Great Migration
Mara River Crossings
July to October in the northern Serengeti and Masai Mara: herds bunch at crossing points for hours or days, then cross in minutes. Stay 3+ nights near Kogatende, carry picnic lunches, and treat sightings as earned — never guaranteed.
Related Migration guides
Month by month · Mara crossings · Calving · Serengeti zones · Mara herds · Packages
Timed safaris
7-day Tanzania Migration · 7-day Kenya · 5-day Tanzania
Be with the herds in your month
Tell us dates — we confirm herd logic before quoting.
FAQs
How long do crossings last?
Minutes of chaos after hours or days of bunching. Full-day picnic waits with radio-network guides maximize odds.
Grumeti or Mara river?
Mara for scale and frequency in season; Grumeti for exclusivity. Both kill - crocodiles take a toll every season.
Best viewing points?
Kogatende crossings 1-8 in the north; Paradise and Lookout in the Mara. Guides rotate by recent activity, not habit.
Do we need a visa?
Most visitors need one: Tanzania offers visas on arrival for many nationalities, Kenya uses an eTA applied for online before travel, Uganda an e-visa. We confirm the current rule for your passport before you fly.
One decision per country, and they differ. Tanzania sells visas on arrival for most passports - US$50, US$100 for United States citizens - or by eVisa in advance. Kenya has issued only the eTA since 2024, at US$32.50 online at least three days before departure. Uganda runs an e-visa printed before you fly, and the US$100 East African Tourist Visa folds Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda into a single stamp. Six months of passport validity covers all three. Send us passport details at proposal stage and we confirm every rule for your nationality before you commit to flights.
Traveling solo - how do single supplements work?
All itineraries run solo. Expect a 20 to 50 percent supplement where lodges charge per room; vehicles cost the same whether one or six ride. Ask for the honest supplement math per trip.
Is a balloon flight worth adding?
Once, yes: a dawn flight over the Serengeti or Mara with a bush breakfast runs 550 to 600 dollars and minimum ages apply. Book at proposal stage - seats sell out months ahead in season.
How far ahead should we book?
Peak Migration and gorilla-permit months need 6 to 12 months. Green season often works with 2 to 4 months notice.
Is this trip suitable for children?
With a private vehicle and pools at stops, yes for most routes. Gorilla trekking has a strict minimum age of 15.
How much should we tip?
As a guideline: 15 to 25 dollars per day for your driver-guide (per group, not per person), 10 to 15 dollars per day into camp communal tip boxes, and 20 to 30 dollars for a gorilla porter. Restaurants 10 percent where service is not included.