The Great Migration Month by Month

The Great Migration follows a genuine annual rhythm, even though the exact dates shift a little each year with rainfall. Three windows matter most if you're planning a trip specifically around it. Calving season runs from late January through February on the Ndutu plains, when up to 8,000 wildebeest calves can be born in a single day — see our Ndutu calving season guide for what that actually looks like on the ground. From there, the herds move north and west, reaching the Grumeti River crossings in the western corridor around June and July. The final major stage is the Mara River crossings, typically peaking August through September as the herds push into Kenya's Maasai Mara — the most famous and most photographed stage of the entire cycle, before the herds eventually turn back south to begin the year again. Read our full guide to the migration's route, or contact us to plan a trip around a specific stage.