Serengeti
Two million wildebeest, plains touching the horizon in every direction and lions on every kopje: the Serengeti isn't a park, it's a country made of grass.
Suggested stay — 3 to 4 nights
"Siringitu", the endless plain in Maa: 15,000 km² where the great migration turns in an eternal loop — calving on the short-grass plains of Ndutu from January to March (8,000 births a day at the peak, and the cheetahs feasting), a spring push west through the Grumeti corridor, then the Mara River crossings in the north from July to September, crocodiles included. Self-driving, you choose your sector by season instead of enduring a driver's itinerary.
The logistical heart is Seronera, in the centre: lion kopjes, leopards in the sausage trees along the river, a fuel station (the park's only one — fill up), and public campsites where you fall asleep to a chorus of hyenas behind the canvas. Navigation is easier than feared: main tracks are signed, safari-vehicle traffic gives you bearings, and the golden rule holds — be back in camp before dark.
Don't miss
- The Ndutu plains during calving (January-March): the year's highest predator density
- The kopjes of the Seronera sector — Simba and Moru — the lions' headquarters
- A Mara crossing in the Kogatende sector (July-September), patience mandatory
- The Seronera valley at first light for leopards in the sausage trees
Our tips on the ground
- Fill up at every opportunity: the park's only pump is at Seronera and it sometimes runs dry — entering with two full tanks is your safety margin.
- Book the public campsites (Nyani, Pimbi...) through the TANAPA portal along with your entries: paying in advance spares you the lottery at the gates.
- Load the park map offline (Maps.me or Tracks4Africa) and note your mileage at junctions: signs exist, but not everywhere.
Our flagship guide — €29
Guide available“Tanzania on Your Own”, the complete edition, is out
10 chapters: day-by-day itineraries, driving and transport, a costed budget and checklists — the same method as our Namibia guide.
The guide is currently written in French — an English edition is in the works.
Before you go
Readers' questions about Serengeti
Is self-driving the Serengeti actually allowed?
Yes — perfectly legal and commonly done: you pay the same entries as everyone else and drive freely on the open tracks, within the same hours (6 am - 6 pm). The one real constraint is administrative: entries and campsites are paid in advance or by card at the gates, never in cash. A loaded GPS and a jerrycan of reserve fuel do the rest.
Where will the migration be during my stay?
As a rough pattern: Ndutu and the south from December to March (calving), the centre and western corridor April to June, the north and the Mara River July to October, the descent south in November. But the rains decide and the herd stretches over 50 km: match your sector to the season, and remember the residents — lions, leopards, elephants — are there all year.