Serengeti or Masai Mara: which is better?
Serengeti vs Masai Mara, or a Tanzania or Kenya safari: how the two halves of one ecosystem compare, and which suits your dates.
Serengeti or Masai Mara? They are one ecosystem, divided by the border between Tanzania and Kenya. The Serengeti is far larger and hosts the herds for most of the year, including calving season; the Mara is much smaller and busiest during the crossing months. We should say plainly that we operate in Tanzania and don’t sell Kenya safaris, so we have kept the comparison to facts.
How they compare
Serengeti vs Masai Mara, side by side. The migration follows the rain, so months shift by weeks from year to year.
| Aspect | Serengeti, Tanzania | Masai Mara, Kenya |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Almost 15,000 km² of grassland, rocky kopjes and river woodland, running north to the Kenyan border. Big enough to behave like several different parks, depending on the month. | Far smaller: the northern end of the same ecosystem, across the border in Kenya. |
| The migration | Most of the year: calving around Ndutu from late January to March, the western corridor around May, and the Mara River crossings in the northern Serengeti from July to September. | The dry-season crossing months, when the herds reach the northern end of their loop. |
| Crowds | Busy at the river crossings in August. Elsewhere, and in February or October, the park absorbs visitors easily. | Busiest in the crossing months, when the herds and most visitors are there at the same time. |
| Getting there | From Arusha: most of a day by road through the Ngorongoro highlands, or a short flight. | From Nairobi, by road or light aircraft. |
| Combining with other parks | Ngorongoro sits on the route back toward Arusha, and Tarangire and Lake Manyara add a different landscape, all on one trip. | Kenya's other parks, as part of a Kenya itinerary. |
| Zanzibar or Kilimanjaro | Both are in Tanzania. Zanzibar has its own international flights, so a safari can end on the beach; a Kilimanjaro climb goes before the safari. | Kenya has its own coast. Zanzibar and Kilimanjaro are in Tanzania, so adding either means crossing the border. |
| Who books it | We do: every safari we run is in Tanzania. | Not us: we don't sell Kenya safaris. |
When the Serengeti is the better choice
- Calving season. From late January to March the herds are on the short-grass plains of the southern Serengeti around Ndutu, with newborns, concentrated herds and intense predator activity. The calving grounds are in Tanzania.
- Wanting space. The Serengeti is far larger, so outside the river crossings in August the park absorbs visitors easily, and in February or October you share sightings with far fewer vehicles.
- Combining with Ngorongoro and Tarangire. Ngorongoro is on the route back toward Arusha, and Tarangire adds a different landscape and far fewer vehicles, so one trip covers the northern circuit without a border.
- River crossings without the border. The Mara River runs through the northern Serengeti too, with crossings from July to September.
- Ending on Zanzibar, or starting with Kilimanjaro, all in one country.
When people choose the Mara
The Masai Mara is a fine choice, and people choose it for good reasons. It is reached from Nairobi, which suits travellers flying into Kenya or already travelling there, and it fits naturally into a wider Kenya itinerary. Being smaller, it is easy to cover on a short stay, and in the crossing months the herds and the river are close together.
If Kenya suits your journey better, a Kenyan operator is the right people to plan it. We would rather say so than sell you something we don't run.
Can I do both?
Yes. The two parks sit either side of the border, and there are border crossings between Tanzania and Kenya. Border and visa rules change, so check the current requirements with official sources, each country's immigration service and your own government's travel advice, before you plan the route.
We can plan the Tanzania side of the journey: the Serengeti and anything you add to it. The Kenya side needs a Kenyan operator.
Where to stay in the Serengeti by season
Where you sleep should follow where the herds will be, so we choose camps sector by sector. Several camps are seasonal and move with the herds; the months shown are when each is open. Premium is always quoted personally.
- Ndutu, herds usually here Dec–Mar: Ndutu Kati Kati (Dec–Apr) · Comfort, Pamoja Migration Camp (Dec–Apr) · Mid-range, Pamoja Migration Undercanvas Camp (Dec–Apr) · Mid-range, Under Canvas (Dec–Apr) · Premium, TAASA Migration Camp (Dec–Mar) · Premium
- Central Serengeti, herds usually here Apr, Jun, Nov: Serengeti Sound of Nature · Comfort, Serengeti Kati Kati · Mid-range, Dancing Duma · Mid-range, Pamoja Serengeti Camp · Mid-range, Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge · Premium, One Nature Nyaruswiga · Premium, Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti · Premium, Meliá Serengeti Lodge · Premium
- West Serengeti, herds usually here May–Jun: Lahia Tented Lodge · Mid-range
- North Serengeti, herds usually here Jul–Oct: Mara Kati Kati (Jun–Nov) · Comfort, Pamoja Migration Camp (Jun–Oct) · Mid-range, Pamoja Migration Undercanvas Camp (Jun–Oct) · Mid-range, Under Canvas (Jun–Nov) · Premium, Mara Mara Tented Lodge · Premium, One Nature Mara River · Premium, TAASA Migration Camp (Jul–Oct) · Premium
Safaris with Serengeti nights
Each of these spends nights in the Serengeti, and we put them in the right sector for your dates. Private safari prices are the Comfort guide price per person, based on 2 sharing in low season; group safaris are a guide price per seat in a shared vehicle.
- Private safaris: Signature Adventure · 9 days · from $2,719, Safari & Zanzibar · 10 days · from $3,000, Honeymoon Safari · 11 days · from $3,600, Extended Journey · 14 days · from $4,200
- Group safaris: Serengeti group safari · 4 days · $1,150 per seat, Northern Circuit group safari · 6 days · $1,500 per seat, Northern Circuit group safari · 7 days · $1,750 per seat
Serengeti or Masai Mara: questions
Both. The herds move in a loop between Tanzania's Serengeti and Kenya's Masai Mara, and spend most of the year in Tanzania. Both the calving grounds and the Mara River crossings are on the Tanzanian side, so you do not need to go to Kenya to see either.
When to see the Great MigrationIt depends on the trip more than the country, and we don't quote Kenya prices. In Tanzania the biggest single driver is government fees: park and conservation fees for every person on every day, a concession fee for each night you sleep inside a park such as the Serengeti, and a separate fee for each vehicle that goes down into the Ngorongoro Crater. After that come the number of nights, the accommodation level and whether you fly. Kenya's fees are set by different authorities and differ by reserve and season, so if you are comparing, compare like with like: the same nights, level and number of people in the vehicle.
What a Tanzania safari costsYes. The Mara River runs through the northern Serengeti, and crossings there run from July to September, peaking in August. No crossing is ever guaranteed: allow three to four nights in the north. October is the quieter alternative.
River crossingsThree to four nights in the right sector of the Serengeti. With the journey in and out, our shortest private safari with Serengeti nights is Signature Adventure (6–10 days).
How many days for a safariPlan your Serengeti safari
Tell us your dates and what you most want to see. We'll tell you honestly where the herds are likely to be, and build the trip around it.
Where to base yourself, and when to go.
