The Serengeti — The World's Most Famous National Park

The Serengeti needs no introduction. It is the most iconic national park on earth, covering 14,763 km² of pristine savannah ecosystem in northern Tanzania. The word Serengeti comes from the Maasai word "Siringet" — meaning "endless plains" — and the park lives up to that name completely. The Serengeti is synonymous with the Great Migration, the largest movement of land animals on earth, but it is the year-round density of lions, leopards, cheetah, and elephant that makes it genuinely unmissable.

Great Migration: 1.5 million wildebeest, 200,000 zebra, and 350,000 Thomson's gazelle complete a continuous circular migration across the Serengeti–Masai Mara ecosystem. Wildlife drama — river crossings, predator attacks, births — happens year-round.

Wildlife of the Serengeti

  • Wildebeest — 1.5 million animals. The main characters of the Great Migration.
  • Lions — The Serengeti has the world's highest concentration of lions. Multiple large prides.
  • Cheetah — The Serengeti's open plains make it the best place in Africa to watch cheetah hunt.
  • Leopard — The Seronera Valley is famous for leopards resting in fever trees.
  • Elephants — Large herds throughout, particularly in the northern and western sections.
  • Hippos — The Retima Hippo Pool near Seronera has some of Africa's largest pods.
  • Wild Dogs — Rare but present — the Serengeti has a recovering wild dog population.

Best Time to Visit the Serengeti

  • January–March — Calving season on the southern plains. Thousands of wildebeest born daily. Exceptional predator action.
  • June–July — Western Corridor crossings. Dramatic Grumeti River crossing scenes. Peak migration action.
  • August–October — Northern Serengeti. The famous Mara River crossings begin. Spectacular.
  • Year-round — Resident lions, leopards and cheetah provide extraordinary game viewing regardless of migration timing.

From Zanzibar to the Serengeti

The Serengeti is approximately a 2-hour flight from Zanzibar — making a 3-day safari the minimum recommended package. We offer direct fly-in safaris from Zanzibar to multiple Serengeti airstrips, with luxury tented camp accommodation inside the park. See our 3-day and 4-day Serengeti packages for full details.