Tanzania by park fee, month and bush flight
You’re planning around animals that don’t read itineraries and parks that bill by the 24 hours. Start with the facts that cost money, then picture one real route.
- ArushaDay 1Land at Kilimanjaro International, transfer to Arusha, and meet the group over a welcome dinner.
- Tarangire National ParkDays 2–3Two days of game drives in the first park on the route.
- Karatu & NgorongoroDay 4Through the town of Karatu to Ngorongoro, the base for the next two nights.
- Lake EyasiDay 5A visit with the Hadzabe community by the lake, then back to Ngorongoro.
- Ngorongoro Crater & SerengetiDay 6Down into the crater for the game drive, then on to the Serengeti.
- Serengeti National ParkDays 7–8A full day exploring the plains, then out via Arusha to the airport.
From $6,150 per person for 2027 on Trafalgar’s US page (some dates up to $7,725). Groups average 16; seven breakfasts, six lunches and seven dinners. Trafalgar doesn’t name the lodges or say whether park fees are in the fare, so ask.
Six places, six different reasons to go
Most first safaris here run the “northern circuit” from Arusha. Tap a park to see what it’s for and what a day there costs.
Serengeti National Park
The main event. The herds spend most of the year somewhere in it, so the right corner matters more than the park itself.
- Southern plains around Ndutu: calving, roughly December to March
- Western Corridor and Grumeti: June river crossings
- North around Kogatende: Mara River crossings from about July
- Camps inside the park add a concession fee of $50–$60 per adult per night plus VAT
Ngorongoro Crater
A collapsed volcano with wildlife on its floor. Intrepid’s camping trip spends three to four hours down there.
- Conservation Area fee about $70.80 per person per 24 hours, on top of the vehicle fee
- Tauck sleeps two nights in Karatu; G Adventures camps on the crater rim
- Self-drivers need a ranger, per Road Trip Africa; on a tour that’s handled
Tarangire National Park
The first park on Trafalgar’s route, and cheaper per day than the Serengeti. Trafalgar gives it two days.
- $50 peak and $45 low season before VAT
- Trafalgar drives in from Arusha on day 2
- A lower daily fee than the Serengeti, so longer stays cost less
Lake Manyara National Park
A smaller park on the road to the crater. G Adventures’ Classic Serengeti & Zanzibar includes a game drive here.
- Same fee band as Tarangire
- G pairs it with a village visit and lunch in Mto wa Mbu
- A lower-cost day between the bigger parks
The south: Ruaha and Nyerere (formerly Selous)
Longer distances from Arusha. We didn’t find either park in the group-tour names and routes we read, so plan on a private trip and ask us about flights.
- Ruaha: $30 plus VAT all year on TANAPA’s schedule
- Nyerere: the same $70 peak and $60 low as the Serengeti, plus VAT
- Best months for the south aren’t in the sources we trust; ask us for your dates
Zanzibar, the beach finish
The usual ending. G Adventures flies you from Arusha; Intrepid starts in Stone Town and the northern beaches before the safari.
- Buy Zanzibar’s insurance before you arrive: $44 an adult, $22 a child aged 3 to 17 (State Department)
- Dress more conservatively away from the beach resorts
- Stone Town’s cobbles and alleys are hard going in a wheelchair
Where the herds are, month by month
Choose the month by what you want to watch: calves in the south, or crossings in the north. The park is the same; the corner isn’t.
| Month | Where most of the herds are | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| January | Southern plains: Moru, Naabi, Kusini, Ndutu | Calving under way; intense thunderstorms possible |
| February | Ndutu and Kusini toward the crater highlands | Peak calving. The driest month of the rainy season |
| March | Ndutu–Kusini, some toward Maswa and Namiri | Last calves; heavy regional storms. Low park fees from March 15 |
| April | Naabi and Kusini, starting north | The rut begins as the rains end |
| May | Through Moru Kopjes to the Western Corridor | Thunderstorms keep the grass green. Low fees run to May 15 |
| June | Western Corridor and Grumeti | Grumeti River crossings in the first half; dry season begins |
| July | Head of the herd at Kogatende, northern Serengeti | Mara River crossings usually start |
| August | Lamai Wedge and Nyamalumbwa Plains | Mostly south-to-north crossings |
| September | Most in Kenya’s Masai Mara, many still in the north | Crossings both ways. See our Kenya guide |
| October | Back toward Lobo and Grumeti | The tail of the herd crosses back from Kenya |
| November | Through Lobo to the central Serengeti | The short rains push the herds south |
| December | Central Serengeti, Lobo to Ndutu | Storms catch up; the cycle restarts |
Herd positions from Asilia, which runs camps in the Serengeti; the animals vary year to year. Fee seasons from TANAPA’s published schedule (low season March 15 to May 15).
Notice the price signal. TANAPA’s only low season sits in the rainy weeks of mid-March to mid-May, when the herds are still in the south. Tauck runs its Great Migration trip only in January–February and June–October, which tells you where demand is.
Pick February for babies and predators on open plains. Pick July to October for crossings, and accept that you’re sharing them.
Which camp style fits your budget
You’re choosing how close you sleep to the animals and how many people share your window. That decides the bill more than the itinerary does.
| Style | What you sleep in | Real example | Roughly per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overland camping | Two-person dome tent, camp mattress; basic camps, unfenced in the Serengeti | Intrepid Zanzibar to Nairobi (max 22) | ~$170 |
| Group camping safari | Tents at set campsites, including the crater rim | G Adventures Classic Serengeti & Zanzibar | ~$315–$345* |
| Small-group lodge safari | Lodges and permanent tented camps | Trafalgar Premium, Globus (avg 16–18) | ~$700–$800 |
| Mobile tented camp | A tented camp that moves with the migration | Tauck’s Legendary Serengeti Songa camp, three nights | ~$1,650 (whole trip) |
| Top lodge | A full-service safari lodge | Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti on Tauck’s Classic Safari | ~$1,345 (whole trip) |
Bars show the top of each range, from Duma Explorer’s 2026 guide. * Reseller listing.
A mobile camp is the migration chaser’s choice: it’s set up where the herds are expected, so you’re near the action, not a long drive from it. A fixed lodge gives you solid walls and the same view all year.
Vehicles change with the price too. One Tanzania operator calls a pop-up-roof Land Cruiser the standard, shared by four to six on group-joining trips. Tauck and Collette advertise six-passenger vehicles, and Tauck’s are open-top.
Ask this before you compare camps
How many guests share each vehicle, does everyone get a window, and is the camp inside the park (concession fee) or outside it (a longer drive each morning)? Those three answers explain most price gaps.
A Serengeti day in an unfenced camp
This is day 10 of Intrepid’s 12-day Zanzibar to Nairobi trip, as its itinerary describes it. Lodge safaris keep the same rhythm with softer beds.
First drive
Up at first light for a morning game drive in a 4WD. Booked the balloon (from US$660)? You skip this drive for a pre-dawn pickup.
Brunch at camp
Back for a late brunch. The camp sits inside the national park, with limited water and no Wi-Fi.
Rest in the heat
The itinerary keeps the middle of the day free. A book in the shade beats a hot drive.
Second drive
Out again as the day cools, back in time for dinner.
Stay close
The camp has no fence. Buffalo and hyenas often wander through after sundown; your leader briefs you on arrival.
The day before is the crater: three to four hours on the floor of Ngorongoro, then the drive onto the Serengeti plains for an afternoon game drive. All meals are included on both days.
Park fees you’ll pay (or your tour will)
Packaged tours usually fold these in, and a lodge-by-lodge quote may not. Check which line your quote is on before you compare.
| Fee | Peak | Low (Mar 15–May 15) | The detail that matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serengeti, per adult per day | $70 + VAT (~$82.60) | $60 + VAT (~$70.80) | Child 5–15: $20 + VAT; under 5 free |
| Nyerere (Selous) | $70 + VAT | $60 + VAT | Same band as the Serengeti |
| Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Arusha | $50 + VAT (~$59) | $45 + VAT (~$53.10) | Child 5–15: $15 + VAT |
| Ruaha | $30 + VAT (~$35.40) | No split | Child $10 + VAT |
| Camp concession, Serengeti and Nyerere | $60 (Jul–Sep) | $50 (Oct–Jun) | Per adult per night, if you sleep inside the park |
| Ngorongoro Conservation Area | ~$70.80 per 24 h | — | Per person |
| Ngorongoro Crater service fee | ~$295 | — | Per vehicle, every descent |
TANAPA rates from its 2023/24 tariff schedule, which safari companies report is still the one in force in 2026; VAT is 18% on top. Ngorongoro figures from safari companies’ published fee guides. TANAPA hadn’t published 2027 rates when we checked.
The fee that surprises people
The crater fee is per vehicle, not per person. Six people in one Land Cruiser split $295; a private couple pays it all. If you’re comparing a private safari with a group one, put the crater day side by side first.
Who runs Tanzania: real 2027 safaris
Almost every tour company on our site sells Tanzania now. The split is tent or lodge, and whether you add Kenya or the beach.
| Safari | Route | Days | From | Group & style |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intrepid · Zanzibar to Nairobi | Zanzibar to Nairobi | 12 | $2,040 | Max 22, ages 15+; overland camping |
| G Adventures · Tanzania Camping Adventure | Arusha round trip | 6 | $2,062* | Camping |
| G Adventures · Serengeti Safari & Zanzibar | Arusha to Stone Town | 12 | $4,049* | Camping and hotels |
| G Adventures · Classic Serengeti & Zanzibar | Nairobi to Stone Town | 13 | $4,099* | Crater-rim camp; flight to Zanzibar |
| Trafalgar Premium · Tanzania Safari with Serengeti | Kilimanjaro round trip | 8 | $6,150 | Small group, avg 16 |
| Trafalgar Premium · with Serengeti and Zanzibar | Kilimanjaro to Zanzibar | 11 | $7,700* | Small group |
| Globus · Tanzania: the Serengeti & Beyond | Arusha round trip | 9 | $7,044* | Also a 12-day Zanzibar version, $8,801* |
| Cosmos · On Safari in Kenya & Tanzania with Nairobi & Zanzibar | Nairobi to Dar es Salaam | 14 | $7,934* | Small-group safari |
| Collette · African Safari: Kenya and Tanzania | Both countries | 14 | $7,202 (2025) | Six-person vehicles, 12 game drives |
| Abercrombie & Kent · Kenya and Tanzania Safari Adventure | Nairobi to the Mara | 12 | $13,995 | Limit 18 |
| Tauck · Great Migration: Tanzania & Kenya | Arusha to Nairobi | 10 | $16,490 | Avg 15, max 18; Jan–Feb, Jun–Oct |
| Tauck · Kenya & Tanzania: A Classic Safari | Arusha to Nairobi | 13 | $17,490 | Max 30; on-tour flights included |
| Abercrombie & Kent · Epic Great Migration Safari | Nairobi to Arusha | 10 | $17,795* | Small group |
Per person, sharing a room, before international flights, as shown October 26, 2026. * From a US reseller’s 2027 listing, not the operator’s own page. Intrepid doesn’t label its price by year; Collette’s figure is from its 2025 launch, so ask for the 2027 fare. Tauck includes flights within the tour.
The adventure brands own the low end: G Adventures and Intrepid make up most of the Tanzania trips on the US listing we read, many with camping and a Zanzibar finish.
The escorted brands sell lodges, smaller vehicles and fewer surprises. Trafalgar’s Premium tier (formerly Insight) and Globus sit in the middle; A&K and Tauck own the top, and Tauck’s migration trip runs only in the herd months.
Climbing Kilimanjaro is its own trip. A&K’s 10-day Machame route was listed from $8,995 for 2027 (reseller), and G Adventures and Intrepid sell treks that end on the safari circuit.
When the 2027 tours actually leave
Month by month, for the tours on this page that publish 2027 dates. Numbers are departures that month; rows marked “months with departures” show only which months have dates, not how many, and “first dates only” rows show the start of a season the operator hasn’t finished listing. Tap a month to see who goes.
| Tour | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G Adventures Tanzania Camping Adventure6 days · months with departures | January: departs | February: departs | March: departs | April: departs | May: departs | June: departs | July: departs | August: departs | September: departs | October: departs | November: departs | December: none listed |
| G Adventures Classic Serengeti & Zanzibar13 days · months with departures | January: departs | February: departs | March: departs | April: none listed | May: none listed | June: none listed | July: departs | August: none listed | September: departs | October: departs | November: none listed | December: none listed |
| Trafalgar Premium Tanzania Safari with Serengeti8 days · reseller listing | January: 2 departures2 | February: 2 departures2 | March: 1 departure1 | April: 2 departures2 | May: 2 departures2 | June: 3 departures3 | July: 4 departures4 | August: 5 departures5 | September: 4 departures4 | October: 3 departures3 | November: 2 departures2 | December: 2 departures2 |
| Globus Tanzania: the Serengeti & Beyond9 days · reseller listing | January: none listed | February: none listed | March: none listed | April: none listed | May: none listed | June: 1 departure1 | July: 3 departures3 | August: 4 departures4 | September: 3 departures3 | October: 2 departures2 | November: none listed | December: none listed |
| Cosmos On Safari in Kenya & Tanzania with Nairobi & Zanzibar14 days · reseller listing | January: none listed | February: none listed | March: none listed | April: none listed | May: none listed | June: 2 departures2 | July: 2 departures2 | August: 2 departures2 | September: 1 departure1 | October: 2 departures2 | November: none listed | December: none listed |
| Intrepid Zanzibar to Nairobi12 days · months with departures | January: departs | February: departs | March: departs | April: none listed | May: departs | June: departs | July: departs | August: departs | September: departs | October: departs | November: departs | December: departs |
| Abercrombie & Kent Kenya and Tanzania Safari Adventure12 days · months with departures | January: departs | February: departs | March: departs | April: none listed | May: departs | June: departs | July: departs | August: departs | September: departs | October: departs | November: departs | December: departs |
| Tauck Great Migration: Tanzania & Kenya10 days · reseller listing | January: 1 departure1 | February: 1 departure1 | March: none listed | April: none listed | May: none listed | June: 2 departures2 | July: 4 departures4 | August: 2 departures2 | September: 4 departures4 | October: 3 departures3 | November: none listed | December: none listed |
| Tauck Kenya & Tanzania: A Classic Safari13 days · reseller listing | January: 1 departure1 | February: 2 departures2 | March: none listed | April: none listed | May: 3 departures3 | June: 6 departures6 | July: 7 departures7 | August: 10 departures10 | September: 7 departures7 | October: 6 departures6 | November: 1 departure1 | December: 1 departure1 |
| Abercrombie & Kent Epic Great Migration Safari10 days · reseller listing | January: none listed | February: 1 departure1 | March: 1 departure1 | April: none listed | May: none listed | June: 1 departure1 | July: 3 departures3 | August: 3 departures3 | September: 1 departure1 | October: 1 departure1 | November: none listed | December: 1 departure1 |
| Tours leavingout of 10 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 5 |
Dates as published by each operator or a reseller listing that tour, checked October 28, 2026. Departures sell out and new dates get added, so we confirm the exact date when we price it. Sources: G Adventures: Tanzania Camping Adventure · G Adventures: Classic Serengeti & Zanzibar · Trafalgar Premium: Tanzania Safari with Serengeti · Globus: Tanzania: the Serengeti & Beyond · Cosmos: On Safari in Kenya & Tanzania with Nairobi & Zanzibar · Intrepid: Zanzibar to Nairobi · Abercrombie & Kent: Kenya and Tanzania Safari Adventure · Tauck: Great Migration: Tanzania & Kenya · Tauck: Kenya & Tanzania: A Classic Safari · Abercrombie & Kent: Epic Great Migration Safari
What a day in Tanzania costs
Tanzania can be one of the cheapest safaris in Africa or one of the dearest. The tent decides which.
From-price divided by days, per person, sharing, before international flights. * Reseller listing. Highlighted: the eight-day Premium safari and Tauck’s migration trip.
The spread is about tenfold. Camping trips sit around $170 to $345 a day; small-group lodge safaris around $700 to $800; A&K and Tauck between about $1,150 and $1,800.
The jump buys camps closer to the herds, fewer people per vehicle and more included. Tauck folds in its on-tour flights, which can be a big line on a cheaper quote.
Then add what the fare leaves out. Tips for a guide and camp staff run roughly $15 to $35 a day per person on the published guidance, and a balloon flight is hundreds more.
All-in math
What your Tanzania safari really costs
Start with the fare from your quote. We filled in Trafalgar’s eight-day Premium safari and the middle of the published tip ranges; change any of it.
Tip ranges are Trafalgar’s (guides) and Asilia’s (camp staff). Intrepid prices the Serengeti balloon from US$660. If your fare leaves out park fees, add them from the fee table. Flights and insurance aren’t included.
Find your Tanzania safari
Budget and bed type sort most of the field. Month and add-ons settle the rest.
Matcher
Which 2027 Tanzania safari fits you?
Answer as many as you like; tap again to clear one. We score ten real safaris and show the top three.
How many days, and how to get there
A safari is short on miles and long on hours. The flights in and out, and the bag rules on small planes, shape the trip more than the distances do.
| Trip | Days on the tours we checked | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Northern parks only | 6–9 | G Adventures 6; Trafalgar Premium 8; Globus 9 |
| Northern parks plus Zanzibar | 11–13 | Trafalgar Premium 11; G Adventures 12–13; Globus 12 |
| Tanzania plus Kenya | 10–16 | Tauck 10 and 13; A&K 12; Cosmos 14 |
Most northern safaris start at Kilimanjaro International Airport or in Arusha. Kenya combinations often start in Nairobi and end in Arusha, or the reverse, and beach versions end in Zanzibar or Dar es Salaam. Price an open-jaw ticket before a round trip.
Book early for February and July to October. Globus and Cosmos take final payment 90 days before Africa departures, a month earlier than their usual 60, so your money is committed sooner.
Arrive the day before. Trafalgar’s day 1 is a transfer and a welcome dinner, and you’ll want a night’s sleep before the first dawn game drive.
Tanzania runs on East Africa Time, UTC+3, with no daylight saving. That’s seven hours ahead of Florida in the US summer and eight in winter, and eight or nine ahead of Texas.
Pack soft, pack light
Trafalgar says East Africa safaris need a soft-sided bag. Tauck gives you a duffel of up to 20 kg (44 lb) as your only checked bag on its in-tour flights, plus a 5 kg carry-on. Small-plane limits vary by airline, so get the number for your flights in writing.
Visa, passport and the State Department level
The paperwork is short. The two things that catch people are the six-month passport rule and Zanzibar’s separate insurance.
US citizens need a visa. The Tanzanian Embassy lists a US$100 visa for Americans, multiple entry and valid for 12 months, through the government’s online portal, eservices.immigration.go.tz.
Your passport needs at least six months left beyond your trip.
Zanzibar adds its own rule: local travel insurance, bought before entry, at $44 an adult and $22 a child, even if you already have a policy.
Health is a conversation for your doctor, not for us. Check the CDC’s Travelers’ Health page for Tanzania, and every other country on your route, well before you go.
State Department: Level 2
Tanzania went back to Level 2, “Exercise increased caution,” on October 16, 2026, after almost a year at Level 3. The reasons listed: crime, terrorism, health, unrest, arbitrary enforcement of laws and the targeting of gay and lesbian people. The Mtwara Region on the Mozambique border is Level 3, and medical care is limited outside Dar es Salaam and Arusha.
Medical evacuation is a real line item when the nearest hospital is a flight away. Read our insurance timing guide and how far ahead to book before you pay a deposit.
Tipping and customs on safari
On safari you’re tipping a team: a guide, sometimes a driver, and a camp. Budget it by the day from the start.
| Who | Published guidance | Whose |
|---|---|---|
| Safari guide | $10–$20 a day | Trafalgar (Tanzania and Kenya) |
| Driver | $5–$10 a day | Trafalgar |
| Guide | $10–$20 per guest per day | Asilia |
| Camp staff (tip box) | $5–$15 per guest per day | Asilia |
| Driver-guide (private) | ~$50 per vehicle per day | Duma Explorer |
Tip in US dollars, in small, newer bills. Asilia notes many banks won’t take notes printed before 2006, and it suggests tipping on the final morning in envelopes from reception.
The local currency is the Tanzanian shilling. On a tour you’ll rarely need much of it; carry some for markets and Zanzibar.
Ask before you photograph people, and on a village visit follow your guide’s lead. On Zanzibar, dress conservatively away from the beach resorts, as the State Department advises.
Solo travelers, families and slower travelers
Safaris suit almost everyone, but the age limits and supplements differ a lot by company. Check them before you fall for an itinerary.
Solo. Expect to pay more, because vehicles and tents are priced for two. Intrepid pairs solos in twin rooms with a same-gender traveler; G Adventures does the same on most trips with no single supplement. Tauck cut its land supplement by up to $600 on select 2026 departures in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Families. Tauck Bridges family safaris start at age 5; Collette sets 13 for its safaris; Intrepid’s Zanzibar to Nairobi trip is 15 and up. Intrepid also sells a 10-day East Africa Family Safari Comfort from $6,095 (reseller listing). Tauck’s balloon has a minimum age of 7.
Slower pace or limited mobility. Most of a safari is sitting in a vehicle. Tauck rates its Classic Safari activity 3 of 5 with about 2 to 3.5 miles of walking a day; the hard parts are early starts, bumpy roads and climbing into the vehicle. Ask about step heights and lodge paths before you book.
Camping isn’t for everyone
Intrepid’s Serengeti camp has no fence, limited water and no Wi-Fi. That’s the thrill for some people and the deal-breaker for others. If you aren’t sure, book a lodge safari and add one tented-camp night.
Ten checks before you pay a Tanzania deposit
Ten minutes now saves a refused boarding or a surprise bill at the crater gate.
Ten checks
Who a Tanzania safari suits
Book it if
- You want the migration and can travel in February or July to October
- You want the Serengeti, the crater and a beach in one booking
- You’re fine with early starts and long days in a vehicle
- You’d trade city time for wildlife time
- You want a range of budgets, from camping to Four Seasons, on the same route
Look elsewhere if
- You can only travel in April or May and want the herds in the north
- Your budget is under about $170 a day and you won’t camp
- You need a guaranteed river crossing on a fixed date
- You want quiet parks with very few vehicles on a group-tour budget; look at a private trip to the south
- Your kids are under the operator’s minimum age (5 at Tauck, 13 at Collette, 15 at Intrepid)
Our take
Tanzania is the safari to pick when the migration is the point. It holds the herds for most of the year, and it sells every comfort level along the same road from Arusha.
Choose the month first, then the bed. Camping with Intrepid or G Adventures costs a fraction of a lodge trip and sees the same crater; Trafalgar Premium and Globus buy you lodges and smaller groups; Tauck and A&K buy the camps nearest the action.
Then price the crater day and the tips. Ask us to quote two operators on the same dates, side by side.
Where to go from here: Tanzania’s neighbors and the companies that go
Free · No obligation
Want a Tanzania safari priced for your month?
Tell us when you can go, what you want to see and how you want to sleep. We’ll check where the herds should be, put the park and crater fees in the total, and compare two or three operators side by side.
Prefer to book the extras yourself?
Hotels, day trips and flights around the tour
Hotel nights before and after
Arriving a day early gives you a buffer if a flight runs late, and most people add a night when the tour ends.
Your free days
The days either side of the tour are yours. Day trips and tickets for the start and end cities:
Getting there and around
Fly into one city and home from another when the tour is one-way.
These are affiliate links: if you book through them, Seabound Journeys may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we recommend. Our disclosure. We’re happy to book these for you too.
What Tanzania first-timers ask us
When is the best time for a Tanzania safari?
It depends on what you want to see. Asilia, a camp operator, puts peak calving in February on the southern Serengeti plains around Ndutu, the Grumeti River crossings in the first half of June, and the Mara River crossings starting in July in the north. By September most of the herds are over the border in Kenya’s Masai Mara, and they drift back south from October.
How much are Tanzania park fees?
TANAPA’s published schedule charges non-resident adults $70 a day in the Serengeti in peak season and $60 from March 15 to May 15, plus 18% VAT, so about $82.60 or $70.80. Tarangire and Lake Manyara are $50 or $45 plus VAT. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area adds about $70.80 per person per 24 hours, and the crater floor costs about $295 per vehicle for each descent. Confirm the current schedule before you pay.
Do US citizens need a visa for Tanzania?
Yes. The Tanzanian Embassy in Washington lists a US$100 visa for American citizens, multiple entry and valid for 12 months, applied for online at eservices.immigration.go.tz. Your passport needs at least six months left beyond your trip.
Is Tanzania safe for a safari?
The State Department lowered Tanzania to Level 2, “Exercise increased caution,” on October 16, 2026, citing crime, terrorism, health, unrest, arbitrary enforcement of laws and the targeting of gay and lesbian people. The Mtwara Region on the Mozambique border is Level 3. It also notes that medical care is limited outside Dar es Salaam and Arusha.
How many days do I need in Tanzania?
On the tours we checked, six to nine days covers the northern parks (Tarangire, the crater and the Serengeti). Add three or four days for Zanzibar. Kenya-and-Tanzania combinations run 10 to 16 days.
What does a Tanzania safari cost?
On the 2027 tours we checked, from about $170 a day on a basic Intrepid camping overland trip to about $1,650 a day on Tauck’s Great Migration departures, per person, sharing, before international flights. Most comfortable small-group lodge safaris sat around $700 to $800 a day. Tips, a Zanzibar add-on and any fees left out of the fare go on top.
How much should I tip on safari in Tanzania?
Trafalgar suggests about $10 to $20 a day for a safari guide and $5 to $10 for a driver. Asilia suggests $10 to $20 per guest per day for the guide and $5 to $15 per guest per day into the camp tip box. Bring small, newer US bills.
Do I need extra insurance for Zanzibar?
Yes. The State Department says visitors must buy Zanzibar’s local travel insurance before entering, even with their own cover: $44 per adult and $22 per child aged 3 to 17.
Sources · 29 links · checked October 2026
- Tanzania Embassy (US): Visa information
- US State Department: Tanzania travel advisory (Level 2, Oct 16, 2026)
- ATTA: US eases Tanzania travel warning (Oct 2026)
- TANAPA tariffs 2023/2024 (PDF copy)
- Duma Explorer: How much are park fees in Tanzania?
- Road Trip Africa: Tanzania national park fees and permits
- SafariFind: Tanzania national park fees 2026
- Duma Explorer: Tanzania safari cost per person 2026
- Asilia Africa: When to see the Great Migration
- Asilia Africa: How to tip on safari
- Trafalgar: Tipping on a Trafalgar tour
- Trafalgar: Group tour preparation guide (luggage)
- Trafalgar: Tanzania Safari with Serengeti (Small Group)
- Intrepid: Zanzibar to Nairobi
- Tauck: Great Migration, Tanzania & Kenya
- Tauck: Kenya & Tanzania, A Classic Safari
- A&K: Small Group Journeys
- Collette: African Safari, Kenya and Tanzania (release, Jan 2025)
- Travelstride: G Adventures Classic Serengeti & Zanzibar
- Global Journeys (US reseller): Tanzania tours, July 2027 listing
- Global Journeys (US reseller): Tanzania tours, February 2027 listing
- Tauck FAQ (Bridges minimum ages)
- Tauck: 2026 savings for solo travelers
- Collette: Multigenerational travel (minimum ages)
- Intrepid: FAQ (solo rooming)
- G Adventures: Solo travel
- Globus: FAQs (deposits and final payment)
- CDC Travelers’ Health
- Nation: Wildebeest migration season kicks off in the Maasai Mara (Jul 2026)