Safaris Prices are as Unique as You are!

Destination Safari custom designs each safari to suit your timing and tastes.

We have relationships with lodges and other suppliers, so we can get the best possible prices, but we also have a range of accommodations available.  Each one is priced differently, and even those prices vary by season, and each will have different availability that may or may not suit your dates.  Many of the places we deal with are small and exclusive, and they tend to book up early because of their quality and appeal.  We work hard to find you the absolute best accommodation available for the time you want to come and within the quality tier that you select.

Destination Serengeti doesn’t offer cheap or budget safaris because we have learned that our guests wouldn’t leave happy – and we are determined to send you home having had the safari of your dreams!  We do look to provide you with the best value possible, but if you are looking for a camping or large group on a bus type of safari, we’re not your tribe – although we wish you a very, very happy trip.

Safari costs include your vehicle, driver/guide, accommodation, meals, park fees, and so on.  If you look at safaris online, you will often see a price per person, which may range anywhere from 1,500 up to 30,000 per person depending on the degree of luxury and the length of the safari.

Because we are offering private safaris, we give you a total cost, which is not per person but for the entire group that is travelling.  Some costs (for example, park fees, vehicle fees, the cost for your guide/driver) don’t vary much with an extra person; others do.  So rather than looking at per-person costs, reach out to us today to get a total price for your group, based on when you want to come, how long you want to stay, where you want to go, and what degree of luxury you are looking for.

With all of that said, if you’re trying to figure out what price ranges are reasonable for a quality, private safari in Northern Tanzania here’s what we can tell you:

• Travelling off-season is generally less expensive.  Peak season is July – October.
• The most expensive time of all to travel is over the December holidays (Christmas and New Year’s)
• Calving seasons (mid-January through February) can also be in the more expensive range.
• March through May are generally a little less expensive, and some lodges and camps will close for a period during the rainy season (but predators and birds abound, so don’t hesitate to come during this time!).
• November and early December are more of a shoulder season.

• Accommodations range from camping all the way up to luxury lodges and tented camps (far more ‘glamping’ than the word ‘tent’ may convey).
• Those wanting to camp are usually travelling with a larger group and trying to do a budget safari.  If that’s what you are looking for, we can happily suggest companies that offer this to you, but Destination Serengeti caters to the mid-range to luxury travellers and small groups.
• Mid-range accommodations/lodges will have less luxurious (but still very comfortable!) rooms.  There may be fifty to a couple of hundred people staying in these locations.  They may be just outside the National Parks.  They may cost in the range of $200-400 per person per day.
• High-end accommodations are usually right inside National Parks or look out over them.  They may be tented camps that move with the migration herds deep inside the Serengeti, and the number of guests will range from about 10-20.  These accommodations often cost in the range of $300-700 per person per night.
• Luxury accommodations will have an amazing view (often right from your room), often swimming pools, huge luxurious rooms, and very few guests (generally 8-12 rooms maximum at a luxury camp or lodge).  These can easily run $1,000 per person per day and up.

• The cost of your safari depends on the makeup of your travelling group as some costs are shared amongst the group.
• For example, the safari vehicle (with guide/driver) costs a certain amount to run per day.  Gas costs are shared amongst the group and don’t change much with more people.  So more people in your party can mean lower per-person costs for this part of your safari.
• The number of rooms for the members of your party can also impact your total cost; so a family with two children may stay in a family room/suite, whereas four individual travellers may choose to share rooms or may each want an individual room.  These differences all impact the total cost of your safari
• Park fees; some park fees are calculated per vehicle (so will be less expensive per person with more people); others are calculated per person

• Generally we find that our guests very much enjoy the experience of driving between the National Parks.  They get to experience a little of life in Tanzania; learn about the culture, and see very interesting sights along the way – as well as getting a sense of how the geography and flora and fauna change from one park to the next.
• Some people, however, will want to fly between locations – especially if they have a very short amount of time and want to see a number of far-flung places. We recommend a slower mode of travel for the enhanced experience, but if that doesn’t suit your available time, we can certainly organize fly-in safaris.  Costs will be quite different depending on your means of transportation.

• If you are trying to figure out what to estimate for your safari trip, the easiest way is to contact us and we will happily work with you to piece together an itinerary.
• That said, a general rule of thumb is to add up your flight and personal insurance costs and a very rough estimate of $500-1,000 per person per day for the members of your party.  This will give you a reasonable ballpark unless you are looking for an exclusive high-end luxury safari, in which case the costs can go higher, but the experience is certainly worth it!