Tanzania safari in 2026–2027

Budget roughly $250–$400 per person per day for a mid-range private safari, $450–$700 for something more comfortable, and beyond $900 for the well-known luxury camps. Park fees alone are $70–$100 per person per day and are non-negotiable — around a third of a mid-range trip is government fees. Anyone quoting far below these numbers is cutting something you would rather they had not.

June to October for classic dry-season game viewing, February for predator action during calving, and late May or November for value with real trade-offs. April is the one month we will usually talk people out of. The month-by-month guide on this page sets out each one honestly.

You will see the herds if you go to the right part of the Serengeti in the right month — they are in the ecosystem year-round, not seasonal visitors. A river crossing is different. Crossings are unpredictable: herds can stand at the bank for hours and then not cross at all. We will put you in the right place at the right time and give you the days to wait, but nobody can promise a crossing, and you should be wary of anyone who does.

Yes, on a guided safari. The parks are well managed and violent crime against tourists is rare. The genuine risks are ordinary ones: road traffic, sun, and stomach upsets from unsafe water. In Arusha and Moshi, take the same precautions you would in any city — do not walk alone late at night, and use arranged transport rather than flagging one down.

Yellow fever proof is required only if you are arriving from a country where it is endemic — including a layover of more than twelve hours. Malaria prophylaxis is strongly advised for the whole northern circuit; the crater rim is high enough that risk is lower, but the rest is not. This is general information and not medical advice: see a travel clinic six to eight weeks before you fly.

Neutral colours, layers, and less than you think. Mornings on the crater rim can be near 10°C while afternoons in the Serengeti pass 30°C. Soft-sided bags only if you are taking an internal flight, where the limit is usually 15kg including hand luggage. There is a full checklist to download on this page.

For most people, yes. A private vehicle means you decide when to leave, how long to stay at a sighting and when to go back to a leopard you found yesterday. Group departures are cheaper and perfectly good, but you move at the pace of six other people. For photographers, private is not really optional.

Around $20–$25 per vehicle per day for your guide, and $10–$15 per guest per day split among camp staff, is the current norm. Tip in US dollars or Tanzanian shillings, in cash. We will tell you what your guide is paid before you go, so you are deciding from information rather than guesswork.

Yes, and both are common. Zanzibar is a short flight from Arusha and works well as three or four nights afterwards. Kilimanjaro is best done before the safari, not after — you want the safari as the reward, and you do not want a summit attempt on tired legs.

A Toyota Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof, charging points, a fridge and a window seat guaranteed for every guest — we do not put more than six people in a vehicle even when the seats exist. Minivans are cheaper and common in Tanzania; we do not use them off tarmac.

The deposit is non-refundable because we pay it straight to camps and park authorities. After that, refunds taper with proximity to travel — the exact schedule is in the terms and is given to you in writing before you pay anything. Comprehensive travel insurance including medical evacuation is a condition of travelling with us.