How much does an African Safari Cost?

Hard-to-find online prices and a huge range of approaches from different companies can make it difficult to understand what you get for your money on safari. People think that booking through a tour operator is going to cost a lot more than planning the vacation themselves, but this isn’t necessarily the case. A good tour operator will be first to know about current industry deals and specials, which include off-peak offers, early-bird discounts, and even last-minute availability rates. Additionally, booking a ‘package deal’ isn’t necessarily cheaper than designing a tailor-made safari. Package-deal companies often have non-flexible prices and don’t take into account the current deals, which are ever-changing. An African safari is not like booking any other vacation. If you get it wrong, you can find yourself at best with a poor game-viewing experience and at worst in a dangerous situation.

What you get when using a respected tour operator is a wealth of safari knowledge (we pride ourselves on our team’s vast experience!), superb logistics to ensure everything runs smoothly, and 24-hour medical and on-the-ground support should you need it.

That said, a well-designed safari is expensive – which is why for some it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It’s also the type of vacation where you definitely get what you pay for. Nothing comes close to witnessing the ferocity and beauty of nature up close. Africa is a continent full of natural wonders, where watching a cheetah achieve top speed, seeing a honey badger take on a cobra, or having breakfast with zebras is just another day!

Typically, African safari prices are given as ‘cost per person’, but this can be misleading as these figures are based on two people sharing a room. So if you’re a solo traveler or you want your own room as part of your family or group trip, it’s likely you’ll pay a single supplement cost. However, if you’re a large family with an odd number of people, Yellow Zebra can aim to have this fee waived, depending on availability and season – another advantage of booking with a respected operator.

Do you want to focus on photography and birdlife? Or perhaps you’d like to spend a week horse riding across the Maasai Mara? How about gorilla trekking? Niche activities and excursions can increase the price of a safari, as you’ll need to factor in additional costs, such as permits, private guides, equipment, and so on. We can explain and break down all these costs for you.

With safari property prices ranging from $650 to $3,500+ per person per night, the answer to this question really depends on what type of safari you’re after. Is this a safari of a lifetime? Or perhaps you are a regular visitor to Africa? Since we’re primarily a luxury travel company, all of our itineraries are high-end. However, accommodation options within this high-end region can range from authentic, to extremely comfortable, to uber-glamorous! For ease, we have divided our trips into three corresponding categories – Value, Classic, and Luxury – all discussed in more detail below.

Do you want to visit a famous location like the Kruger, the Serengeti, or the Okavango Delta? Or maybe you’d prefer something more wild and remote, such as Ruaha, Nyerere, Phinda, or the Lower Zambezi? Usually, the more remote the destination, the more expensive it is to get to because of longer internal flights. However, there are exceptions to this, and your safari specialist can discuss options with you.

African safari costs for Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa & Botswana

International flights

Maybe you want to use your airline rewards points, or you can find better deals with which you’re more comfortable. We’re happy to book your international flights for you. However, we find that many clients book these flights themselves, so we don’t include international flights in our quotes unless this is requested. If you book them yourself, then we simply dovetail your flights to fit your itinerary. It is worth noting that you should almost always arrange the itinerary first before booking international flights! This is to ensure availability at the lodges and avoid disappointment.

Visa costs

At Yellow Zebra, we have a dedicated team who can help with visa applications, for which we charge a small service fee. Visa costs vary depending on the destination. Some require upfront visa applications, whilst others can be obtained on arrival in cash. Normally, a visa costs between US$30 and US$100 per person. We generally recommend getting your visas arranged beforehand for peace of mind.

Vaccinations

It’s vital to ensure you have the right vaccinations for travel to Africa before you set off on your trip. As we are not medically trained, we cannot give medical advice. A number of the destinations we sell are classed as malaria areas and we recommend that our clients speak to their doctors for the most up-to-date information regarding anti-malaria medications. There are malaria-free areas in South Africa, such as Madikwe and the reserves in the Eastern Cape, so do chat to your safari consultant about these safari destinations if this is important to you.

Many vaccinations are recommended, but not all vaccinations are a requirement to enter certain countries. Whenever travelling to Africa, it’s important to seek medical advice from a doctor or specialist travel clinic. Travel clinics can sometimes have long waiting lists, so it’s a good idea to make sure you book your vaccinations well in advance of your trip.

Tipping

Tipping is different in each destination and the amount to tip depends on the circumstances – for example, tipping your airport drivers or your private professional guide. To help, we’ve put together a rough outline of how much to tip on an African safari. 

Travel Insurance

Please be aware that as part of Yellow Zebra’s Terms & Conditions, we require all clients to purchase adequate travel insurance prior to travel, making it an incredibly important extra cost to note. We’ve assembled a safari travel insurance guide, to help you decide which policy is best suited to you.

Unless otherwise specified by the property, prices include all internal flights, transfers, reserve fees, and accommodation booked by Yellow Zebra, as well as meals, soft drinks, local beverages/alcohol, and all activities that don’t incur an additional cost. An example of an extra charge activity is a hot air balloon safari.

Value

These trips often tend to involve authentic tented accommodation, or they might be designed around 4-star camps and lodges. The focus is on adventure, rather than the luxury that’s on offer at other properties. However, it’s good to note that the guiding and game-viewing experiences will still be of a high standard. In fact, some of our favourite properties are safari focused and get you right back to nature, and would fall into this category! A Value safari starts at about $5,000–6,000 per person, depending on the season.

Classic

A Classic safari usually comes in at approximately $7,000–8,000 per person. These safaris tend to feature some superb 5-star properties – camps and lodges where standards of guiding, food, and service are set very high. The Classic category typically includes properties that are run by some of our most impressive partners.

Luxury

The Luxury safaris are the most sumptuous safaris that we offer at YZ. These trips feature properties that cost over $2,000 per person per night! You can expect to see prices soaring to $13,000 per person, as you’re paying for lodges and camps where private plunge pools and excellent levels of hospitality come as standard. The wow-factor is guaranteed!

Learn more about our types of safari.

As a general rule, South Africa is the most affordable destination, offering great value for luxury. Botswana is the most expensive country, due to its sensational properties, set amidst pristine wilderness in exclusive private reserves. Destinations such as Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Tanzania can be equally suitable for travelers on stricter budgets, but any of these options can also easily tip towards a Botswana price tag depending on the property and region.

You can browse our trips to find out more about the African safaris that we offer in Tanzania, Kenya, and more. The first decision to make is choosing which country (or countries) you’d like to visit for your safari! Then, to start the process, it’s good to have a chat with one of our safari specialists, as this is the quickest way to narrow things down. Once they know a bit more about you, they can start putting together some itinerary options for you to consider – ones that fall within your budget and include the safari areas you have your heart set on.