A private safari in Tanzania with Wildfinder Safaris averages from around 342 to 471 USD per person per day, depending on group size, all inclusive: accommodation with full board, private vehicle with guide, park fees and transfers. These are starting prices; with higher-end accommodation and more expensive parks, the daily rate is higher. Short safari-only trips cost the most per day, combinations with Zanzibar the least, because a beach day costs less than a game-viewing day. On top of this come the international flight, the visa, tips and travel insurance. This guide explains what is behind the figures and where you can save.
What is included in the safari price
The starting price of a trip with Wildfinder Safaris is an all-inclusive price for your time in Tanzania. The list is the same for all safari trips; only the accommodation and the number of game drives change.
Included
- Private transfers to and from the airport in Tanzania
- Accommodation and overnight stays
- Full board and meals en route on safari, breakfast on Zanzibar on combination trips
- Safaris with a private, English-speaking guide
- A private safari vehicle for the whole trip, serviced before every safari, with a spare tyre
- All entrance and concession fees for the national parks
- Game drives as set out in your itinerary
- Domestic flights according to the programme, for example from the Serengeti to Arusha or to Zanzibar
- Two pairs of binoculars per vehicle, 24-hour service, Flying Doctor for emergencies
Not included
- International flights
- Visa for Tanzania
- Tips
- Meals and drinks not listed
- Mandatory travel insurance for Tanzania / Zanzibar
National park fees are the largest fixed cost, see park fees. There is most room for manoeuvre in the choice of accommodation, see accommodation category.
Price per day: seven examples from Wildfinder’s own trips
The table converts the starting prices of seven trips into daily rates. Safari-only trips are at the top, combinations with Zanzibar at the bottom: without park fees and game drives, a day on the beach costs significantly less than a day in the Serengeti.
| Trip | Duration | Starting price per person (2 people) | Per day |
|---|---|---|---|
3,597 USD | 514 USD | ||
3,351 USD | 479 USD | ||
6,084 USD | 435 USD | ||
4,798 USD | 400 USD | ||
4,687 USD | 335 USD | ||
1,967 USD | 281 USD | ||
2,478 USD | 276 USD |
Short safaris are the most expensive per day, because travel to Tanzania, transfers and the crater fee are spread over fewer days. From around twelve days, the daily price falls because these fixed costs remain the same. With 4 or 6 people, the price per person falls because the vehicle and guide are shared: on average across all safari-only trips, the starting price per person and safari day is around 471 USD for two travellers, around 374 USD for four and around 342 USD for six. With higher-end accommodation and more expensive parks, the daily price is higher. The prices apply to trips up to and including 2027. All 20 safaris are on the Tanzania Safari page.
Accommodation level: Classic, Premium, Exclusive
Accommodation is where you have the most room to vary the cost. Wildfinder Safaris offers three categories, and every trip can be booked in every category.
| Category | Accommodation | What changes | Per day per person |
|---|---|---|---|
Classic | Simple lodges and tented camps with private bathroom, full board | Location mostly outside the parks, longer drives in the morning | Starting point |
Premium | Lodges and tented camps in the park or on the park edge, often with a pool | Short distances to the wildlife, more time on game drives | + 72 USD |
Exclusive | Small camps with few tents in the middle of the park | Private guide at the camp, game drives without a time limit, flights instead of driving days on request | + 369 USD |
A tip from the planning team: if you want to save money, choose Premium in the Serengeti and Classic for the nights at either end in Arusha. You hardly notice the nights before and after the safari.
Park fees: the fixed portion
National park entry fees are charged per person per day, in USD plus 18% VAT. The Ngorongoro Crater additionally charges a fee per vehicle and descent into the crater. The 18% VAT is already included in the fees for the Ngorongoro Crater, including the crater fee of 295 USD per vehicle, and in the concession fees. These items are the same with every operator; there is no room for negotiation here.
| Park | Entry per person per day | Additional |
|---|---|---|
70 USD in high season, 60 USD in low season | Concession fee for camps in the park | |
70.80 USD for the conservation area, including 18% VAT | Crater fee 295 USD per vehicle and descent, including 18% VAT | |
50 USD in high season, 45 USD in low season | none | |
50 USD in high season, 45 USD in low season | none |
On a seven-day safari in the north, entry fees, crater and concession fees add up to around 710 to 810 USD per person depending on the group size, including 18% VAT, so about a quarter of the trip price for two people and around 30% for six. Children aged 5 to 15 pay less in the parks, so a family safari is cheaper per head than the starting price suggests.
What drives the price: time of year, group size, flights
Five factors determine whether your safari is closer to around 342 or around 471 USD per day.
- Travel season: July to October and the Christmas weeks are high season, when accommodation costs the most. April and May are the cheapest, but it rains. See the month-by-month comparison in best time to visit Tanzania.
- People in the vehicle: The vehicle and guide cost the same per day whether two or six people come along. With four, the price per person drops noticeably; from seven people, a second vehicle is added.
- Flight instead of drive: The flight saves a day of driving. On the sample trips with a return flight from the Serengeti or a flight to Zanzibar, it is already included in the tour price.
- Duration: Transfers, the crater fee and arrival days are spread over more days on longer trips, so the daily price drops.
- Zanzibar days: A beach day costs roughly half of a safari day because there are no park fees and no game drives. Seven days of safari plus seven days of beach are therefore cheaper per day than seven days of safari alone.
Sample calculation: 7 days for two
This is how the price of a sample trip breaks down, calculated by the team in Arusha for two people: 3,090.50 USD per person, 6,181 USD in total. The route: arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport and drive to Arusha, then one day each in Tarangire and Lake Manyara National Park, two days in the Serengeti, one day in the Ngorongoro Crater and, on the seventh day, the drive back from Karatu to Kilimanjaro Airport. The trip is not the cheapest version of this route.
| Item | Per person | For two |
|---|---|---|
Transport: vehicle, guide and the guide’s accommodation, fuel, maintenance | 1,194 USD | 2,388 USD |
Accommodation | 967 USD | 1,934 USD |
Park fees | 435 USD | 870 USD |
Ngorongoro Crater fee | 147.50 USD | 295 USD |
WMA fees (community wildlife management areas) | 47 USD | 94 USD |
Concession fees | 168 USD | 336 USD |
Transit fees | 98 USD | 196 USD |
Flying Doctor insurance (emergency rescue flight) | 24 USD | 48 USD |
Drinking water | 10 USD | 20 USD |
Total | 3,090.50 USD | 6,181 USD |
The state mandatory insurance for Tanzania and Zanzibar is not included; each guest takes it out themselves, and it costs 44 USD per adult and 22 USD per child aged 3 to 17.
The same trip for four people costs less per person because the transport is divided among four instead of two people. In the Premium and Exclusive categories, it is mainly the accommodation that costs more.
Three trips, three price brackets
The shortest, the classic and the longest safari in the range. Each can be booked at any level; the quote with route, accommodation and price per person arrives from Arusha within 24 hours.
7-Day Compact Tanzania Safari & Zanzibar
from 1,465 USD per personfor 6 people
12-Day Classic Tanzania Safari
from 3,354 USD per personfor 6 people
14-Day Premium Big 5 Safari
from 4,327 USD per personfor 6 people
Frequently asked questions about safari costs
Are tips included in the price?
No. Tips are customary for the guide and the camp staff; they are given in cash at the end of the trip. The proposal includes guidance on how much to tip.
Is a safari in the low season cheaper?
Yes. Lodges and camps cut their rates significantly in April and May; from 15 March to 15 May, national park entry fees also drop for guests aged 16 and over: in the Serengeti from 70 to 60 USD, in Tarangire and Lake Manyara from 50 to 45 USD per person per day, each plus 18% VAT. The fees in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area stay the same. What the rainy months look like is covered in best time to visit Tanzania.
How much does the flight to Tanzania cost on top?
The international flight is not included. You book it yourself to Kilimanjaro Airport. Wildfinder suggests suitable arrival times in the proposal, and the guide will pick you up there.
How much is the deposit?
With the deposit, accommodation and flights are reserved; the balance is due before departure. Deadlines and payment methods are covered in How do you pay for your safari in Tanzania?.
Are there hidden costs locally?
No. What the tour price does not cover is listed in the “Not included” list on this page. On site you pay tips, drinks outside full board, lunch and dinner on Zanzibar and personal expenses, plus the visa if you buy it on arrival (50 USD for most nationalities, 100 USD for citizens of the USA and Ireland). You take out the mandatory insurance yourself (44 USD per adult, 22 USD per child aged 3 to 17). Optional extras such as a balloon flight are listed with a price in the quotation.
- Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), tariff schedule of the national parks, tanzaniaparks.go.tz
- Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA), fees for the conservation area and crater, ncaa.go.tz
- Wildfinder Safaris, from-prices and what the sample itineraries include, as of 9 September 2026
