Best time to visit Serengeti national park : The time for visiting Serengeti national park can be any month of the year and this national park is among the popular safari destinations found in Tanzania.
Among the parks in the northern part of Tanzania, Serengeti national park is the oldest and covers over 14,750 square kilometres. Serengeti consists of vast savannah plains, acacia woodlands and also rock outcrops that make up the scenery at the destination.
The best time to visit Serengeti national park is the dry season during the months of June, July, August, September and October which is a time when wildlife viewing is at its best and many tourists visit the national park. Wildlife viewing is also good around Tanzania during the months of January, February and December.
During the dry season in Tanzania wildlife species can easily be spotted around places where there is water as they gather to drink. The vegetation being thinner in the dry season also makes it easy to see wildlife species when visiting Serengeti national park.
When determining which time of the year is the best for a tour around Serengeti national park, there are different factors to consider such as the special interest during the tour which could be a specific activity or seeing a specific animal during the safari.
The budget for a tour will also determine the best time to visit Serengeti national park in a way that travellers with a low budget for a tour to Tanzania are better off visiting the park in the low season when prices are discounted.
For the wildebeest migration which is among the major attractions of Serengeti national park in Tanzania, you will need to visit certain parts of the park at a given time of the year. The wildebeest migration takes place annually and can be seen around the north, central, south and western parts of Serengeti national park during safaris.
Safaris to Serengeti in the low season
The best time to visit a safari destination like Serengeti national park may not be the rainy season however; this is also a good time to see wildlife species during a safari rains aside.
the low season or green season around Tanzania is during the months of March, April and May and also in November and it is a period when the number of tourists on safari is not as high as the number of tourists visiting Serengeti national park and other destinations in Tanzania in the high season.
Apart from the few tourists who go on safari in Serengeti national park and rains, the low season is also characterized by discounted prices for safaris and also green and lush vegetation. The month of November to April is also a good time for bird watching during safaris in Serengeti national park.
Best time for the wildebeest migration in Serengeti national park
The wildebeest migration involves movement of over 2 million wildebeests annually along with zebras and gazelles. Safaris can be done across the different parts of Serengeti national park in different months of the year for tourists to see the wildebeest migration.
Southern Serengeti
The wildebeest migration in the southern part of Serengeti national park can be seen during the months of January, February and also in March which is a time when the calving season takes place in Tanzania.
The Ndutu area is a part of Serengeti national park and the Ngorongoro conservation area where the calving season takes place. Calving season is a time of the year when over 8000 wildebeest calves are born daily in the savannah plains.
Many predators can be seen during safaris in the southern part of Tanzania when the calving season takes place.
Central Serengeti
The central part of Serengeti national park is also referred to as Seronera area and it is a part of Serengeti where the wildebeest migration can be seen around April and May.
Many wildlife species like predators like lions, leopards and cheetahs are also found in this part of Serengeti national park which is also popular among tourists on safari.
Western Serengeti
The wildebeest migration in the western part of Serengeti national park takes place around May and June. During this time of the year, the wildebeests also cross the Grumeti river and other wildlife species such as elephants, giraffes, hippos, antelopes among others can also be seen around the area during safaris.
The western part of Serengeti national park also consists of savannah plains, woodlands and floodplains.
Northern Serengeti
When visiting the northern part of Serengeti national park during safaris in Tanzania, the best time to see the wildebeest migration is during the months of July and August.
River crossings along the Mara river also take place during the wildebeest migration in the northern part of Serengeti national park. the northern part of Serengeti is said to be remote but it is also good for safaris and besides the wildebeest migration, other wildlife species like elephants, lions, leopards, giraffes among others can also be seen around the northern part of Serengeti during safaris.
After crossing the Mara river, the wildebeests move to the Masai Mara reserve in Kenya which is another destination where the wildebeest migration can be seen during safaris. Around September and October, the wildebeests are still in Kenya and after November, the wildebeests return to Serengeti national park.
How to get to Serengeti national park
You can access Serengeti national park by driving and also by flight during safaris in Tanzania. The different airstrips around Serengeti which can be used during tours include Seronera, Kogatende, Grumeti, Ndutu, Kirawira among others.
The drive from Arusha to Serengeti national park during safaris in Tanzania takes about 7 hours.
When visiting Serengeti national park, there is a lot that you can take part in such as morning or afternoon game drives, walking safaris with a guide, hot air balloon safaris, cultural encounters and also bird watching.
All these activities can be carried out during safaris in Tanzania as part of a group or during a private tour around Serengeti national park.
