The Masai Mara migration, also called the Great Migration, brings 1.5 million wildebeest plus nearly a million zebras, topi, and eland in a circuit between Tanzania’s Serengeti and Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve. This movement represents the largest animal migration on the planet.

The exact route changes every year, showing nature’s unpredictable character. The herds cross the Mara and Talek rivers, where Nile crocodiles and other predators wait. This makes the trip one of the most dangerous and challenging for any animal.

You’ll witness this massive movement as animals follow ancient instincts across the two countries. The river crossings provide the most dramatic moments as herds face life-or-death decisions in crocodile-filled waters.

The Masai Mara migration happens in the Masai Mara National Reserve. The reserve spans 1,510 square kilometers of grasslands that extend north from Tanzania’s Serengeti.

The migration starts in Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Conservation Area in the southern Serengeti. The herds move through the Serengeti, cross into Kenya’s Masai Mara, then return to complete the loop.

This pattern repeats annually as millions of animals follow ancient routes across the two countries.

The great wildebeest migration unfolds on the Masai Mara plains every year. Predicting its exact timing takes luck and patience.

The movement typically starts around July when large wildebeest herds gather at the Serengeti’s northern edge. They head toward the Mara’s fresh pastures.

Between July and late October, the herds make dangerous river crossings. Crocodiles wait in the murky water below.

The Mara throbs with activity for three to four months. You’ll see over two million wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle spread across vast plains. The animals thunder toward greener pastures in an impressive display of nature’s power.

By late October or early November, the herds reverse direction. The rains stop and the animals return to the Serengeti. The cycle starts again.

Flexibility matters when you plan your Masai Mara trip. Bring binoculars and stay ready for an unforgettable show, whenever it happens.

The wildebeest migration spans several months, not just one. July marks the peak when the drama reaches its highest point.

Picture this: the savanna bakes under the July sun. The ground shakes with distant hooves. A dark mass appears on the horizon, growing into an ocean of movement. A million wildebeest charge toward the Mara River, driven by ancient instinct.

This captures July in the Masai Mara. You’ll watch the first wildebeest plunge into churning waters while crocodiles wait below. It’s a raw display of survival and nature’s power.

July brings more than dramatic crossings. The Mara bursts with life. Zebra stripes mix with wildebeest’s brown coats, creating a moving pattern across the plains. The air fills with snorts and bellows from these migrating herds.

For the next three to four months, the Mara stages this show. You’ll see mothers with newborn calves, young males testing their strength, and predators waiting on the edges.

By late October or early November, the show winds down. The rains stop and the Mara’s grass fades, pulling the herds back to the Serengeti’s greener pastures. But July’s thundering hooves and river crossings stay with you.

The migration isn’t limited to July, but this month offers its most dramatic scenes. If you want raw beauty and nature’s primal rhythm, July in the Masai Mara delivers that experience.

The Great Migration in Kenya happens from July to October. This period offers the best migration safari experience because of frequent river crossings.

Animal herds move between Tanzania’s Serengeti and Kenya’s Maasai Mara during these months. You get the best chance to see a river crossing then.

This natural phenomenon draws visitors from around the globe. The crossings provide dramatic wildlife viewing as herds face crocodile-filled waters.

In late June 2025, the first tremors will begin. A distant rumbling that slowly builds into a thunderous symphony of hooves. The wildebeest, a million strong, stir from Serengeti, drawn by the lush grasslands that shimmer on the horizon. This is the Mara’s calling, and they answer with unstoppable force.

July 2025 becomes a stage for nature’s most daring act. The Mara River, swollen and treacherous, stands between the wildebeest and their green paradise. You witness the heart-stopping plunge into churning water—a test of courage against lurking crocodiles. You watch as they fight the current, muscles straining, a ballet of survival etched in sweat and dust.

But the Mara offers more than just perilous crossings. From July through August 2025, the savanna becomes a canvas of life. The plains teem with a million stories: mothers nuzzling newborn calves, young males sparring in mock battles, and the ever-present shadow of predators waiting for vulnerability. Every snort, every bellow, becomes a chorus of migration—a lullaby of survival sung under the endless African sky.

The drama doesn’t end with the first act. Around the last fortnight of October, the Mara hums with different energy. The rains have subsided, the grass thinned, and the wildebeest feel the pull back to the Serengeti. They retrace their steps, a river crossing in reverse, carrying the memories of the Mara in their dusty coats.

Until early November 2025, you can witness this exodus—a final chapter before the curtain falls. It’s a slower, more contemplative act, but no less mesmerizing. The sight of thousands of wildebeest marching across the plains, a tide receding from the shore, reminds us of the cyclical nature of life, the constant ebb and flow of the wild.

The migration from the Serengeti to the Masai Mara forms part of a larger cycle. The route begins in Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Conservation Area in the southern Serengeti, moves through the Serengeti, enters Kenya’s Masai Mara, then returns.

Large wildebeest herds and zebras make this trip searching for greener pastures. The animals face danger at every turn. They cross rivers filled with crocodiles and dodge predators like lions and hyenas.

This migration spectacle draws thousands of tourists each year. The dramatic scenes of survival make it one of nature’s most impressive displays.

The cycle repeats annually as animals follow ancient routes between the two countries.

The Masai Mara National Reserve sits at high altitude, creating a cooler and wetter climate than you’d expect near the equator. Daytime temperatures reach the mid to high twenties Celsius. Nights bring a sharp temperature drop.

The dry season runs from June to October. Evening and early morning temperatures can fall to around 12°C/54°F during this period.

The wet season lasts from November to May. Early morning temperatures hover near 13°C/55°F then.

You’ll face the coldest temperatures during the dry season. Pack warm clothes for early morning game drives and evening hours.