Taking a trip to Tanzania with your family or friends is a great way to explore the country and to spend some quality time together. However, trying to find the best safaris throughout Tanzania without paying a premium price can be more difficult than it seems. Fortunately for you, I have put together 5 of my favorite safaris that won’t break the bank.
So, if you’re ready like I am, here are 5 of the Best Budget safaris in Tanzania.
- Camping and accommodated overland safari
- Adventure camping safaris
- Budget lodge safaris
- Mobile camping safari
- Tailor-made Private Safaris
For the remaining part of this article, I’m going to double down on the details on the above-mentioned Best Budget safaris and a couple of other helpful tips. Keep reading to find out more!
First, let’s take a brief look at what’s a premium-priced safari, a medium and low priced or Budget safaris per person per day.
| Type of safari | Price range ($) | Price category |
| Camping and accommodated overland safari | 170 – 280 | Low |
| Adventure camping safaris | 285 – 425 | Low |
| Tailor-made private safaris | 340 – 445 | Low |
| Budget lodge safaris | 320 – 625 | Medium |
| Mobile camping safari | 540 – 620 | Medium |
| Luxury Safaris | 470 – 1300 | Premium |
1. Camping and Accommodated Overland Safari
One of the best cheap safaris you can go on when you’re a little low on cash is a camping and accommodation overland safari and you will still be able to enjoy and have a good time.
It is the cheapest safari that will cost you an average of $170 to $280 per person.
This safari will generally include a trip around Serengeti, the Ngorongoro crater, as well as Zanzibar.
To minimize the cost, you can use the safari that is joined by the tour operators with a large group of travelers of about 20 to 29 for a safari in the overland truck.
The cost you incur will cover mostly a driver/guide, meals, camping accommodation, transport, and activities.
I found many of the overland tour operators offering a Serengeti trip as an optional extra which could have cost me about $1000 extra which of course will be way out of budget.
The Serengeti National park is commonly known for its great wildebeest migration and Ngorongoro – Africa’s garden of Eden are the top tourist destinations in Tanzania.
Entry fees to these destinations are higher than other parks in Tanzania.
My family and I decided to take overland transport because it is cheaper to move from one destination to another than to use a flight between the destinations.
To ensure we spend less money but enjoy the wonders of safari, we traveled during the low season.
It is a common understanding that traveling midseason or low season costs cheaper than traveling during a peak season.
We had a lot of luck because most of the tour operators and accommodations were offering low season rates, unlike the high season rates.
Although we did not visit Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater in the northern circuit because of pack entry fees, yet we enjoyed a lot in the southern circuit especially trekking for chimpanzee in remote mountains and sunset boat cruises on Lake Tanganyika.
2. Adventure Camping Safaris
My friend, Mike, has been on this type of safaris for about four times now.
He loves nature! He told me that it always feels awesome when you witness wildlife as you go through your daily life at a camp because the camps are not fenced.
Most of the camps are located near the parks and they are public campsites.
Like me, Mike loves to travel so much, loves to enjoy more but always spends less. Unlike the camping and accommodated overland safari, here you travel more comfortably as you will travel in a group of at least 7 travelers in the overland truck.
It’s cheap to take an adventure camping safari because you will travel in a group which is cheaper than taking an alone safari.
It is a common understanding that the larger the group, the cheaper the safari. This type of safari normally costs about $285 to $425 per person.
The money you pay will cover transport (the vehicle), the guide, meals, tent and mattress, the park entry fee, and water.
I can’t forget adventure safari in Tanzania during the mid-season. It was truly amazing, and I did not empty my bank account!’
If you want to spend less you have to travel during the mid or low season although you will miss the beautiful adventures of the peak season when game and park viewing is lovely.
I have taken many safaris in Tanzania, but adventure safaris are a phenomenon.
Spending some beautiful moments in one of the most beautiful parks in Tanzania with a small budget is unspeakable.
An adventure safari will typically include a visit to Tarangire, Lake Manyara, and Ngorongoro crater – the garden of Eden.
It was gorgeous to see big herds of giant animals and skilled predators on earth in those two parks! With our overland truck, it was enjoyable to have selfies and take photos of those beautiful sceneries under a minimum budget.
Do not forget, overland transport also charges less than flying between the destinations.
3. Budget Lodge Safaris
My last holiday in Tanzania taking budget lodge safari was unforgettable.
It was sweet to stay in the luxury tented camps while I had paid less. I did not truly believe if I could have only spent about $420 and still be accommodated in a 3-star hotel and have the opportunity to see animals in the parks.
Other travelers opted to stay in lodges ranging from 3 to 4 stars depending on their budgets. It was amazing! I truly had a world-class safari experience there.
With this safari, among others, I enjoyed traveling in small groups on scheduled departure time and date.
You will enjoy traveling in a pop–up roofed truck which gives you a chance to have a nice viewing and take beautiful photos.
If you really want to have such an experience as I had, you can take this type of safari which will cost you about $320 to $625 per person per day.
This expense covers airport transfers, tour vehicle, meals, 3 to 4-star accommodation, park entry fees, water, and game drives or boat cruises, as well as the cost of the ferry to and from the island if that safari includes visiting Zanzibar, Tanzania’s go-to beach destination.
Many travelers will be surprised to know that with this kind of budget, you can still combine both safaris in the parks and beach moments.
However, if your safari will include visiting Zanzibar, the money you have paid for this type of safari will not cover meals and activities in most cases. Therefore, you will have to spend more money on meals and activities to ensure you will have moments to enjoy the beaches.
I loved scuba diving with dolphins and snorkeling in the transparent turquoise waters! Anyone who is a nature lover would not miss that type of safari.
Starting with game viewing and ending up spending some beautiful time on the pure white sandy beach enjoying viewing waters painted in a whole range of dazzling oranges, yellows, and reds because of sunsets is an unforgettable safari in Tanzania.
4. Mobile Camping Safari
My wife loves to spend precious time alone when she is on holiday.
If you are like her and love spending precious moments alone in private concession areas in the park and feel special but at a low budget, a mobile camping safari is going to be perfect for you.
Roughly, entry fees to the concession areas will range between $25 to $50 per person per day.
Tour operators will take you to stay at private campsites and make you experience extra comfort and glamping style.
When my wife visits, she gets special treatments; there were no chores but just enjoying such wonderful times!
This safari type can include a combining camping (dome tents with camping beds) and tented lodge accommodation and can cost an average amount of $540 to $620 per person per day.
To make it cheaper, travelers join in a group package which is cheaper than traveling individually.
For economical travelers like me will also plan to travel during the mid or low-season when the cost of safaris is significantly low so that they can spend more time in many parks.
For travelers who love game viewing will understand how it feels when you visit Serengeti national park, Ngorongoro crater and Selous game reserve.
It is an unforgettable experience!
A mobile camping safari is still the best cheap safari for travelers who would like to experience life in private concession areas in the park because everything is perfect.
My wife usually spends about $580 for this safari and since then she claims that staying in exclusive safari accommodation and enjoying game viewing was one of the best experiences she will never forget.
Personally, Taking a mobile camping safari in Tanzania is on my list as my next safari for the holidays.
This is also one of the best honeymoon safaris to take in Tanzania that you will never forget.
If you prefer spending less time in movement and spend more time in the parks, then flying between destinations is the perfect choice for you but overland transport that moves travelers from one destination to the next charges cheaper than flying.
5. Tailor-Made Private Safaris
You can plan your private safaris which can cost you about $400 per day to take a private safari in the north of the circuit in Tanzania.
Mostly tailor-made private safari in Tanzania costs around $340 to $445 per person per day.
This is the cheapest private safari despite that you will only be offered basic camping accommodation, yet it is an iconic safari.
The money you pay can cover your guide, cook, tour vehicle, park entry fees, meals, mineral water, activities, flying doctor insurance, tents, and camping equipment.
Taking a private safari in Tanzania and spend some lovely moments in the parks under such a budget is nice because you feel everything special!
But if you want to enjoy more in private safari under minimum budget and have a value for money, the fully – serviced mobile camping safaris is a perfect choice.
Being in a group of about 4 travelers can help to get a reduced package that will cost about $340 to $445 per person per day.
This payment will exclude Serengeti National Park because visiting Serengeti – the continent’s premier spot and one of the natural world, wonders are always expensive.
If you want to witness the wonders in Serengeti, this safari type will require you a budget of around $600 per person per day on a group basis because it is understood that the larger the group, the cheaper the cost per person.
Tailor-made private safari is still one of the best honeymoon safaris in Tanzania where couples can have romantic moments alone which they will never forget in their lifetime.
With this safari, travelers can have a chance to be accommodated in exclusive safari lodges located in or nearby the parks.
To save more money, other travelers opt to visit the west or southern circuit in Tanzania where they enjoy rambling the mountains in pursuit of chimpanzees of Gombe and Selous game reserve as well as Mahele national parks – one of Africa’s best highlights to escape high entry charges in the northern parks.
6. Luxury Safaris
If you want to have a very good time and would mind paying a slight premium-priced safari then this is going to be a bang for your buck.
One of my friends had experienced this safari after his wedding as their honeymoon safari in Tanzania.
He and his wife spent some big money, but it was worth it.
It was their moment to experience the wildebeest migration in Serengeti – the top tourist destination in Tanzania.
After that, they spent some beautiful days and nights in the northern circuit- the most popular safari region in Tanzania, later they took a domestic flight from Arusha to Ruaha national park for taking a tour in the southern and western circuit.
After that, they finally found themselves on the beach of Zanzibar and visited the Stone Town before they flew to Dar es Salaam and took an international flight back to their Country. They said that was one of the unforgettable safaris they had!
It cost them about $470 to $1300 per person per day for this type of safari but they spent around 1250 US Dollars.
They enjoyed it and the money was well spent. Staying in intimate 4 to 5-star lodge accommodation, where they were offered nice dining as well as an experienced professional guide made them feel like king and queen in paradise.
If you are taking this type of safari, the money you pay will cover meals, shared and scheduled game drives, a guided walking safari, sundowners and transfers to and from the airports, laundry, service charge, and tax.
Premium-priced safari is recommendable to travelers whose pockets are not cheap because is the expensive type of safari in Tanzania.
However, I, myself still plan to take this safari during the low season when the majority of tour operators and accommodations offer low season rates.
Therefore, I will spend less money but visit many adventures in Tanzania where you also stay in the luxury safari lodges in the concession areas.
Roughly, entry fees to the concession areas will range from 25 to 50 US Dollars per person per day. To make it less expensive, we are planning to travel in a group of three that we are charged in a group basis which is cheaper than taking the alone safari. The larger the group the cheaper the safari!
Generally, the cost of the safari is determined by the type of safari, travel seasons and types of destinations you want to visit. The overland transport charges less than flying between the destinations. Also, traveling during a peak season is more expensive than traveling during the mid or low season.
Again, traveling on a group basis is cheaper than traveling alone. Remember, park entry fees differ across the parks.
Note that these estimates are based on our experience and expertise in safaris in Tanzania