Photo: Dancing Duma Tented CampWhere to stay in the Serengeti: safari lodges and camps by area and season
The Serengeti behaves like several parks depending on the month, so where you sleep matters more than which lodge. Every camp and lodge we book there, by area, level and season.
Where to stay in the Serengeti depends on your month. For calving season, stay around Ndutu; for the river crossings, in the north; in any month, the central Serengeti has game all year. Choose the area first, then the level.
Which area for your month
Where the herds usually are, and the area to stay in. Patterns rather than promises: the herds follow the rain, and timing shifts by weeks from year to year.
| Month | Where the herds usually are | Where to stay |
|---|---|---|
| January | Southern plains, around Ndutu | Ndutu |
| February | Southern plains, around Ndutu | Ndutu |
| March | Southern plains, beginning to drift | Ndutu |
| April | Central Serengeti | Central Serengeti |
| May | Western corridor | West Serengeti |
| June | Western and central Serengeti, moving north | West Serengeti or Central Serengeti |
| July | Northern Serengeti, Mara River | North Serengeti |
| August | Northern Serengeti, Mara River | North Serengeti |
| September | Northern Serengeti, Mara River | North Serengeti |
| October | Northern Serengeti, starting south | North Serengeti |
| November | Moving back to the southern plains | Central Serengeti |
| December | Southern plains, around Ndutu | Ndutu |
Lodges and camps by area
Every Serengeti camp and lodge we book, by area and level. Each name links to its own page. Premium is always quoted personally.
Central Serengeti
Herds usually here: Apr, Jun, Nov
Acacia woodland and granite kopjes through the centre of the park, which is where leopards and lions tend to be found. There is game here all year, so it suits any month.
- Serengeti Sound of Nature · Tented camp
- Serengeti Kati Kati · Mobile camp
- Dancing Duma · Tented camp
- Pamoja Serengeti Camp · Mobile camp
- Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge · Tented lodge
- One Nature Nyaruswiga · Tented camp
- Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti · Lodge
- Meliá Serengeti Lodge · Lodge
North Serengeti
Herds usually here: Jul–Oct · camps open Jun–Nov
The Mara River country, where the herds cross from about July to September. Most camps here are seasonal; the closer to the river, the less time you lose driving to it.
- Mara Kati Kati · Mobile camp · Jun–Nov
- Pamoja Migration Camp · Mobile camp · Jun–Oct
- Pamoja Migration Undercanvas Camp · Mobile camp · Jun–Oct
- Under Canvas · Mobile tented camp · Jun–Nov
- Mara Mara Tented Lodge · Tented lodge
- One Nature Mara River · Tented camp
- TAASA Migration Camp · Mobile camp · Jul–Oct
Ndutu
Herds usually here: Dec–Mar · camps open Dec–Apr
The short-grass southern plains, where the herds calve from about late January to March. Several of these camps are seasonal and move north later in the year.
- Ndutu Kati Kati · Mobile camp · Dec–Apr
- Pamoja Migration Camp · Mobile camp · Dec–Apr
- Pamoja Migration Undercanvas Camp · Mobile camp · Dec–Apr
- Under Canvas · Mobile tented camp · Dec–Apr
- TAASA Migration Camp · Mobile camp · Dec–Mar
West Serengeti
Herds usually here: May–Jun
The western corridor, which the herds usually move into around May.
- Lahia Tented Lodge · Tented lodge
Choosing a level
- Comfort keeps the price down, so more of the budget goes into time in the parks.
- Mid-range gives more space and finish than our Comfort stays, without a premium price.
- Premium stays are always quoted personally, because their rates move with availability.
- Where an area has no camp at a level, such as Comfort in the west, we quote it on request.
Where to stay: questions
The one the herds are in for your dates, if the migration matters to you: Ndutu for calving, the north for the river crossings. If it doesn't, the central Serengeti has game all year and is the easiest to combine with the rest of the northern circuit.
When to see the Great MigrationPermanent lodges have solid walls, pools, reliable power and family rooms, and are dependable in every season. Tented camps have en-suite tents and hot water, and put more of the budget into park time. Mobile camps are canvas camps that move with the herds: simpler than a lodge, and often in the best place in the park.
Accommodation typesThree as a working minimum, four if the migration is your priority. Two is possible but you will spend a disproportionate share of it travelling to and from the park.
How many days for a safariTell us your dates
We'll tell you which area the herds are likely to be in, and suggest camps there at the level you want.
The park itself, and the season that decides where you sleep.
