Serengeti National Park is one of the most famous parks in Africa and is certainly Tanzania’s most famous and visited park. Established in 1951, it is also Tanzania’s oldest national park. Measuring around 14,763 km² or 5700 miles², it is over six times the size of its contiguous park in Kenya—the ​Masai Mara.  The Serengeti and Masai Mara are very similar in terrain and in the types of wildlife sightings, but off-road driving is severely limited in the Serengeti whereas it is freely allowed in the Masai Mara. By restricting where the safari vehicles can travel, the wildlife of the Serengeti are less accessible to tourist and are able to live in a more wild environment. 

Serengeti wildlife

Serengeti is home to the big five and big seven, which are the big five plus cheetah and wild dog. Probably the biggest claim to fame for the Serengeti is its annual migration of herbivores. All year-round over three million herbivores travel throughout the Serengeti, in a clockwise fashion, in search of the most lush and nutritious grasses. While the main stars of the migration are the blue (or white-bearded) wildebeest, of which there are over two million, the annual migration also includes herbivores such as zebras and various species of antelope. 

Regions of the Serengeti

The Serengeti is generally divided into four sections:     

•  Central Serengeti

•  Eastern and Southern Serengeti

•  Northern Serengeti

•  Western Serengeti

Central Serengeti

The central region of the Serengeti is a very fertile area with year-round water supplies. At the heart of the Serengeti is the Seronera Valley, with its lush green grasses and rivers. The year-round water results in resident prides of lions and other predators that do not need to follow the migration as they’ve adequate prey around the water supplies. Almost any safari to the Serengeti will include a few days in the central region as there is always ample wildlife to be seen. 

Eastern and Southern Serengeti

The eastern and southern regions are where the short grass plains are, which makes for an excellent viewing locale for cheetahs. The area is more open here and one can see a large number of elephants and, during the migration, prides o f lions. 

Northern Serengeti

As one heads north, the land becomes more rolling and is dotted with trees. The migration passes through this area on its way up to Kenya and must cross two rivers in the north: the Grumeti River and the Mara River. Both rivers are home to the Nile crocodile and crossings are a sight to behold. This region is also home to the largest population of elephants. 

Western Serengeti

The western corridor is the least visited but has much to offer. The Grumeti River also runs through here and makes for excellent game viewing when the migration passes through. This area tends to be more open than that of the north and central and regions.

When to see the annual wildebeest migration in the Serengeti
 

The Serengeti is often considered the best wildlife reserve in Africa, and it offers an unparalleled concentration of wildlife. 

When is the best time to visit the Serengeti?

The Serengeti is a top safari destination at any time of year. January through early March is when the ungulates of the great migration give birth. Looking to see baby wildebeest faces? Visit in January or February.
After a cheaper safari? March through May is the long rain season, which has its benefits, including lower lodging prices, less tourists and flowers. Want that wildebeest river crossing photo? July through October sees the migration in northern Serengeti, where wildebeest must cross the perilous Mara River.