How to visit the Serengeti on a budget

The Serengeti is an expensive safari destination, but there are a few ways to lower the overall price tag

The main costs involved in a Serengeti safari are the park’s various tariffs, accommodation, transport and fuel, and an optional tour operator or tour guide fee. I discuss these different costs to help you understand which ones are outside of your control and which ones you can keep low, and how. If you read to the end, you’ll know how to visit the Serengeti on a budget and also calculate a personal trip price tag.

Let’s first look at the park’s tariffs, and then at the other costs that are more within your control.

The unavoidable expense: Serengeti’s compulsory permits

The Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) charges a variety of 24-hour permits for anyone entering any of its parks. These range from entry permits to vehicle tariffs. The tariffs for Tanzania’s national parks are relatively expensive compared to those charged in some other African nations. When they’re all put together, they add up to a sizeable amount, especially if you’re someone travelling on a budget. So please prioritise calculating these fees to determine an accurate Serengeti safari budget.

If you don’t wish to deal with the calculations explained below, consider travelling with a tour operator. Tour operators include the tariffs in their package price and then arrange and pay for these on your behalf. It’s a great win, in my opinion, to have someone who understands the system and knows how long is a good time to spend in each place to take care of these matters for you.

List of Serengeti permits

The Serengeti’s entry tariffs are subject to change every July. They don’t always change, but do bear it in mind that they can. For the period of July 2025 to June 2026, the tariffs listed below will need to go into your Serengeti safari budget. I don’t discuss every possible applicable tariff, just the main ones that apply to regular safarigoers. So if you’re doing a fairly traditional Serengeti driving safari, these are the tariffs to include in your budget.

Note: All tariffs are daily fees, charged for every 24-hour cycle you’re inside the park. In other words, your daily fee gives you 24 hours from the time of entry, not per calendar date. Also amounts below are given in US dollars.

1. Entrance fee

If you’re a non-East African citizen of 16 years old or older, you’re going to pay $83 per day during the high seasons, and $71 per day for the low seasons. Children five to 15 years old pay $24 per day regardless of the season. And children below five enter for free.

2. Concession fee

Serengeti visitors are also charged a concession fee to stay overnight in the park. It’s important to note that some campsites include this fee in their own prices. So if you’re booking your own accommodation, ask about this to help you with your budgeting.

A foreign adult’s concession fee is $71 per night in peak season, and $59 in low season. Children pay $12 per night regardless of season, and little ones under five pay nothing.

3. Camping or accommodation fee

If you’re reading a blog post on visiting the Serengeti on a budget, then you’ll most likely opt to camp during your time there, as this is the cheapest option overall. TANAPA charges campers a nightly fee that’s in addition to what you pay the campsite itself.

Adults must pay $35 per day regardless of the season. Children between five and 15 pay $6 per night to camp. And those below five years camp for free.

If you choose to instead stay in a hut, glamping tent, lodge, or other permanent setup instead of camping, then TANAPA will charge you a different nightly tariff – one based on the particular category of accommodation chosen. The cheaper options carry tariffs that are, happily, generally within the same ballpark as the camping tariff.

4. Vehicle fee

To drive a standard four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicle within the Serengeti costs 23,600 Tanzanian shillings (TSh) per day, or roughly $9. A larger vehicle like a Land Cruiser costs 41,300 TSh, or about $16.

If you’re going to do a self-drive Serengeti safari, note that foreign-registered vehicles come with far heftier permit fees than those mentioned above. So it’s better to hire a Tanzanian vehicle.

5. Ranger fee

If you’re planning to do a walking safari, or will be staying in a public campsite where some additional security is needed for a safe sleep, then you need to pay a daily ranger fee of $24.

Three final notes on Serengeti National Park fees.

Firstly, you can’t pay in cash at the entry gate. You must either purchase your permits at a bank beforehand, or pay with an accepted credit card when entering. Secondly, all fees are nonrefundable. And thirdly, you’ll have to purchase a permit for any additional special activities you want to undertake, like fishing.

How to plan a budget Serengeti safari

Let’s now look at the costs that are more malleable to see how you can bring down the price tag of a Serengeti safari.

Note: I don’t discuss how to reach the Serengeti, as generally your route there is dictated by factors beyond just finance. Primary amongst these factors is which other sites you intend to visit before and after, such as Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Natron, or the Masai Mara.

1. Choose budget accommodation

There are many, many accommodation options within the Serengeti. They range from ultra-luxurious lodges to budget camping sites.

There are also plenty of accommodation options just outside of the park. The latter are naturally better value for money, as they don’t offer the perks of being inside the park. But they’re not always practical. Know that the Serengeti is an enormous park (bigger than the state of Connecticut). So depending on where in the park you want to explore, staying outside isn’t practical.

Your best option for balancing cost savings with other practical considerations is usually to find the cheapest accommodation on offer within the park.

The park’s public campsites and cheapest permanent accommodations can generally be found for around $30 to $60 per person per night on a sharing basis.

2. Visit in the low season

Marketers have long sold the idea that the river crossings of the Great Wildebeest Migration are the Serengeti experience. These crossings take place at the end of the long, dry season (peak season). But there are so many other wonderful facets to both the Serengeti and the Great Migration.

The Great Migration is a neverending phenomenon that you can witness at any time of the year. What’s more, the river crossings have become so oversubscribed as to pose real environmental concerns. They’re also now witnessed in the company of many dozens of other vehicles.

So please consider if another time of year would suit you better for your Serengeti safari. If you go in a low season, you’ll pay less in terms of both your accommodation and your park permits. You really can save a pretty penny this way. Read Beyond the Great Migration: The best things to do in the Serengeti to learn about the different seasons and the perks of each one.

3. Do a self-drive safari or join a budget group tour

One of the most affordable ways to visit Serengeti National Park is on a group safari with a budget tour operator like African Overland Tours. This is because group travel allows operators to offer lower prices since you’re sharing the costs of transport, petrol (gas), and a tour guide.

The other most affordable way to approach a Serengeti trip is on a self-drive safari. This eliminates the tour operator’s fee. That said, you won’t be able to access any group or operator-only specials and discounts, which can sometimes make a meaningful difference. If you do a self-drive, you ideally want to fill the vehicle to capacity with people footing their own bills so that you still benefit from cost-sharing.

The real question to ask yourself when deciding between a self-drive or budget group tour is how much value you place on the singular offerings of each. A self-drive safari offers total independence. If this matters above all else to you, then do a self-drive. For most folks, however, especially those coming from abroad, I would recommend an organised group safari.

There are various benefits to organised group tours that I feel make the added expense almost a no-brainer. These include the safety of a local guide who ensures you don’t get lost or put yourself in a sticky situation with the wildlife, among other things. Then there’s the fact that they do all your planning and admin for you. This is a big deal, as it includes booking vetted accommodations, buying permits and handling the paperwork on the ground, and arranging affordable drinking water and packed lunches. I would’ve hated tackling all this myself as a foreigner.

4. Plan a shorter safari

As mentioned, one of the biggest expenses of a Serengeti safari is the daily tariffs. So naturally, a shorter safari reduces your overall cost. I encourage you to find the balance between reducing the trip’s price tag at all costs (pun intended) and ensuring you have given yourself enough time to enjoy the wonders you’ve travelled to see.

If you’re coming to the Serengeti from far away, you’re going to be investing a decent amount of money into the adventure no matter what. So don’t spend all that money only to be frustrated that you never have enough time at each destination.

I would suggest three nights in the Serengeti is the minimum amount of time needed to feel you’ve experienced its magic and had a good explore of the sector you’re visiting. I say this because your entry and exit days are often gobbled up by long commutes. For instance, most folks visit Ngorongoro Crater before or after a Seregenti safari; it takes the better part of a day to drive between the northern Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.

Explore these budget small-group Serengeti safaris on offer by African Overland Tours to see what’s on offer!

Note: This blog post was first published on 12 March 2024 by Sarah Duff. It was rewritten by Megan Abigail White on 29 January 2026.