travel more by serengetee

Serengeti National Park   Travel Guide

Courtesy of Matt Champlin | Getty Images

Why Go To Serengeti National Park

"There's more to see than can ever be seen, more to do than can ever be done." When musicians Elton John and Tim Rice wrote the opening tune to Disney's "The Lion King," they were describing the "Circle of Life." But this lyric serves as a fitting description for world-renowned Serengeti National Park. This magnificent game park sprawls across 5,700 square miles of northern Tanzania in East Africa. When American hunter-turned-conservationist Stewart Edward White first set foot in the Serengeti in 1913, he described the journey: "We walked for miles over burnt out country. ... Then I saw the green trees of the river, walked two miles more and found myself in paradise."

Within the boundaries of the Serengeti, you'll hear thousands of animals: Hyenas cackle as elephants trample well-worn safari roads and hippos splash in watering holes. And at any given time, more than 2,000 lions are poised to pounce on unsuspecting prey, preparing to chase their unlucky target through the seemingly endless waves of golden grass. The scenery rustles with the swift steps of loping giraffes, and tree branches shake with every monkey's movement. But the most magical site you'll behold is The Great Migration , during which White's paradise is drowned by a sea of animals as more than one million wildebeest, zebras and gazelles traverse the Serengeti in search of greener pastures.

Find Flight and Hotel Deals

Navigate forward to interact with the calendar and select a date. Press the question mark key to get the keyboard shortcuts for changing dates.

Navigate backward to interact with the calendar and select a date. Press the question mark key to get the keyboard shortcuts for changing dates.

• # 1 in Best Places to Visit in Africa in 2023
• # 6 in Best National Parks in the World for 2024
• # 7 in Best Places to Visit in January 2024

See All 5 Rankings

Best of Serengeti National Park

Best hotels in serengeti national park.

• in Sayari Camp - All Inclusive
• in Singita Sabora Tented Camp
• in Kirawira Serena Camp

Best Things to Do in Serengeti National Park

• # 1 in The Great Migration
• # 2 in Seronera River Valley (Central Serengeti)
• # 3 in Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Serengeti National Park Travel Tips

Best months to visit.

The best times to visit Serengeti National Park are from January to February or from June through September, although you should plan your trip around the movement of The Great Migration . For example, winter is the best time to see the herd in Southern Serengeti, while the Western Corridor and Northern Serengeti are the best places to spend the summer and autumn months. Most safari operators will have a good idea of where the animals are headed and when, and most will adjust their itineraries based on the herd's movement. Temperatures remain relatively constant with daytime highs resting in the 80s. You'll find cooler weather in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area  due to its higher elevation. April and May see the most rainfall, and many lodges and camps close for this slower season.

Weather in Serengeti National Park

Data sourced from the National Climatic Data Center

What You Need to Know

• Prepare for mosquitos Malaria, a mosquito-borne disease that's endemic in many African countries, is prevalent throughout Tanzania. To protect yourself from mosquitos while in the park, bring anti-malarial medication (which can be prescribed by your doctor), wear pants and long-sleeved shirts at night (when mosquitos tend to be more of a nuisance) and bring insect repellent with DEET (a chemical that makes it harder for mosquitos to smell you).
• Pack accordingly Although most international flights will permit travelers to bring suitcases that weigh up to 50 pounds, shorter domestic flights typically allow 25 to 30 pounds per person. So, if you plan on traveling by plane from Kilimanjaro International Airport – the closest international airport to the park that sits just east of Arusha – to the Serengeti, keep your luggage to less than 30 pounds.
• Ignore the rumble in the jungle Your sleep is bound to be disturbed by the occasional lion roaring, but remember that it probably sounds closer than it is. A lion's roar can reach 114 decibels and travel as far as 5 miles.

How to Save Money in Serengeti National Park

• Safari your way through the Serengeti You are welcome to drive yourself through the Serengeti, but opting for a safari will save you from car rental fees and gas prices. Plus, most safaris include lodging, food and transport to and from the airstrip.
• Rough it There are several centrally located lodges in the Serengeti that offer all the amenities of a luxury hotel and great views of the park. However, you'll end up paying a pretty penny for a room, so consider pitching a tent at one of the park's nine campsites to conserve your cash. Just remember to obtain permission from the Tanzania National Parks (or TANAPA) before you arrive.
• Be prepared Once you're in the Serengeti, resources are scarce, meaning basics are at a premium, so pack or buy anything you could need – from extra camera batteries to Band-Aids – before you enter the park.

Culture & Customs

The official currency here is the Tanzanian Shilling (TZS). One shilling equals less than one American penny, but  check the latest exchange rate  before you visit. Both the shilling and the U.S. dollar are generally accepted throughout the park, however, you'll get a better deal if you pay with shillings.

To enter Serengeti National Park, travelers will be charged $25 each per day visited. If you plan on driving in the park, an additional $5 fee per day applies. Entrance fees are typically covered by safari package and travel agent rates. Once inside, tips of $5 to $10 per day are expected for safari drivers and services received at camps and lodges, while it is common practice to leave 10 percent of your total bill as a tip when dining at a lodge restaurant. ATMs are not readily available in the Serengeti, so be sure to take out money before arriving at the park.

Tourists may see the Serengeti as a natural playground, but members of the indigenous Masai ethnic group see it as home. The Masai are a semi-nomadic people found in Kenya and northern Tanzania. Their brightly colored clothing and distinctive customs – namely, their unique music and dance and intricate jewelry – make them one of Africa's most well-known ethnic groups.

You're sure to come across the Masai during your visit. Although their official language is Maa (a Nilo-Saharan language), most members of the Masai ethnic group also speak Swahili and English, Tanzania's official languages. Some Swahili phrases that may come in handy are " jambo " (hello), " asante sana " (thank you), " Bei gani? " (How much?), and " sielewi " (I don't understand). Your interaction with the Masai people will most likely be a lucrative one for them, as they are very willing to sell you their jewelry and crafts.

Safari guides speak English as well,  and it's imperative that you follow your guide's instructions at all times. The Serengeti houses many animals, and your guide will know how to best handle (or better avoid) dangerous situations. Stay in your vehicle at all times (unless your guide gives you permission to exit) and never try to feed the animals. And to protect against the region's rays and bugs when wildlife spotting, bring safari essentials like bug spray and sunscreen.

What to Eat

Restaurants are few and far between in Serengeti National Park, but if you want to enjoy a sit-down meal, you're in luck – several of the park's lodges feature one or more on-site restaurants. Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge, for example, has an eatery that specializes in buffet-style meals with traditional safari and Tanzanian fare, such as locally sourced coffee and tea, nyama choma (grilled meats) and ugali (a maize dish that has a porridge-like consistency). And at the Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, three dining venues are available, including an outdoor terrace with pizza and African-inspired tapas and an indoor buffet with various African and international dishes. Boma Grill , the property's third restaurant, seats guests around an open-air fire pit as they savor African dishes and watch the Masai perform a traditional dance. Many Serengeti lodges will also offer bush dining experiences, where diners can enjoy a private meal in the wild.

However, most travelers opt to go on safari (most of which cover all meals in tour rates) or purchase food at one of the park's convenience stores to prepare at a campsite. Safari tour operators that provide meals at a lodge or boxed to enjoy picnic-style include Africa Dream Safaris and Serengeti Select Safaris . Keep in mind that some companies charge an additional fee for soft drinks and alcoholic beverages. For budget-conscious travelers, the park sells drinks, snacks and raw meat for grilling at convenience stores in the Seronera River Valley and Naabi Hill .

Getting Around Serengeti National Park

The best way to get around Serengeti National Park is by safari. Safari guides know how to best navigate the park's dirt roads and how to find the most fascinating wildlife. Many safari packages also cover transportation to and from the airstrips, food and lodging. If you prefer to travel on your own, you can rent a car (and even hire a driver) at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), which is located about 190 miles east of the park's main entrance, Naabi Hill Gate.  Additionally, all five regions of the Serengeti – Northern Serengeti, the Western Corridor, Eastern Serengeti, Central Serengeti and Southern Serengeti – are accessible by air through several regional carriers and nine internal airstrips.

Entry & Exit Requirements

To enter Tanzania, U.S. citizens must have a valid passport and visitor's visa. Passports must include at least one blank visa page and be valid for a minimum of six months past your arrival date. Visas cost $100 and can be obtained either before your trip at a Tanzanian consulate or upon arrival at any point of entry staffed by immigration officials. Before traveling to the region, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends receiving vaccinations for hepatitis A and B, rabies and typhoid on top of regular vaccines like polio and measles. Due to the prevalence of mosquitos in the Serengeti, some doctors may also prescribe anti-malarial medication to take before, during and after your trip. And travelers who do not have direct flights from the U.S. or Europe will need to obtain a yellow fever vaccination and present their proof of vaccination when they arrive. For more information about visas and vaccines, visit the U.S. State Department's website  and the CDC's website .

When you think of going on an African safari, odds are you envision seeing lions, elephants and giraffes in wide open plains dotted with acacia trees.

Explore More of Serengeti National Park

Things To Do

Best hotels.

You might also like

Yellowstone National Park

# 1 in  Top 19 Cheap Family Vacations

Grand Canyon National Park

# 1 in  Best Day Trips from Phoenix

# 2 in  Best Weekend Getaways

If you make a purchase from our site, we may earn a commission. This does not affect the quality or independence of our editorial content.

Recommended

The 50 Best Hotels in the USA 2024

Christina Maggitas February 6, 2024

The 32 Most Famous Landmarks in the World

Gwen Pratesi|Timothy J. Forster February 1, 2024

9 Top All-Inclusive Resorts in Florida for 2024

Gwen Pratesi|Amanda Norcross January 5, 2024

24 Top All-Inclusive Resorts in the U.S. for 2024

Erin Evans January 4, 2024

26 Top Adults-Only All-Inclusive Resorts for 2024

Zach Watson December 28, 2023

Solo Vacations: The 36 Best Places to Travel Alone in 2024

Lyn Mettler|Erin Vasta December 22, 2023

26 Cheap Beach Vacations for Travelers on a Budget

Kyle McCarthy|Sharael Kolberg December 4, 2023

The 50 Most Beautiful White Sand Beaches in the World

Holly Johnson December 1, 2023

The 26 Best Zoos in the U.S.

Rachael Hood November 16, 2023

44 Cheap Tropical Vacations That Feel Expensive

Holly Johnson|Alissa Grisler November 10, 2023

Serengeti National Park

• 1.1 History
• 1.2 Landscape
• 1.3 Wildlife
• 1.4 Birding
• 1.5 Climate
• 2.1 By plane
• 3 Fees and permits
• 4 Get around
• 5.1 Lake Lagarja and Lake Masak, South Serengeti
• 5.2 Moru Kopjes and Seronera, Central Serengeti
• 5.3 Lobo, North Serengeti
• 5.4 The 'Corridor', West Serengeti
• 7.1 Tipping
• 10.1 Safari lodges
• 10.2 Luxury tented camps
• 10.3 Camping
• 11 Stay healthy

Serengeti National Park [dead link] is a large conservation area in the north of Tanzania . The park flows over into neighboring Kenya where it's known as the Masai Mara .

Understand [ edit ]

The park is but one of several conservation areas within the Serengeti region of East Africa , though a vital one. As well as conserving fauna, flora and iconic landscapes, Serengeti National Park has emerged as a major tourist destination. People from all over come here to engage in safari. The name Serengeti comes from the Maasai language, meaning 'endless plains' while the word safari is the Swahili word for 'journey'.

Serengeti National Park is most famous for its animal migration. Nearly one million wildebeest and 200,000 zebras move from the northern hills to the south every October and November during the short rains. They then move toward the west and north from April to June when the long rains progress. The instinct to migrate is strong. Hence, no drought, gorge, or river infested with crocodiles can prove to be a deterrent.

History [ edit ]

For a long period of time, the Serengeti was uninhabited which allowed the animals to roam freely until the Maasai started to migrate to the area around a hundred years ago. The earliest known professional hunters appeared in 1913. Soon the area became a game reserve and eventually, a national park was established in 1951.

Two World Heritage Sites and two Biosphere Reserves have been established within the 30,000 km² region. Its unique ecosystem has inspired writers from Ernest Hemingway to Peter Mattheissen, filmakers like Hugo von Lawick and Alan Root as well as numerous photographers and scientists.

The Serengeti ecosystem is one of the oldest on earth. The essential features of climate, vegetation and fauna have barely changed in the past million years. Early man himself made an appearance in Olduvai Gorge about two million years ago. Some patterns of life, death, adaptation and migration are as old as the hills themselves.

It is the migration for which Serengeti is most famous. Over a million wildebeest and 200,000 zebras journey south from the northern hills to the southern plains for the short rains every October and November, and then turn west and north after the long rains in April, May and June.

Over 300,000 tourists visit the park every year.

Landscape [ edit ]

The southern region of the park is naturally endowed with awe-inspiring terrain made up of nutrient-rich, flattened, open plains and short grasses as well as some granite kopjes spread out. With this type of vegetation, game viewing is guaranteed to be exceptional all throughout the year.

Wildlife [ edit ]

Watching wildlife and the Great Migration in the Serengeti is tremendous! Nowhere on earth is there a sight that can rival the spectacle of 1.5 million hoofed animals on the march. Serengeti has the highest concentration of large mammals in the world and is famous for its 2,500 lions, the highest concentration found anywhere. Unlike in Kenya (with the exception of the Ngorongoro Crater ), you rarely see other tourists or vehicles on a game drive in the Serengeti National Park.

Wild animals can be dangerous and you should not wander off on your own while on safari, especially at night. However most animals are frightened by humans and will flee rather than attack unless cornered or provoked. Keep a sensible distance and treat the animals with respect.

Birding [ edit ]

Early and late daylight hours are usually the best times to observe the more than 500 species of birds which have been identified in the Serengeti. Some of them migrate from Eurasia and are present in the Northern Hemisphere winter months from October to April.

Climate [ edit ]

The Serengeti falls into the classic bimodal rain pattern of East Africa. The short rains are concentrated in November/December, the long and heavier rains in March - May. Mean monthly maximum temperatures are relatively uniform throughout the year being constant 27-28° C (or 75-80° F) at Seronera. At Ngorongoro Crater the nights can be very chilly due to altitude.

Any time other than during the long rains in April and May is a perfect time to be on safari in Northern Tanzania. Game viewing and the number of other tourists varies widely according to the seasonal concentrations of wildlife. Most Safari operators will adjust their itineraries accordingly.

Get in [ edit ]

By plane [ edit ].

The nearest international airport to the Serengeti is Kilimanjaro Airport ( JRO  IATA ) [1] near Arusha . International airlines flying into JRO from outside Africa include KLM , Qatar, Turkish, with Ethopian and Kenyan also offering services connecting via their home ports.

Don't expect regular ground transport service to be available at Kilimanjaro Airport. Almost everyone arriving will have arranged their transport. Taxis are available into Arusha for around US$50.

Internal flights by small aircraft from Arusha to the Seronera Airstrip in the heart of Serengeti or to Kirawira Airstrip in the Western Corridor cost US$165 per person one way. The cost of charter flights varies widely. Limit your baggage to 10-15 kg (20-30 pounds) per person. It is advisable to carry your luggage in soft bags rather than hard sided suitcases.

If you are travelling from Maasai Mara, then it is possible to fly via Migori and Tarime directly to Seronera with Sararlink and Coastal, avoiding the need to transfer via Nairobi. This is a coordinated transfer, and costs around US$600.

By car [ edit ]

The main access road into the Serengeti from Arusha passes the gate of Lake Manyara National Park, mounts the Rift Valley Escarpment, goes on through communal farming lands to the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area, drops down onto the plains past Olduvai Gorge to the east, and enters the Serengeti through Naabi Hill Gate. The distance is 325 km and the drive takes around eight hours. At Seronera and Lobo, garage facilities are available to refuel cars. Breakdown facilities, however, are virtually non-existent.

Fees and permits [ edit ]

Park fees can be very expensive in Tanzania. If you book your trip through a travel agent they are generally included in the overall trip cost.

In Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation area the park fee is US$71 per person per day, for camping US$48 per person per night and US$30 per vehicle per day.

There is a number of definite "don'ts" in the Serengeti. These include approaching too close and disturbing animals, making an unacceptable noise, picking flowers or destroying vegetation, discarding litter, exceeding 50 km/h speed limit, bringing pets or firearms into the Park, and going off the roads within 16 km of Seronera.

Get around [ edit ]

See [ edit ], lake lagarja and lake masak, south serengeti [ edit ].

From December to May, depending on the rains, the large herds are concentrated on the low lying grass steppe between Olduvai, Gol, Naabi and Lagarja. A base on Lake Masak or Lake Lagarja is then ideal because one can travel from there in all directions.

Day excursions take one into areas that are little known so that you can enjoy in peace an animal paradise: for example Hidden Valley, the Soito Ngum Kopjes or the Kakesio Plains. You will enjoy the freedom of travelling cross country in order to be able to find the best places and thus have the chance to see rarer animals such as honey-badgers, wild cats, porcupines. In the right season, Southern Serengeti is not to be surpassed.

Moru Kopjes and Seronera, Central Serengeti [ edit ]

Here the savanna animals are joined by species that have adapted to living in the rocky cliffs. From here, or whilst in transit, you visit Seronera in the centre of the park searching for rare leopards and cheetahs. You can also enjoy the ever changing landscape with gallery forests, kopjes and water holes.

Lobo, North Serengeti [ edit ]

The North Serengeti is very different from the grassy plains in the South. As there is always water present the big herds retreat there in the dry season. In addition there are many species that live here permanently and you will also fairly regularly see elephants. A world for itself are the Bologonja Springs on the border to Kenya.

The 'Corridor', West Serengeti [ edit ]

This is a special area which is seldom offered on safari tours. Long distances, poor communications (few vehicles are equipped with a radio) and the frequently difficult road conditions still keep away most visitors from this part of the Serengeti which stretches almost as far as Lake Victoria. An important aspect of the Serengeti is therefore lost to them. This area is very different from the other main zones of the park. In the dry season large stretches of the route westward can be practically empty of animals. The last quarter of the route is however ideally suited to be the home for thousands of animals the whole year round. Gnus and zebras who are resident here do not join their migratory relatives who pass through every year on their way northwards.

Big herds of giraffes, buffalo, eland, topis, kongonis, impalas, waterbuck and Thompson's gazelles live here together with them. All the big cats and hyenas are present in a good number as well.

The end of May through August is the time to view the annual migration of zebra and wildebeest in Western Serengeti. This is also the rut season for wildebeest and the plains are noisy with male wildebeest defending their temporary territories.

A special attraction, that has become quite famous, is the crocodile population of the Grumeti River. This is particularly large at Kirawira, where the river does not dry up. The time spent at this life-giving water source can be among the most inter-esting. Here there are not only crocodiles and hippos to observe but also a large number of varieties of birds. Those tourists with a lot of time (or luck) will be able to discover the Black and White Colobus monkey in the crowns of the trees.

On the wooded savannahs of the Ndabaka plains there is always something to see. You will always feel at peace at the calm pools and mysterious "korongos".

During your excursions in this least visited part of Serengeti, you can stay at the most luxurious and exclusive camp near Kirawira, the "Kirawira Serena Camp", at Conservation Corporation's "Grumeti River Camp" (also very exclusive!) or at the cheaper, but good and charming new Speke Bay Lodge right on the shore of Lake Victoria (4 km outside the park, an hour's drive from Kirawira). Mbalageti Serengeti Mbalageti Serengeti is also in the Western corridor and offers an unparalleled view over the vast plains due to its stellar location.

Do [ edit ]

Take photographs! A good zoom and a large memory card make the results so good you'll be looking at the photos months and months later. (Save them on high quality image and you can do amazing things with your photo program when you get home!)

Buy [ edit ]

Shopping in the Serengeti naturally is extremely limited due to the absence of human settlements. In Arusha, however, and other major towns you will find curio markets where you can buy all sorts of carvings, masks, Maasai spears, textiles, drums, tinga-tinga paintings, batik work, silk shawls, locally made jewelry, coffee, etc. The Arusha Heritage Centre offers a large variety of souvenirs and crafts. Also, The Sayari Camp had arrangements with locals to supply a little "gift shop" and the money goes right back into local programs.

Tipping [ edit ]

Tipping at restaurants (at your discretion) is 10%. It's common to tip US$5 for each traveler per day at lodge based safaris; US$10 per day for your driver guide and US$5 each per day for the camp staff when camping on mobile safaris.

Eat [ edit ]

Eat fresh roasted cashews, drink watermelon juice, try the tiny sweet bananas or even the red bananas.

Most visitors are surprised by the quality and the variety of the food available on safari. No matter whether you are staying in a lodge, a tented camp or a mobile safari camp, you will be served freshly prepared food according to international tastes and standards.

Bottled water can be purchased at all the lodges and camps and is provided by all safari operators. Non-alcoholic drinks are often included in the all inclusive rates. It is wise to stick with bottled drinks.

Drink [ edit ]

Coffee and mbungo juice are common non-alcoholic drinks found in the park. If you want something stronger, you can try tusker lager and Amarula, a cream liqueur made from the marula plant.

Sleep [ edit ]

If you go on an organised safari with a tour operator you will mostly sleep in mobile camps. Here facilities are more limited. The tents usually have simple beds with lining and duvets, camping toilets and showers depending on the safari operator.

Many lodges and tented camps operate their own generators or solar lighting systems providing intermittent electricity.

Safari lodges [ edit ]

The term and the concept of the safari lodge are of Tanzanian origin. Here you will find buildings of exciting design, specially build to fit in with the wild landscape of the parks, yet with all the amenities of a luxury hotel, such as swimming pools and fine food. As you eat, drink, laze by the pool or sit on your private veranda, you will be able to observe game, often at only a few yards distance.

Luxury tented camps [ edit ]

There are a few luxury tented camps in the Serengeti offering an absolutely unique safari experience. The tents usually offer fully equipped en suite bathrooms, private verandas and elegant furniture. At night you can listen to the wild sounds of the Serengeti cuddled up in a warm and comfortable bed!

• Mapito Tented Camp, Serengeti , ☏ +255 73 2975210 , [email protected] . Mapito Tented Camp provides its guests with the most authentic Africa experience due to its colonial, old days hunter’s camp ambience. Sitting snugly in a clearing surrounded by Acacia trees its 13 spacious walk-in tents create an intimate atmosphere for only 30 guests while indulging them with the amenities of a big lodge, as all tents are equipped with running water, flush toilets, hot and cold water showers, electric lights and mosquito nettings.  
• Mwanga Moto Mobile Luxury Camp, Serengeti , ☏ +255 27 2508773 , [email protected] . Mwanga Moto Mobile Luxury Camp is repositioned several times each season to track the Great Migration. The luxury East African-styled tents in the camp provide king-sized beds, fine linens, and en suite bathrooms with flush toilets and hot showers. Screened "doors and windows" look out onto breathtaking natural landscapes.  
• Serengeti Migration Camp , ☏ +255 27 2500630 , [email protected] . Hidden among the rocky outcrops or kopjes of the vast, internationally renowned Serengeti plains is a camp that exudes a decadence reminiscent of old Africa. The Serengeti, is synonymous with low impact high action game viewing in a landscape untouched since the dawn of time. Richly furnished throughout, the camp provides a haven of sumptuous indulgence among the raw splendor of the surrounding bush. It’s spacious tents have been carefully placed to provide privacy and blend into nature’s architecture, overlooking the Grumeti River and its resident hippos. Surrounded by a 360 degree verandah deck and with a capacious, 45 m², internal floor space, each guest pavilion is a private sanctuary. The split level lounge, cigar bar, restaurant, sundecks and swimming pool are perched among the outcrops and overlook the vast and rugged landscapes that are home to the world’s greatest mammal migration.  
• [formerly dead link] Kensington Camps ( Kensington Camps ). Kensington Tented Camps bring together the breathtaking beauty, teeming wildlife and cultural splendor of Africa in an intimate and elegant setting. Echoing with the sounds of the herds, rustling grasslands and crackling campfires, these exclusive camps offer the privacy of only 8 tents. Each camp is strategically located to host guests as they discover and follow the wildlife migration and clients can transfer conveniently between camps as part of a day’s game drive.  

Camping [ edit ]

A much cheaper alternative is to stay on one of the Serengeti's nine campsites. If you wish to stay at them you must obtain permission from TANAPA or the nearest park warden.

Stay healthy [ edit ]

Health care is limited in the region, but if you have a problem seek help with your lodge. For more serious emergencies, you may end up in Nairobi , or being evacuated to your home country.

• UNESCO World Heritage Sites
• UNESCO tag to be fixed
• Has custom banner
• Articles with dead external links
• Sleep listing with no coordinates
• Has map markers
• Articles with formerly dead external links
• Outline parks
• Outline articles
• Park articles
• Has Geo parameter
• Northeast Tanzania
• All destination articles

Navigation menu

• You are here:
• Countries & Parks
• Tanzania Parks

Serengeti National Park

Best Time To Visit

Weather & climate.

• Getting There
• Malaria & Safety

​Overview – Serengeti NP

Philip is a renowned Africa expert and author of many Bradt guidebooks to African destinations, including the guide to Tanzania.

Philip is a renowned Africa expert and author of the Bradt guidebook to Tanzania.

Philip is the author of the Bradt guidebook to Tanzania.

The focus of most safaris in northern Tanzania, Serengeti National Park is renowned as the arena for the world’s greatest mammal migration. Even away from this iconic wildlife spectacle, the Serengeti’s sheer density of animals makes for incredible wildlife viewing throughout the year. The southern plains near Seronera are the most popular, but it’s also worth exploring the Western Corridor and Mara River regions.

Pros & Cons

• Annual wildebeest migration (January to October)
• Top wildlife viewing all year round
• Endless plains feel like authentic Africa
• Superb for spotting predators
• Excellent mid-range and luxury lodges
• Hot-air balloon safaris
• The Seronera area is usually crowded
• It gets very crowded at the Mara River crossings
• The exact timing of the migration is unpredictable

Serengeti NP Safari Reviews

• Expert Rating 4.8 /5 – 18 Reviews
• User Rating 4.9 /5 – 440 Reviews

The Wildebeest Migration

The annual great migration comprises more than 2 million wildebeest , zebra and gazelle traveling an 800km/500mi loop across the savannah of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem. Most of the migration takes place in the Serengeti, which is far larger than Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve.

The Serengeti supports an incredible abundance and diversity of wildlife, from the Big Five (although black rhino is rarely seen) to giraffe, cheetah, spotted hyena , black-backed jackal , warthog and a huge variety of antelope. The Grumeti and Mara Rivers are home to grunting hippos and gigantic prehistoric-looking crocs , known for their feeding frenzy during the annual wildebeest river crossings.

• More about Serengeti's wildlife

Serengeti’s immense landscape is simply stunning. This big-sky, untamed wilderness is renowned for its grassland plains punctuated with rocky outcrops (kopjes) in the southeast. The Western Corridor follows the Grumeti and Mbalageti Rivers with associated riverine forests toward Lake Victoria, while the Lobo Hills area is characterized by big granite boulders reaching up in the sky. Farther north the Mara River sets the scene for the infamous river crossings, the ultimate highlight of the wildebeest migration.

Game drives in Serengeti are highly productive. Depending on your program, you can structure the day around two separate game drives (morning and afternoon) or go out for a full day with a picnic lunch. Budget permitting, you could mix it up with a hot-air balloon safari. Who doesn’t want to experience the Serengeti from the sky? After landing, you’ll be treated to a champagne breakfast in the bush. Night drives and guided walks are also offered at some camps and lodges.

It’s seldom hot in the Serengeti. At around 27°C/81°F, daytime temperatures are usually pleasant, but it can get chilly at night. You’ll need warm clothing for early morning game drives. It rarely rains during the Dry season (June to October). Rain is unlikely to interfere with activities, except from March to April, the peak of the Wet season (which runs from November to May).

• More about the weather and climate

The Serengeti can be visited throughout the year. However, certain areas are better at certain times. January to February is the timing of the wildebeest calving in the Ndutu area. Around June and July is when the migration is in the Western Corridor, and August and September are the best months for catching the wildebeest crossing the Mara River. Wildlife viewing in the Lobo area peaks around August and September.

• More about the best time to visit

Want To Visit Serengeti NP?

3,072 Serengeti Safaris

• Serengeti Camping Safaris
• Serengeti Budget Safaris
• Best Serengeti Lodges
• Tour Operators for Serengeti

Most Helpful Expert Review

Mary is an acclaimed travel writer and author of many Lonely Planet guidebooks, including South Africa, Tanzania, East Africa and Africa.

One of Africa's Greatest Parks & the Annual Wildebeest Migration

Serengeti is Tanzania's most visited park, and with good reason. Almost from the moment you enter the gates, wildlife surrounds you in astounding numbers and variety, together with an incomparable sense of space. The headline event is the...

Full Review

Latest User Review

Perfect and diverse

Safari Tours to Serengeti NP

4-Day Serengeti & Ngorongoro Private Camping Safari

$1,100 pp (USD)

Tanzania: Private tour Budget Camping & Hotel

You Visit: Arusha (Start) , Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)

Serengeti Wakanda Tours and Safaris

5.0 /5  –  467 Reviews

7-Day Mid-Range Epic Adventure (Stay on the Crater Rim)

$2,695 to $2,816 pp (USD)

Tanzania: Private tour Mid-range Lodge & Tented Camp

You Visit: Arusha (Start) , Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara NP, Arusha (End)

Lion King Adventures

5.0 /5  –  1015 Reviews

8-Day Great Migration Safari

$3,135 pp (USD)

You Visit: Arusha (Start) , Tarangire NP, Central Serengeti, Northern Serengeti NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Foothills of Mt Kilimanjaro, Arusha (End)

Safari Soles

5.0 /5  –  243 Reviews

Get Daily Travel Tips & Deals!

By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use .

How to Plan a Serengeti Safari

Caroline Morse Teel

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her adventures around the world on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline.

Travel Smarter! Sign up for our free newsletter.

If you binge-watched all of “ Serengeti ” during quarantine, a Serengeti safari is probably now at the top of your bucket list. Serengeti National Park is one of the best places on earth for a safari—the park’s 5,700 square miles of territory teems with wildlife. With over 4,000 lions, 1,000 leopards, 550 cheetahs, and 500 bird species calling the Serengeti home, you’re pretty much guaranteed spectacular wildlife sightings here. Get inspired by streaming every episode of “Serengeti” and “Serengeti II”, the epic next chapter (both only available on discovery+), and then follow these tips to plan your dream wildlife-watching vacation—even on a budget.

This post is sponsored by Serengeti II on discovery+.

When Should You Go on a Serengeti Safari?

There are two main factors to consider when planning what time of year to visit Serengeti National Park: the weather and the wildlife. The most popular months for safaris are June through October, which is the dry season in the park. You can expect comfortable temperatures (around 77 degrees) and sunny days. Bonus: although wildlife is more abundant, there are fewer mosquitos around to annoy you during this time (and the malaria risk is lower). 

The time of year dictates your wildlife spotting chances as well—this period is also when the famous Great Migration (when roughly two million wildebeest relocate for the season) is at its peak.

If you want to avoid the human crowds, don’t rule out a visit during the wet season, which runs from November to May. You’ll have less competition for viewpoints, and may even be able to snag a great deal on a safari. If you’re here to see the adorable baby animals and nail-biting predator chases that you saw on “Serengeti II”, the wet season is a great time to go, as it’s calving season. It’s also peak months for birdwatching. November to February are the least rainy months of the wet season (so you may just get short afternoon storms) rather than the heavier rains you can expect in March to May.

The Insect Repellent Clothing and Gear Every Traveler Should Have

What Part of the Serengeti Should You Visit?

At over 5,700 square miles, Serengeti National Park is larger than some states—so don’t expect to be able to cover the whole park in a day. Choose your base location wisely so you don’t spend all your time driving between sites, and consider dividing your trip between two sections so you can see the most variety during your visit. The park is divided into four main areas: Central (Seronera), Western Corridor, Northern, and Southern. 

The Seronera area, home to the Seronera River, is considered to be one of the best sections of the park for wildlife viewing (and it’s home to the highest concentration of leopards in the world). Seronera is also relatively close to the Naabi Hill Gate, one of the most popular entrances to the park, making it an easy first stop after a long journey to get to the park. 

If you’re visiting during the Great Migration, you’ll want to head to the Western Corridor for at least part of your trip, as this is where you’ll have the best chance of seeing the wildebeests make their journey. 

The Southern section is another great base for the Great Migration, as this is where the baby wildebeests are born and the herds begin their migration (and also where they return to graze in December). 

The lush northern part of the park offers great viewing opportunities for lions, giraffes, impalas, and elephants, and can be less crowded than other areas. 

How Do You Get to Serengeti National Park?

Kilimanjaro International Airport is the closest major airport to the park. Once you’ve landed here, it’s about 200 miles to get to the southern gate of Serengeti National Park. You can opt for a quick connecting flight to one of the seven airstrips within the national park, or for a longer (but scenic) road transfer.

Arusha Airport is a domestic airport that’s closer to the park but will require more layovers and connections to reach.

Many of the more luxurious lodges within the park have their own airstrips and can arrange private charter flights from Kilimanjaro or Arusha airports for a seamless start to your trip. 

Tips for Planning an African Safari

Can You do a Serengeti Safari on a Budget? 

A Serengeti safari doesn’t have to cost a fortune—it can be a surprisingly affordable trip if you do it right. Independent travelers (perhaps already armed with the animal knowledge they picked up watching “Serengeti II”) can rent an inexpensive 4×4 and do a self-driving safari, staying at one of the nine campsites within the park’s gates for a very cheap adventure.

You could also add to your experience by hiring a private guide and driver for the day (who will know how to track the wildlife and help you find elusive animals). 

For a mid-range budget, there are plenty of affordable lodges located outside the park’s gates—so you may spend a bit more time driving around each day, but would be worth it for the cost savings.

If you want a taste of luxury for less, travel during the wet season, when rates at the lodges both inside the park and out are discounted, and there are many deals to be had. 

You Might Also Like:

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.

Top Fares From

Don't see a fare you like? View all flight deals from your city.

Today's top travel deals.

Brought to you by ShermansTravel

Ohio: Daily Car Rentals from Cincinnati

Fly R/T to Latin America in...

Skylux Travel

Shop and Save with Country Inns...

Patricia Magaña

Trending on SmarterTravel

Serengetee: The Brand that Inspires You to Wear the World – and Change the World

Photo courtesy of @latinosensation @kailua_kat via @serengetee

What is your outfit doing to change the world? If you happened to be wearing apparel from Serengetee , you might actually have an answer for this question. With the tagline, “Wear The World,” Serengetee was born from two University of Arizona college students with a passion for travel. The brand has since inspired its followers to not only travel more, but to help  change the world . Since the brand emerged in 2012, Serengetee has gained a huge following, with over 88,400 followers on Instagram alone. The brand has built an empire off the idea of traveling and giving back to the community. Many of their products are made from fabrics around the world (where the co-owners often purchase the materials in person), and each product gives back a portion of its sale price to a philanthropic program. Over the past five years, Serengetee has built a consumer base of travelers, fashionistas and philanthropists.

  Photo courtesy of @serengetee

I originally found out about this brand back in 2014, when a friend of mine was a brand ambassador or “ Campus Rep ” for Serengetee. The following spring, I made some friends in my study abroad program who were close with the Serengetee co-founder and CMO, Ryan Westberg. It was through studying abroad and being a Campus Rep that I really fell in love with this brand. One of the most innovative aspects of this brand is that you know exactly which cause or program your purchase helps to fund. Known for their wildly popular pocket T-shirts, Serengetee’s website helps the consumer find the pocket tee or fabric that most interests them. You can search by the fabric’s origin, patterns, colors and (my personal favorite) by cause. Possible charities include animal rights programs, educational programs, disaster relief, poverty relief and more. When picking out gifts, I often turn to Serengetee so I can purchase apparel that is both fashionable and charitable. I tailor the purchase to the person, based on a cause that most resonates with them – it’s a gift that keeps on giving.

Photo courtesy of @jaquory_lunsford @andieftizgerald via @serengetee

Another way that this brand has really made its mark is through its use of brand influencers and utilization of user-generated content. Campus Reps are given complimentary clothing and items to help spread word about the brand through college campuses around the country. Each semester brings an opportunity to apply for a Campus Rep position, and extends to the biggest (and smallest) of universities. Serengetee is also consistent in its use of user-created content, while remaining consistent with its brand messaging. As a Campus Rep during my study abroad program, my Serengetee t-shirt became a huge staple in my wardrobe. And yes , I took a whirl at posting my own Serengetee content via Instagram

Serengetee has become a relevant fashion brand that aims to inspire its consumers and practices what it preaches: to travel more and change the world around you.

"Thank you for choosing to receive updates from across our global creative collective of placeshapers, brandbuilders, and storytellers. Learn more about Streetsense ."

Privacy Overview

Serengeti Trail

8 days | follow the herds on an exciting overland safari.

Bless the rains of East Africa on an eight-day safari adventure through Kenya and Tanzania. The famed national parks in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater region are home to an astounding array of animals, from miniature dik-dik antelopes and lions to the noble African elephant. With local guides and all of your needs taken care of, head on a number of game drives in search of the Big Five in the back of specially designed safari vehicles. With stops at a local community in Mto wa Mbu, the vast Lake Victoria and bustling Nairobi, this journey is fit for the most curious traveller, eager to explore the fascinating towns and fertile savannahs of Africa’s east.

Trip overview

• Explore the Serengeti National Park in depth – with game drives through this spectacular wildlife arena, you’ll have the best chance to spot the Big Five.
• Embark on an unforgettable safari across the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater in an open-roof 4WD with your small group for a chance to see the endangered black rhinoceros in full view.
• Learn about the Maasai cultures, and join a local community for a guided afternoon stroll around the farming area of Mto wa Mbu, before enjoying a traditional meal together.
• Explore Amboseli National Park, home to the largest population of African elephants in Kenya - known for large tuskers and exquisite views of Mt Kilimanjaro on clear days.
• Your expert local crew will keep you well informed (and well fed!) – filling you in on all you need to know about the Great Rift Valley and the annual migration of some two million wildebeest.
• By travelling on this trip, you’ll directly support our Intrepid Foundation partner, Patinaai Osim Community Care Organisation. Donations support their livelihood programs which help indigenous Maasai women identify alternative income-generating activities to support their families.
• This is an overland trip. That means you’ll be travelling with a group in a purpose-built vehicle, visiting remote communities, setting up your own tent (unless you’re on an Original or Comfort style trip), occasionally roughing it in the bush with no facilities, and getting the best possible views of the Big Five. While the trucks don’t have air conditioning, they do have sliding windows which let in the breeze and make it even easier to take spectacular snaps of the local wildlife. The drive days can be long, but it’s as much about the journey as the destination, and half the fun is the camaraderie. For more info on this style of travel, see our Africa overland page: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/africa/overland
• As the early bird catches the worm, the early camper sights the animals. There will be many early starts either to make use of the better safari time or to beat the morning traffic on long travel days.
• Some passengers will have been travelling together prior to the start of this trip. You may also want to check out The Masai Heartlands if you have more time to explore in East Africa.

Jambo! Welcome to Kenya. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm, and you can arrive at any time as there are no activities planned until this important briefing. If you arrive early, perhaps head out and explore the National Museum of Kenya, the Karen Blixen Museum or the highly recommended Bomas of Kenya, where traditional homesteads of several Kenyan tribes are displayed in an outdoor village.

There are no meals included on this day.

• Nairobi - City Experience Urban Adventure - USD55

It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance details and next of kin information at this time. If you are going to be late please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.

Petty theft is common in Nairobi. As a general rule, the safest place for your valuables is on your person in a neck wallet or money belt, though your hotel room or reception may have a safe in which to store things. If you do decide to go exploring, make sure you get local advice on where it is and isn't safe to walk – particularly for later in the day. Be careful not to leave bags unattended on chairs or floors when in bars or restaurants. Without being paranoid, appearing vigilant is a great deterrence to would-be thieves. Also, make scans of important travel documents and email them to yourself – this will save you hours of paperwork if anything does happen.

Today, you'll board your overland vehicle bound for Amboseli National Park. The park covers an area of about 392 square kilometres and is home to the largest population of African elephants in Kenya, and is known for large tuskers. If you're lucky to visit on a clear day, you'll be treated to exquisite views of Mt Kilimanjaro. When you arrive, you'll set off on a game drive to explore the park and discover the wildlife that call this place home.

• Camping (basic facilities) (1 night)
• Amboseli National Park - Overland Vehicle Game Drive

Your travel time today will be approximately 4 hours.

This morning, depart early for Mto wa Mbu in your overland truck. Today includes a border crossing from Kenya into Tanzania, so be sure to have your passport handy. While you're on the road, there will be a stop at an ATM and a market or shop to stock up on any supplies you might need for the coming days. Arrive in Mto wa Mbu and acquaint yourself with this delightful small village – it's a fascinating snapshot of small-town African life, situated well off the tourist trail. Later, join the local community for a guided afternoon stroll around the farming areas, milling machine and local homes before enjoying a traditional meal for dinner. Your campsite this evening is located in Mto wa Mbu.

• Camping (with facilities) (1 night)
• Mto Wa Mbu - Village walk & local dinner

Depending on availability, you might be able to upgrade to a room for tonight.

Your travel time today will be approximately 6 hours.

Rise and shine early, and head out to the wide-open plains of the Serengeti. The Serengeti landscapes see myriad colours during the year – green after the rains, brown and burnt in the dry season – but one thing is a constant: this never-ending landscape is home to thousands upon thousands of animals travelling as herds across the plains. This region gets its name from the local Maasai word ‘siringet’, meaning the place where the land moves on forever, and you’ll begin to understand why on your overland vehicle game drive today. Enjoy a picnic lunch, then head to your campsite, which is located within the park itself! At night, listen out for the sounds of nocturnal animals as you drift off to sleep.

• Camping (with basic facilities) (1 night)
• Serengeti National Park - Overland Vehicle Game Drive

Our camp within the Serengeti National Park does not have a fence to separate the camp from the animals. This is quite the experience as animals such as buffalo and hyenas often come close to camp after sundown. On arrival at the camp, your leader will give a detailed safety briefing on what is required to ensure the safety of the group.

Tonight’s camp is basic with limited running water and no upgrades or wi-fi available.

Start the day nice and early with an overland vehicle game drive at dawn. You will head out while the animals are at their most active, then head back to camp for brunch at around 11 am. This morning, there’s also the option of a balloon ride over the park. If you have pre-booked this activity, you will be picked up before dawn and driven to the launch site. After a safety briefing, glide through the dawn, sometimes at tree height, where you’ll get some amazing photo opportunities. Sometimes, you will ascend, getting an overview of the vastness of the plains and the early morning movements of the herds. After landing, dig into a delicious bush breakfast, then return to your camp. After spending the warmer part of the day relaxing with your herd – just as the animals do – depart again at dusk for another overland vehicle adventure through the wild, returning in time for dinner.

• Serengeti National Park - Morning Overland Vehicle Game Drive
• Serengeti National Park - Afternoon Overland Vehicle Game Drive
• Serengeti National Park - Balloon Ride (from price) - USD745

The balloon ride is offered as a pre-booked service which will guarantee you a place. If you would rather wait and try to get a better price by booking this locally on the ground, you are welcome to, but keep in mind that this is a popular activity and places are limited. Please note if you choose this activity you will miss most of the included game drive with your group.

Enjoy a leisurely game drive and picnic lunch on your way out of Serengeti National Park today. Soak up final views of this incredible spot, before entering the Ngorongoro Conservation area.

On arrival at the crater, swap our overland vehicle for open roof 4x4's. Take in the spectacular views from the crater's rim as you make your way to the bottom, where animals roam the lakes, rivers, woodlands and hills.

The animals here are less wary of humans and vehicles, and as a result, it's easier to watch them up close. Keep an eye out for wildebeest, lion, zebra, cheetah, buffalo, gazelle and the endangered black rhino. Later on, we'll leave the Ngorongoro Crater and drive to Karatu, a small town nearby and your base for the next two nights.

• Ngorongoro Crater - 4x4 Game Drive

You will notice some Maasai villages in the region of the Ngorongoro Crater offering a cultural experience. Intrepid recommends avoiding these villages, as they can impact negatively on the Maasai culture and travellers' perceptions of it by selling an artificial experience.

During the winter months (June to August) it can be surprisingly cold at night, so be sure to bring some warm clothes.

Your travel time today will be approximately 7 hours.

Today is a free day to relax or explore as you please. You might like to head to a local coffee plantation or take an optional game drive in Lake Manyara National Park. Perhaps opt for a hike through the Ngorongoro Reserve Forest to the Elephant Caves - a great way to stretch your legs after a few days of overland travel. You'll hike through the Ngorongoro rainforest as your local guide explains the ins and outs of the area and points out interesting animal tracks and footprints. Marvel at the wild landscape and spot beautiful birdlife as you walk.

• Ngorongoro Forest - Elephant Cave Trek - USD80
• Lake Manyara Game drive - USD100
• Karatu - Village Visit - USD20
• Karatu - Coffee Tour - USD25

Tonight, there may be the option to upgrade your accommodation (subject to availability).

Set off early this morning, around 7.30 am, to begin your final journey for this trip. Your first stop will be in Arusha, you'll have the option to end your trip here. If it is more convenient for you, there is the option to travel back to Nairobi.

Your adventure comes to an end on arrival in Nairobi. You'll be dropped at a centrally located hotel, however, no accommodation will be provided for tonight. If you would like to extend your stay in Nairobi, we’ll happily organise additional accommodation (subject to availability).

Please note that, if it is more convenient for you, there is the option to finish your journey in Nairobi today rather than Arusha. The group will be travelling through Arusha at approximately 9 am, and you can either be dropped at the Impala Hotel in the centre of town or at Arusha Airport, which offers some onward connections. If flying out of Kilimanjaro airport, you will need to make your own way from Arusha and arrange a transfer at additional cost.

If you wish to arrange an onward connection today, it’s important to book flights departing Arusha after 11 am, or from Nairobi after 8 pm.

Travel time to Nairobi will be approximately 7-8 hours.

7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 6 dinners

Overland vehicle, 4x4 safari vehicle

Hotel (1 night), Camping (with basic facilities) (2 nights), Camping (with facilities) (3 nights), Basic Hotel (1 night)

Dates and availability

Important notes.

1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information. 2. This trip finishes upon arrival in Nairobi on Day 8. Please do not book any flights until after 8pm this evening. 3. If it is more convenient, we offer the option to finish the trip in Arusha on the final day rather than transferring back to Nairobi. Please do not book flights out of Arusha airport until after 10.30 am. 4. An optional sunrise balloon ride in the Serengeti National Park is possible on this itinerary. Please see Days 4-5 for full details of this activity. As the balloon only holds 16 people, places are limited, and we recommend that you book in advance. Please inquire when booking your trip to book this optional activity.

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.

Filter by rating

• Home & Kitchen
• Posters & Prints

Image Unavailable

• To view this video download Flash Player

Scratch Off Travel More World Map - Includes Country Flags - USA States Outlined - 33" x 23"

• Original, detailed design
• Country flags included
• USA states outlined
• Large size: 33" x 23"
• Made by SERENGETEE (since 2012)

Looking for specific info?

Product information, technical details, additional information, warranty & support, product description.

Where have you been? Scratch off all of the places you’ve traveled around the world. This map is the perfect accent to any globetrotter’s room. All maps are shipped in a custom tube

Customer reviews

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

No customer reviews

• Amazon Newsletter
• About Amazon
• Accessibility
• Sustainability
• Press Center
• Investor Relations
• Amazon Devices
• Amazon Science
• Start Selling with Amazon
• Sell apps on Amazon
• Supply to Amazon
• Protect & Build Your Brand
• Become an Affiliate
• Become a Delivery Driver
• Start a Package Delivery Business
• Advertise Your Products
• Self-Publish with Us
• Host an Amazon Hub
• › See More Ways to Make Money
• Amazon Visa
• Amazon Store Card
• Amazon Secured Card
• Amazon Business Card
• Shop with Points
• Credit Card Marketplace
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Amazon Prime
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices
• Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Your Ads Privacy Choices

We've detected unusual activity from your computer network

To continue, please click the box below to let us know you're not a robot.

Why did this happen?

Please make sure your browser supports JavaScript and cookies and that you are not blocking them from loading. For more information you can review our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy .

For inquiries related to this message please contact our support team and provide the reference ID below.

Port of Baltimore suspends ship traffic after bridge collapse: What it means for travel

Travel is being impacted by Tuesday’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse along Interstate 695 in Baltimore, Maryland. 

Drivers were immediately directed to take alternate routes through the city, following the early morning incident. What’s less clear is what the bridge collapse may mean for upcoming cruises in and out of Baltimore.

“Vessel traffic into and out of the Port of Baltimore is suspended until further notice,” the Port of Baltimore posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Live Updates: Baltimore's Key Bridge collapses after ship hits it; construction crew missing

Rep. Kweisi Mfume, D-Md., whose district includes the bridge and the port, called the collapse an “unthinkable horror” and said he had spoken with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the White House. 

Learn more: Best travel insurance

“They are responding with all of the assets at their disposal,” he said in a statement. “Our prayers right now are for the missing individuals and victims of this tragedy. We thank God for the effective service of our first responders.”

Here’s what we know.

Which cruises go to Baltimore?

Several major cruise lines serve Baltimore. According to the Cruise Lines International Association, the industry’s leading trade group, published itineraries in the 2024 calendar year include a dozen ships making 115 stops in Baltimore.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragedy and collapse of the Key Bridge that occurred last night and extend our support and heartfelt prayers to all those impacted,” CLIA spokesperson Anne Madison said in an emailed statement. “We join everyone in extending our thanks and appreciation to the first responders and emergency workers in Baltimore, the U.S. Coast Guard, and other professionals who are working with one goal in mind—to save lives. We are closely following this situation.”

Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas has a roundtrip itinerary scheduled to depart Baltimore on April 12, according to the cruise line’s website. “We are deeply saddened by the tragedy and collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and extend our heartfelt prayers to all those impacted,” a spokesperson for the line said in an email. “We are closely monitoring the situation, and our port logistics team is currently working on alternatives for Vision of the Seas’ ongoing and upcoming sailings.”

Carnival’s website shows Carnival Pride and Carnival Legend also have sailings into or out of Baltimore set for April. 

Carnival Legend will temporarily move operations to Norfolk, Virginia.

The ship's current cruise, which left for a planned round-trip sailing from Baltimore on March 24, will end in Norfolk on Sunday. Passengers will then receive free bus rides to Baltimore. The vessel's next cruise will sail round-trip from Norfolk later that day.

“Our thoughts remain with the impacted families and first responders in Baltimore,” Carnival president Christine Duffy said in a statement. “We appreciate the pledge made by President Biden today to dedicate all available resources to reopen Baltimore Harbor to marine traffic as soon as possible. As those plans are finalized, we will update our future cruise guests on when we will return home to Baltimore, but in the meantime, we appreciate the quick response and support from officials in Norfolk.”

The cruise line has not yet shared plans for Carnival Pride. Carnival's parent company, Carnival Corp., said the temporary change in homeport is estimated to have an impact of up to $10 million on adjusted EBITDA and adjusted net income this year, according to a news release .

Was your cruise itinerary changed?: What to do next

American Cruise Lines has roundtrip sailings from Baltimore scheduled in May, according to its website.

“We will monitor the situation and make adjustments to future cruises if needed, but at the present time our schedules remain unaffected, and our thoughts remain with those affected by the immediate situation and rescue efforts underway,” an American Cruise Lines spokesperson told USA TODAY.

Norwegian Cruise Line doesn’t appear to have any Baltimore sailings until September on Norwegian Sky . The line will stay in contact with the port and share any changes with passengers and travel partners, according to a spokesperson.

"In the meantime, we wish the city of Baltimore strength during this very unfortunate event," they said in an email.

Alternate routes for the Baltimore bridge

Most drivers can take Interstate 95 (Fort McHenry Tunnel) or Interstate 895 (Baltimore Harbor Tunnel) to avoid the collapsed bridge. However Maryland Transportation Authority notes there are some exceptions .

Vehicles carrying hazardous materials, including more than 10 pounds of propane, are not allowed in the tunnels. Additionally, vehicles more than 13-feet and 6-inches high or 8-feet wide may not use the 1-895 Baltimore Harbor Tunnel. Vehicles more than 14-feet and 6-inches high or 11-feet wide may not use the I-95 Fort McHenry Tunnel. 

Those vehicles should use the western portion of I-695 instead.

• Share full article

Gardens of Stone, Moss, Sand: 4 Moments of Zen in Kyoto

The city’s dry gardens seem timeless, but as these relatively new versions show, their design is still evolving. They offer spots for quiet contemplation in an increasingly overtouristed city.

Kyoto’s dry gardens forgo plants and flowers and instead use elements like gravel, rocks and moss to create contemplative environments. Credit... Andrew Faulk for The New York Times

Supported by

By Paula Deitz

• March 26, 2024

Once, when the Buddha was asked to preach about a flower he was presented, he instead “gazed at it in silence,” according to the British garden designer Sophie Walker in her book “The Japanese Garden.” In this spiritual moment Zen Buddhism was born, inspiring the serene and eternal dry or rock gardens called karesansui.

Unlike a garden designed for strolling, which directs visitors along a defined path to take in scenic views and teahouses, a dry garden is viewed while seated on a veranda above, offering the heightened experience of traveling through it in the imagination, revealing its essence in meditation.

With rocks artfully placed along expanses of fine gravel raked by monks into ripples representing water, they are sources for contemplation, whether they refer to a specific landscape or are serenely abstract. Ryoan-ji, which dates to about 1500, is the supreme example of the latter among Kyoto temples, with its 15 low rocks in five clusters set in pools of moss within an enclosed rectangle of raked gravel. The puzzle is that only 14 are visible at any one time, no matter where you sit to view it.

Change in Kyoto, Japan’s major city of temple gardens, is a quiet evolution. But a tour of several dry gardens designed within the last century — and even within the last few years — demonstrates that the Zen tradition is timeless when it comes to landscape design, and that moments of contemplation are still possible, even as the crowds grow bigger.

Upon arrival at the Zen monastery complex Daitoku-ji, in northern Kyoto, I headed to Zuiho-in, one of its 22 subtemples. The temple was founded in 1319, and then in 1546, the powerful feudal lord Sorin Otomo dedicated it to his family. This was during the period of Spanish and Portuguese missionaries in Japan. Like others, Otomo converted to Christianity but remained inspired by Zen Buddhism.

I entered along angled walkways until I arrived at Zuiho-in’s temple veranda to view the main dry garden. Though the style may at first appear traditional, this garden was designed in the 1960s by Mirei Shigemori, a landscape architect whose training was in the Japanese cultural arts: conducting the tea ceremony, flower arranging, and landscape ink and wash painting. As the Western Modernist movement entered Japan, he adopted it in combination with traditional arts and became determined to revolutionize a garden aesthetic that had remained fixed for hundreds of years. He succeeded in designing more than 200 gardens in Japan and even worked with the Japanese American sculptor Isamu Noguchi on a UNESCO garden, collecting stones in Japan that Noguchi set in the garden at the organization’s Paris headquarters.

In the Zuiho-in garden, the gravel swirls are raked into high peaks as if far out at sea, with a chain of jagged pointed rocks like islands leading to a mossy peninsula crested by a massive stone representing Mount Horai, where, according to Taoist mythology, the heroes called the Eight Immortals, who fought for justice, reside. Referring to Otomo’s Christianity, rocks in a second garden define a cross, and three rows of squarish stones embedded in sand elsewhere in the garden could be seen as Shigemori’s Modernist signature.

Across town, in the Higashiyama district, the Philosopher’s Walk is a pedestrian path along the picturesque Lake Biwa Canal. First opened in 1890, it is believed to be named for a Kyoto University philosophy professor who strolled there while meditating. As you walk along it, depending on the season, the swift current below carries brilliant autumnal leaves or delicate cherry blossoms shed from trees lining the banks.

Honen-in, one of several Buddhist temples along the Philosopher’s Walk, is particularly popular in autumn, with its grand staircase and entry gate framed by vast canopies of fiery red Japanese maple trees. Two large, rectangular white-sand mounds along the central path are periodically raked by monks into new designs; last fall, a maple leaf was outlined on one and a ginkgo leaf on the other against backgrounds of ridges.

The high priest, Kajita Shinsho, who lives there with his family, had a private courtyard with a veranda that needed a garden, and last March he engaged Marc Peter Keane, an American landscape architect now living in Kyoto, to design it. A graduate of Cornell University, Mr. Keane has lived in Japan for almost 20 years and specializes in Japanese garden design. Like Shigemori, he has immersed himself in Japanese culture. His home and studio are now permanently in Kyoto.

Only three old, gnarled camellia trees remained on the rectangular site, with blossoms in season ranging from dark rose to pale pink and white. Mr. Keane’s idea was to represent the constant flux of nature, exemplified for him by the carbon cycle — the process by which carbon travels from the air into organisms and back into air. His garden, titled “Empty River,” creates what he described as “a physical expression of this invisible cycle through a river of pure carbon charcoal.”

He traced by foot a narrow serpentine “river” that winds around the roots and trunks of the camellias, and with the short charcoal sticks he placed in the long groove, it cuts a strong black line through a blend of fine brown and white gravel. There are no rocks, only small stones framing the courtyard and plantings, with Andromeda ferns in the corners. Its starkness is its beauty, softened only when camellia petals are strewed across the gravel in April.

Mr. Keane compares this distillation of design and materials to a haiku, the Japanese three-lined poem. But like the gardens of old, it also expresses the Buddhist concept of emptiness.

At Tofuku-ji , a temple, in the city’s southeastern district, Shigemori designed the garden of the Hojo, the Abbot’s Hall, as early as 1939, using materials found on site. His avant-garde vocabulary of straight lines and grids may have seemed sensational then, but it is beloved now for its harmonious vitality.

From the first veranda, you overlook the southern garden, with clusters of mostly jagged vertical rocks and ripples of raked gravel radiating out, terminating at the far end with five mossy mounds like sacred mountains in the sea. In the western garden, squarely trimmed azaleas alternate with square fields of white gravel, reflecting ancient land-division customs. Azaleas in Japan are closely clipped, so these bloom in gorgeous flat surfaces of deep pink.

Next, a vast checkerboard field of leftover square paving stones embedded in a carpet of moss seems to dwindle off to infinity in the northern garden. And finally, to the east, a pattern of stone pillar foundations recreates the Big Dipper constellation, with gravel raked in concentric circles around each pillar to emphasize its individuality.

Ukifune Garden

Mr. Keane’s 2022 Ukifune Garden (Drifting Boat Garden) is an allegorical interpretation of the chapter by the same name from “The Tale of Genji,” Murasaki Shikibu’s 11th-century novel about Prince Hikaru or “Shining” Genji, and his tempestuous romantic and political life at court.

Mr. Keane designed it as the Zen courtyard garden of the Genji Kyoto hotel, opened in April 2022, on the banks of the Kamo River, near where Genji builds his own grand estate and gardens in the book. Designed by the American architect Geoffrey P. Moussas, who also lives in Kyoto, the hotel’s plan incorporates the indoor-outdoor characteristics of Kyoto’s old merchant houses.

Mr. Keane was inspired by the “Genji” scene in which one of two powerful dignitaries vying for the favor of Ukifune, a woman of 22, travels through a snowstorm and absconds with her by boat on the Uji River. As they pass the Isle of Orange Trees, she recites a poem in which she likens herself to the drifting boat: “The enduring hue of the Isle of Orange Trees may well never change,/ yet there is no knowing now where the drifting boat is bound.”

Mr. Keane consulted with John Carpenter, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s curator of Japanese art, who told him of the late-16th-century “Genji” screen painting by Tosa Mitsuyoshi in the museum’s collection illustrating this famous scene. A copy of the panel now hangs in Kyoto next to the garden.

Mr. Keane installed a swerving “river” with gray river stones set ingeniously on edge rather than flat, giving the flow a greater sense of direction. The garden is set between two wings of the hotel, and the “water” appears to tumble down like a waterfall from one building into the next with a wide, flat steel bridge above, a viewing platform bringing the design to life. The banks on either side are densely planted with maple trees, lady palms, ferns and ground-cover moss. And a boat-shaped stone carries a large patch of moss, which Mr. Keane interprets as Earth drifting through the galaxy.

The gardens at Zuiho-in and the Tofuku-ji Abbot’s Hall garden require tickets. The entrance fee at both is 400 Japanese yen for adults (about $2.65) and 300 yen for children (about $2).

General admission to Honen-in is free, except for during the spring and fall opening weeks, which usually fall during the first week of April and the third week of November and cost 500 yen for spring and 800 yen for fall. The Empty River garden can be visited during those weeks.

The Genji Kyoto hotel garden is free to visit.

If you get hungry while touring gardens, Izusen , a restaurant in the Daiji-in subtemple of the Daitoku-ji monastery complex, offers multiple local specialties in set menus beautifully presented in mostly lacquered red bowls, which nest when empty. Open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. by reservation; 4,370 to 8,050 yen. It is near Zuiho-in.

Also by reservation, Yudofu Kisaki, a restaurant between the entrance to Honen-in and the Philosopher’s Walk, has vegetarian and tofu specialties. Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., last order at 6 p.m.; 4,370 to 8,050 yen.

For a companionable book to read on your tour, the Nobel Prize-winning novelist Yasunari Kawabata’s post-World War II novel “The Rainbow” is newly available in English. Several chapters take place in Kyoto, and it can feel as though you are traveling together, often in the same gardens. Kawabata’s knowledge of plants was formidable, and the simplicity of his descriptions both natural and direct: “On the lawn in front of the gate, in the shadows of the pine trees, dandelions and lotuses were in bloom. A double-flowered camellia had blossomed in front of the bamboo fence.”

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

Italy :  Spend 36 hours in Florence , seeking out its lesser-known pockets.

Southern California :  Skip the freeways to explore the back roads between Los Angeles and Los Olivos , a 100-mile route that meanders through mountains, canyons and star-studded enclaves.

Mongolia : Some young people, searching for less curated travel experiences, are flocking to the open spaces of this East Asian nation .

Romania :  Timisoara  may be the most noteworthy city you’ve probably never heard of , offering just enough for visitors to fill two or three days.

India: A writer fulfilled a lifelong dream of visiting Darjeeling, in the Himalayan foothills , taking in the tea gardens and riding a train through the hills.

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

Advertisement

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Sweepstakes
• Travel Products
• Trends + Deals We Love

Stanley Just Dropped New Tumblers and Travel Bottles in Spring-ready Colors — Only at Target

Shop the Sunshine Vibes collection before it sells out.

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more .

Travel + Leisure / Daisy Rodriguez

No water bottle has gained the level of fame that Stanley’s 40-ounce Quencher Tumbler has, making it a highly sought-after vessel that sells out quickly. Rightfully so — the stainless steel tumbler keeps water incredibly cold for hours, famously fits in the cup holder of your car, and comes in so many seasonal colors. 

And today, the brand just dropped its exclusive Sunshine Vibes Stanley collection at Target, which includes the shopper-favorite brand in bold, spring- and summer-ready hues. Whether you’re in the market for a new water bottle or want to add some fun new colors to your on-the-go collection, shop the new launch now while products are still in stock.    

Stanley 40-Ounce Quencher Tumbler

The brand’s most popular water bottle, the 40-Ounce Stainless Steel H2.0 Flowstate Quencher Tumbler , now comes in four new colors: amethyst, aqua, sunshine, and summer plaid, a pattern which consists of its other shades. Shoppers love the water bottle for road trips, workout classes, and long flights, and the new one features the same lid that allows you to sip directly from the bottle, use a straw, or secure it closed to prevent splashes. 

Stanley 20-Ounce Stainless Steel IceFlow Flip Straw Tumbler

While the larger tumbler is designed to be an on-the-go water bottle, Stanley has multiple travel-friendly bottles that are also included in the new color drop. If a smaller tumbler makes more sense for you, grab the 20-Ounce IceFlow Flip Straw Tumbler in aqua, cobalt, marigold, and poppy. And for a water bottle that can be thrown in your bag without fear of leaking, opt for the 20-Ounce All Day Slim Bottle , which comes in four striped patterns and has two openings at the top to fill it easily with water and ice.

Stanley 20-Ounce Stainless Steel All Day Slim Bottle

In addition to the updated colors, Stanley’s new launch also includes a patio collection featuring pitchers , flasks , coolers , and large-capacity drink dispensers . If summer travel looks like trips to the beach or camping in the mountains, the 16-Quart Easy-Carry Outdoor Cooler is an ideal option to hold up to 21 cans, and it comes in three colors: azure, lilac, and pomelo. 

Stanley 16-Quart Plastic Easy-Carry Outdoor Cooler

If past Stanley collections are any indication, this new launch is likely to sell out while you’re reading this. Keep scrolling through for more color options, and snag your favorites from Stanley’s Sunshine Vibes Collection while they’re still in stock. 

Stanley 10-Ounce Stainless Steel Everyday Go Tumbler

Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we’ll send you our favorite travel products each week.

See More T+L Shopping Deals

Controversial Pentagon abortion, IVF travel pay policy was used just 12 times in 12 months: officials

• View Author Archive
• Get author RSS feed

Thanks for contacting us. We've received your submission.

WASHINGTON – The Pentagon’s reproductive care policy that prompted a Senate Republican to place a months-long hold on military promotions was used just 12 times in fiscal year 2023 and cost the government fewer than $45,000, defense officials announced Tuesday.

“The total cost for the department for travel and transportation in these 12 instances was $44,791.20,” Pentagon deputy spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters.

The policy, put in place following the Supreme Court’s June 2022 ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, requires the Defense Department to reimburse female service members who travel to receive in-vitro fertilization or abortions if they are stationed in a state that bans such procedures. The policy also applies to other conception assistance treatment such as “ovarian stimulations and egg retrieval.”

Singh did not provide a breakdown of which medical services were sought in the 12 instances, citing privacy concerns.

“These policies ensure that service members and their families are afforded the time and flexibility to make private healthcare decisions, as well as supporting access to non-covered reproductive healthcare, regardless of where they are stationed,” she added.

Currently, there are more than 230,000 women serving on active duty in the US military.

The policy became a political football last year between the Biden administration and Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC).

Tuberville, arguing that no taxpayer dollars should be put toward the provision of abortions, placed a hold in February 2023 on any military promotions while insisting the policy be scrapped.

Typically, Pentagon nominations are approved as a group by the Senate under unanimous consent unless a member of the SASC objects. Otherwise, each nominee must be considered separately in an extremely drawn-out, time-consuming process.

As the backlog piled up this past July, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby described the travel benefit as “the darn right thing to do.”

“Whether it’s about female service members or female family members, being able to count on the kinds of healthcare – and reproductive care, specifically – that they need to serve, that is a foundational sacred obligation of military leaders across the river,” he said from the White House podium.

Ultimately, almost all of the service branches were left without a confirmed top leader thanks to Tuberville’s hold. In December, the senator dropped his objections but insisted that he had done the right thing to “stand up for the taxpayers of this country” against what he called a “bad policy.”

At one point, more than 450 people were blocked from taking new positions, with Tuberville condemned by members of both parties who said the hold was detrimental to military readiness.

Share this article:

Advertisement