Wildebeest Migration Explained: Route and Timing

The Great Migration isn't a single event with a fixed start and end date — it's a continuous, roughly circular route through the Serengeti ecosystem, driven entirely by rainfall and the fresh grass growth that follows it. Understanding that cycle helps explain why timing a migration-focused trip takes real planning rather than picking a date off a calendar. Calving typically happens on the southern Ndutu plains between January and February, when the herds are at their most concentrated. From there, they move north and west through the year, eventually reaching the crossings at the Grumeti and Mara rivers before turning back south again. The herd's exact position shifts from year to year based on that season's rainfall, which is why we adjust itineraries based on current, recent reports rather than committing to a fixed route months in advance. See our month-by-month migration calendar, or contact us to plan around the herds' current location.