What to expect and where to stay for a January Serengeti migration safari

January is a tough month to predict. There’s a lot of movement from north to south as the herds await the first Serengeti rains.

Weather and wildlife

January, like June, is a hard month to predict because the herds’ movements depend on when it starts to rain on the southern plains.

Female wildebeest are carrying calves and are almost ready to give birth. The herds move swiftly, in search of favorable grasslands to provide sustenance for the arrival of their young.

Where to stay in January

The herds could move all the way from Lobo in the north to Ndutu in the south in just a few days. We recommend staying as central as possible and then move north or south from there, depending on the circumstances at the time.

With a bit of luck, you’ll be right where you need to be, for your migration safari to the Serengeti in January.

Recommended Lodges

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What to expect and where to stay each month of the year

Many people think that the great wildebeest migration only happens once a year, but the migration is in fact an all-year-round event -- with each time of year offering a unique widlife experience.

Select a month below to find out what each month offers in terms of weather, wildlife, migratory movements, predator interactions, river crossings and where the best place to stay is, to get the most out of your trip to see the great wildebeest migration.

Planning a trip to see the wildebeest migration, but not sure when or where to go?

Find out where the herd will be, and what to expect each month of the year, using our migration map with monthly predictions.

Our experts predict how the wildebeest migration will move based on previous years migratory patterns and real time updates received from pilots, rangers and safari guides in the Serengeti.

View migration map and monthly prediction

Get HerdTracker updates on Twitter

Every great wildebeest migration update is tweeted by @HerdTracker.

The twitter account is run by Conrad, the world's first tweeting wildebeest (Conrad's name is taken from the latin name for his species -- Connochaetes).

Apart from tweeting real-time updates of the herd's movements across the Serengeti (on behalf of the HerdTracker team) Conrad also tells what it's like to be a young, curious and braver-than-the-rest wildebeest making his way across the plains of the Serengeti on the annual great wildebeest migration.

@HerdTracker on Twitter

Find out where the wildebeest migration is right now with HerdTracker

HerdTracker is a real time Google map showing weekly updates of the wildebeest migration's precise location.

The updates are accurate, sourced weekly from pilots who fly over the Serengeti, safari guides on the ground, Tanzania National Parks Authority rangers and lodges in the Masai Mara in Kenya.

Visit HerdTracker