‘What does a typical African safari cost?’ or ‘What price should I look at per night on safari?’ 

Or some variation on this theme must be one of our most frequently asked questions. The short answer: more than you’d like… and worth every cent. The longer answer: it varies by country, season, camp quality and travel style.

Many people get a little sticker shock when they see the sample price ranges below. If your first thought was lower, that’s normal—safari pricing surprises many travellers. Our job is to align the trip you want with a budget that will actually deliver it.

But – for many of our clients –  their first African safari was their best holiday ever. And the start of many trips to Africa.

As a very rough guide to an all-in average per person, per night (mid-season; includes internal flights/transfers/park fees where typical):

• South Africa & Namibia from ~$200–$675 if you mix self-drive + safari; $350–$900 if privately guided (& Namibia fly-ins can reach ~$1,500 per day).
• Malawi ~$425–$650 ($650 to $1,000+more if combined with Zambia).
• Zimbabwe & Zambia, similar prices overall, starting $500 up tp $1,350,
• Kenya ~$600–$2,200; Tanzania ~$550–$2,400.
• Botswana ~$600–$2,800 (little available in “modest” tier).

Here’s that in a little more detail. Remember peak season prices can top out higher.

By Country – Assuming mid-season	Moderate/ Mid-Range	Premier	Luxury
Typical price per person per night
SA/Namibia* – Self-drive & Safari	$200-$250	$250-$350	$375-$675
SA/Namibia* – Guided tour & Safari	$350-$425	$425-$550	$550-$900***
Malawi – Bush & Beach	$425-$525	$525-$650	$650-$1,050 (More with Zambia)
Zimbabwe	$500-$650	$700-$950	$975-$1,350
Zambia	$600-$775	$700-$950	$1,000-$1,250
Kenya	$600-$800	$825-$1,300	$1,200-$2,200***
Tanzania	$550-$850	$950-$1,500	$1,200-$2,400***
Botswana	$700-$1050	$1,050-$1,325	$1,350-$2,500***

*** The top end of Luxury indicates the most expensive lodges; these can top our even more in peak season

Big picture takeaways on Safari costs

• This is a typical average night spend. So the average is lower in countries like South Africa where only some nights on ‘on safari’
• What will you spend? Multiply the nightly band by your trip length. If your budget and wish list clash, we can show you smart trade-offs (season, routing, camp mix).
• Best value: South Africa (then Namibia) thanks to Rand pricing, more travel modes (self-drive for the non-safari portion vs guided touring), and typically fewer nights on safari in an 11-13 night trip.
• Malawi follows next but goes up in price if you combine Lake Malawi with Zambia. Zimbabwe and Zambia are similar in price.
• Most expensive: Botswana, and the top tier of Kenya/Tanzania—peak season (July to October) can be more than 2 x green season
• East Africa reality: Park/concession fees are a hefty slice in Tanzania; savings often come from travelling as four people for a private tour or choosing a scheduled group safaris if you’re on a tight budget.
• Big Differences within one Accom Category – As there are several dimensions, Season, long stay lower camo rates, and for South Africa & Namibia, mode of travel. So,  read on later. OR check out the individual country articles for more detail.
• SA/Namibia lower starting prices – due to the possibility of self-drive as a mode of travel. Not recommended elsewhere.
• Ultra-deluxe – virtually every country has its uber-deluxe options costing $2,500 to $3,000+ plus per night in peak season. Naturally this adds to the top end you can pay,

Note: What is ‘’moderate’’ varies by country. It may be the lodge or camp. Or it may be a mode of travelling e.g. taking a scheduled tour, using road transfers, or longer stays in fewer places to cut down on flight costs.

Why South Africa often wins on value

• Fewer safari nights in typical itineraries (Cape Town/Winelands/Coast reduce the average per night).
• Safari “high season” = SA winter, when other SA hotels are lower, so your overall trip average drops.
• Rand-based pricing stretches USD/GBP/Euro budgets further.
• Easy Self-drive – for the non-safari portion – or easy road transfers, are an alternative to private guiding.
• Not a classic fly-in seat-in-charter destination. You can use lower priced scheduled flights to get between regions, then road transfer to your safari lodge.
• See more later in the article

Easy ways to save (without making it sad)

Travelling on a tighter budget? We can still help by:

• Travel in shoulder season
• Use a safari circuit for long-stay discounts especially in Southern Africa
• Use road-reachable game parks.
• Keep fly-ins to what’s truly special
• And mixing Modest & Premier, or Premier & Luxury rather than all-Luxury.
• But if your heart is set on bucket-list lodges in peak season, it’s best to plan for the higher end of the ranges above.

Setting a Reasonable Safari Budget

We have an ulterior motive for writing all these articles on African safari costs. We want you to have reasonable expectations of how much – for example – a Botswana safari is likely to cost.

And if that too much, to consider whether you want to

1. Increase your budget range
2. To be prepared to make some compromises
3. Or look at another destination

So please give us budget range at the planning stage (excluding international flights). Contrary to popular belief, it is likely to save you money as we work hard to meet your expectations.

Our Article on Safari Pricing continues below….looking at South Africa, Southern Africa, and East Africa

We have several articles where we examine safari prices by African destination. (See the links to those detailed articles at the end of this article.)

Why are South Africa safari costs – & Namibia so much lower?

We strongly recommend you read our in-depth article on South Africa Safari Costs. This gives much more detail but we summarise below:

1) African Safari Cost Factors : Number of Nights on Safari

Usually, visitors to South Africa (and Namibia) like a varied holiday. They want to head up Table Mountain and see Cape Town, they want to meander through the Cape wine estates, enjoy whale-watching or stroll along one of our many wonderful beaches.

So, you may only spend 3 to 5 nights on safari.

Rule of thumb on safari price tiers (South Africa):

These include in-country flights, fully inclusive safaris, park fees etc. However in South Africa it’s common for non-safari days to be based on B&B prices.  Plus self-drive trips don’t typically include activities.

To break this down:

• Budget private game lodges – between $300 and $350 per person per night
• Moderate private game lodges – between $375 and $550 per person per night
• Mid-Range to Premier private game lodges – between $575 and $775 per person per night
• Premium private game lodges – between $800 and $1,200 per person per night
• Luxury private game lodges – between $1,400 and $1,850 per person per night
• Uber-Deluxe private game lodges – between $1,900 and $2,400 per person per night, and the Top End for the likes of Singita or Royal Malewane is $2,700 to $3,450 per person

So still enormous ranges, hence our inward sigh when someone asks for a single number.

2) Our Safari Season is our Low Season

The best time for a safari is in the dry season which is our wintertime. But many people also visit South Africa in our summer – to escape their winter cold. So the greatest demand is from October to March.

Thus South African safari lodges generally keep prices the same year-round. And where they do change – the difference isn’t great. Whilst elsewhere in Cape Town etc, you get lower prices and even long stay deals. season peak pricing is not

So you have a bizarre situation where safari prices are 10% to 20% lower during the peak safari season! Go figure!

3) Safaris are in Rands (or Namibian Dollars)

South Africa safari prices are in our local currency, Rands, or Namibian dollars which is pegged to the Ran. Whereas other countries are priced in Dollars. Given our current economy, you get more ‘bang for your buck’ in South African Rands. So yes, that does mean that an African safari costs less in South Africa than a safari in a poorer country such as Malawi or Zambia. (A common misconception!)

4) African Safari Cost Factors: Mode of Travel

South Africa & Namibia safari prices are governed more by MODE OF TRAVEL than a season, so our our initial bracket assumes a self-drive plus 2-4 nights on safari. Whilst the privately guide tour assumes a privately guided tour with 3-4 nights on safari.

We cover this in detail in our South Africa safari price article. But in a nutshell, you have more choice in how you travel around both South Africa and Namibia. Many people choose to self-drive in the scenic parts of the country, e.g. the Cape Winelands, the Whale Route or through the Garden Route. This wonderful flexible mode of travel is also much less expensive than having a private guide, especially if it is only 2 people travelling.

Our South African safari cost article shows you some typical nightly price estimates by mode of travel.

How much does an African Safari cost in Botswana, Zambia or Zimbabwe?

Modest safari prices are similar across these three countries. But Botswana is much more expensive in peak season, and its top safari camps can be uber-pricey.

Comparing like-for-like lodges with South Africa, these are more expensive safari destinations:

1. Nearly every night is ‘on safari’. There is no fascinating city like Cape Town to visit. Nor is there a beach or mountain resort where you can relax (at a far lower cost).
2. The cost of reaching these more inaccessible lodges is higher as it nearly always involves seat-in-charter flights.
3. The best safari season is clear (June/July to September). So everyone wants to visit at that time. The safari camps often raise their peak season prices dramatically, especially in Botswana. Botswana safari costs in peak season (July–September) can be over 2× green season months (January to June) in the Okavango Delta.
4. It’s priced in dollars, as mentioned earlier…
5. It’s more expensive to RUN these camps as virtually everything must be flown in or transported long distances.

African Safari Cost Factors – Affecting Southern Africa Safari Prices

Major factors which affect the African safari cost – and our you can tweak the price:

• Predominantly the time of year. So look at May or early June instead of July.
• Safari Circuit long-stay discounts –  we recommend using camps belonging to the same safari company as they offer lower nightly prices the longer you stay. If you want to pick out individual camps, be our guest, but it could push up the price
• Access – Can you only get there by charter flight or can it be reached by road? You’ll spend less per night if you combine Victoria Falls with the Zambezi National Park or Chobe as you can get there by road. Similarly Malawi relies on road transfers between their game parks.
• Mobile Camping (Botswana) – would you consider a mobile camping safari) to keep the costs down?

Check out our safari to Botswana Safari Pricing

African Safari Costs & Pricing in East Africa

Kenya and Tanzania pricing start from a lower base – because you can get scheduled small group groups there. But they top out at the same sort of prices per night as Botswana.

In a Nutshell:

• Kenya safari costs versus Tanzania are broadly similar
• The moderate prices given above are nearly always for scheduled departure tours. We only offer the ones using good quality lodges. (So you may see some lower prices out there, but you get what you pay for!)
• Though most nights are on safari, many people add on some beach time, which  brings down the average nightly cost.
• Access matters: fly-in vs road safari cost differences can swing your budget—road-reachable parks keep costs down.
• Kenya & Tanzania safari price park fees are a major driver, so swapping to only cheaper camps may not move the total much.
  Privately guide road safaris for 4 or 6 people are considerably less expensive than for only 2 people.

So this means that the best way to save money on safari in East Africa is to either persuade another couple to join you, or to join a scheduled departure group safari. Yes, you sacrifice flexibility, for more camaraderie and a better price.

Check out:

What is a typical Kenya safari cost?

What is a typical Tanzania safari cost?

Frequently Asked Questions

Lets make the Numbers work for you

You bring the dream; we’ll do the maths (and the magic). No hard sell—just clear options, real prices, and honest trade-offs.

From Ballpark to Booked— in 3 easy steps

1) Tell us what matters – Share your dates, ideal budget range, and safari wish list. Prefer a call? We’ll listen and sense-check what’s realistic.

2) Get a clear safari plan with price – showing what’s included, where you can upgrade and easy save options if you need to trim.

3) Choose & relax
We fine-tune it with you then, secure space, and handle the unromantic admin. No surprises—just a beautiful trip.