How much does a Tanzania safari cost in 2026?

What is the likely Tanzania safari price is a common question people have when starting to plan. So let’s get the awkward bit out of the way: safaris are not bargain holidays. (If they were, every sensible adult would be on one right now.)

But Tanzania can feel wonderfully generous for the money with well-located camps, superb guiding, and smooth logistics. As long as you budget using realistic “all‑in” price bands.

These bands typically include accommodation, meals, game drives & safari activities (as offered), park fees, and the usual internal logistics (private road transfers and/or internal flights depending on your safari itinerary). They exclude international flights and big-ticket optional extras (like hot air ballooning).

Tanzania Safari Costs Per Day Prices – by Tier & Season

• Moderate (scheduled safari / or assuming 4 people sharing on a private safari): $525–$750 per person per night depending on season. (See our table below)
• Moderate camps with a private guide for you/or with some flights: $650–$950 per person per night (pppn)
• Premier (with a private guide, better-located camps): $800–$1,500 pppn (big range so we suggest you give a ballpark budget)
• Premier fly-in safaris: $1,000–$1,700 pppn
• Top-end (fly‑in safaris or showpiece camps): $1,550–$2,550 pppn

Note: There are a handful of ultra-premium properties that can climb to $2,800–$3,000+ pppn in peak periods.

A useful reality check: An 8‑night Premier private safari in peak season commonly comes in at between $8,500–$14,000 per person depending on flights, camps and pace.

Typical Tanzania Safari Price Per Nights (All-In)

(Indicative ranges; exact pricing varies by property, offers and routing.)

	Moderate, incl Scheduled safaris	Premier, usually private	Top-end, often fly-in or private
Green Season (April-May)	$525 – $750	$800 – $1,350	Many are closed
Shoulder (Jan-Mar, June & Oct)	$550 – $875	$900 – $1,500	$1,500 – $2,300*
Peak Season (July-Sept/Oct)	$575 – $950	$1,000-$1,700	$1,800 – $2,550*

These are average prices per night for the safari including domestic flights, park fees, game drives and many activities. But they exclude the international flights.

Big Picture Takeaways

• Many luxury camps close in the long rains (Apr to May), especially in the south (Selous and Ruaha) and Western Tanzania (Katavi & Mahale)
• For moderate camps, the seasonal difference is often less dramatic than people expect. But expect great seasonality with the high end safari camps.
• Western Tanzania (chimp trekking) is expensive. Full stop. It’s also one of the most thrilling wildlife experiences in East Africa.
• At the very top end (*), there are a few very pricey camps which push up the maximum shown.

What Actually Drives Tanzania Safari Prices?

Think of Tanzania pricing as four levers. Pull one, the budget moves.

• Season
• Style of Safari – eg. How you getting around
• Choice of Camp (camp tier)
• How many flights used

1. Season

This is the big one. But, most importantly, this is less of a factor in Tanzania than Kenya. This is because the wildebeest migration spends most of the year in Tanzania, and so you will be able to see it over many months, just in different locations.

Peak (July–September, Christmas & now January-February): Highest demand and prices.

Shoulder: Often the best blend of good weather and better value. Look at early March, June or sometimes October. Varies considerably by camp though.

Being stuck in the black cotton soil mud on safari for a couple hours is no fun – and I speak from personal experience

Plus you may want to add on some Zanzibar beach R&R. And rain on a beach holiday just doesn’t work!

Long rains (Apr–May): Lowest prices where camps remain open; but many premier/top camps close. And also the short rains of November.

TIP: if budget matters, consider early March or June: excellent wildlife, fewer crowds, and usually better rates than peak season.

2. Style of Safari (Fly‑In vs Road, Private vs Scheduled)

Broadly speaking you have three main options.
 
Fly‑in safaris are the most expensive but time-efficient (though often fairly long road transfers to get to the airstrips)

• Western Tanzania Spectacular
• Elewana Sky Safari
• Nomad Tarangire & Serengeti

A private drive‑in safari for 2 people can be excellent value, especially if you combine it with a well-placed flight at the start or end.

• Highlights of Tanzania
• Hidden Tanzania with Lake Natron

A scheduled safari is typically the best value for couples or solo travellers. (These safaris are shown as private, but are available as scheduled)

• Tanzania Discovery Safari
• Tanzania Lion Safari

Worth knowing: A private safari for 4 people is often the same as a scheduled safari (assuming the same accommodation) but you have WAY more flexibility in terms of routing and accommodation choice.
TIP: Mix it up. Use flights where they genuinely save time (e.g., long hops), and privately guided safari elsewhere where distances are sensible.

3. Choice of Camp

Tanzania’s “step up” in quality can be very noticeable without always being an extreme jump in price. Especially if you choose camps for location, guiding and access, not just their bling factor.

TIP: upgrade two or three nights then keep the rest at a strong premier level.

4. Flights & Pacing

More regions = more flight legs = shorter stops = higher cost (and a more tiring safari trip).

Tanzania’s northern circuit is more road‑friendly than many assume, so well-planned road safaris work beautifully. (Even “fly‑in” safaris can involve substantial transfers once you land.)

TIP: Aim for 3 nights per area where possible. Don’t try to see everything! You’ll spend less time moving and more time game viewing.

Check out our main article on African Safari Pricing where we compare prices across all our main safari destinations. 

Private vs Scheduled: What Changes If You’re 2 vs 4 Travellers?

This is one of the biggest “aha” moments in Tanzania planning.

• For 2 travellers, private guiding and vehicle costs can lift the per‑person price.
• For 4 travellers, those costs are shared, so a private safari can become excellent value and far more flexible than scheduled options.

If you’re a family or group of friends, tell us early. Your budget will go further than you think.

What About an “All‑Inclusive” Tanzania Safari?

Safaris are naturally close to all‑inclusive: meals, teas/coffes, house drinks, game activities and park fees are typically included.

What varies by lodge:

• Drinks (moderate properties may exclude alcohol)
• Private safari activities
• Big-ticket extras (e.g. Serengeti hot air ballooning) or Optional activities
• Sometimes we recommend a day at leisure in the Ngorongoro Crater area. This breaks up the safari and there’s a great range of optional activities such as coffee farm tours, visits to the Maasai community, guided walks in the Highlands which you can book when you are there. (Or pre-book with us)

If anything is unclear, ask us—we’ll spell it out in the quote.

5. Tips to Keep Value High (Without Making the Trip Smaller)

The above levers supply the answers!

1. Travel in shoulder season for better rates and fewer crowds.
2. Choose road where it makes sense; fly only for long hops.
3. Slow the pace – fewer areas, longer stays, less time packing.
4. If you’re 4+ travellers, private guiding becomes far better value.
5. Consider adding Zanzibar for some beach R&R: it lowers the average nightly cost and gives you a true time to relax at the end.
6. Give your safari designer a budget range early – so we can steer you to the best fit (and the best offers).

Northern Highlights and Zanzibar

Timeless Tanzania

Top Tip: Give a Budget Range

Asking “what does Tanzania cost?” is a bit like asking “how much does a house cost?” Location, finish and timing matter.

As with my Kenya article, this is our top tip to save money on your Tanzania safari.

Please give your safari designer some sense of your Tanzania safari budget. This article is designed to help you do just that!

If we know your budget range and dates, we can quickly tell you what’s realistic, where to splurge, and where to be cleverly restrained.

Everyone loves a challenge! And our team love a target to work with.

(Aside: if a safari is expensive, it’s almost never because someone is making heroic profits. It’s because park fees, travel logistics, small camps and seasonality are very real.)

Plus if you give us a budget, it is human nature for our consultants to work especially hard to meet that budget. They’ll think of which camps may have a long stay offer? Or an early booking discount.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are park/concession fees included in your “all-in” price ranges?
   • Yes, our indicative safari price bands reflect all the typical inclusions (accommodation, park fees, game activities, internal flights and/or private road safaris). International flights and optional extras are excluded.
2. What about big-ticket extras?
   • Ballooning over the Serengeti are extra, and we’ll flag them clearly in our proposals.
3. How much cash should we allow for tips?
   • We’ll include a tipping guideline per day so you can budget neatly.
4. Do luggage limits matter on fly‑in routes?
   • Yes. We’ll advise soft-bag limits and plan routes to reduce the need for extra seats

What Most Travellers Actually Spend (Helpful Totals)

As a broad planning guide for 2026 (excluding international flights):

• 8–10 nights, Premier camps, shoulder–peak: roughly $8,500–$14,000 per person
• Top end camps in peak season travel: $14,000–$19,500 per person

If you want, we can also price a “moderate+” option that keeps the experience strong while being kinder to the budget.

However if this is your first time on safari in Africa, you won’t be disappointed. The cost of a Tanzania safari will be well-worth it – with superb game-viewing, stunning safari terrain and friendly people! It is one of the safari gems of Africa.

Plan Tanzania Properly

Let’s plan your safari in 4 easy steps

1. Tell us your dates, number of people, wishlist and budget range. A quick phone call can help!
2. We’ll design one well-judged itinerary with clear pricing – plus a couple of simple upgrade treats if needed.
3. We refine it with you so that it’s exactly what you want
4. You sit back and let us take care of all the logistics

Who is Cedarberg Africa? Owner-run specialists with 30 years of safari know-how. Candid advice, seamless logistics, numbers that match the magic.

Tanzania Safari Prices in 2026 was updated by Mari of Cedarberg Africa

Mari Jacobs is part of Cedarberg Africa’s specialist travel team, with a particular focus on East Africa and Tanzania. Based in Cape Town, she works closely with clients to translate wish-lists and budgets into well-balanced, realistic safari itineraries. With a strong grasp of how seasonality, camp choice, routing and group size affect cost, Mari is known for her calm, practical approach to safari planning—and for designing trips that deliver genuine value without cutting the corners that matter