What Does a Luxury Safari in Tanzania Cost?

The Short Answer

For the kind of northern Tanzania safari I usually plan, nine nights covering the Ngorongoro highlands and two areas of the Serengeti, with a private reserve such as Grumeti at the top end, expect roughly $25,000 to $38,000 or more per person sharing at the top lodges in peak season. A trip built around high-end camps in the right part of the Serengeti for your dates runs roughly $14,000 to $24,000. These figures include camps, meals, activities, park fees and flights within Tanzania, but not international flights or a beach extension.

All figures below are approximate 2026–27 ranges in US dollars, per person sharing. Confirm current rates with me.

What Drives the Cost

Season and Location

In Tanzania, season and location are linked, because the best area to be in changes with the migration. The northern Serengeti is at its most expensive from July to October, when the river crossings happen. The southern Serengeti peaks during the calving season, roughly January to March. April and May, the long rains, are the least expensive months, and some camps close. My post on the migration month by month shows where the herds usually are.

Camp Tier

Rates range from simple seasonal tented camps to some of the most expensive lodges in Africa. The difference between tiers is far bigger than the difference between parks.

National Park vs Private Reserve

Most camps are inside national parks, where vehicles stay on tracks and there are no night drives. Private areas such as the Grumeti Reserve offer off-road driving, walks and night drives, with very few vehicles, and they cost more.

Park and Concession Fees

Tanzania's park fees are high and charged per person per day. In the Serengeti, non-resident adults pay a daily park fee of roughly $70 to $85, plus a nightly concession fee of about $70 at camps inside the park. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area charges its own daily fee, and each vehicle pays a separate crater service fee of about $300 to go down to the crater floor. Some camps include these fees in their rates and others list them separately, so compare like with like.

Flights and Driving

Many trips drive the first part, through Tarangire and the Ngorongoro highlands, then fly to the Serengeti on scheduled light aircraft. Flying more of the route costs more but saves long days on the road. Luggage is usually limited to 15 to 20 kg in soft bags.

Single Travelers and Families

Single supplements vary from none in low season at some camps to a large share of the rate in peak months. Families often need a private vehicle, and some top lodges include one. Children's rates and minimum ages vary by camp.

Rates by Tier

High-End: About $1,400 to $2,400 per Person per Night

Small camps in strong locations, with very experienced guides. These are the same camps at their peak and shoulder season rates.

• Namiri Plains, known for big cats in the eastern Serengeti
• Lamai Serengeti, near the Mara River in the northern Serengeti

Top Tier: About $2,500 to $3,800 or More per Person per Night

The flagship lodges, with private reserves or exceptional locations, high levels of design and service, and private vehicles in many cases.

• Singita Sasakwa Lodge, an Edwardian-style manor in the Grumeti Reserve

Many trips mix the two. For the highlands, Gibb's Farm, a farm lodge with its own gardens, costs much less than the top tier at about $520 to $680 per person per night, and it gives you the same access to the crater.

What Top Tier Adds

• Private land. In the Grumeti Reserve you can drive off-road, walk and go out at night, with very few other vehicles.
• A private vehicle and guide, included at many top lodges and worth adding elsewhere.
• Design, food and service at a different level, and far fewer guests.
• Exclusive-use villas and private charters for families and groups.

What's Usually Included

• Accommodation and all meals
• Most drinks at fully inclusive camps
• Shared game drives with a camp guide, or a private guide and vehicle on a road-based safari
• Laundry and airstrip transfers
• Park and concession fees at some camps

What's Usually Not Included

• International flights to Kilimanjaro or Dar es Salaam
• Light-aircraft flights within Tanzania, unless quoted as a package
• Park, concession and crater fees at many camps
• Premium drinks, such as French Champagne and reserve wines
• Balloon flights over the Serengeti
• Gratuities for guides and staff
• Travel insurance and visas
• A beach extension in Zanzibar

Getting the Most From the Budget

• Travel in the shoulder months. June, November and early December, and March, often bring good game viewing at lower rates.
• Follow the herds, not the calendar. The calving season in the southern Serengeti, January to March, costs less than the northern crossings in August and is just as rewarding.
• Make fewer moves. Three areas in nine nights is better value than five, and park fees mean every extra day in a new park adds up.
• Use the highlands well. A lodge like Gibb's Farm for the Ngorongoro nights costs much less than staying on the crater rim, and the crater is the same.
• Mix tiers. Spend on one exceptional camp in the right part of the Serengeti for your dates.

Adding Zanzibar

Most people end a northern Tanzania safari with a few days on the coast. Zanzibar is a short flight from the Serengeti airstrips or from Arusha, so it adds little travel time. Beach hotels range widely, from comfortable boutique places to private-island stays like andBeyond Mnemba Island. Budget for the flight and three to five nights on top of the safari figures above.

For a sample route, see my Tanzania itinerary and my guide to the Ngorongoro Crater and highlands.

If you would like a costed plan for your dates, tell me about your trip.