Everything in Tanzania is great, except the prices of tourist attractions. We have studied all the most popular (and therefore very expensive) locations in the north of the country and told you what to pay for and how much to pay.

Serengeti Safari Tour

The father of Africa’s national parks and the gold mine of travel companies around the world. The great migration of animals, the Big Five, the classic African landscapes from National Geographic stories and the cartoon “The Lion King” make the Serengeti the main reason for tourist development in Tanzania. The local government has long realized that foreigners are willing to pay any money just to see Simba, Rafiki and their friends, so they happily jacked up the prices to visit the park and do not stop there.

The first thing to understand is that there are no independent trips to the Serengeti. It’s not even about transportation – it’s not a problem to rent a four-wheel-drive jeep that can drive through the park. But to get into the territory without a local guide and/or driver will not let you, so there are only two options: rent a guide with a car, or take a tour. The latter option will come out more expensive, but you won’t have to look for a campsite for overnight stay, buy food, and in general they will think of everything for you.

We will not write about the tours, it’s so clear. Here on this site you can look at their range (not complete), read reviews and navigate the prices. As for renting a guide with a car, it’s easier to look for them on the spot. The exact cost will not tell anyone: too many factors affect the pricing of such trips. This season, the number of willing visitors, the ability to bargain, and the mood of the guide. But still there is a certain minimum that is worth counting on.

The problem with the Serengeti is that no driver will take tourists there for less than three days, because the road from Arusha to the park itself takes about seven hours. Therefore, multiply the amount received by three times and start to be sad. In addition, the route to the Serengeti lies through Ngorongoro, another national park where you have to pay the same $70 to enter the territory, and twice: on the way there and on the way back. Such is the African math.

Good News

Of course, there are ways to save money everywhere, and in this case they are obvious. A full-fledged safari jeep accommodates up to 6 people, and the cost of its rental is almost always fixed, as well as the rental of a guide. So the main challenge for those who want to save money is to look for company. For this there are many thematic groups on Facebook, couchsurfing, tripadvisor and other English-language forums and resources. And the company for a joint safari is great to look for in hostels, bars and clubs, but this option is not for introverts.

By the way, to look for a guide with a car you can also on the forums, both our and English, but keep in mind that Tanzanians – the people are optional and forgetful, so do it in advance is rather risky.

Alternative: Tarangire National Park

If you reasonably think $900 for a three-day safari is too much, but want to experience the delights of Tanzania’s national parks, look no further than Tarangire. No cartoon has been copied from it, so it’s a little less popular with tourists, which is exactly what we need. Since the park is several times smaller than the Serengeti and is only a two-hour drive from Arusha, it’s also a much cheaper trip.

If you divide the rent even by four people, the amount is quite fair, especially compared to the rates of the Serengeti. And do not think of Tarangire as a third-rate nature reserve. It also has all the representatives of the “big five” and African fauna in general, and due to the huge number of baobabs the park is particularly fond of elephants, so the chance to see at least one serious animal in Tarangire is even more real than in its famous neighbor. And the beauty of the scenery is not inferior to the Serengeti, because the savannah is the savannah in Africa.

In addition to Tarangire, there are several national parks in the north of the country, for which one day is enough to explore. The prices, conditions and variety of fauna in them are about the same, so just choose the one you like, find a company, and try to rent accommodation and eat outside the parks – it’s much cheaper.

Climbing Kilimanjaro

Mount Kilimanjaro has long occupied a firm place in the heart of every tour guide in Kenya and Tanzania. Just the view of this photogenic mountain automatically makes any hostel almost a five-star hotel, and a roadside café – a Michelin restaurant, to say nothing of the cost of climbing it.

To conquer Kilimanjaro and reach its summit, it takes a minimum of five (and usually seven) days and $800 – this amount does not include anything other than state-imposed taxes and fees.

And you also need to pay for transportation, equipment, food, guide, porter services (separate from tips) and have a decent amount in reserve for contingencies. For this money you can conquer several other mountains, but the popularity of Kilimanjaro does not suffer. As in a situation with safari, you cannot do without a tour, and in this case we do not recommend saving money: mountains are a serious business, where the professionalism of guides and the quality of equipment depend on too much.

It is better to choose a tour company by reviews. The ascent to the 6km summit is not a safari trip, not many people dare to do it, and all those who were able, be sure to report about their feat on the Internet, attaching a report contacts guides and companies. But keep in mind that the price for a week climbing with a decent and trustworthy company cannot be cheaper than $2,000 as you will present only $1,000 to the Tanzanian Government as a tax and levy for the park.