No matter how many wildlife documentaries you might have watched, nothing can prepare your family for the noise, dust, and sheer scale of The Great Migration. It’s one of those tremendous experiences that could never be captured on camera—one that’s a travel bucket list item we all want to experience with our loved ones at least once in a lifetime.
Here, we take a closer look at the Great Migration, and answer common questions related to it (including why, when, and where every nature-loving family should witness it).
The largest herd movement of animals on Earth, with up to 1000 animals per km².
It’s absolutely astonishing. You witness over 1.2 million wildebeest and 300,000 zebra as well as topi and other gazelle move through the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, searching for greener grass and water. With prey, come predators: hyenas, lions, and crocodiles fix a watchful gaze to catch a cheap dinner. The dizzying scale of wildlife—and the scenes of unfiltered wildlife drama—will offer a thrilling spectacle for your family.
While planning your trip around the exact timing of The Great Migration is vital, there is no way for an accurate prediction. Even the wildebeest don’t know when they’re going to cross. We’d say it’s an ever-moving, circular migration.
However, the famous river crossings coincide with the safari’s high season (June to October), so that’s the best time to be there. For the rest of the months…
✔️ January to March - The big herds are at South East Serengeti. There’s great visibility.
✔️ April and May - The time of long rains. The herds now generally move towards central Serengeti. You can find great discounts at lodges and camps throughout Kenya & Tanzania during these “green season” months.
✔️ June to October - The high season. A time when millions of wildebeest, along with zebras and other animals take on the perilous river crossings.
✔️ November and December - The season of rejuvenation. It's the season when rains return and safari enthusiasts enjoy a calmer (but equally fascinating) side of the migration.
The Great Migration is a next-level experience—and you won’t have to worry about comfort or safety. Many safari camps and lodges in the Serengeti and Maasai Mara cater specifically to families. You will find child-friendly activities, like guided nature walks. Accommodations are comfortable (and affordable) enough to make sure everyone, from the youngest to oldest, enjoys to the fullest.
First and foremost, get to the Mara River on time. Second, buy yourself enough time on the river, so bring a picnic lunch and plenty of snacks as the waits can be long. The wildebeest need to build up enough numbers and energy for crossing the crocodile-infested rivers. Remember, wildlife viewing takes timing, and you have to be in it to experience it. Tip—The area around Mara River has plenty of resident plains game (and big cats to keep you entertained).
During the stay, you have to be attentive. As the wildebeest calls become louder and more frequent (will probably sound like a giant humming), it’s a hint to get ready. Make sure to look up and downstream from your waiting position. You don’t want to be stuck waiting for a single herd of wildebeest—there might be multiple crossings at one time! Hot Tip—Avoid over-zooming when clicking photos of the crossing. In fact, you’ll need a wider angle to capture the magnitude of what’s happening.
So now that we’ve planned the safari… what about the packing? Not so thrilling, especially if you don’t have a proper outline of what you’ll need. So we thought it would be super helpful to put together a general guide on how to pack for your Great Migration family safari.
The following list is meant to give a quick idea of what to add to your suitcases before heading off to your East African adventure. But, the list can vary depending on the length of your trip, the current season, and any personal needs.
The most important tip. Remember NOT to overpack. As tempting as it may be, you will find laundry services everywhere (the majority are inexpensive or free). We recommend using these, so you get to move around freely with a fresh load of clothes—without weighing yourself down.
Now, here’s what you will need…
Wear neutral colors (like khaki, tan, or light brown). Lighter colors show way too much dust, and bright colors like red will be too conspicuous to the wildlife.
Dress casually, or we’d say, take along the clothes you don’t value much, unless specified, like for luxury train journeys. Tip—Use synthetic fabrics, like cotton.
Cover yourself at night to avoid mosquito bites (and to stay warm).
Dress in layers to keep yourself comfortable (the temperatures vary dramatically!). Bonus points if you bring along zip-off sleeves and wear something with lots of pockets.
Bring a hat that’s waterproof on the outside (to protect you from rain) and absorbent on the inside (to soak up sweat). Our Top Pick: Light-neutral, unisex safari hat.
Use good quality sunglasses, never fakes. Your eyes will appreciate you in that African Sun!
Give your children a hobby. Your son can be a family spotter who owns a good pair of binoculars. Our Top Pick: Nikon Zoom Binoculars. Your daughter can be a photographer who captures everything in a high-quality camera (with a telephoto zoom lens, such as 100-400mm or 200-500mm).
Have a travel adapter on hand with all the sockets you need to charge at once (it’s gonna save you from so many fights 😆). Tip—For East Africa, you will need a G-type plug, the one that has three rectangular pins in a triangular pattern although increasingly Lodges & Camps have multi use plugs.
Take a battery charger pack (maybe even two) or extra batteries for day-long game drives.
Activities for when the animals are sleeping. Balls/frisbee (use these cautiously in National Parks), headphones, card games, or whatever keeps your kids entertained. Your kids might also love the idea of a book on animals or a card where they can tick off animals they’ve seen and notes on what they learned about said animals and birds. Or reading about different species in a book, and then searching for them in their surroundings!
Snacks, especially if your kids have favorite nibbles they can’t do without. It’s also a good idea to have a refillable water bottle on hand at all times.
Child GPS tracker, or a safety bracelet in case they wander too far.
Some kids love to travel with a pillow and blanket to keep your little ones comfortable.
Good Earth Tours, without a doubt. Elizabeth S, a recent client, says “Good Earth Tours was a fantastic company to deal with. We met with a representative via Zoom to plan our trip. Once we committed, there was regular communication about the trip, packing lists, visa information, etc. Our plane flight was rescheduled by the airline and Good Earth Tours was able to make the change in our schedule with no problem. Our hike up Kilimanjaro was wonderful and successful in full because of the team of guides, cook, and porters. The safari was a dream come true. It was great to have everything planned out in advance leaving us able to just enjoy the adventure. The safari guide was the best and the vehicle used for the safari was in top shape with perfect sightlines for everything we wanted to see. All of the Good Earth team members we interacted with for the two weeks were the absolute best we could have selected.”
