Serengeti National Park is where you will let the great migration in this dynamic ecosystem move you.
The Serengeti National Park is one of the places where you can witness millions of migrating wildebeest over the Acacia plains other than the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya.
Serengeti National Park is the cradle of human life, and probably the closest to an untouched African wilderness you will ever get: welcome to Serengeti National Park.
In the Serengeti National Park time seems to stand still, despite the thousands of animals constantly on the move.
The magic of Serengeti National Park is not easy to describe in words. Not only seeing, but also hearing the buzz of millions of wildebeest so thick in the air that it vibrates through your entire body is something you will try to describe to friends and family, before realizing it’s impossible.
Vistas of honey-lit plains at sunset so beautiful, it’s worth the trip just to witness this. The genuine smiles of the Maasai people will give you an immediate warming glow inside.
May be the feeling of constantly being amongst thousands of animals – it doesn’t matter what season of the migration you visit the Serengeti National Park, it’s magical all year round.
The Great Migration In Serengeti National Park
Serengeti National Park was one of the first sites listed as a World Heritage Site when United Nations delegates met in Stockholm in 1981.
Already by the late 1950s, this area had been recognized as a unique ecosystem, providing us with many insights into how the natural world functions and showing us how dynamic ecosystems really are.
Today, most visitors on Tanzania safaris to Serengeti come here with one aim alone: to witness millions of wildebeest, zebras, gazelles and elands on a mass trek to quench their thirst for water and eat fresh grass.
During this great cyclical movement, these ungulates move around the ecosystem in a seasonal pattern, defined by rainfall and grass nutrients. These large herds of animals on the move can’t be witnessed anywhere else.
Whereas other famous wildlife parks are fenced, the Serengeti is protected, but unfenced. This gives the animals enough space to make their return journey, one that they’ve been doing for millions of years. Read more about the Great Migration.
More than Just the Great Migration
Even though, for many travellers, the migration is one of the main reasons to visit Serengeti National Park, it’s worth looking beyond this immense spectacle. First of all, nature can’t be directed.
Having realistic expectations of your chances to witness a river crossing, or a large herd on the move, is crucial. A river crossing for example often only lasts thirty minutes so can be missed in the blink of an eye.
But don’t let this discourage you: there are plenty of other reasons to visit the Serengeti. If it’s not for this vast stretch of land where you can drive forever and never get enough, it might be for the incredible skies of dazzling colors, or the primal feeling of excitement when a deep dark-grey thunderstorm appears on the broad horizon.
You might answer the lion’s call, and come to the Serengeti for one of the largest concentrations of predators in the world: the herds support about 7,500 hyenas, 3,000 lions and 250 cheetahs.
How about the silent grey giants? Elephants in the Serengeti amble over the plains into the woodlands, feasting on leaves and tree branches. Read more about wildlife in Serengeti wildlife.
Who Inhabits the Cradle of Human life
Even though animals still rule the plains of the Serengeti, this area has an incredibly long history of human occupation. Not only humans, but also human ancestors (Australopithecus afarensi) lived in this area for almost 4 million years.
Today, Serengeti National Park is still home to several indigenous tribes. One of the most famous tribes is the Maasai: this tribe is unique and popular due to their long-preserved culture.
Despite education, civilization and western cultural influences, the Maasai people have clung to their traditional way of life, making them a symbol of Tanzanian and Kenyan culture. Read more about the Maasai people.
Ecosystem that has Vibrancy, Variety and Vastness
You will soon realise that amazement doesn’t have boundaries in this world-renowned National Park of Tanzania. Serengeti is a transition area, with distinct changeovers going from rich flat soils, to poor hilly soils in the north, attracting a wide variety of vegetation and animals.
Whether you are looking for big cats, birds or even smaller creatures: Serengeti National Park delivers. Even to understand and experience just a small part of this ecosystem, will change your vision on our world and the environment.
After being overwhelmed by the vibrancy, variety and vastness of this land, this place of transition will leave you changed forever.
History of Serengeti National Park
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, explorers and missionaries described the Serengeti plains and the massive numbers of animals found there.
Only minor details are all that were reported before explorations in the late 1920s and early 1930s supply the first references to the great wildebeest migrations, and the first photographs of the region.
An area of 2,286 square kilometers was established in 1930 as a game reserve in what is now southern and eastern Serengeti. They allowed sport hunting activities until 1937, after which it stopped all hunting activities.
In 1940 Protected Area Status was conferred to the area and the National Park itself was established in 1951, then covering southern Serengeti and the Ngorongoro highlands. They based the park headquarters on the rim of Ngorongoro crater.
So, the original Serengeti National Park, as it was gazetted in 1951, also included what now is the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA). In 1959, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area was split off from the Serengeti National Park and they extended the boundaries of the park to the Kenya border.
The key reason for splitting off the Ngorongoro area was that local Maasai residents realized that they were threatened with eviction and consequently not allow grazing their cattle within the national park boundaries.
To counter this from happening, protests were staged. A compromise was reached wherein the Ngorongoro Crater Area was split off from the national park: the Maasai may live and graze their cattle in the Ngorongoro Crater area but not within Serengeti National Park boundaries.
In 1961 the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya was established and in 1965 the Lamai Wedge between the Mara River and Kenya border was added to Serengeti National Park, thus creating a permanent corridor allowing the wildebeests to migrate from the Serengeti plains in the south to the Loita Plains in the north.
The Maswa Game Reserve was established in 1962 and a small area north of The Grumeti River in the western corridor was added in 1967.
The Serengeti National Park was among the first places to be proposed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO at 1972 Stockholm conference. It was formally established in 1981.
How to get to Serengeti National Park
Although located in a rather remote corner of our planet, Serengeti National Park is easily accessible.
Most travellers start their Serengeti safari adventure at either Kilimanjaro International Airport or bustling Arusha. From here you may either travel to your preferred lodge by means of a short transfer flight or by safari vehicle. It is also possible to combine the two and enjoy the best of both worlds!
Even though Serengeti National Park is one of the few places left where nature’s ancient rules and seasonal cycles have been more or less unaltered, the Serengeti is fairly easy to access. The most convenient option is to fly from Arusha to one of the park’s seven airstrips.
It is also possible to book an overland safari in a 4×4 safari vehicle from Arusha to Serengeti National Park and visit one or two other parks along the way.
Of course it’s also possible to combine these options; book a one way Serengeti overland safari and fly back to Arusha. More information on the different safari possibilities may be found on going on a safari in Serengeti National Park.
Getting to Serengeti by air
International air travel
The recommended point of entry is Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) which lies between the towns of Moshi and Arusha. The airport is located about 200 miles / 320 kilometers from the park’s southern entrance.
There are a couple of international flight options such as KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (daily), Turkish Airlines, Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines (a few of times per week).
Kilimanjaro International Airport also has daily connections with Nairobi (NBO) in Kenya, which offers more international flight possibilities. Additional airlines such as British Airways, Emirates and others fly into Tanzania’s capital Dar es Salaam (DAR).
Please note that arriving at Dar es Salaam may require an extra overnight and a domestic flight on a small regional airline with luggage restrictions. More information about flights may be reviewed on our Kilimanjaro Airport page.
Regional air travel
The favoured route for a Serengeti fly-in safari is by flying from Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) or Arusha Airport (ARK). From here it will take approximately 1 to 5 hours to fly to one of seven airstrips within the Serengeti National Park.
All flights are operated by local airlines such as Grumeti Air or Coastal Aviation. Once landed at the airstrip, the lodge staff will pick you up and transfer you to your final destination where a cold drink will be ready and waiting (please allow another 45 minutes to 2 hours for road transfer – depending on the chosen lodge).
It is also possible to fly from Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta Airport (NBO) or Wilson Airport (WIL) to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO).
When travelling from the Lake Victoria area, the favoured airport is Mwanza Airport (MWZ). There are also direct flights from the Serengeti to Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam and other national parks in Tanzania such Lake Manyara and Tarangire.
Serengeti fly-in safaris (private airstips)
Looking for a faster and even more convenient option to get to the Serengeti? A scheduled or private charter flight is the way to go. Some of the more exclusive lodges have their own airstrip and are able to arrange direct scheduled and/or private charter flights from Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) or Arusha Airport (ARK) to their airstrip.
Getting to Serengeti National Park by road
Serengeti drive-in safaris
The most popular way to travel to Serengeti National Park by road is by booking a drive-in safari. In general the drive-in safaris start from the town of Arusha.
As it will take approximately eight hours to travel from Arusha to the Serengeti National Park, an overnight stay at one or more wildlife sites en route is usually part of your safari itinerary.
Serengeti self-drive safaris
Although not recommended, the Serengeti National Park is accessible when travelling by (rental) vehicle.
Please keep in mind that careful planning is necessary when driving by yourself through the Serengeti National Park. A 4×4 vehicle is required to be able to access all roads throughout the year. Petrol is sold at Seronera in the Southern Serenget.
Serengeti National Park access gates
The Serengeti has four main entry and exit point:
Naabi Hill Gate
This is Serengeti National Park’s main gate, and therefore also the busiest. Naabi Hills Gate is located approximately 45 kilometers from Seronera. Gate is open between 06h00 and 18h00 daily.
Ndabaka Gate
This is the main access gate for the Western Corridor area. It is approximately a 1.5 hours’ drive from Mwanza and 145 kilometers from Seronera. This gate is open between 06h00 and 18h00 daily but please note that last entry is at 16h00.
Klein’s Gate
Klein’s Gate is located in the far north-east of the Serengeti. The gate is open between 06h00 and 18h00 daily but please note that last entry is at 16h00.
Bologonya Gate
Bologonya Gate is loacted en route to or from Kenya, but the border is currently closed and unlikely to open soon.