The Serengeti is Tanzania's flagship park and the main stage of the wildebeest migration, which moves through it all year. From Kenya you reach it via Arusha or by air.
The Serengeti is where the wildebeest migration spends most of the year, and it's the natural next step after a Maasai Mara safari. Serengeti National Park covers roughly 14,750 km² of northern Tanzania, about ten times the size of the Mara reserve. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981 and forms a single ecosystem with Kenya's Maasai Mara.
Scale. You can drive for hours across open plains without seeing another vehicle, and because the herds circle through the Serengeti for most of the year, there's a migration story in almost every month. It also combines neatly with the Ngorongoro Crater and with a beach finish in Zanzibar.
It depends on what you want to see. Calving happens on the southern plains around Ndutu from about January to March, when predators are busy. From about April to June the herds move through the central and western Serengeti, crossing the Grumeti River around June and July. They then reach the northern Serengeti and the Mara River from about July to October before drifting south again. The long rains in April and May close some camps. Rainfall shifts every stage by weeks.
There's no open tourist crossing directly between the Maasai Mara and the Serengeti, so you can't drive straight across.
From Nairobi: it's about 5–6 hours by road to Arusha via the Namanga border. From Arusha, either fly to a Serengeti airstrip or drive about 6–8 hours via the Ngorongoro highlands. In practice most itineraries switch to a Tanzanian vehicle and guide in Arusha.
From Mombasa: fly via Nairobi to Kilimanjaro or Arusha and connect from there.
Guide checked October 2026 by the Jeff Tours team. Park fees and visa rules change — we confirm current ones in every quote.
Trips to Serengeti
Serengeti, Tanzania
Kenya's Maasai Mara and Tanzania's Serengeti in one realistic six-day route, crossing at Isebania, with game drives in both parks and the Migration in season.
No. Kenyan citizens don't need a visa for Tanzania because both countries belong to the East African Community, but you should travel with a valid passport. Non-Kenyan residents of Kenya may need a Tanzanian visa depending on nationality. Tanzania has also introduced mandatory inbound travel insurance for many foreign visitors, with EAC and SADC residents reported as exempt, so check current rules before you travel.
Not directly. Although the two parks share a border and the same migration, there's no open tourist crossing between them, so you can't drive straight across. From Kenya you travel via Namanga to Arusha and then on to the Serengeti, or you fly. Many itineraries switch to a Tanzanian vehicle and guide in Arusha for the Tanzanian leg.
Neither is simply better. The Serengeti is roughly ten times larger and hosts the migration for most of the year, including calving from about January to March. The Maasai Mara is smaller, closer and cheaper to reach from Kenya, with superb predator sightings and the migration from about July to October. For a first safari from Kenya, the Mara is usually the practical choice.
It depends on what you want to see. Calving happens on the southern plains around Ndutu from about January to March. The herds move through the central and western Serengeti from about April to June, crossing the Grumeti River around June and July, and reach the northern Serengeti and the Mara River from about July to October. Rainfall shifts the timing every year.
Most travellers take a road transfer or shuttle from Nairobi to Arusha via the Namanga border, about 5–6 hours, then either fly to a Serengeti airstrip or drive about 6–8 hours through the Ngorongoro highlands. Flying from Nairobi to Kilimanjaro International Airport and connecting by light aircraft is faster, but it costs more.
Plan at least three nights in the Serengeti itself, plus travel time from Kenya. Distances inside the park are large, and the migration may be several hours' drive from your camp. A five- to seven-day trip from Arusha lets you add the Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire or Lake Manyara without spending every day in the vehicle.
Tell us your dates and group — we'll suggest the right trip and send a quote.
