Consider travelling outside of the peak season if you can to reduce the cost of your safari. If you would like to know how much does a Safari cost in Kenya, then the break down below is for you.
How Much Does A Safari Cost In Kenya?
Price per Night All-Inclusive Safaris
Low Season $200 – $399 per person per night
Mid-Season $399 – $400 per person per night
Peak Season $400 – $600 per person per night
These prices include:
-Park fees charged per night, accommodation and all meals while on safari, transport using a safari vehicle, transfer to/from Airport on arrival and departure date Prices exclude:
Extras at the lodge or tented camp i.e. drinks, telephone, laundry etc, international flight into East Africa, departure taxes – Visa and any related fees, tips to porters and drivers
Please note that this is just a price guide.
Most experienced safari experts work on a set mark-up. If you don’t like the price, ask them to consider different accommodation options to drop the price. The choice of accommodation within Kenya’s park vary widely in price and facilities provided. Within the same park you can have a luxury safari experience or a budget experience with only the essentials. Keep in mind that accommodation in different areas like Masai-Mara during the peak season can be on high demand so if that’s when you are planning to travel then you should book your safari early to avoid the dissapointment that would come from you not being able to find accommodation.
Making Your Kenya Safari More Affordable
One of the ways to make your safari more afforable and reduce how much a Kenya safari cost is by adding people to your safari.
So when its only one person traveling he/she has to meet all the costs of hiring the safari vehicle and the number of days it will be used.
However, if you are sharing a 7-seater van, which is about $150 per day or a 7-seater 4×4 Land cruiser costing about $230 per day, the cost is shared among the seven people which is not the case when its only one person travelling.
Traveling With Children – Family Safaris
If you are traveling with children, those over 12 years will pay the full adult rate. Parks also charge a lesser fee for children under the age of 12 years and children 2 years don’t get to pay anything.
Your travel costs will also include park fees, and other related costs necessary to make your safari a success.
The time of the year you choose to travel also has a huge impact on the cost of your safari.
Low Season
Visiting from November to February also has its fans – this is often the time for migrating birds, the rains rarely disrupt travel, and the country’s national parks are also green and bushy. Most travelers avoid March to May because of the heavy rainy season which can be hell when on a safari even with a 4 x 4 vehicle.
Peak Season
One of the most expensive times to go on safari is during the peak season of late June to October. This is because this is the best time to see wildlife and is also the time when the great wildebeest migration is happening at the mara river in masai mara.
Air Transfers
Air transfers also known as Fly In Safaris, usually via Kenya’s capital Nairobi, can be expensive, but are often the solution to reducing the amount of time one spends on the road.
They are very common given the road networks in Kenya and sometimes the distances between Kenya’s parks and game reserves.
They are also used to maximize the amount of time you’ll get to spend in the parks themselves.
To bring the cost down you can have a mixure of both driving and air travel. You drive between closer camps and lodges, but use flights to reach some further destinations such as the Samburu Game Reserve.
In general if you are not moving a lot you will save on your vacation one of the ways to do this is to throw in a beach vacation after your safari where you can unwind at the beach without too many activities that involve traveling.
It is important to note that most Kenya safari packages offered by tour operators will include transport, accommodation, all meals, park fees, game drives and activities.
Travel insurance
We would advice that you should get travel insurance cover— especially on an expensive trip to Kenya, this can be helpful incase things don’t go according to plan.
Other factors to consider while costing your safari to Kenya are;
Travel Visas, International Flights, Tips, Laundry, Souvenirs, duration of your stay, drinks and beverages and airport transfers.
Safari activities also affect the cost of your safari. Activities such as number of game drives in a day, and extras such as balloon safaris.
The Cost Of A Masai Mara Balloon Safari
Hot Air Balloon ride price in Masai Mara is USD 410 per person for adults and USD 300 for children below 12 years of age.
Tips for Saving Money
One of the ways of saving money on your Kenya safari is to avoid the well known parks like Masai Mara if you are traveling during peak season.
Just like the Masai Mara, Amboseli National Park is also very popular and is often included in many safari itineraries. If you opt for other parks such as Meru National Parks, Lake Nakuru or even Tsavo you could reduce the cost as these areas don’t experience the same demand as the large and more famous National parks.
Many of Kenya’s safari regions are far apart and so there is an established safari flight network. Obviously if you fly to several regions and stay only 2 nights in each place, it will cost you more than if you visited fewer places and stayed more nights in each.
What Are Kenya’s Safaris Like?
So, how much are we talking? Well, at a minimum expect to pay $299 per person, per night at a quiet time of year. But, for the really superb places with the best guides and wildlife experiences it’s not at all uncommon to pay anything from US$600-1,000 a night.
Why so Expensive?
These safari camps lease the land from the local communities on the condition that the land is managed in a manner that is of benefit to both people and wildlife. The fees you pay to stay on a conservancy or a park go toward paying the land leasing fees as well as various community and environmental projects.
Meanwhile, conservancies on private ranchland have to make enough money for the landowner to financially justify turning his land over to wildlife conservation and tourism instead of cattle ranching. In other words, staying in a conservancy is not just a great safari experience but it’s also very good news for the local ecosystem.
Takeaway
A Safari In Kenya offers a wide variety of adventures and experiences. More that the likes of Mara Safari but if you are looking for an adventure of a life time then keep in mind that the activities will cost you and most of all your accommodation choices as well as the duration of your safari will be the biggest factors affecting the price of your Kenya safari.
Where to go on the safari is really one of the most important things to consider so and Kenya as a safari destination will not disappoint.
