The Serengeti National Park is the most well-known in Africa. A safari here is certain to be extraordinary, thanks to its tremendous concentrations of predators and the Great Migration of two million grazers. The vast grassy plains are among the greatest grazing grounds in the African wilderness, and hence home to the world’s biggest herds and predator concentrations.

Serengeti Africa is one of those really uncommon places that has a big reputation but still manages to exceed expectations and steal your breath away.

This larger area is also culturally significant, being surrounded by outstanding tribes like the Massai and Hadzabe. The entire park is a world heritage site, and the diverse ecosystem, along with the abundance of species, means you may spend a lot of time in different areas and never feel like you’ve seen everything.

From the majestic Kjopes in the north to the infinite acacia-dotted plains in the south, it is not just the animals that make a Serengeti safari so memorable. In a nutshell, it is rightfully one of the world’s most recognized wildlife reserves; there is nothing else that compares. It’s fantastic.

The Serengeti is home to far too many species to list here, which is why it is such an important element of any Tanzania trip. The Great Migration, which includes up to 2 million wildebeest, 200,000 zebras, and 350,000 Thompson, impala, and Grant’s gazelles, is the park’s principal attraction, and many believe it to be the most stunning surviving African wildlife show. With roughly 3-4,000 lions and large concentrations of cheetah, leopard, and hyena, predator watching is outstanding.

Other animals commonly found in the park include topi, eland, hartebeest, buffalo, elephant, caracal, serval, bat-eared fox, hyrax, genet, hares, porcupine, aardvark, giraffe, jackal, mongoose, crocodile, monitor lizard, aardwolf, many kinds of primates including baboons, vervet and colobus monkeys, and over 500 species of bird.

The Serengeti is the primary attraction of a safari in Northern Tanzania. In the northeast of Tanzania, there is a wide expanse of unending plains teeming with animals – Tanzania’s boundary transforms it into Kenya’s famed Masai Mara. It is only a short flight from Arusha (as are many other Northern airstrips!) and is a flight you must take if you plan on visiting other Northern Tanzania parks.

Many visitors come to Northern Tanzania to experience the colorful Maasai culture in the Ngorongoro Highlands, as well as to explore the Ngorongoro Crater. There are other smaller nearby parks, like Lake Manyara and Tarangire, but these are more “add-on” attractions – the Serengeti, in our opinion, is the true star of the show.

To focus simply on the Great Migration would be a disservice to this park. Even without considering the Great Migration, one may argue that the Serengeti is Africa’s best park. Large herds of grazers, massive pride of lions, breathtaking stretches of unbroken vistas, wildebeest river crossings, amazing leopard sightings, fantastic wide cheetah-populated grasslands, and some of Africa’s greatest lodges make it an incredible safari destination all year.

The Wildebeest Migration is frequently regarded as the highlight of a Tanzania vacation. The herds may be spotted in the Serengeti all year, contrary to common belief. There are some better months to visit to fully appreciate the sheer enormity of the herds, such as July-October when they cross the great Mara River in the Northern Serengeti (watch our footage of crossings here), or February when they all concentrate for calving season in the southern Ndutu plains.