The wildebeest cross the Mara River in the north of the Serengeti, usually from July to September. You watch a crossing from the bank, from your vehicle, and you need patience. It does not happen on cue.
Month | What happens |
June | the herds arrive in the north |
July | the first crossings at the Mara River |
August | crossings there and back |
September | still crossings, fewer people in the parks |
October | the herds head south again |
That is the pattern. The exact timing depends on the rain, and the rain differs from year to year.
A common belief is that the herds cross once and walk on into Kenya. In reality they cross, cross back and cross again, sometimes on the same day. Nobody knows exactly why.
The herds gather on the bank. Sometimes for hours. They walk back and forth, they stare at the water, and then one steps forward and the rest follow. Down the steep bank, into the water and up the far side. Crocodiles lie in the river.
The noise, the dust and the chaos are something you cannot prepare for. We have seen hundreds of crossings and we still hold our breath.
You drive to the river and you wait. Sometimes an hour, sometimes three, sometimes it does not happen that day. If you know that, you enjoy the waiting. If you expect it on demand, you will leave disappointed.
Having your own vehicle makes the difference here. You decide how long you stay, and you never drive off because the rest of a group wants to move on.
The crossings take place in the north of the Serengeti, around Kogatende and the Mara River. At the best-known spots in July and August, a lot of vehicles gather at once.
That is why our guests sleep in the north itself, at our own camps, Kimbilio Lobo and Kimbilio Bologonja. From there you reach the river early and can move to a quiet stretch of bank. The same wildebeest, with fewer vehicles around you.
Allow at least three nights in the north if the crossing is the reason for your trip. With one night it is a gamble.
How the herds move through the park over the whole year, you can read in our blog about the migration in the Serengeti.
Our migration itinerary takes you to the northern Serengeti in season, with nights at our own camps close to the river.
