller

Coracias caudatus

The most photographed bird in Africa, with eight colours and a rolling display flight to match.

Seen in

Serengeti National Park, Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Ruaha National Park, Lake Manyara National Park

Resident

Von der Decken’s Hornbill

Tockus deckeni

The small dry-country hornbill with the red and ivory bill, hopping along the road ahead of the vehicle.

Seen in

Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park, Ruaha National Park, Lark Plains

Resident

Red-and-yellow Barbet

Trachyphonus erythrocephalus

Spotted like a leopard and loud as a duet. Pairs sing together from termite mounds in the dry bush.

Seen in

Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park, Ruaha National Park, Lark Plains

Resident

Saddle-billed Stork

Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis

Nearly 1.5 metres tall with a red, black and yellow bill. Tanzania’s most elegant wading bird.

Seen in

Serengeti National Park, Tarangire National Park, Ruaha National Park, Lake Manyara National Park

Endemic

Grey-breasted Spurfowl

Pternistis rufopictus

A Serengeti endemic, and an easy one: pairs feed beside the road near Seronera every morning.

Seen in

Serengeti National Park

Resident

Rosy-patched Bushshrike

Telophorus cruentus

A duet from the top of a thorn bush, with a rose-pink patch down the breast. A dry-country gem.

Seen in

Lark Plains, Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park

Resident

Green-winged Pytilia

Pytilia melba

A small waxbill with a red face, green wings and a barred belly, feeding quietly on the ground in the thorn bush.

Seen in

Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ruaha National Park

Resident

Spotted Morning-Thrush

Cichladusa guttata

The first song of the day at most lodges, rich and varied, from a spotted bird that keeps to the shadows.

Seen in

Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara National Park

Resident

Intermediate Egret

Ardea intermedia

A quiet white egret of marshes and lake edges, between the Great and Little Egrets in size and easy to overlook.

Seen in

Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park, Arusha National Park, Lake Victoria, Rubondo Island National Park

Resident

African Fish Eagle

Icthyophaga vocifer

The voice of Africa. A white-headed eagle whose ringing call carries across every lake and river.

Seen in

Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park, Ruaha National Park, Gombe & Mahale Mountains, Arusha National Park, Lake Victoria, Rubondo Island National Park, Lake Tanganyika, Lake Eyasi

Activities

Things to do in Serengeti National Park

How a day here is spent, from game drives to walks and boat trips. All safari activities.

Half day to full day

Game drives

The heart of every safari: a private 4x4 with a pop-up roof, your own guide, and the whole day to follow the wildlife.

Hartlaub’s Turaco in Arusha National Park

Any length, from a morning walk to a 27-day expedition

Birdwatching

More than 1,100 species, dozens of endemics, and guides who find most birds by ear. Our speciality.

Hot-air balloon over the Serengeti plains at sunrise

About four hours including breakfast

Hot-air balloon safari

Drift over the plains at sunrise, then land to a champagne breakfast in the bush.

Built into a Serengeti safari of three days or more

Great Migration viewing

Calving on the southern plains in February, river crossings in the north from July. We follow the herds.

Guests watching wildlife with binoculars from a Charles Tours safari vehicle

Any safari

Wildlife and bird photography

Vehicles positioned for the light, beanbags on the window, and a guide who understands what you are trying to capture.

Explore other Tanzania destinations

More parks, plains and forests our safaris visit, each with its own wildlife, birds and best season.

Arusha National Park

Montane forest, the Momella Lakes and Hartlaub’s Turaco, just 45 minutes from Arusha.

Lake Natron

The Rift Valley soda lake where East Africa’s Lesser Flamingos breed.

Black-winged Stilt wading in shallow water

Lake Eyasi

Seasonal soda lake with flamingos, waterbirds and quiet dry bush.

Grey-headed Gull on a Rift Valley lake, Tanzania

Lake Victoria

Africa’s largest lake, with papyrus specialists and lakeshore birds.

Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus) in reeds, Tanzania

Rubondo Island National Park

Quiet island park with forest birds, waterbirds and sitatunga.

Lake Tanganyika

Clear lake, western forest birds and the gateway to Gombe and Mahale.

Mount Kilimanjaro

Montane forest birding on the slopes of Africa’s highest mountain.

Lark Plains

The only place on earth to see the critically endangered Beesley’s Lark.

African elephant walking through dry grass, Tanzania

Tarangire National Park

Huge elephant herds, ancient baobabs and Tanzania’s endemic birds.

Lioness resting in an acacia tree, Tanzania

Lake Manyara National Park

Tree-climbing lions, groundwater forest and a soda lake full of waterbirds.

Ngorongoro Crater

A volcanic caldera with black rhino, lions and big grassland birds.

Usambara Mountains

Ancient Eastern Arc forests holding Tanzania’s rarest endemic birds.

Wild chimpanzee in the forest at Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania

Gombe & Mahale Mountains

Track wild chimpanzees in the forests where Jane Goodall began her research.

Ruaha National Park

Tanzania’s largest park: big predators, baobab plains and 570+ bird species.

Sunbird perched in the forest canopy, Udzungwa Mountains

Udzungwa Mountains & Kilombero Floodplains

Rainforest endemics, Sanje Falls and the Kilombero Weaver in southern Tanzania.

Start planning your safari

Let’s plan a safari around your interests. Share your travel dates, number of people, the ages of any children travelling, and the birds or wildlife you hope to see. We’ll get back to you within 24 hours with a personalised itinerary and a detailed quote.

Send an enquiry WhatsApp +255 627 415 415