Serengeti National Park Best Time to Visit

Serengeti National Park Best Time to Visit

Serengeti National Park best time to visit is important if particular activities in the park are what you are after, especially if watching the great wildebeest migration is that one activity in Serengeti National Park that you have been looking forward to. The best time to visit Serengeti National Park is when you are willing and able to visit Tanzania. The Serengeti plains are always full of surprises, no matter the time of the year. So depending on your travel schedule, plan on visiting Serengeti National Park on a Tanzania wildlife safari whenever you are able to. 

Most travellers do plan their Serengeti safari with the sole aim of experiencing the Great Migration, a natural phenomenon that sees over 1 million wildebeests and hundreds of thousands of zebras and antelopes cross the Mara River to Maasai Mara National Park Kenya. Serengeti National Park offers extraordinary wildlife viewing opportunities throughout the year, irrespective of the season of travel.

To most travellers though, the Serengeti National Park best time to visit is during the dry season, when the wildlife is much thinner allowing easy wild game viewing, and the wildlife in Serengeti National Park do congregate in the few waterholes available, making game viewing very rewarding. The dry season falls in the months of June to October, and is the prime time to of witnessing the Great Wildebeest migration.

To some travellers however, the wet season in the Park is also a great time to visit Serengeti National Park, for a number of reasons to them. During the wet season is when there is a low season of travel in Africa and generally everywhere, having lodges and camps discount their rates. In addition, the wet season has the rains falling and bringing forth a green oasis and the calving season in Serengeti national Park, making the scenery very beautiful and also giving travellers an opportunity to see the wildlife in Serengeti National Park. 

Serengeti National Park Best Time to Visit
Serengeti Safaris

Below are the Pros and Cons of visiting Serengeti national Park as per season:

Dry Season-June to October

Pros of visiting Serengeti National Park in the dry season:

  • The wild bush thins, and wild game is easier to spot during the dry season in Serengeti National Park.
  • The animals in the park gather around the few available waterholes, making it easy still to see the wild animals almost at the same time
  • There is a higher chance of witnessing the Great Migration, especially the very iconic river crossing of the Grumeti River and the Mara River crossing, if you are lucky to travel within that time.
  • There is less spread of malaria during the dry season, for there are fewer mosquitoes then

Cons:

  • Large crowds is the one disadvantage of visiting Serengeti National Park during the dry season, especially around the Seronera area 
  • Though it is a dry season and temperatures are expected to be high, the nights and early morning hours have temperature dropping as low as 14 degrees Celsius.

The Wet Season

Pros of visiting Serengeti National Park in the wet season:

  • The calving season which is part of the Great migration can be witnessed, in the months of January and February. This is a great time to see predators in action especially on the weak calves
  • The savannah plains are lush with green landscape, making them very scenic
  • There are fewer travellers during the wet season, so there are no crowds then
  • Best time for bird watching

Cons:

  • The wet season has rains falling most days, though not often the whole day. it however may be cloudy most parts of the day
  • January and March though in the rainy or wet season may have crowds of tourists, especially in the Seronera area given it is the calving season
  • Expect some bit of slippery roads, be sure to use 4×4 WD safari vehicles.
Serengeti National Park Best Time to Visit
Birding Safaris in Serengeti

Apart from just the seasons, other factors do come into play when the best time to visit Serengeti National Park is mentioned. Watching the great wildebeest migration is the most important reason that most travellers do visit Serengeti National Park.

The best time to visit Serengeti National Park to witness the most iconic parts of the Great wildebeest migration is during the months of June to August, or early September. To witness the calving season, the months of January and February are the best time to visit Serengeti National Park.

If travelling without encountering crowds is your preference, then the best time to visit Serengeti National Park is during the months of March to May, as well as November to December. This is also a great time to visit Serengeti National Park for budget Serengeti safaris. For birding safaris in Serengeti National Park, this is also the best time to visit Serengeti National Park.

Serengeti National Park is an all year round safari destination, which you can visit as per your schedule. Take time to plan out a memorable Serengeti safari with a knowledgeable tour operator, and if witnessing the Great wildebeest migration is your forte, let it known to your travel planner and be advised accordingly, for great Serengeti wildebeest migration safaris and more: or better yet make use of this write up about the Serengeti national Park best time to visit to aid your decision making.

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