Whenever you are planning on going on a safari to some of the best parks and destinations in Africa, you will often would like to know what’s it going to cost you. I think it’s important to consider various factors before your next trip that way you have the best value for your money.
Also, it will make your trip easy to manage and enjoyable at the same time. After working in the industry for a long time, am going to tell you what you should expect as you plan for your African tour.
Though this is a rough estimate on what to expect, I would always recommend planning for a bit higher to cover for unexpected situations. There is nothing more annoying than realizing you can’t enjoy your stay because the prices are above the roof.
To help you come up with the right budget, I have come up with some tips and things to keep in mind when planning for your tour.
Factors to consider when budgeting for your safari:
Package deals can be notoriously expensive
I would admit some of the tour packages are often overpriced by some of the tour operators. The one thing I would recommend you doing is doing so research on the alternatives and see if there’s huge discrepancies.
Just know that cheap can be expensive at times and it important that you go through some reviews of the operator you are interested to help you in your tour. Having said that though, packages have their charm too; for example, with an inclusive package you can be sure everything you may require in the trip will be covered by the package.
I would recommend checking out what the package includes and what it doesn’t. The last thing you want is to ask for some service and being told you need to cover that from your pocket. And if you were not prepared for that, things might get scarily especially if you must have that necessity.
How much exclusivity and privacy are you going with?
You can agree with me that we all want our space and privacy to be respected in any given situation. However, this come at a price. If you want an exclusive guide by an operator, it’s going to cost more compared to when you are catered for as a group.
I know it sounds counter intuitive but it’s what you will experience on your safari tour. For example, consider you want to have an operator to have everything ready; which we all want and right on time including every aspect your visit. This will require lots of planning on the operator’s side and hence the price is likely to go high.
One thing I would recommend deciding on the level of privacy and exclusivity you are comfortable with and how much that will set you back in terms of money. If you feel it’s what you want; go ahead and request for that as you make your booking.
After all you are going on the safari to have fun and you have planned and worked hard to reach this point.
Do you want to go DIY route?
This is another aspect I think it can be tricky to decide and how it affects the amount of money you would require for your safari. I do think there are advantages and disadvantages to this approach.
First, doing it all yourself can be cheap at some cases given that you will not require the services of the tour operator.
On the downside though, you will have to make every single plan before you embark on this. For example, you will have to decide from accommodation to food and beverages. On top of that you will have to contact the destination you will be visiting and decide on when you will be visiting.
And I can tell you for sure this is not the best approach unless you know your way around the location and maybe this is a second visit. But all the same I think preferring to do it yourself is not the most ideal way to go. Plus, you miss out on the knowledge the operators have that comes handy during the adventure.
Where do you want to visit?
You want to keep this in mind when planning on your next safari tour. The reason for this and I think you will agree with me, different locations have varying prices due to the amount of immersion you are likely to experience.
Different prices are also because of the available resources and services available in those locations. Visiting Masai Mara will be different from visiting Zanzibar for example. This is not to say one place is better than the other, it all depends on what you want but due to services you will most require prices are likely to vary.
Another thing tied to this is your requirements such as interests and hobbies. It’s good to keep in mind most tour packages do not include hobbies and other individual interests as part of the package. For that you will have to plan for that additional cost from your pocket.
I would recommend that, if you’re planning to engage in some of these activities while on your visit to plan for them and have a rough estimate how much more you would need to make your stay comfortable and memorable.
Now that you have an idea on some things to consider, let me give you some place estimates on some of the places you could be planning to visit. I hope these prices will give you an idea on what to expect and make your plans decisively.
Price ranges for some popular destinations in Africa?
Tanzania safari cost
For 4-star comfort in Tanzania will generally lie between $500 to $725. If however, you want something better say 4-star luxury; that will take you from $800 to about $1350.
If money is not a problem, you can go with be most exclusive services which range from $1250 to $1850. The one thing I would like to point out is that these prices can be higher or lower depending on the period of the year.
But as far as I know these are good estimates to be aware of when you planning?
Kenya safari cost
In Kenya safari are a bit lower compared to those on Tanzania. For instance, you can go for safari tour with a minimum of $420 to $650 for 4-star comfort. This is not to mean services are lesser enjoyable, the price differences are due to differences in locality and extra services offered in those tours.
If you would like to go for a 4-star luxury, expect to plan from $650 to $1050. For the high end 5-star luxury the price range is between $1250 to $1750. Just some minimal differences compared to Tanzania’s rates.
Botswana safari prices
| 4-star comfort | 4-star luxury | 5-star luxury |
| $600 to $800 | $800 to $1375 | $1450 to $2850 |
Namibia safari prices
| 4-star comfort | 4-star luxury | 5-star luxury |
| $300 to $500 | $600 to $700 | $1350 to $1750 |
South African safari cost
| 4-star comfort | 4-star luxury | 5-star luxury |
| $450 to $600 | $550 to $800 | $1000 to $1700 |
Zambia safari costs
| 4-star comfort | 4-star luxury | 5-star luxury |
| $900 to $1000 | $950 to $1250 | $1450 to $2000 |
Zimbabwe costs
| 4-star comfort | 4-star luxury | 5-star luxury |
| $700 to $1100 | $950 to $1450 | $2650 to $2950 |
Congo costs
| 4-star comfort | 4-star luxury | 5-star luxury |
| $1200 to $1750 | $1200 to $1750 | $1800 to $3000 |
Rwanda pricing
| 4-star comfort | 4-star luxury | 5-star luxury |
| $1150 to $2800 | $1300 to $2200 | $2650 to $3500 |
Uganda costing
| 4-star comfort | 4-star luxury | 5-star luxury |
| $600 to $1200 | $600 to $1250 | $1300 to $2300 |
There you have it. One thing I would like to point out is that these prices are per individual. If you are planning for a safari as a group, you should keep that in mind and prices will differ depending on the number of persons.
One thing you can do is negotiate for a better rate if you will be a lot of people. This is a great way to lower the cost for the tour.
These prices are rough estimates for both high and low seasons. However, your destination of choice and other personal requirements may increase the amount of money you will need to make this adventure a reality.
I hope this pricing guide gives you some insights onto what to plan for and how much it would require for your next visit.
Let me know what safari you planning to undertake in the comments below. And how you are planning to make it the most amazing and memorable tour.
