Seronera valley
Resident lion and leopard year round, permanent water, and the classic kopje circuit. Where we base the first two nights.
Northern Tanzania · Plains & kopjes
Serengeti
Endless short-grass plains broken by granite kopjes — the stage for big cats, and for the migration as it moves through.
- Best time
- Jun–Oct · Jan–Mar
- Getting there
- 1 hr 20 by air
- We suggest
- 4 nights
- Known for
- Lion, leopard, cheetah
The landscape
The kopjes that gave us our name
Kopjes are ancient granite outcrops pushed up through the plains and worn smooth over millions of years. They hold water in their hollows, shade beneath their overhangs and height above the grass — which is why so much life collects around them.
Lion use them as vantage points, leopard as cover, klipspringer and agama as home. Working the kopje circuits at dawn and last light is the single most reliable way we know to find cats in the Serengeti.
What you may see in the Serengeti
Wild animals keep their own schedule — these are the species our guides know best here.
When to go
What happens, month by month
What happens
Herds on the southern plains
Herds in the north
Big cats on the kopjes
Calving on the short grass
Green, empty landscapes
Where to go
Five areas, each a different Serengeti
Namiri plains
East of Seronera and closed to tourism for two decades. Cheetah country, open horizons, almost no traffic.
Moru kopjes
Granite outcrops with rhino, Maasai rock paintings and some of the most photogenic terrain in the park.
Kogatende & the Mara river
The far north. River crossings from late July, and a quieter park in the months either side.
Western corridor
The Grumeti river and the Ndabaka plains — a May to July stage of the migration and good year-round hippo and croc.
Good to know
Before you go to the Serengeti
- Getting there
- Light aircraft from Arusha (about 1 hr 20), or a full day by road via the crater highlands.
- Park fees
- Charged per person per 24 hours and included in every Jabali price.
- Which area when
- The herds decide. We place you where they are that month, and in the cat country of Seronera whatever the season.
Safaris
Journeys that include the Serengeti
8 days · 7 nights Big cats
Kopjes & Craters
Two nights in kopje country, two on the eastern plains, two on the crater rim.
10 days · 9 nights Classic
The Northern Circuit
The full arc of northern Tanzania, with elephant herds and baobabs before the plains open up.
12 days · 11 nights Migration
Following the Migration
Timed to the herds: calving on the short grass, or the Mara river crossings in the north.
14 days · 13 nights Beach
Plains & Indian Ocean
A full safari followed by six nights of reef, dhows and slow mornings on the coast.
9 days · 8 nights Honeymoon
Honeymoon: Plains to Palms
Three nights in an intimate Serengeti camp, a sunrise balloon, then four nights by the Indian Ocean.
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Destinations
Explore more of Tanzania
Ngorongoro Crater
Caldera floorA collapsed volcano holding 260 square kilometres of grassland, soda lake and forest, with resident wildlife year round.
Tarangire
Baobabs & elephantGreat elephant herds along a single dry-season river, under some of the oldest baobabs in East Africa.
Lake Manyara
Rift escarpmentGroundwater forest, an alkaline lake and the wall of the Rift Valley within a compact, easily added park.
Ruaha
Southern wildernessTanzania's largest park: baobab hills, sand rivers and exceptional numbers of lion and wild dog, with very few vehicles.
Nyerere / Selous
Rivers & boatingThe Rufiji river system opens up safari by boat and on foot, alongside classic game drives.
Mahale / Katavi
Remote & wildChimpanzee tracking in forested mountains above Lake Tanganyika, paired with the floodplains of Katavi.
Kilimanjaro
Roof of AfricaAfrica's highest peak, climbed over six to nine days on the Lemosho, Machame or Rongai routes.
Zanzibar
Indian OceanReef, dhows and Stone Town — the natural pause at the end of a safari.
Arusha & Lake Eyasi
Culture & arrivalWhere journeys begin, and where time with Hadzabe and Datoga communities adds a cultural layer.
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Plan with us
Plan your time in the Serengeti
Tell us your dates and how you like to travel. We will reply with a route and honest pricing within 24 hours.