How Much Does a Tanzania Safari Cost? A Breakdown of Prices

"So how much does a safari actually cost?" — search online and you'll find anything from $200 to $800 a day, which can be more confusing than helpful. There's a reason for the huge range: a safari price is the sum of several parts. Break it down and you can see which parts matter for your budget. Here we explain what makes up the price, and typical costs by length and comfort level.

What adds up to a safari price?

A Tanzania safari price is broadly made up of the following.

• National park and conservation fees — fixed fees paid to the government. These can't be cut
• Accommodation (lodges / tented camps) — the biggest source of price differences
• Private vehicle and guide — usually one vehicle shared by your group
• Meals, water and transport — usually included in the package
• Tips — paid separately in cash (see our money article)

Of these, the comfort level of your accommodation and the number of days move the total most. Park fees, on the other hand, are the same for everyone — a useful baseline when comparing quotes.

Park fees are bigger than you'd think

They're easy to overlook, but Tanzania's national park and conservation fees are high by world standards. As a rough guide:

• Serengeti National Park: around $70 per person per day
• Ngorongoro Conservation Area: entry fees plus a separate per-vehicle crater fee
• Vehicles also pay park fees

So adding one more day of safari adds park fees as well as another night's accommodation. That's why the number of days feeds directly into the price.

Typical prices by comfort level (per person, per day)

*Typical prices including park fees, private vehicle, guide and meals. Prices vary with season and group size.

Why such a big difference when you see the same landscapes and the same animals? Mostly because of where you sleep. Upmarket lodges near the park gates carry a premium for location and facilities. Your wildlife sightings, on the other hand, have nothing to do with how fancy your lodge is.

Five ways to keep costs down

• Travel as a bigger group — vehicles and guides are priced per vehicle, so four people sharing costs less per person than two
• Go one level down on accommodation — this has the biggest effect on the total, if you're happy to "safari by day, just sleep at night"
• Travel at the edges of the rainy seasons — prices drop in March and November (see our timing article)
• Visit fewer parks — less driving makes better use of both vehicle costs and time
• Combine trips — pairing your safari with Zanzibar or Kilimanjaro in a single trip gets more value from your international flights

On the other hand, choosing on price alone can mean a shared vehicle that never reaches the animals you came to see. When you compare quotes, always check three things: whether the vehicle is private, how experienced the guide is, and which parks are included.

What to check in a quote

• Whether national park fees are included (if not, the total changes a lot)
• Private vehicle or shared
• The names and level of the lodges you'll stay at
• Whether tips are included (usually not)

Summary

• A safari price is "park fees + accommodation level + vehicle and guide + days"
• Accommodation level and number of days move the total most
• Share costs with more people, adjust the accommodation level and combine trips to keep costs down

At WakuWaku we ask about your budget first, then work backwards: "with this budget, these parks, these lodges, for this many days." See specific itineraries and prices on our safari tours page.