Kenya or Tanzania for the Great Migration: an honest comparison

Every year, the same question arrives in our inbox in slightly different words: should we see the migration in Kenya or Tanzania?

The short answer is that it depends on when you can travel. The migration is one ecosystem split across two countries. UNESCO describes it as a circular trek of about 1,000km, with around two million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebras and gazelles moving between Tanzania's Serengeti and Kenya's Maasai Mara. For most of the year the herds are in Tanzania. For a few months, part of them are in Kenya.

The longer answer involves rain, rivers, crowds and what kind of safari you want. Here it is.

How the migration actually works

The herds follow the grass, and the grass follows the rain. The pattern is broadly clockwise: south in the wet season, west and north as the plains dry, into the Mara in the dry season, then south again when the short rains return.

It is a pattern, not a timetable. A late rainy season can hold the herds in one area for weeks. An early one can send them moving before anyone expected. Any guide who promises a river crossing on a specific date is guessing. What you can plan for is being in the right region at the right time, with enough nights to give yourself a real chance.

Where the herds are, month by month

December to March: the southern plains

From the end of December, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority says, the herds begin to arrive on the short-grass plains around Ndutu, on the border of the southern Serengeti, and stay until about April. Tanzania National Parks gives January and February as the calving season.

This is one of the most rewarding times to see the migration, and it is underrated because it lacks the river crossings. Thousands of calves are born over a few weeks, the plains are green, and the predators follow. Cheetah, lion and hyena sightings around Ndutu at this time of year can be extraordinary.

Country: Tanzania.

April and May: on the move, and the long rains

The long rains fall in April and May. The herds leave the south and spread through the central and western Serengeti. Many camps close, some roads become difficult, and the migration is harder to pin down.

It is also the quietest and cheapest time to be in the Serengeti. With the right camp and a patient guide, it can be very good. It is not a month we would choose for a first safari.

Country: Tanzania.

June and July: the western corridor and the north

As the plains dry, the herds move west and north. Tanzania National Parks gives June to October as the dry-season window for the migration. Part of the herds pass through the western corridor, where they must cross the Grumeti River, before pushing on towards the northern Serengeti and the Mara River.

Timing in these months varies more than any other part of the year. In some years the first herds reach the Mara River in early July. In others it is later.

Country: Tanzania, and possibly Kenya by late July.

July to October: the Mara River

This is the stretch most people mean by "the migration". Magical Kenya, the official tourism site, describes July to October as the most dramatic part of the year, when herds cross the Mara River into the Maasai Mara.

The crossings happen on both sides of the border. The Mara River runs through the northern Serengeti in Tanzania before crossing into Kenya, and the herds cross it back and forth, sometimes several times, as they move between grazing areas.

Country: Kenya or Tanzania. This is where the choice becomes real.

November: the return south

With the short rains, the herds leave the Mara and head back through the eastern Serengeti towards the southern plains. November is a transitional month, quieter and often good value.

Country: Tanzania.

What a river crossing is really like

A crossing is not a scheduled event. Herds gather on the bank, sometimes in their tens of thousands, and then do nothing for hours. They may walk away. They may come back the next day. Then, often for no reason anyone can see, one animal jumps and the rest follow.

What follows can be intense. Crocodiles wait in the water. Steep banks cause pile-ups. Some animals do not make it. It is loud, dusty and hard to watch at times, and many people find it the most extraordinary wildlife event they have ever seen.

Waiting is part of it. Your guide will pick a spot and wait with you, often for hours, with a packed lunch in the vehicle. If you want to see a crossing, plan at least three or four nights in the right area. Fewer, and you are relying on luck.

Crowds: the honest part

The Mara River crossings are one of the most popular wildlife events in the world, and at the height of the season the most accessible crossing points can attract a large number of vehicles. This is the downside that glossy photographs leave out.

There are ways to see the crossings well without joining a queue.

• In Kenya, stay in a conservancy. The private conservancies bordering the Maasai Mara National Reserve limit the number of vehicles and are open only to guests of the camps inside them. You can drive into the reserve for crossings and come back to quiet game viewing, walking and night drives.
• In Tanzania, stay in the far north. The northern Serengeti around Kogatende has crossing points of its own and fewer camps than the Mara reserve.
• Travel in the shoulder months. Early July or late October can mean fewer vehicles, with a slightly lower chance of a crossing.
• Look beyond the river. The Mara and the northern Serengeti have excellent resident wildlife all year. Some of our favourite days in migration season have been nowhere near the water.

So which country?

Choose Kenya if

• You can travel between late July and October.
• You like the idea of a conservancy, with walking, night drives and fewer vehicles.
• You want a shorter trip. The Mara is a short flight from Nairobi, which makes it possible to see the migration in a week.
• You want to combine it with Laikipia, the Kenyan coast or a gorilla trek in Rwanda.

Choose Tanzania if

• You are travelling between December and June. The migration is in Tanzania for most of these months.
• You want to see the calving season, which is among the best predator action anywhere.
• You want to combine the Serengeti with the Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire.
• You want to end on a beach, with Zanzibar a short flight away.
• You want to try a mobile camp that moves with the herds.

For July to October, either works

In these months it comes down to style. Kenya's conservancies offer a more intimate experience with more activities. Tanzania's northern Serengeti feels wilder and more remote, with longer flights in. Some travellers do both, crossing between the two countries, though the border logistics in the Mara need careful planning.

How many nights, and where

For the river crossings, we would plan at least four nights in one area, ideally in a camp close to the river rather than an hour's drive away. Being able to reach a crossing point quickly when the herds start to gather is worth more than any other single factor.

For the calving season, three or four nights around Ndutu is usually enough, because the herds are concentrated and the predators are easy to find. We often add a few nights in the central Serengeti or at the Ngorongoro Crater to give the trip some variety.

In either country, avoid building a migration trip around one short stay. Splitting a week between two camps in the same broad area, rather than two distant parks, keeps your odds high and your time in vehicles low. If the herds move, a good camp will move its drives with them.

Planning notes

The best camps for the crossings and the calving season book up early, often a year ahead for July to September. If those are your dates, it is worth starting now.

Both countries carry a malaria risk in their main safari areas. Before you travel, check the TravelHealthPro pages for Kenya (opens in a new tab) and Tanzania (opens in a new tab), and the FCDO pages for entry requirements.

If this is your first time on safari, our first safari guide covers the basics, from camp style to packing. And our safari page shows how we would build the rest of the trip around the herds.