The Serengeti National Park of Tanzania is one of the spectacular landmarks on the continent of Africa with thousands of animals living in a beautiful inter-dependant ecosystem.
That’s why many tourists consider it as a must-go-to place to see a lot of wildlife in their natural habitat.
But is that all there is to see and do at the Serengeti National Park? In this article, I’m going to share with you 17 things you can do at the Serengeti National Park.
So whether you’re going alone, with a group of friends, with a girlfriend, boyfriend, wife, husband, or kids, you will definitely find a combination of fun and educational activities to do from my recommended list.
Here are 17 awesome things you can do at the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania:
1. Go See The Great Migration
2. Go On A Hot Air Balloon Safari
3. Visit The Serengeti Visitor Center
4. Go On A Bush Dinner
5. Go To The Moru Kopjes
6. Go On A Game Drive
7. The Sunrise Game Drive
8. The Night Game Drive
9. Visit The Oldupai Gorge
10. Visit the Maasai Village
11. Listen To The Wildlife At Night
12. Go On A Nature Walk
13. Equestrian Safari
14. Relax In the Pool At Sundown
15. Go To The Hippo Pool
16. Visit The Bologonja Springs
17. Bird Watching
For the rest of this article, I’m going to give you details on all of the fun educative activities highlight above. Continue reading to find out more!
1. Go See The Great Migration
The great migration is one of the biggest attractions of the Serengeti National Park. The great migration is an annual event that sees over 1.5 million wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, among other hoofed animals making their journey to the North of Kenya’s Maasai Mara.
The great migration is one of the world’s natural spectacles. The climax of this migration is a sensational scene of thousands of animals crossing the crocodile-infested Mara River in a single file as some get pulled down into the water as they cross.
The herds of the migration can be quite unpredictable, some important tips you would want to keep in mind is ensuring you plan or reserve enough time at the park to maximize your chances of seeing this amazing phenomenon.
Another important but obvious tip I must add if you would like to witness this world’s most natural spectacle, is to know which months of the year to plan your visit.
Here’s a piece of information that’s going to help you greatly.
| Month | Location of The Migrant Herds | Activity |
| January – March | Northern Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Southern Serengeti | Grazing and Calving |
| April | Heading Northwest direction | On the move in search for greener pastures |
| May | Still heading Northwest direction | Mating Season |
| June | West of the Grumeti River | River Crossing |
| July and August | The northeast direction towards Mara River and the Kenyan border | The peak time for the dramatic Mara River crossing |
| September – December | Slow migration towards the Southwestern direction back into Tanzania | Grazing in the Maasai Mara in Kenya |
The great migration at the Serengeti is a big never-ending cycle which usually depends largely on the rainfall and weather.
So inform your tour host or company so they work out a schedule that’s going to maximize your chances of seeing the great migration.
There are a couple of ways that can maximize your viewing experience of the entire crossing.
One is to do a cross country safari between Kenya and Tanzania if you have enough time. With this, you will be able to see the great River crossing from both sides of the plains.
Otherwise, you can do a flying river crossing safari or a river crossing safari with some renowned companies like the Shadows of Africa.
2. Go On A Hot Air Balloon Safari
Going on a hot air balloon will offer you an exclusive view of the Serengeti National Park and all of its inhabitants. It’s the perfect bird’s eye view of the Serengeti.
The best way to have the most spectacular viewing of the park is to spend about an hour levitating over the Serengeti plains at Sunrise.
You will catch a glimpse of how the animals race the bright lights of the early morning sun to seek cover. Nothing is going to beat the feeling you’re going to have as you float thousands of feet off the ground.
The icing on the cake is that when you touch down, you will be welcomed with a decadent champagne breakfast.
This is going to add a bit of romance to your trip as it’s certainly a great way to celebrate an anniversary, a birthday, or the perfect opportunity to even pop the question.
3. Visit The Serengeti Visitor Center
Still, on the subject of food, the Serengeti visitor center is a perfect place to go for a relaxing lunch break.
This is one of the common places to go for lunch after a long morning and mid-morning safari.
It’s located in the Seronera area and is usually open daily from 8 am to 5 pm.
The Serengeti visitor center has gift shops, a coffee shop, and a snack spot with an outdoor picnic-style space.
This center also offers a couple of exhibits about the history of Serengeti, the wildlife, the Serengeti ecosystem to mention a few.
If you’re lucky, you will be able to see some wildlife like (hyraxes), beautiful colored agama lizards, birds, etc.
4. Go On A Bush Dinner
While on the subject of such an awesome breakfast and lunch sessions, you would also want to try out some bush dinner at the Serengeti National Park.
You’re definitely never going to go hungry in this park!
The bush dinners of the Serengeti are going to range from barbecue buffet to traditional African cuisine. If you like, you can also enjoy some delicious Indian and Chinese meals.
Also, if you, would like a romantic dinner for two, many of the properties at Serengeti will be able to arrange an exclusive bush dinner for you and your loved one(s).
A bush dinner is truly romantic! The open-air dining underneath thousands of stars with a crackling bonfire will be one of the most romantic things you would ever do.
5. Go To The Moru Kopjes
The beautiful scenery of a pride of lions soaking up the sun over the towering piles of stones known as the kopjes inspired The Lion King’s Pride Rock. These towering rocks are scattered around the heart of the Serengeti’s Seronera region.
When on a game drive, you would want to keep your binoculars in this direction so you do not miss this awesome pride rock spot.
The Kopjes is the perfect place to spot in addition to lions, smaller mammals like the hyraxes. The Moru Kopjes is indeed a distinctive feature in the center of the park.
Not only does the Moru kopjes feature a bunch of big cats and other smaller mammals lazing, stretching, playing, relaxing, or soaking up the sun but it also has some of the finest indigenous African rock paintings done by the Maasai cattle herdsmen.
6. Go On A Game Drive
The landmark of the Serengeti National Park is huge and will be extremely difficult to cover the entire area on foot.
The roads that lead to different sighting spots are rough and moving from one point to another is quite long.
The Serengeti National park is known for the huge volumes of animals that call it home, so it’s obvious one of the main reasons for going to Serengeti is to see the beautiful creatures of the park.
If I am to give you one important tip when it comes to your tour around the Serengeti park using a game drive, then that will be for you to prioritize and book the areas you intend to see in advance according to the length of your visit before going on a game drive.
Another important factor is to take into consideration the tour guide or tour company you would be patronizing to help you navigate and spot the animals you’re out to see.
This is extremely important because a large portion of your Serengeti experience will be dependant on how good your tour guide is.
I had to learn the hard way not all tour guides are the same. Some will actually be good at spotting the animals than others and you wouldn’t want to travel half the world to miss out on the true Serengeti experience.
The game drive tour is going to be the easiest means of moving around the park in the most convenient way.
There are 2 extra game drive adventures you would want to go in addition to your regular day time game drives: that is the Night game drive and the Sunrise game drive.
This is special because a lot of the animals at the Serengeti are very active during the early mornings and in the evenings.
7. The Sunrise Game Drive
The sunrise game drive is an intriguing way of starting your day at the Serengeti National Park.
The cool early mornings are the perfect time to spot some of the very popular animals on the Serengeti national park such as lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, and the very smart but elusive African wild dogs.
You will also be able to other twilight animals in the park.
If you would want to have a sunrise game drive, all you do is to inform your host company or driver and they will be available to pick you for your early morning adventure.
An ideal sunrise game drive schedule will be around 6 am.
With your coat on and some breakfast bites, your sunrise game drive is going to be one of the best experiences you’re going to miss when you leave the park.
8. The Night Game Drive
If you envision the sunrise game drive to be invigorating then you will find a lot of thrill in a night game drive amid hearing all of the night sounds of the wildlife.
Generally, night game drives are not allowed in all Tanzanian National Parks. But the good news is you will be able to still go on a night game drive in one of the neighboring conservancies.
If you’re lucky, you will see a couple of the nocturnal animals of the park such as mongoose, lions, dik-diks, giraffes, bush babies, bat-eared foxes, skinks, zebras, impalas, and so much more.
Not only are these wildlife animals the only features of the night. You will also be able to witness the Serengeti by moonlight and spotlight especially if you stay at the Buffalo Tented Lodge – one of the few hosts in all of Tanzania that can take you on a night game drive.
If you will really need to go on a night game drive, you can check out lodges or camps that are usually located just outside of the Serengeti and since this park is not fenced, you should still be able to catch a glimpse of wildlife along the borders of the Serengeti National Park.
9. Visit The Oldupai Gorge
If you would like to add a bit of non-wildlife education to your trip, then a visit to the Oldupai Gorge will be an excellent addition to your trip.
The Oldupai Gorge is located a few miles south of the Serengeti National Park.
This site is famous for the discovery of human fossils and tools by the Leakey’s that can be traced back to more than 2 million years ago.
With over 60 fossils of our human ancestor found on at this site, it remains one of the most important paleo-anthropological sites in the world.
This site has added to the wealth of knowledge and understanding of human evolution.
With only a small fee, you will be able to take a quick detour especially for you if you’re traveling between the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti.
10. Visit the Maasai Village
The Maasai village is a very welcoming place for visitors to go learn about the lifestyle, customs, and traditions of the indigenous Maasai people.
The Maasai people have long inhabited the Serengeti ecosystem and spending about 30 minutes to about an hour to visit and learn about this village and the people will be one to remember.
The Maasai people are semi-nomadic people well known in East Africa due to their residence within and also very new the animal park. They are also known for their unique way of life and their signature traditional clothing wear.
A visit to the Maasai village will be filled with activities such as a brief dancing ceremony which you may be welcomed to join in.
You will also see the architecture of the Maasai people which often comprises villages built with sticks, mud, and manure from their livestock (mainly cows).
In addition to their traditional dance performance and a view of their construction work, other traditional customs about how the Maasai raise their herding livestock, marriage, education, and their traditional customs will be explained in great detail.
You will also be able to but some handicrafts to take back home for your friends and family.
11. Listen To The Wildlife At Night
You will be able to experience the wonderful feeling of sleeping in a real African bush where you’re going to hear the loud roar of lions in the distance and the “laughter” of the hyena.
Some of my personal favorite animal sounds from this park are the yelping of the jackal, the rustling of the mighty elephants, the cry of the African Fish Eagle, and the never-ending chirping sounds of the crickets.
You’re indeed going to fancy a night or two stays at a camp or lodge that will allow you to hear all these beautiful sounds of mother nature.
During your time at these sorts of camps at the Serengeti that allows you to hear the rich sounds of the night, you will also be able to see a vast non-ending sky full of stars.
Although you might want to take up this spirit-filled activity just to see and hear the beautiful stars and sounds of the park, this will also save you a bit of cash on accommodation at the park.
The only caveat is that you might not be able to do this during the rainy seasons.
The beautiful sounds of the night and the spectacular view of the sky are going to be one of the most treasured memories that will stick with you for a pretty long time.
12. Go On A Nature Walk
While this is not going to be your typical nature walk like you would on other wildlife parks around the world, you will be able to go on a guided walk along with certain parts of the Serengeti plains.
This is going to be an awesome adventure you and your family or friends can embark on. It’s going to be a very educational trip with a very good guide.
Going on Nature walks are usually only possible along the borders of the Serengeti National Park and a few other designated areas.
Some lodges and camps around the North of the park will allow game walks and nature walks during the day. Examples of such lodges and camps include Alex Walkers Serian Camps, The Klein’s Camp, Ikoma Safari Camp, and The TAASA Lodge.
This may not be as exciting as a safari game drive due to the bumpy nature of the paths.
But you will be able to see some of the most beautiful local flora and fauna, trees, plants, smaller animals like insects of the park, up close.
Oops, Insects! Bugs! Jeez! I know not a lot of people are fun of big stinging and biting insects.
This is probably one of the reasons why most people may never go to a wildlife park, but a walk at the Serengeti is absolutely different and the insects you’re going to encounter are not as feisty.
Why? Because the number of insects is generally low in the Serengeti. However, the variety of insects in this park are absolutely phenomenal.
On your walk, your tour guide will be able to explain to you the different kinds and groups of insects and the roles these little creatures play in the ecosystem of the entire area and their importance.
The 5 most critical insect groups you’re going to love learning about are termites, butterflies, dung beetles, grasshoppers, moths, and ants.
And if you’re lucky, you will also be able to spot some wildlife animals up close and in the distance depending on the routes you take.
Giraffes, wildebeests, gazelles, baboons, among a few others, are some of the animals you may encounter on your on-foot safari.
13. Visit The Bologonja Springs
The Bologonja Spring is a great spot to view the concentration of a whole bunch of wildlife animals. It’s located in the reaches of the North Serengeti hidden and quite remote.
You will be able to see large herds of animals such as Zebras, Wildebeests, Lions, Giraffes, etc, with Elephants and Buffalos as regular visitors to the Spring.
The Bologonja Springs has a unique flourishing resource that allows for the growth of certain peculiar antelopes such as the mountain reedbuck and steenbok.
14. Bird Watching
While on the subject of Bologonja, you will also be able to go for bird watching at the Serengeti National Park.
The Serengeti National Park has over 450 species of birds. A lot of these birds are endemic while another large majority are migratory birds.
The Bologonja Springs as stated above is also a great place to spot some of the most colorful birds at the park. Some of such birds are the hoopoes and the kingfishers.
15. Go On An Equestrian Safari
This is also another great way to explore the Serengeti up close. The experience you’re going to have on your horseback ride around the Serengeti is going to be similar to an on-foot safari. Just that this is going to be less tiresome.
There are several hosts at the Serengeti who offer this unique equestrian safari services.
A good example of a facility that offers an equestrian safari is the Serengeti Singita Grumeti lodge. You will have a guided cowboy-style safari around the park.
16. Relax In The Pool At Sundown
A lot of the lodges in and around the Serengeti National Parks boasts of nice cold pools that can be a great relaxing spot for you, your family, and friends after a long dusty day in the park.
There’s nothing like the coolness you’re going to feel as your body soaks the water as the sun sets over the plains of the park.
What’s even more cooler are those properties like the Four Seasons Safari Lodge with their sophisticated infinite pools from which you will be able to do a bit of game-viewing as you sip a glass of your favorite cocktail.
This is certainly a great way to end your day every night at the park.
17. Go To The Hippo Pool
If it’s not you who’s going to be you in the pool, you can go relax by the hippo pool in the Seronera region of the Serengeti.
If in one way or another, you cannot be in a pool at sunset, you can definitely spend time watching a bunch of hippos relaxing in a pool.
You can just relax in the comfort of your safari vehicle, chat with your friends, and family, while viewing the hippos show off how wide their mouths can get.
While they are at it, you will be able to capture some amazing photos of yawning hippos from the poolside.
Conclusion
There are so many great activities you and your friends and family can explore at the Serengeti National Park.
It’s simply up to you to choose which one will be great and a perfect fit for your schedule, family or group size, and budget. Hope this article was of great help to you!
Let me hear from you. Which activity or activities would you say is a must-try for you?