When and Where to See the Great Migration in Kenya

Nearly two million wildebeest, hundreds of thousands of zebra and gazelle, make a slow annual migration between the Serengeti in Tanzania and the Masai Mara in Kenya. They follow the rain and the grass that it brings. No start line and no finish. The herds are constantly on the move, giving birth, crossing rivers and pressing on. The Great Migration is typically referred to as the part of the migration that takes place in the Mara and the river crossings.

Timing is important. If you arrive in the wrong month, you might find large open spaces and abundant resident game, but not the great columns of animals that people imagine. If you arrive at the right time, you will see thousands of wildebeest jumping down a riverbank into the Mara River, where crocodiles are waiting. This is the year in a nutshell, and how to plan your Kenya safari around it.

The Great Migration in reality

Migration is not a one-time process. It is a year-round circuit that is dependent on rainfall in the Serengeti-Mara region, covering approximately 30,000 square kilometres in northern Tanzania and southern Kenya. The herds graze a dry area and then go to fresh grass. Predators follow the herds. Births, deaths, and river crossings all occur on the move.

For most of the year the animals are in Tanzania. They migrate south to the plains of the Serengeti for calving season, and then north and west with the onset of dry weather. The Mara River, part of the border region, slices through the Serengeti and Masai Mara, and by July the leading herds arrive there. Most visitors want to see the crossing of that river.

Month by month: where the herds are

January-March: Herds are in the southern Serengeti, Tanzania, on the short-grass plains. It’s calving season, with approximately half a million calves born in a few weeks. At this time, Kenya’s Mara is quieter, has great resident wildlife but no migrating columns.

April-May: Long rains. The herds start to migrate north and west in the central Serengeti. Travel can be wet and some camps close. Prices fall and the country is green and young animals abound.

June: The herds begin to congregate in the western Serengeti and begin to squeeze into the Mara. The initial crossings may occur at the Grumeti River in Tanzania. Kenya is warming up for its main season.

July to October: This is the period that most travelers prefer. The herds spread into the Masai Mara, and the Mara River crossings take place, usually between July and October. Crossings are not scheduled. They occur when the herds choose to migrate, usually due to grazing pressure or a passing storm. You can wait hours at a crossing point or you can arrive to find one already in progress.

November-December: The short rains bring the herds back south to Tanzania, where the cycle repeats on the calving grounds. The Mara remains good for general game viewing well into the low season.

The best time to make a trip around the crossings is from late July to early October, if you wish to do so. Our safari team in Nairobi can hold camps and confirm the routing once you have agreed on dates as the best riverside camps are booked a year or more in advance for the peak season.

The Mara River crossings

It is the crossings that make peak-season camps sell out so early. Herds bunch up on one side, pause, and then rush. Animals are lost to the current and crocodiles up to five metres long wait in the water. It’s dramatic and unpredictable, all at once. While no guide can guarantee a crossing on a particular morning, a few days in the right place during the best weeks increases your chances.

The primary crossing points are located along the Mara River in the reserve and in the private conservancies to the north. A good guide reads the herds, observes where they are building up and positions the vehicle early. The price of admission is patience. The best sightings are often after a long, quiet wait.

Where to stay and how to plan

There are two main options in the Mara: the national reserve or one of the private conservancies that surround it. The reserve is the closest to the classic river crossing points, but can be crowded with lots of vehicles at a good sighting. The conservancies restrict the number of vehicles, permit night drives and walking and often provide a more relaxed wildlife experience, albeit a little further away from the main crossing lines.

Many travellers divide their nights between a few in a conservancy for space and exclusivity, and a few nearer to the river for the crossings, for a first migration trip. Three to four nights in the Mara is a sensible minimum, as crossings are not on a timetable and additional days provide additional opportunities during peak season.

The experience is completely different with a private car. You are in control of your own 4×4 and driver-guide, so you can choose when to leave camp, how long to wait at a crossing and when to move on. Our head guides, Boniface Kamau and John Mithamo, have over 20 years experience in the Mara and you can find out how we operate these trips on the Majestic Kenya website.

Other sights you will see

The migration attracts the crowds, but it’s not the only reason to be in the Mara. The reserve has some of the highest predator densities in Africa. Lion prides are big and easy to spot, cheetah hunt on the open plains, and leopard rest in the riverine trees. Elephant, buffalo, giraffe and topi are always present and hippo and crocodile fill the rivers. The Mara offers first class game viewing even in a quiet month when there are no herds on the move. The migration itself attracts predators by the abundance of prey, and big-cat sightings are likely to be highest when the herds are at their peak.

The best time is in the morning. The light is soft, the air is cool, and animals are active before the midday heat sends them into the shade. Most crossings occur from late morning through the afternoon, so if you can get a full day in the field during peak weeks you will have the best of both worlds: cats in the morning and a possible crossing later in the day.

Migration observed from the air

One of the best ways to experience the magnitude of the migration is on a dawn balloon safari over the Mara. You take off before dawn and glide over the plains while the sun rises, and herds and predators move below. Most flights end with a bush breakfast on the ground. It’s an indulgence, typically costing several hundred dollars per person, but during the migration season, the sight of thousands of animals spread out across the grass is unparalleled. If it sounds like a good idea, reserve it early as there are limited slots available each morning.

A note on crowds and cost

July to October is also the most expensive and busiest time to visit Kenya as it is the peak migration season. The Masai Mara’s park fees are $200 per person per day from July to December, and $100 per person per day from January to June. Flights, camps, and guides all cost more in season. The green months of January to March are cheaper, have newborn animals and much less traffic, but no migrating herds if that is your priority.

Planning your trip

The Great Migration is a reward for early planning. The best crossing spots are the ones that sell out first during peak season camps, and there’s a big difference between a good crossing spot and an average one, depending on which camp you booked and when. Make up your mind on your window, fix your dates and plan the rest of your trip around the Mara.

For those who wish to be assisted in matching dates to the herds and holding the appropriate camps, you can begin planning a private migration safari with our team. We are a private, custom trip only, so the trip is designed around your travel dates, not a fixed departure.