Travel Guide
Park fees and how they work
Park fees are set by the government, are a large share of what a safari costs, and are the reason these places still exist. Here is how they work.
Last updated 15.08.2026
What you are actually paying for
- Park entry. Charged per person per 24 hours, and it varies by park. The Serengeti and Ngorongoro are the most expensive.
- Concession or camping fees. Charged per person per night depending on where you sleep.
- Vehicle fees. Charged per vehicle per day.
- Crater service fee. Ngorongoro charges separately for descending onto the crater floor, per vehicle.
These are government charges, not our margin. They are the same for every operator and they are non-negotiable.
Why this matters when comparing quotations
Because fees are charged per 24 hours, an itinerary that spends four nights in the Serengeti costs substantially more in fees alone than one that spends two, before anything else is counted. When two quotations look far apart, the number of park nights is usually the reason.
Ask any operator whether park fees are included. A quotation that excludes them will look cheaper and will not be.
Where the money goes
Fees fund the national parks authority and the conservation areas: ranger salaries, anti-poaching patrols, road and airstrip maintenance, and community programmes around the park boundaries. Tourism is what makes the protected areas financially viable.
Current figures
Fees are reviewed periodically and we do not publish them here, because an out of date number is worse than none. The authoritative sources are the Tanzania National Parks Authority and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority.
Every quotation we send states exactly which fees are included, at the rate current on the day we quote.
Ready when you are
Tell us roughly when you want to travel and what you would like to see. We take it from there.