The Great Migration’s first crossing of 2026

The Migration has fired its opening shot. On 5 June a herd was recorded plunging across the Grumeti River in the western Serengeti — the first major crossing of the year, and the cue that the wildebeest columns are massing and beginning their long push north. For travellers in June and July, this is the moment to look west: the Grumeti’s wooded banks and resident crocodiles deliver dramatic, lower-pressure crossings well before the famous Mara River spectacle gets going. Those headline Maasai Mara crossings are still forecast for the high-probability window of roughly 22 August to 7 September — also the busiest and priciest stretch of the year, so anyone set on the Mara should be booking now. The early-season western corridor, by contrast, offers fewer vehicles and superb photography as the herds gather along the river. Whether you’re after the first crossings of the year or the headline Mara drama, the timing of your trip decides which you’ll see — and 2026’s calendar is already in motion.