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The Great Migration Month by Month: Where the Herds Are

Follow the Great Migration through Tanzania's Serengeti and Kenya's Masai Mara month by month, and find the best time and place for calving and river crossings.

By the Javiva Adventures team · 26 Oct 2026 · 2 min read

Every year around 1.5 million wildebeest, together with hundreds of thousands of zebra and gazelle, move in a great loop between Tanzania's Serengeti and Kenya's Masai Mara, following the rain and fresh grass. Here is where they usually are each month. Nature does not follow a calendar, so timing can shift by a few weeks from year to year.

January to March: calving in the southern Serengeti

The herds gather on the short-grass plains of the southern Serengeti and the Ndutu area. Calving peaks around February, when thousands of calves are born each day. Predators follow closely, so this is a superb time for lion and cheetah action.

April and May: the long rains

The herds start moving north and west through the central Serengeti. It is the rainy season, so the parks are green and quiet and prices are at their lowest.

June: the Western Corridor

Many herds move through the Western Corridor of the Serengeti, where they cross the Grumeti River, home to large crocodiles.

July to October: northern Serengeti and the Masai Mara

The herds reach the northern Serengeti and cross into Kenya's Masai Mara. This is the time of the famous Mara River crossings, most often seen between late July and September. The Masai Mara is the easiest place to see the migration, as it is close to Nairobi.

November and December: heading south

With the short rains, the herds move back south through the eastern Serengeti towards the calving grounds, and the cycle begins again.

How to see the migration

July to October: a Masai Mara safari in Kenya, or the northern Serengeti in Tanzania.
January to March: a calving season safari in the southern Serengeti and Ngorongoro.
Both countries: a combined Kenya and Tanzania safari covers the Mara and the Serengeti in one trip.

Frequently asked questions

What month is best to see the wildebeest river crossings?

River crossings are most often seen from late July to September, in the Masai Mara and the northern Serengeti. They cannot be guaranteed on a particular day.

Where is the Great Migration in February?

In February the herds are usually in the southern Serengeti and Ndutu area of Tanzania, where the calving season is at its peak.

Is the Great Migration in Kenya or Tanzania?

Both. The herds spend most of the year in Tanzania's Serengeti and are usually in Kenya's Masai Mara from about July to October.