Organizing or even booking a safari in Africa for the first time can be daunting. So you’re not alone if you feel overwhelmed by how you will make the most of your time and money in Tanzania and Zanzibar.
After all, safaris in Tanzania are not exactly cheap and often require driving long distances, finding suitable accommodation in remote areas, paying park fees and hiring modified vehicles and knowledgeable guides. It’s so important to plan your trip correctly, especially if you’re a budget-conscious traveler who wants to squeeze as much out of every dollar you spend!
Fortunately, I’ve already been to Tanzania and Zanzibar many times, so I’m here to help. In this post, I aim to share all the need-to-know info I’ve gained throughout my extensive travels in Africa.
So, if you need some inside knowledge to help you organize your trip, you’re in the right place. Below, we’ll go through everything you need to consider to ensure you get good value for money while still having your dream safari experience.
The best part about choosing Tanzania as your safari destination, is not only access to one of the best national parks in the world, Serengeti, but also easy access to some of the world’s most beautiful beaches in Zanzibar. There’s literally no better way to round off your African adventure.
Article overview
Tanzania and Zanzibar safari cost
Going on safari in Tanzania is not the most budget-friendly trip. However, it’s extremely rewarding and the memories and photos that you’ll acquire will last a lifetime.
The cheapest way to go on safari in Tanzania is to join a group safari. These involve joining other travelers and run on set dates and times and you have no control over the itinerary. This type of safari starts at around $180 per person per day. Costs include your accommodation for the trip, all meals, park fees, airport transfers, your driver guide and game drives.
If you’d rather have a completely customized trip, a private safari may be best for you. These start at $300 per person per day. Again, this price includes your accommodation (which is often much more comfortable than for group safaris), meals, park fees, transfers, your driver guide and unlimited game drives.
There are many factors that affect your safari cost including the level of accommodation comfort you choose (luxury safaris costing over $600 per person per day) and which parks you visit (parks like Serengeti and Ngorongoro are more expensive than Tarangire and Lake Manyara).
You will also have to pay infrastructure tax of $1 per person, per night. It collected directly at the hotel as part of guest’s extras bill as per local tax regulations.
If you want a full breakdown of the costs and budgeting tips, you can click here for more detailed information and advice on the various types and levels of safaris available.
Do I need cash on safari?
Tipping is part of the culture in Tanzania. USD are preferred, but you can also tip in Tanzanian Shillings, Euros and GBP. Budget around $20-30 per person per day in total for tips for your driver, porters, other guides etc.
You might also want to buy souvenirs and snacks at the markets and when visiting villages. I spent about $200 last time.
How to get to Tanzania
Most of Tanzania’s premier game parks are on the Northern Circuit. To avoid unnecessary and expensive driving or flying to the various game parks, pick an airline that flies directly to Kilimanjaro International Airport, which is known as the gateway to the safari parks.
I was so excited to see that Qatar Airways flew to Kilimanjaro for under $500. I was sure I would have to stop in Dar es Salaam.
If you plan to visit several parks (which I highly recommend!), you’re in luck. Four of Tanzania’s flagship parks are close together, making it possible to access them all on a single trip and itinerary. By planning your trip wisely, you can further reduce your travel expenses.
Traveling between parks, or to and from the airport, can also be a little tricky. While you may feel tempted to use the cheapest mode of travel – hopping on a minibus taxi – these vehicles are poorly maintained, prone to breaking down and cause most of the road accidents in Tanzania. So, it’s safe to say we don’t recommend this option!
Most parks will also not allow these minibus taxis inside the gates, leaving you to make further arrangements to get to your lodge, which could be miles away. Please take my word for it and avoid them at all costs!
In my experience, local tour operators are always the best people to arrange my transport logistics. They use private taxis or safari trucks, employ reliable drivers, and are far more comfortable and safer.
The best time to visit Tanzania and Zanzibar
The best time to visit Tanzania is during the dry months between June and September. During this period, the weather is at its finest, game viewing is superb, mosquito levels are low, and the Great Migration is at its peak.
This is also the peak tourist season, so expect higher prices and more tourists. Make sure you book tours and accommodation in advance if you’re planning to travel at this time of year.
It is best to avoid coming here during the low season (March-May), which can get extensively wet and unpleasant, with flooding being reasonably common.
Finally, the shoulder season runs from November to February. During these months, you may still experience some rain, but it will mostly be in the afternoons, leaving ample time for morning game drives and other activities either in the bush or on the beaches of Zanzibar. There is still plenty of wildlife to see, and you could also pay 15% less during these months than during peak season.
How to plan your safari itinerary and book your trip
We don’t recommend spending less than 7-10 days in Tanzania, especially if you’ll be visiting Zanzibar.
Selecting parks that are close together will cut down on traveling time, so on a 10-day itinerary, you’d have at least 7 days to visit the national parks and have 2-3 days left to unwind and relax in Zanzibar. Fortunately, getting to Zanzibar is quick and easy, with regular flights operating from the various airstrips in the parks.
Unless you plan to self-drive, which I do not recommend in Tanzania, local tour operators are the best and cheapest way to plan your itineraries and handle all your travel logistics.
They eliminate the headaches of hiring a vehicle, driving on unfamiliar and rough roads, and booking accommodation. Plus, these local guides have expert knowledge of the landscapes and wildlife, so with them at your side, you’ll see way more animals than you would on your own.
Tanzania and Zanzibar safari itinerary
We recommend the Tanzania and Zanzibar itinerary below for two vital reasons. Firstly, this travel route includes several of Tanzania’s premier game parks. Secondly, all these parks are conveniently located close together, and therefore, driving between parks will only take a few hours.
While they may share some similar characteristics and wildlife, they each have something unique and special about them.
Let’s delve into what you can expect to find in each park.
Tarangire National Park
Being a mere three-hour drive from Arusha, Tarangire is known for its beautiful landscapes, rich wildlife and particularly for its vast herds of elephants; seeing up to 100 of these giants moving through the bush as a unit is genuinely magical.
Other wildlife you’re likely to see includes lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, buffalos, zebras, giraffes, wildebeest, various antelope species and over 500 species of birds.
Where there’s water, you’re bound to see hippos and crocs, and the wetlands which cover much of the park’s center are teeming with vast colonies of flamingos and various other aquatic birds.
Serengeti National Park
No trip to Tanzania is complete without a stop at this world-renowned national park. The Serengeti’s varied terrain covers a vast area of 5,700 square miles, offering fantastic scenery and a rich and diverse animal life throughout the year.
The wildlife is phenomenal, including the Big Five and a dense population of big predators. In fact, most of your favorite Africa’s wildlife species can be found in this iconic park.
From June to October, millions of wildebeests, zebras, and antelope embark on the Great Migration in the central and northern regions of the park. For most visitors, the highlight is witnessing the dramatic crossing of the crocodile-infested Mara River. Between the crocs and strong currents, not all wildebeest survive, but no other sight will make you feel closer to nature.
Meanwhile, December to February is the calving season on the southern plains, when thousands of newborns arrive each day, attracting cats in large numbers.
Ngorongoro Crater
As far as natural beauty goes, nothing on earth can compare with the Ngorongoro Crater. Surrounded by a steep 2,000-foot-high volcano rim stretching 12 miles across, this relatively small area is known as the ‘Eden of Africa’ and is home to over 25,000 animals and millions of birds.
Ngorongoro Crater offers incredible game viewing throughout the year, although the dry season provides more idyllic conditions. It has a dense population of lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, and the rare and endangered black rhino, which are not sighted in many African parks.
Other wildlife is also abundant, including large numbers of zebras, hyenas, hippos, and various buck species. In the center of the crater floor, Lake Magadi is teeming with thousands of water birds, including massive colonies of pink flamingos.
Lake Manyara
Lake Manyara National Park is conveniently tucked between Tarangire and Ngorongoro and is known as the home of ‘tree-climbing lions’. This little gem is only 127 square miles in size, most of which is taken up by the picturesque lake, around which you’re likely to find most of its wildlife.
This park can easily be covered in a single day, allowing you to view its rich wildlife, including lions, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, and all the usual suspects found across Tanzania. Canoe safaris are popular here, enabling you to get close to birds nesting in the reed-fringed lake and game lining its shores. Vast flocks of flamingos and pelicans abound here, while several hundred hippos often wallow in the shallows.
Zanzibar
Zanzibar is the perfect destination to end an African safari. The inviting, crystal-turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean surround its long, white sandy beaches and tall, swaying palm trees.
Along the shoreline of this island paradise, you’ll find hundreds of resorts, hotels, and guest houses, along with beach bars, cafes, and restaurants in some of the most exotic locations. Here, you can sample some of the traditional Zanzibari seafood dishes the island is famous for.
In Zanzibar, you can spend leisurely days swimming, snorkeling, windsurfing, taking sunset cruises to uninhibited islands, relaxing on the beaches, and enjoying the vibrant nightlife.
A visit to historic Stone Town is a must, taking you past monuments, old military forts, mosques, cathedrals, the slave market, the house of Freddy Mercury, or a morning tour of a spice plantation.
Entry requirements
🛂 You will need a passport that’s valid for at least 6 months after your planned return day with a few blank pages for stamps.
✅ Visitors from most countries require visas. To save time clearing customs on arrival, it’s best to apply online well in advance. Visas for UK and European travelers cost $50, while USA citizens need a multi-entry visa, which costs $100.
🦟 Remember that the risk of contracting malaria in Tanzania is possible. We strongly recommend asking your doctor which malaria medication will work best for you. Once you arrive, take precautions such as having a sufficient supply of mosquito repellent and covering up as much as possible on safari, especially in the evenings.
💉 Although no mandatory vaccines are required for Tanzania, you’ll need a yellow fever vaccination certificate if you recently visited a country with a high risk of yellow fever, like neighboring Kenya. Certain vaccines, such as Hepatitis A and B, Diphtheria, Meningitis, and Typhoid, are recommended.
Final thoughts
Organizing the perfect safari in Tanzania may require a little more planning than other holidays, but once you arrive, it’s so worth it for the bucket list trip!
With some research and by obtaining sound advice from reliable tour operators, you should easily be able to plan and budget for a successful safari to Tanzania that is tailor-made to your specific needs.
I hope the information above inspired you to plan your dream trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar. Having traveled extensively to all these parks and many others across the country, I have no doubt that you’ll fall in love with Tanzania in the same way that I did.
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