Serengeti National Park

Serengeti National Park is probably the best-known safari destination in Africa. The name Serengeti comes from the Maasai word “siringet,” which means “the place where the land runs on forever.”

Thanks to its large numbers of predators and its wide range of wildlife, the Serengeti offers some of the best game viewing in Africa. The park is part of the Serengeti ecosystem, which covers an area of 30,000 sq km.

The landscape is varied: grassland, savannah, woodland, bush, swamps, kopjes, hills and rivers. All the main safari animals live here in big numbers. Cheetahs and four of the Big 5 are easy to see. Rhino sightings are rare, and only black rhinos live here. Besides the big cats, you can spot many other predators, including spotted hyenas (especially early in the day), jackals and bat-eared foxes.

Every year the Serengeti hosts the Great Migration, its biggest wildlife event. Millions of wildebeest and large numbers of zebras, along with impalas, gazelles and other antelopes, move across the land looking for fresh grazing, with predators following close behind. It's a sight you shouldn't miss.

Besides game drives and the scenery, the Serengeti has a lot more to offer, from hot-air balloon safaris and walking tours to cultural tours and night game drives. If you're coming to Tanzania, make sure this famous park is on your list.

A Brief History of Serengeti National Park

Serengeti National Park was set up in 1951 as Tanzania's first national park. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 because of its ecological importance and the huge scale of the Great Migration.

Long before it became a park, the Serengeti was home to the Maasai people, who lived alongside the wildlife for centuries. The park was created to protect the area's rich wildlife and plant life while keeping the traditional Maasai way of life.

Today, Serengeti National Park is part of the larger Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, which includes the Masai Mara Reserve next door in Kenya.

Best Time to Visit

• Dry Season (June to October): Best for game viewing and for the river crossings of the Great Migration.
• Wet Season (November to May): Green landscapes, the calving season and excellent birdwatching.

Activities To Do

Besides game drives, here are some other things you can do in Serengeti National Park:

• Night game drives
• Walking safaris
• Birdwatching
• Camping
• Hot air balloon safaris
• Cultural tours

What to See

Serengeti National Park has an amazing variety of wildlife:

Big Cats

• Lions: The Serengeti has one of the highest densities of lions in the world.
• Leopards: Often seen resting in the branches of acacia trees.
• Cheetahs: Best spotted on the open plains, where they hunt during the day.

Elephants

Herds of elephants roam the Serengeti, especially around the Seronera Valley and Lobo Valley.

Buffaloes

You'll see large herds of buffaloes grazing on the grassland.

Rhinos

The rare black rhino is best spotted in the remote parts of the park, especially near the Moru Kopjes.

Plains Game

• Wildebeest
• Zebras
• Gazelles
• Impalas

Birdlife

More than 500 bird species have been recorded in the Serengeti.

How To Get There

Safari Van:

You can reach the Serengeti by road or by air. Most visitors prefer to fly, because it saves a lot of travel time.

Flight:

There are domestic flights to the Serengeti from Kilimanjaro International Airport and Julius Nyerere International Airport. You can also take a direct charter flight from either airport to one of the park's airstrips.