The Great Migration in April: Where the Herds Are and What to Expect
Where the herds are in April, how wet the month really is, what it costs and who should choose March or May instead.
Read the guide →In the Great Migration in May the herds are loud before they are close. The rut is under way, males grunt and chase, and the wildebeest are pushing west across the Serengeti towards the Western Corridor. Planners ask where is the Great Migration in May because the herds are in transit and the answer shifts week by week. This page gives you the positions, the weather, the price and an honest view of May against April and June. For the whole year, use our full Great Migration safari guide.
May and Junethe main months of the rut
Late Mayfirst gatherings on the Grumeti River
3 to 6 monthsat least, the usual lead time for a green-season month
1.3 to 1.5 millionwildebeest in the ecosystem, with zebra and gazelle beside them
The short answer
The Great Migration in May is crossing the central Serengeti and pushing west towards the Western Corridor and the Grumeti River, with the first gatherings at the river in late May. The rains ease, the rut is under way and rates sit in the green season. Herds are in transit, so positions vary week to week.
Facts checked 12 October 2026. Fees, schedules and herd positions change, so we confirm them again when we quote.
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Where is the Great Migration in May?
In May the main body of the herds is in the central Serengeti and moving west. They have left the southern plains behind, and by late May the first groups are gathering on the Grumeti River in the Western Corridor, around Kirawira and the Grumeti. The wildebeest migration in May is therefore a westward drift, not a standing herd.
Wildebeest migration May: what is dependable
Three things are reasonably dependable, and one is not:
- The southern plains around Ndutu and Kakesio are largely empty of the big herds.
- The central Serengeti around Seronera still holds wildebeest and zebra in the early part of the month.
- The first gatherings on the Grumeti River come in late May.
- Exact timing is the variable. Rain can pull the herds two to four weeks forward or back, so every position here is a typical-year picture.
May sits between two cleaner stories. April is the exit from the south, which we describe in the Great Migration in April, and June is the Grumeti month. May is the hinge month, so build flexibility into the plan.
What happens in the Great Migration in May: the rut and the move west
The signature of May is sound, not scale. The rut, the wildebeest mating season, runs mainly through May and June. Males grunt and chase.
It is a different sight from the calving plains. You watch behaviour rather than numbers, and photographers do best with continuous autofocus and a beanbag on the window frame.
The herds move because rain brings fresh short grass, and the grazing follows an order of zebra, then wildebeest, then gazelle. In May that chain is heading west, towards the Western Corridor and, later in the year, the north and the Mara River. For the full mechanics, our guide to how the Great Migration works explains the loop.
Guide's tip. Listen before you look. The grunting of a herd can carry before the herd comes into view, so ask your guide to pause and listen.
Great Migration May weather: the rains ease
The Great Migration May weather is easing rather than settled: the rains ease after the wet of April. Expect a green landscape, and plan for some rain.
Country-wide climate belongs to our Tanzania seasons guide and Kenya seasons guide. For a wildebeest migration May plan, what matters is that rain shapes the herds' timing, which is why they can run two to four weeks early or late.
Be aware. May is a transition month, not a settled one. The herds are in transit, rain still falls, and positions change from week to week. If you need the herds in one known place on fixed dates, choose July to September, or February for calving, and even then no one can promise a particular sighting.
Serengeti in May or Masai Mara in May?
For the migration, choose the Serengeti in May. The Serengeti hosts the herds for roughly nine months, while the Masai Mara, also written Maasai Mara, sees them from about July to October. In May the Mara has no migration to offer, so our Serengeti against Masai Mara comparison is the better read if you are still deciding the country. Kenya hosts the herds roughly from July to October, which our Great Migration in Kenya guide covers.
May price and how far ahead to book
May is a green-season month, so rates are lower. June and October are shoulder months, often lower than July to September, but each camp sets its own calendar, confirmed in your quote.
Indicative rates and park fees
As an indicative example, a Premium camp sharing runs about US$550 to US$900 per person per night in the green season against US$750 to US$1,300 at peak. A Comfort camp runs about US$350 to US$550 against US$450 to US$750. Luxury runs about US$900 to US$1,700 against US$1,300 to US$2,500 and above. All of these are confirmed in your quote.
Park fees come on top of the room rate. For a non-resident adult, the Serengeti conservation fee is US$70 plus 18% VAT (about US$82.60) for each 24 hours. Staying inside the park adds a concession charge of roughly US$60 plus VAT a night. The 2026 tariffs can change, and your quote confirms the 2027 figures.
Booking lead time and two packages to compare
Allow at least three to six months, which is the usual lead time for the green season; July to September needs far longer. If you want the camps nearest the Grumeti River in the last week of May, book towards the longer end of that range. The whole table sits in our booking lead-time guide.
Two of our packages are worth comparing for this month. The Tanzania Grand Migration Explorer is a 10-day trip from US$7,200 per person across Ndutu, the central Serengeti, the north and the Mara River. It is timed for calving from late December to March or crossings from late June to September, so May is not its design month. We can adapt it and confirm the price for your dates. The Classic Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater Safari costs from US$4,650 per person for seven days and suits a first safari. It is built around resident big cats, not the herds' position, and its strongest months are June to October and late December to February.
Where to stay in May
Where to stay in May depends on the week. For early and mid-May, stay in the central Serengeti around Seronera, which is at its best in April, May and November. For the last week of May, or if you can move bases, the Western Corridor around Kirawira and the Grumeti River becomes the better choice.
Central Serengeti
Premium examples here are Dunia Camp and Serengeti Pioneer Camp, and Luxury examples are Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti and Namiri Plains. Tented camps around Seronera also suit predator viewing in any month.
Western Corridor and Grumeti
The corridor suits May to July. Kirawira Serena Camp is a Comfort-level example, &Beyond Grumeti Serengeti Tented Camp is a Premium example, and Singita Sasakwa and Singita Faru Faru are Luxury examples. Singita sits in a private reserve, where walks and night drives are allowed, which is not possible across most of the national park. Camp availability and positions change every season; your quote confirms what is open on your dates.
Whichever side you choose, ask how far the camp is from the herds on the day you arrive. Mobile and seasonal camps shift two or three times a year. Twenty minutes from the action rather than ninety is worth about two more hours of viewing each day. Our Serengeti Western Corridor and Grumeti guide explains how the corridor works.
May or June for the Western Corridor?
Choose June if the Grumeti River is the main goal, and May if the rut and low rates matter more. The Grumeti window usually opens in late May and closes in early July, with June the most reliable month. May catches only the start of it, so the river is a possibility in late May and not a plan.
| Question | May | June |
|---|---|---|
| Grumeti River | First gatherings in late May | The most reliable month for crossings |
| The rut | Under way | Continues |
| Rain | Easing, with some showers | The dry season begins |
| Rates | Green season | Shoulder month, often lower than July to September; each camp sets its own calendar |
| Lead time | 3 to 6 months | 6 to 8 months |
If you are torn, read the Great Migration in June before you decide. The Grumeti is smaller and slower than the Mara River and the crossings are less concentrated, though far fewer vehicles are there. We do not promise a crossing in either month.
Who the Great Migration in May suits, and who is better off elsewhere
The Great Migration May safari suits travellers who like behaviour and green landscapes more than a single dramatic moment. It works well for these groups:
- Photographers who want rut action and a green landscape as the rains ease.
- Travellers who can accept a changeable month in return for lower rates than June.
- Couples and small groups who want the central Serengeti or a private reserve with walks.
- Anyone who can stay flexible about which side of the park they sleep in.
Choose a different month in these cases:
- You want river crossings as the main event: June for the Grumeti, or July to September for the Mara River.
- You want calves and predators in the open: February, when the herds are on the southern plains.
- You want quiet parks and lower green-season rates: April, as the month-by-month Great Migration guide shows.
- You need a fixed herd location on fixed dates.
Plan your Great Migration May safari
To plan the Great Migration in May well, work through the steps below.
- Decide what matters most: the rut and low rates, or the first chance of Grumeti River crossings.
- Send us your travel dates, group size and nationality, and say whether you can split the stay between the central Serengeti and the Western Corridor.
- Choose Comfort, Premium or Luxury, and tell us if you want walks or night drives in a private reserve.
- Ask for a quote. Optional extras are shown separately.
Plan your Great Migration in May with a specialist
Tell us when you can travel and we will say honestly whether May, April or June suits your plans.
Plan my tripTo see how the calendar fits together, read the Great Migration by month guide, or compare May with the Serengeti calving season.
Keep reading: related Great Migration guides
Great Migration month by month
Twelve months compared, with a page for each one.
Great Migration in April
Where the herds are in April, the weather and who should go.
Great Migration in June
Where the herds are in June, the weather and who should go.
For the whole picture, see our Great Migration safari guide. If you are ready to price a trip, Tanzania Grand Migration Explorer starts from US$7,200 per person.