Serengeti National Park
Best time to visit
As the home of Africa's richest resident population of wildlife, the Serengeti National Park offers exceptional game viewing opportunities throughout the year. The time you decide to go will largely depend on what you wish to see. The majority of visitors are eager to witness the incredible spectacle of the annual wildebeest migration but planning for this can be challenging as the timing of the migration can vary from one year to the next and the migration takes a full year to complete a single cycle. This means that the migration can be seen throughout the year but because the wildebeest travel across vast expanses of land, certain events in the cycle can only be seen in specific areas of the park during specific time periods. The mass wildebeest calving period, for example, occurs between January and March in the southernmost reaches of the park, while the dramatic river crossings occur between July and August in the west.
The best time for general wildlife watching is considered to be during the months of June and July. During this time the animals are easy to find as they tend to congregate around the water sources and the vegetation is typically less dense than usual. The weather is also ideal at this time as there is usually little to no rainfall. Visitors should note that, while days are usually relatively warm during this time period, morning and evenings can get chilly, so remember to pack some warm clothing for your early morning game drives.