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Serengeti in August

August is the Serengeti of the documentaries. The herds are in the far north around Kogatende, Lamai and Bologonja, the Mara River crossings run in both directions, and the crossing points are the busiest places in the park.

If you only want the answer

August is prime for river crossings and the busiest month of the year. The model gives 29.3°C days and 8 mm of rain over 2 days. The herds are in the north and crossing the Mara River in both directions, so stay near Kogatende or in the Lamai Wedge, book many months ahead and expect peak rates and a queue of vehicles at every designated crossing point.

Serengeti weather in August

The model gives August 29.3°C by day, 17.1°C at night and 8 mm of rain over 2 days. It is dry, dusty and warming. Measured nights are cooler than the model, around 13 to 16°C. The north is wetter than the centre in reality, and a shower at Kogatende in August is not unusual. Monthly rainfall from the model is approximate.

The roads are at their best, but the drive from Seronera to Kogatende is 128 km of park track, three and a half to four hours or more. Most visitors to the north fly in.

The herds in the north, counted from space

In August the herds are in the far north, around Kogatende, the Lamai Wedge north of the Mara River and Bologonja, and across the border in the Masai Mara, and they cross the river in both directions. The herds are concentrated enough in the north that a research team counted them on satellite images in August 2022 and August 2023: they found 324,202 to 337,926 animals in 2022 and 502,917 to 533,137 in 2023, far below the official census figure.

The river is the reason the north matters at all: UNESCO and TANAPA both stress that it is the only perennial river that can carry the herds through the dry season.

Crowds at the crossings, and how to handle them

August is the busiest month of the year at the Mara River. TANAPA's 2024 guideline caps the number of vehicles at each designated crossing point, allows parking only on one side of the river and lets park management close areas at any time. Problems can be reported on TANAPA's hotline, +255 689 062243.

Book northern camps far ahead, and expect peak rates: Asilia's Sayari Camp charges US$2,250 per person, Lemala Kuria Hills US$1,496, and TANAPA adds US$82.60 conservation and US$70.80 concession fees per adult per night. Flights to Kogatende cost US$355 one way plus US$33 taxes with Coastal Aviation, or US$307 including taxes with Auric Air.

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