Transparent pricing
Tanzania safari pricing has long been opaque: bundled package quotes that hide which dollar goes to the government, which to the lodge, and which to the operator. Savannah & Sands separates every line.
How pricing works
Every quote we build is broken into four line-itemised buckets. You see the total at the top, but every total traces back to specific fees, rates, and counts.
1. Government park fees
TANAPA entry, NCAA Crater Service Fee, concession fees in private wildlife management areas, conservation levies, and the Tanzania Tourism Development Levy (TDL). These are pass-through to the Tanzanian government — you pay exactly what the government charges.
2. Lodge rates
You pay each lodge's direct supplier rate — the same price the lodge would quote you if you contacted them yourself. Per-person-per- night, by season, by room type. Verifiable on every lodge's own website.
3. Transport
Private 4x4 daily rate (driver included), airport and airstrip transfers, optional regional bush flights between parks. Vehicle count scales with party size (one Land Cruiser per six guests is standard).
4. Activities
Optional add-ons: walking safaris, balloon rides, cultural visits, private bush meals. Each priced individually so you only pay for what you actually book.
Lodge tiers
These are typical per-person, per-night rates including full board and shared game drives. Park fees, transport, and activities are charged separately on top.
Camping safaris and budget tented camps with shared bathrooms or basic en-suite facilities. The honest end of the market: experienced operators, real game-drive time, clean and safe accommodation, with the trade-off being simpler cuisine, design, and amenities.
Comfortable lodges and tented camps with full board, en-suite bathrooms, hot showers, electricity. Honest hospitality, well-run operations, clean rooms with character.
Refined lodges with elevated cuisine, design, and service. Generous suites, plunge pools, personalised game-driving. The category that suits most travellers who want the trip to feel considered.
Flagship properties: private guides, signature interiors, fewer rooms, often more remote locations. The level where the lodge itself becomes part of the trip's narrative.
Private villa-style camps, exclusive-use options, helicopter access, household-style staffing. Limited inventory, books 9 to 12 months out for peak season.
These are typical industry ranges. Your real per-night cost depends on the specific lodge, room type, and season — see your line-itemised numbers when you build a quote.
Government park fees
Pulled live from our system, updated as the Tanzanian government revises rates. Peak amounts apply during the dates flagged on each fee. TDL is a 1% levy on net room rates and applies on top of all listed amounts.
| Fee | Amount | Peak | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| TDL (Tanzania Development Levy) | 1% of room | — | Per room / night |
| WMA Adult Conservation Fee | $51.00 | — | Per person / night |
| WMA Child Conservation Fee | $37.00 | — | Per person / night |
| WMA Vehicle Fee | $9.24 | — | Per vehicle / day (24-hour permit) |
| Fee | Amount | Peak | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult Concession Fee | $59.00 | $70.80 | Per person / night |
| Adult Entry Fee | $70.80 | $82.60 | Per person / day |
| Child Concession Fee | $11.80 | — | Per person / night |
| Child Entry Fee | $23.60 | — | Per person / day |
| TDL (Tanzania Development Levy) | 1% of room | — | Per room / night |
| Vehicle Fee | $17.70 | — | Per vehicle / day (24-hour permit) |
| Fee | Amount | Peak | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult Concession Fee | $59.00 | $70.80 | Per person / night |
| Adult Entry Fee | $70.80 | $82.60 | Per person / day |
| Child Concession Fee | $11.80 | — | Per person / night |
| Child Entry Fee | $23.60 | — | Per person / day |
| TDL (Tanzania Development Levy) | 1% of room | — | Per room / night |
| Vehicle Fee | $17.70 | — | Per vehicle / day (24-hour permit) |
| Fee | Amount | Peak | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult Concession Fee | $47.20 | — | Per person / night |
| Adult Entry Fee | $53.10 | $59.00 | Per person / day |
| Child Concession Fee | $11.80 | — | Per person / night |
| Child Entry Fee | $17.70 | — | Per person / day |
| TDL (Tanzania Development Levy) | 1% of room | — | Per room / night |
| Vehicle Fee | $17.70 | — | Per vehicle / day (24-hour permit) |
| Fee | Amount | Peak | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult Concession Fee | $59.00 | $70.80 | Per person / night |
| Adult Entry Fee | $70.80 | $82.60 | Per person / day |
| Child Concession Fee | $11.80 | — | Per person / night |
| Child Entry Fee | $23.60 | — | Per person / day |
| TDL (Tanzania Development Levy) | 1% of room | — | Per room / night |
| Vehicle Fee | $17.70 | — | Per vehicle / day (24-hour permit) |
| Fee | Amount | Peak | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult Concession Fee | $59.00 | — | Per person / night |
| Adult Entry Fee | $70.80 | — | Per person / day |
| Child Concession Fee | $11.80 | — | Per person / night |
| Child Entry Fee | $23.60 | — | Per person / day |
| TDL (Tanzania Development Levy) | 1% of room | — | Per room / night |
| Vehicle Fee | $20.00 | — | Per vehicle / day (24-hour permit) |
| Fee | Amount | Peak | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult Concession Fee | $59.00 | — | Per person / night |
| Adult Entry Fee | $70.80 | — | Per person / day |
| Child Concession Fee | $11.80 | — | Per person / night |
| Child Entry Fee | $23.60 | — | Per person / day |
| TDL (Tanzania Development Levy) | 1% of room | — | Per room / night |
| Vehicle Fee | $295.00 | — | Per vehicle / visit |
| Fee | Amount | Peak | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Randilen Activity Fee | $34.00 | — | Per person / night |
| TDL (Tanzania Development Levy) | 1% of room | — | Per room / night |
| WMA Adult Bed Night Fee | $25.00 | — | Per person / night |
| WMA Adult Conservancy Fee | $30.00 | — | Per person / night |
| WMA Child Bed Night Fee | $23.00 | — | Per person / night |
| WMA Child Conservancy Fee | $15.00 | — | Per person / night |
| Fee | Amount | Peak | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult Concession Fee | $59.00 | $70.80 | Per person / night |
| Adult Entry Fee | $70.80 | $82.60 | Per person / day |
| Child Concession Fee | $11.80 | — | Per person / night |
| Child Entry Fee | $23.60 | — | Per person / day |
| TDL (Tanzania Development Levy) | 1% of room | — | Per room / night |
| Vehicle Fee | $17.70 | — | Per vehicle / day (24-hour permit) |
| Fee | Amount | Peak | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult Concession Fee | $47.20 | — | Per person / night |
| Adult Entry Fee | $53.10 | $59.00 | Per person / day |
| Child Concession Fee | $11.80 | — | Per person / night |
| Child Entry Fee | $17.70 | — | Per person / day |
| TDL (Tanzania Development Levy) | 1% of room | — | Per room / night |
| Vehicle Fee | $17.70 | — | Per vehicle / day (24-hour permit) |
What's in your quote
When we build a quote for you, here's what's bundled in and what's billed on top. This is about the quote we build, not about what the government park fees in the table above cover.
Included in your quote
Charged separately (not in your quote)
Seasonality
Tanzania has three pricing seasons. Most lodges and the government use roughly the same windows, with small differences at private camps.
| Season | Months | What's happening | Price posture |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peak | Jul to Oct | Mara River crossings, dry-season game, cat density at peak. | Highest |
| Calving (peak adjacent) | Jan to Mar | Newborn wildebeest on the southern plains, predator action at its sharpest. | High |
| Shoulder | Jun, Nov, Dec | Transitions: rains easing into dry, or herds moving south. Quieter parks. | Mid |
| Emerald | Apr, May | Long rains. Lush landscapes, almost no other vehicles. Some camps close. | Lowest |
Children's rates
Two age cutoffs apply on every family booking, one for lodge billing and one for park-fee billing. Each traveller's age is classified twice.
Lodge billing
Most lodges charge child rates between 50% and 75% of the adult rate, with age cutoffs varying by camp (typical brackets: 0–5 free, 6–11 child rate, 12+ adult). Each lodge sets its own policy and we factor it into every quote.
Government park fees
TANAPA and NCAA brackets are 0–4 free, 5–15 child rate, 16+ adult rate. Identical structure across most parks. Child rates run roughly a third of adult rates: Serengeti and NCAA charge $23.60 per child (vs $70.80 adult); Tarangire charges $17.70 per child (vs $53.10 adult).
Transport
Private 4×4 with driver
$400 to $700 per vehicle per day, depending on tier and game-drive duration. Includes your driver, fuel, vehicle maintenance, and the driver's accommodation between camps. One vehicle covers up to six guests; a second is added when party size requires.
Bush flights between parks
$250 to $450 per person per leg, depending on airstrip. Flights save 4 to 6 hours on the Northern Serengeti leg and are usually worth taking. Arusha-Tarangire and Tarangire-Ngorongoro legs are short scenic drives that rarely justify flying.
Zanzibar flights
$150 to $300 per person from Arusha or Serengeti airstrips to Zanzibar. The island isn't drivable from the mainland; flying is the only practical option.
Deposits
A 20% deposit confirms your booking and locks your lodge rooms. The balance is due 60 to 90 days before travel, depending on the lodge's terms (we surface this on every quote). Most lodges accept USD wire transfers and major cards; we coordinate the payment workflow with you on the call.
Keep reading
Seasons
When to visit Tanzania.
Peak, shoulder, and emerald seasons explained month by month. Where the migration is each month.
Common questions
Tanzania safari FAQ.
Planning, booking, lodges, transport, and the Great Migration — answered.
Lodges
Lodges and partners.
Camps and lodges we work with directly. Direct supplier rates, no markup.