Price of a safari in Tanzania in 2024: what budget?
Do you want to go on a safari in Tanzania to discover the most beautiful national parks like the Serengeti National Park or Tarangire National Park but don’t know what budget to plan? What are the different costs to take into account?
Discover the information that will allow you to develop your budget according to your desires!
Tanzania Safari Budget Tips
Currency and Money in Tanzania
The country’s Tanzanian shilling has been the currency in force since 1969 (1€ is approximately equivalent to 2300 TSH). In the local language, Swahili, the shilling is called the shilingi, and the centimes are called the senti.
The dollar is commonly used and is even the only currency accepted in certain cases: high-end tourist establishments, entrance fees to national parks, shipping companies, etc.
Be careful with the US dollars you have, old notes may be refused. Those older than 2009 are not generally accepted. To avoid unpleasant surprises, we recommend that you have fairly recent US dollars dating from the last five years with you.
You may need it as soon as you arrive at the airport if you obtain your visa upon entering the country. Its price is USD 50 without change.
Cost of living in Tanzania
The cost of living is generally quite affordable in Tanzania, but that does not mean that life is not expensive. It will depend on your way of traveling and consuming. Imported products, such as butter, pasta, and cereals, remain expensive. By favoring local products, the cost of living is much less expensive.
You can exchange money at many approved banks and money changers. Dollars are accepted in many hotels and stores. You can exchange money and withdraw shillings in Karatu, Arusha, MTo Wa Mbu, Moshi, Stone Town, Zanzibar, and most small towns in Tanzania.
Most banks have ATMs in larger cities, but they can break down and are unreliable. To exchange money safely, we invite you to contact your guide, who will take you to the banks with the best exchange rates.
Some figures and additional information on the country’s standard of living:
Salaries vary greatly depending on the different job categories. The average annual per capita income is around 2640 USD, or $220 monthly.
GDP per capita doubled between 2000 and 2023 (around $1,135). In the main cities like Dar Es Salam or Zanzibar, the cost of living is much higher than in the rest of the country.
Cost of transport in Tanzania
Several transport costs must be considered, including the price of your plane tickets. The price varies according to the seasons and the type of flight, with or without a stopover.
With the COVID-19 health crisis and the war in Ukraine, flight prices have recently increased significantly. In 2023, flight prices reached record highs, varying between €1,500 and €1,700 per person for a round trip in the summer of 2023.
The first trend for 2024 could be a return to normal prices: flights around €800 per person in the low season and around €1000 per person during the high season.
Local transportation costs are quite cheap once you arrive in the country. However, you must travel in a 4×4 with a private driver for safaris, so the cost is much higher. In addition, in 2022, the price of gasoline in Tanzania increased enormously, thus significantly impacting the price of safaris.
The cost of your safari in Tanzania
Why is a safari expensive?
A trip to Tanzania is not particularly expensive depending on what you want. A large part of your trip remains very affordable, but the safari itself makes your trip expensive.
We don’t always realize what a safari involves in terms of logistics, procedures, and practices in general. Going on a safari in East Africa has a cost and for many reasons.
Tanzania has a fairly strict safari policy. To preserve the fauna and flora, entrance fees, taxes, and many rules to respect are put in place for visiting the national parks. Safaris aboard Land Cruisers (4×4) are preferred due to the state of the roads in Tanzania. This type of vehicle, therefore, involves a significant cost of gasoline and maintenance of the vehicles that must drive on difficult roads daily.
In Tanzania, it is not recommended that you do your own safari. Traveling alongside a local guide and a certified driver is strongly recommended. Going through a local agency is not particularly expensive. The guide is on the ground and shares her expertise with you, has partnerships, and often offers better housing.
We must also consider the salaries of all staff (state-approved guide, driver, personal cook, etc.) and the accommodation price, which is much higher within national parks than outside.
The budget included in your safari in Tanzania
To give you an idea of the different costs to take into account, here are some figures: an entry to Tarangire costs 53 USD/adult, a night camping in the Serengeti costs 82$/adult. In contrast, nights in lodges/canvas camps start at $180-200 per adult, especially for lodges for a honeymoon in Tanzania.
When booking your trip, the budget for your safari in Tanzania includes many aspects:
- The private 4×4 tour with unlimited mileage and private driver
- Supervision by an accompanying guide
- All park entry fees
- Visits and activities planned in the program
- All meals and accommodation
- Unlimited mineral water
- Repatriation assistance insurance
- Airport transfers
- Contribution to local development projects as part of your solidarity trip
Budget for a solidarity safari with Kiwoito Africa Safaris in Tanzania
Going on a solidarity and fair safari means choosing an ethical safari. In addition to your trip, you contribute to local development and ensure the equitable distribution of benefits.
guarantees the transparency of its prices and sets them in the spirit of a solidarity and social economy. The cost of your trip ensures fair salaries, which are set by our local team and renegotiated each year. In addition, 5% of the price of your stay is donated to a development fund managed solely by locals.
In addition, you contribute to the emancipation of local communities and improve their infrastructure.
How can you reduce the cost of your safari in Tanzania?
There are several possibilities to reduce the budget of your safari in Tanzania:
→ Go in the low season with more advantageous plane ticket prices and fewer park visitors. In low season, flights are generally cheaper, saving around 200 euros per person compared to high season.
→ Sleep at a campsite or in a B&B. If you opt for camping, you will save around 100 euros per person per night, unlike nights in lodges. If you want more comfort, lodges outside the parks are a good option.
→ Opt for less expensive parks: a safari in Tarangire Park or Manyara will cost you much less than entry into the Ngorongoro Crater.
→ If you want to do several safaris, we advise you to do parks known for their proximity, allowing you to reduce fuel costs and travel times between each park.
→ Choose a combined trip between safari, cultural discovery, and beach. By doing fewer days of safari, you can experience a village immersion, do cultural activities, and/or relax on the magnificent beaches of Zanzibar.
Budget not included in your safari in Tanzania
Although most fees are already included in your reservation, a few costs are not covered:
- Drinks other than mineral water
- Visa fees ($50 USD)
- International flights
- Optional cancellation insurance
- Activities not included in the program
- Personal expenses: souvenir purchases…
Since salaries are set with our guides and discussed again yearly, tips are not obligatory.
To get an idea of certain costs, here are some prices:
- Drinks: between $2 and $5 for a soda, around $10-15 for an alcoholic drink in the lodge
- Food: $5 a meal per person in a local restaurant, $15 in a lodge
- Bus: a few cents
- Taxi: $50 for a Kilimanjaro airport – Arusha trip on average
- Souvenirs: between USD 13 and USD 21 for a wax fabric, $10 to $30 for a Massai necklace, and $10 to $15 for a bag of Zanzibar spices.
We hope to have given you as much information as possible on the different costs to plan for your safari in Tanzania. We are happy to help you build the stay that suits you, adapted to your budget.