How much does a Tanzania safari cost?

A Tanzania safari costs different amounts for different people, because the word safari covers a whole range of choices. Two guests can both book a week in the bush and pay very different totals depending on where they sleep, how they travel between parks, how many people share the vehicle and which month they go.

What we can do is show you real numbers. The table below lists the starting price per person for every safari we run, at our Trail level and sharing a room, with the price per day alongside it. Ridge and Summit cost more, and the tier example further down shows by how much on one real itinerary.

Think of the price as layers. The fixed charges paid to the parks sit at the bottom. On top go your choices: accommodation, season, group size, length and how you travel between parks. Once you see the layers, any quote from any operator becomes easy to read.

Lodges and camps price their rooms by season, and the pattern follows demand. The main dry months, roughly June to October, and the short dry spell around January and February, are the busy high season. The roads are firm, the animals gather near water and everyone wants to be there, so rates rise and the best camps fill early.

The long rains, typically March to May, and the short rains in November bring the green season. The plains turn a deep green, the light is wonderful for photographers and the parks are quiet. Camps often lower their rates, and a few close for a stretch. If your dates are flexible, travelling just outside the peak can ease the total without costing you a good safari.

Wildlife events follow their own calendar, and camps near an event price for demand. The calving season on the southern plains and the river crossings in the north fall in different weeks. Ask your planner what is happening in your chosen week, then decide whether the premium is worth it to you. Our best time to visit Tanzania guide shows how each month compares.

• High season: June to September and December to February.
• Green season: March to May and November, with gentler rates and fewer vehicles.
• Busiest weeks: the Christmas and New Year weeks and the peak migration weeks.

A Kilimanjaro climb follows its own logic. Park fees are charged per person per day on the mountain, so a longer route costs more simply because you spend more days inside the park. The crew matters too: guides, a cook and porters, with fair wages, sensible loads and proper kit.

We list a price for each of the six routes by group size on our Kilimanjaro climb cost guide, and each route page shows what is included.

Payment usually happens in two parts. A safari deposit confirms your booking, and the balance follows before you travel. The size of the deposit and the date of the balance are set for each trip and written in your quote and invoice, so you know the amounts and dates before you pay anything.

Park charges are fixed by the authorities and can change at short notice, which is why our notes say so plainly. Our payments page explains the steps and how to pay safely, and our booking terms set out the conditions.