Every year more than a million wildebeest, with zebra and gazelle, move in a loop between Tanzania's Serengeti and Kenya's Maasai Mara, following the rain and fresh grass. The moment most people come to see is the river crossing: thousands of animals gathering on the bank of the Mara River, then plunging across while crocodiles wait in the water.
When the herds are in the Mara
In most years the first herds arrive in the Mara around July. They stay through August and September, spreading across the plains, and start drifting back south into Tanzania in October and November.
- July: the first herds arrive. Crossings are possible but less certain.
- August and September: the herds are spread across the Mara and crossings are most likely.
- October: herds begin moving south. Crossings still happen, often in the other direction.
The timing is never fixed. It shifts with the rains each year, sometimes by several weeks. That is why it is worth asking what the herds are doing right now before you choose your dates.
Why crossings are hard to predict
A herd can gather at the river for hours and then turn back. Another can cross within minutes of arriving. Nobody can promise a crossing on a particular day, and you should be wary of anyone who does.
What helps is time and patience. The best chances come to guests who can spend a full day near the river with a packed lunch, rather than a few hours between meals at camp.
How to give yourself the best chance
- Stay at least three nights in the Mara between August and September.
- Plan full days out so you can wait at the river when a herd is gathering.
- Travel in a private vehicle so the decision to wait, or to move to another crossing point, is yours.
- Keep your camera ready but watch too. A crossing can last a few minutes or more than an hour.
At the river, rangers and guides keep vehicles back from the banks so the animals are not blocked from crossing. A good guide positions you with a clear view without crowding the herd.
Not travelling in migration season?
The Mara is excellent all year. Lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants and buffalo live here permanently, and outside the busy months the roads are quieter and camps often cost less.