Tanzania

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Serengeti National Park

Endless plains and the great migration

Visa & entry checker Plan a trip to Serengeti National Park Plan a trip around Tanzania

Best time to visit: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Currency: TZS
Time zone: UTC+3
Country: Tanzania

Photo: Daniel Rosengren, CC BY 4.0

Serengeti National Park is a vast savanna in northern Tanzania, famous for the world's largest land migration of wildebeest and zebra and for Africa's biggest lion population. Visitors come for game drives, birding and the open plains scenery.

Largest cities

Dar es Salaam
Dodoma
Mwanza
Arusha
Mbeya

Quick facts

Figures are rounded recent official estimates.

Country: Tanzania
Capital: Dodoma
Population of Tanzania: 57.3M
Country area: 947,303 km²
Official language: Swahili and English
Currency: Tanzanian Shilling (TZS) · 1 USD ≈ 2,635 TZS
Time zone: UTC+3
Calling code: +255
Drives on the: Left
Plugs: D / G · 230V
Emergency numbers: 112 · 114 · 115
Best time to visit: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct

Temperatures through the year

Average daily high and low for each month in °C. Months marked with a drop are often rainy.

Temperatures through the year

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High	27°	29°	29°	28°	28°	29°	29°	29°	30°	31°	29°	28°
Low	17°	17°	17°	17°	17°	16°	16°	16°	17°	18°	17°	17°

Best time to visitOther months

Approximate daily cost

Per adult per day: food, local transport and half a double room, without activities or flights.

ConservativeSimple stays, free and low-cost sights first.$100
HighComfortable hotels, a balanced mix of sights and trips.$265
LuxuryLuxury hotels, more paid experiences and day trips.$690

Plan a trip to Serengeti National Park

Top things to do

≈ $71
Seronera Valley Game Drive
Drive the dense road network along the Seronera River and around the kopjes, where lions and leopards are often seen year-round; go early for the best light.
- Half day
- Seronera (Central Serengeti)
- Good for kids
≈ $71
Southern Plains Game Drive
Cross the short-grass plains between Naabi Hill and Lake Lagarja, where wildebeest herds gather from December to May; the open ground makes wildlife easy to spot.
- Half day
- Southern Plains
- Good for kids
≈ $71
Western Corridor and Grumeti River
A long day toward the Grumeti and Mbalageti rivers, where the migration passes in May to July and riverine forest holds baboons and birds; carry water and fuel up before leaving.
- Full day
- Western Corridor
- Good for kids
≈ $71
Mara River Crossing Viewing
In the northern Serengeti, watch herds cross the Mara River from July to October; vehicles must keep their distance and stay still when the animals are crossing.
- Full day
- Northern Serengeti
- Good for kids
≈ $71
Birding Around Seronera
More than 500 bird species have been recorded, including ostrich, secretarybird and several vulture species; early morning and late afternoon are the best hours.
- Half day
- Seronera (Central Serengeti)
- Good for kids
≈ $71
Granite Kopjes Viewpoints
The granite koppies of the southern plains act as lookout posts for lions and cheetahs; scan them slowly from the road rather than approaching on foot.
- Half day
- Southern Plains
- Good for kids
≈ $71
Olduvai Gorge Day Trip
A day trip south to the Olduvai Gorge and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where half a million wildebeest calves are born between January and March; a separate Ngorongoro fee applies.
- Full day
- Ndutu Area
- Good for kids
Free
Sunset on the Plains
End the day with a short drive to a safe viewpoint for sunset over the plains; be back at camp before the 7pm night-driving ban.
- Half day
- Seronera (Central Serengeti)
- Good for kids
- Good in the evening

Before you go

Entry and visas

Most visitors need a visa for Tanzania. Apply for an e-visa before you travel, or get a single-entry tourist or business visa on arrival at the main ports of entry if you meet all immigration requirements; multiple-entry visas are not available on arrival. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after arrival and have at least one blank page, and you may need to show a return or onward ticket. All visitors except residents must have mandatory Tanzanian Government inbound travel insurance, bought online or on arrival: if Zanzibar is your first port of entry, buy from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation (ZIC); if mainland Tanzania is first, buy from the National Insurance Corporation (NIC). You must also have a yellow fever vaccination certificate if you are arriving from a country with a transmission risk, and you will pass through mpox screening (temperature checks) at all points of entry. Rules vary by nationality, so check the official Tanzanian Immigration Department page before booking.

Official website

From the airport

Most visitors fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport near Arusha, then take a small aircraft to Seronera or another park airstrip (about 1.5 hours) or drive roughly eight hours via Naabi Hill Gate. Taxis from the airport to Arusha cost around USD 50.

Getting around

There is no public transport inside the park; a high-clearance 4x4 with a licensed driver-guide is the normal way to get around, and driving is banned between 7pm and 6am.

Local tips

Park fees are high and usually included in tour packages; carry cash for tips and small purchases.
Dress in neutral colours and avoid bright blue or black, which can attract tsetse flies.
Nights can be cold at altitude, so pack layers even though days are warm.
Stay in the vehicle except at designated points, keep a sensible distance from wildlife and never drive off-road.

Areas worth knowing

Ndutu Area
Seronera (Central Serengeti)
Southern Plains
Western Corridor
Northern Serengeti

Official travel advice

The UK Foreign Office last updated its advice for this country on October 9, 2026. The advice includes warnings against travel to some areas. Read it before booking.

Read the advice on GOV.UK