Serengeti National Park is a World Heritage Site and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
Lying between Maasai Mara Reserve in Kenya to the north, Ngorongoro Conservation Area to the south-east and extending close to less than 10kms of the shores of Lake Victoria to the west, Serengeti is the third largest National Park in Tanzania covering an area of 14,763sqkm; only Nyerere and Ruaha National Parks in southern Tanzania are bigger with 30,000 and 20,380 square kilometres respectively.
Aptly named endless plains, Siringet in Maasai, you immediately experience this vastness as you enter the southeastern plains of the park from Ngorongoro highlands. Declared a protected area in 1921 and gazetted as a National park in 1951, Serengeti is the oldest National Park in Tanzania and undoubtedly one of the most famous wildlife reserves in the world.
According to the Tanzania National Parks website, Serengeti is home to the world’s largest populations of Wildebeest, Zebra, Cape Eland, Lion, Cheetah, Hyena and Gazelles. Serengeti National Park is also home to the world’s last remaining large mammal migration, the Great Serengeti Migration, which is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa.
The Serengeti Migration
The wildebeest and other migratory animals in the Serengeti follow a predictable clockwise migration pattern each year, driven by rainfall and the availability of water and fresh pastures. Their journey spans 25,000 sq km, mostly within protected areas like Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area. From December to April, the southeastern plains around Ndutu become a busy calving ground, where wildebeest, zebras, and predators converge.
The long rains from March to May allow the animals to roam the Serengeti plains before migrating to the western corridor in May and June, where they move in massive groups, sometimes stretching 40 km. By July, the herds move toward the north and northeast, reaching Kenya’s Maasai Mara by September. After a short stay, they return to the Serengeti in November, continuing the cycle. This migration creates one of the most spectacular wildlife events on Earth, with game viewing opportunities available year-round, especially during the Great Migration.
Serengeti Packages