Serengeti Explained: Endless Plains, Migration and Lions

What and where is the Serengeti?

The Serengeti is a wide natural region in East Africa. Most of it lies in northern Tanzania, with a northern edge reaching into Kenya ¹. Records place it in Mara, Simiyu and Arusha areas, and give its size as 30,000 km2 ².

Within that wider region sits a protected zone. It holds a large national park along with several smaller reserves for wildlife ¹. The landscape is mixed. There are open grass plains, woods, wet marshy ground, forests near rivers, and low rocky hills called kopjes. Heights run from low valleys to higher uplands, and daytime temperatures are often warm but mild ¹. Many people link the name to a local word for wide open plains, yet that link is not found in published word lists for that language ¹.

What makes its wildlife so famous?

The area is best known for the yearly round trip of huge herds. Zebras tend to lead, wildebeest follow in very large numbers, and gazelles and other grazing animals travel with them ¹. The route forms a loop. It starts in the south, passes through the central park, heads north toward Kenya, then turns south again when fresh grass returns ¹. Experts rank it among the largest land movements by combined animal weight, and it is often named among Africa's natural wonders ¹.

Predators are another draw. Lions live here in large numbers, and visitors can often watch whole family groups at rest or on the hunt ¹. Leopards, hyenas and cheetahs are also present, while wild dogs are now rare in parts of the park ¹. Plant eaters divide the food supply. Some prefer short grass, others choose tall grass, and browsers feed at different heights on trees and shrubs ¹. That sharing helps many species live side by side ¹.

When should you plan a visit?

It depends on what you hope to see. Early in the year the herds gather in the southeast. Calves are born there in large numbers over a few short weeks, when fresh grass is rich after rain ¹. By late spring the grass dries in the south, so the herds drift northwest toward rivers ¹.

River passages from mid-year onward draw many visitors. Crocodiles wait in the water, which makes these crossings dramatic ¹. Later in the dry season the herds are mostly in the north. With new short rains near the end of the year, they head south again to the calving grounds ¹. There are usually two wet periods, one longer in spring and one shorter in autumn ¹. As of October 2026, check with park offices or a trusted tour operator for current conditions.