Guide to Planning an African Safari in Tanzania

If you’re currently planning an African safari holiday in Tanzania, then you’ve come to the right place.

Tanzania ranks among the top safari destinations in Africa, and with good reason. Its numerous parks are home to abundant wildlife, including the Big Five – lions, elephants, leopards, buffalos, and rhinos. The country is also home to the great plains of the Serengeti National Park which hosts the world-famous Great Migration, the largest movement of land animals on the planet.

With all this to look forward to, Tanzania was a fantastic choice for your safari vacation! But the next questions you’ll be asking are likely when and where to go, how long to stay and how much it will all cost.

What does it cost to go on safari in Tanzania?

Safari costs in Tanzania fall into three categories – budget, mid-range and luxury, with the main cost difference depending on which style of accommodation you choose.

Budget safaris cost around $300 per person per day, mid-range from $400, and luxury anything from $600 upwards. Overall costs vary with each lodge and tour operator.

Each park also charges a daily park entry fee, which can range between $35 to $82, with the steeper fees being for the most famous parks; Serengeti, Kilimanjaro, and Nyerere.

Based on these costs, an additional saving of between 15% and 30% can be made by visiting during the shoulder or low seasons respectively. In some instances, low season prices can be as little as half of high season peak prices.

The Best Places to go on Safari in Tanzania

Below are the most popular parks in Tanzania. The first four are located close to one another in the northern region and can easily be covered as part of a 7-day itinerary.

1. Serengeti National Park

Serengeti is the flagship park of Tanzania and perhaps in the whole country, so it’s a good choice if you’re a first-timer on safari and want the best of everything. The Serengeti is home to over 4000 lions, 1000 leopards, 500 cheetahs, and 8000 elephants, alongside huge herds of buffaloes, wildebeest, zebras, impalas, antelopes and many bird species.

This huge park covers a massive 5700 square miles and has three main regions, all of which provide excellent game viewing all year round. However, there is some seasonal abundance of certain species, especially during the Great Migration.

I’ve had some of my best ever wildlife sightings in the Serengeti, including spotting three leopards in one day, witnessing the wildebeest migration cross the crocodile-infested Mara river and seeing more lions than I can count.

Pros:

• The Big Five can be viewed all year round across the entire park. 
• Jan/Feb in the south is excellent for viewing baby animals and cat activity. 
• The Great Migration is a spectacle not to be missed.
  Dramatic river crossings, mainly on the Grumeti and Mara Rivers. 
• Wonderful birdlife all year but best in Jan/Feb.

Cons:

• Park can get crowded during peak season.
• The famous Great Migration river crossing takes place during peak season when accommodation costs are high.

A daily park fee of $70 per person excluding VAT is charged in high season and $60 in low season for all non-East African residents.

2. Ngorongoro Crater

Known as the Eden of Africa, Ngorongoro is totally unique and definitely worth visiting during your time in Tanzania. This smallish park is surrounded by a steep 610-metre high volcanic crater wall, preventing the 25000 animals from migrating. As such, the park has a vast array of wildlife, including the Big Five.

There’s nowhere else on earth like Ngorongoro Crater, making it an incredibly special destination to visit.

Pros:

• Excellent all year round wildlife viewing 
• Superb scenery (your first view of the crater will take your breath away!) 
• A huge concentration of wildlife is easier to find in a relatively small area 
• High chances of witnessing a kill 
• Home to black rhinos 
• Lake Magadi is packed with water birds, including huge colonies of flamingos 
• It can be viewed in one day, so it’s a great add-on to most trips to Tanzania 

Cons:

• No giraffes and crocodiles 
• No accommodation is available inside the crater 
• Is the most expensive safari location to visit in Tanzania 

A daily park fee of $60 per person excluding VAT is charged for all non-East African residents. There is an additional vehicle fee of $295 per vehicle which can make entry pretty pricey if you are visiting on a private safari. 

3. Tarangire National Park

Perhaps Tanzania’s most underrated safari destination, Tarangire is a firm favourite of mine for its beautiful scenery and high density of animals.

Although Tarangire also hosts the Big Five, it’s mostly famed for its huge herds of elephants, some of which reach over 300 individuals. A mini-migration takes place here, but its vast array of wildlife can be viewed all year round.

Pros

• Great place to view elephants 
• 500 bird species 
• A fascinating landscape characterised by its ancient and humongous baobab trees 

Cons 

•  Wildebeest, zebras, antelope and some other species become scarce during June-October in the south, but plentiful in the north. 

A daily park fee of $45 per person excluding VAT is charged for all non-East African residents. 

4. Lake Manyara National Park

Situated between Ngorongoro and Tarangire, this smallish but extremely picturesque park is mostly taken up by the huge Lake Manyara, around which much of its dense population of wildlife can be viewed all year round.

For its size, it has a healthy number of lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, buffaloes, zebras, wildebeest, giraffes and many antelope species, but no rhinos.

Pros: 

• Animals congregate around the lake and are therefore easier to find.
• One of the few tree-climbing lion populations in the world
• Good birdlife including flamingo colonies
• Canoeing safaris take you close to the wildlife
• Small park packed with wildlife
• Can be visited in one day

Cons: 

• No rhinos, if that’s a dealbreaker
• In recent years the park has been affected by flooding and so animal numbers are not as high as they once were. The park has also shrunk dramatically in size.

A daily park fee of $50 per person excluding VAT applies to all non-East African residents.

5. Ruaha National Park

Ruaha is situated in the remote southern region of Tanzania so the best, if not the only, way of reaching the park is by air. Ruaha is well-suited for people who prefer to experience a truly untamed wilderness packed with wildlife but without the crowds.

Although Ruaha is best known for its high number of predators, especially its large prides of lions, it’s also home to leopards, cheetahs, buffaloes, zebras, giraffes, antelope, endangered wild dogs and over 10,000 elephants. Rhinos however are missing here, having been decimated by poachers. The Ruaha River provides the perfect habitat for hippos, crocs and over 500 species of birds.

Pros: 

• Excellent wildlife sightings
• Loads of predators
• Fewer visitors
• Excellent accommodation options in and outside the park
• Game drives, walking, boating, birding, cultural and balloon safaris are available

Cons: 

• Excessive rain leads to many lodges closing during the wet seasons Fewer tourists result in higher costs
• Getting there is expensive

A daily park fee of $30 per person excluding VAT applies to all non-East African residents.

6. Nyerere National Park

Located close to Ruaha, Nyerere Park is the largest park in Africa. It has a similar range of wildlife and terrain, but with more water and with the huge bonus of having black rhinos.

Unfortunately, Nyerere is also difficult to get to and is best visited by air. However, although these added costs may stretch your budget, it may be worth it to experience Tanzania with fewer tourists and an overall better safari experience.

Pros: 

• Excellent game viewing including the Big Five 
• Fewer visitors
• Riverside accommodation with scenic views 
• Fantastic boating safaris

Cons: 

• Difficult to get to (best to reach by air)
• Expensive
• Excessive rain leads to many lodges closing during the wet seasons

A daily park fee of $50 per person excluding VAT applies to all non-East African residents.

The Best Time to Visit Tanzania

Being only a few degrees south of the equator, the seasons in Tanzania are distinguished not by temperature variations, but by wet and dry periods. The country has two dry and two wet periods each year.

The best time to visit is during the dry seasons, which are unfortunately regarded as high seasons when accommodation costs are higher.

Low seasons are March-May which are the wettest months and mid-October to mid-December.

High seasons are mid-December-February and June to mid-October.

Shoulder seasons sit between the high and low seasons and are very popular times for tourists.

Tanzania Entry Requirements

Visas

Visitors from the UK, US, Canada and most European countries require visas, which can be obtained on arrival (with the exception of multiple-entry visas) or applied for online well in advance. Single-entry visas cost $50 but US residents need a multi-entry visa costing $100.

Vaccinations

No vaccinations are required to enter Tanzania, but if you have visited Kenya or any other country with a high risk of Yellow Fever, a Yellow Fever vaccination certificate must be produced. However, several other vaccines are highly recommended.

Tips for booking your Tanzania safari

Tanzania is a fairly large country, with tons to see and do, alongside long distances between parks which takes up much valuable time. For this reason, we don’t recommend spending anything less than seven days in Tanzania.

You have two basic options – booking through an overseas travel agent or a local tour operator.

In my experience, local tour operators are far cheaper, able to offer you more detailed information, and each has a wide selection of safari itineraries. They can arrange your accommodation, park fees, safari tours, and transport to and from the airport and your lodge.

Aside from booking your international flights, overseas travel agents subcontract local tour operators for everything else and markup.

Packing Essentials for Your Safari

• Anti-malaria tablets. Tanzania is a malaria high-risk area and it’s advisable to ask your doctor what medication suits you best.
• Anti-bug sprays, sun hats, sun shades, sun cream and anti-nausea tablets if you’re prone to travel or altitude sickness or planning to hike Kilimanjaro.
• Light comfortable clothing, avoiding bright and dark colours.
• Light rain jacket and warm jacket. It gets cold at night even in summer.
• Comfortable good-quality walking shoes
• Binoculars, camera, extra batteries and memory cards

Conclusion

Tanzania is not a cheap country, but for what it has to offer in terms of natural beauty and spectacular wildlife, it’s worth every cent you spend. Going there at the right time of year is, however, crucial to derive the maximum enjoyment for your dollar!

Not only is Tanzania known for its brilliant wildlife, but it’s also home to Africa’s tallest mountain, Kilimanjaro, which can be hiked by almost anyone in relatively good health, and a superb coastline and exotic Zanzibar Islands to relax on their snow-white sandy beaches or swim and snorkel in the crystal blue waters.

Combining a safari in the Serengeti, with a hike up Kilimanjaro and a few days relaxing on a tropical island, sounds like the perfect holiday to me.

**All images provided are copyright and owned by Ella, who has given us permission to publish them.

If you’d like to save it for later, please save it to Pinterest.