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This wildebeest migration map traces the year-round loop that around 1.5 million wildebeest, with hundreds of thousands of zebra and gazelle, follow through the Serengeti and Maasai Mara. Tap each month to see roughly where the herds are and when the Mara River crossings happen. The route shifts a little every year with the rains, so treat it as the pattern, not a timetable.
The wildebeest migration route map
The migration is a continuous clockwise loop, not a single journey. The herds calve in the southern Serengeti early in the year, push northwest through the Western Corridor, cross into Kenya’s Maasai Mara around July, then return south by late in the year. The orange area is the Maasai Mara; the green area is the Serengeti. Numbered points show the herds’ usual position each month.
Monthly positions are approximate and shift each year with the rains; the loop line shows general movement, not a fixed path. Park boundaries from OpenStreetMap contributors, simplified; basemap © CARTO.
The migration month by month
| Month | Roughly where | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Jan-Feb | Southern Serengeti / Ndutu | Calving season; around 500,000 calves born in a few weeks |
| Mar | Southern Serengeti | Herds begin drifting northwest as the plains dry |
| Apr-May | Central Serengeti | Long rains; columns move north, rutting begins |
| Jun | Western Corridor / Grumeti | First major river obstacle at the Grumeti |
| Jul | Northern Serengeti into the Mara | Herds reach the Kenyan border; crossings begin |
| Aug-Sep | Maasai Mara | Peak Mara River crossings; the classic spectacle |
| Oct | Mara and northern Serengeti | Herds linger, then start drifting back south |
| Nov-Dec | Eastern / southern Serengeti | Short rains pull the herds back toward the calving grounds |
The Mara River crossings
The crossings are the moment everyone pictures: thousands of wildebeest plunging down steep banks into crocodile water. In the Maasai Mara they happen mainly along the Mara River and the Talek, usually between August and September, sometimes into October. There is no schedule. Herds can mass at a bank for hours and then turn back, so a crossing rewards patience and a few unhurried days in the right area. The northern Mara and the Mara Triangle give you the best access to the crossing points.
Where to be, and when
If the crossings are your goal, plan for the Maasai Mara in August or September and base yourself in the north of the reserve, the Mara Triangle, or a conservancy with river access. If you would rather see the calving and the predators that follow it, the southern Serengeti in January and February is the place. Either way, book early; the Mara fills fast in the crossing months. Use the detailed map of the Maasai Mara to choose an area, and the map of Kenya to add the rest of your safari.
Time your migration safari right
Trunktrails Safaris is a native Kenyan-owned operator, and we plan migration tours and safaris around where the herds actually are, not a brochure date. Tell us your travel window and we will put you in the right place for the best chance of a crossing.
WhatsApp +254 113 208888 | info@trunktrailssafaris.com
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