Serengeti National Park Fees : There is no doubt that, the word “Serengeti” is very familiar to nearly every traveler in the world. It is also not strange word to everyone whose home have a television, computer or any other smart gadget. It is in the newspaper, movies, films, search engines and anywhere. I think am clearly understood by the folks searching for a holiday destination around this world. To everyone, Serengeti refers to the splendid wildlife sanctuary found in Tanzania. The whole Serengeti Ecosystem occupies an approximately area of 30, 000 square kilometers. This gigantic breathtaking ecosystem include the Serengeti National Park (the I will be talking about), Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Olduvai Gorge, Maswa Game Reserve, Grumeti Game Reserve and Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. You should be asking yourself, why is this ecosystem very famous? Well, Serengeti Ecosystem hosts the magical event in the world, the Great Migration. This is the annual migration of about 1.5 million wildebeests, 400, 000 zebras and 254, 000 gazelles from the south of the Serengeti National Park to the northern Masai Mara in Kenya. This event happens in cycles, and the cycle starts in January and ends in December. The event begins in the south where about 500, 000 calves are born in February. The herd starts moving between April and May when the herd heads eastwards then westwards and crosses the Central Serengeti then northwards and crosses the border into Masai Mara in Kenya. The spectacular scenes are viewed on the Mara River Crossings. After knowing a little about Serengeti Ecosystem, let’s dive into the Serengeti National Park.
Serengeti National Park inside this ecosystem established in 1951 when it was separated from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This park is the World Heritage Site proclaimed by UNESCO in 1981. Serengeti National Park is home to world’s largest concentration of carnivores especially the Big Cats (lion, leopard and cheetah). These cats are excellent in predation tactics. You will witness excellent kills. Serengeti National Park also hosts all Big Five animals (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and black rhino). Your trip will be full of exposure to thrilling animal species. Without forgetting the birdwatchers, Serengeti National Park is home to over 500 bird species, 100 of which are endemic to Tanzania and 23 of which are endemic to Serengeti.
You have all the guts to visit Serengeti National Park except if you are unable to travel. Before you start planning your trip, there are important you need to know. These are fees charged in Serengeti National Park. You should note that these fees are payable inside the park and they include entrance fees, accommodation fees and other activities done in the Serengeti. Knowing the fees will help you plan your trip well without under estimating the budget.
These fees are for foreign non-residents, residents and foreign residents. Foreign non-residents are the citizens of non-East African countries, residents are citizens of East African countries (including the natives, Tanzanians) and foreign residents are foreign citizens who lives in Tanzania under legal permits like Visa. East African countries include Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan. The symbol “$” implies the United States Dollar (USD) while “TSHS” implies the Tanzanian Shilling. In this context, adult citizens are the ones with an age of 16 years and above while children are the ones with the age between 5-15 years. Therefore, when I use the word “adult”, it should be confused with the legal adult age (18 years) and the word “children” should not be confused with legal age (below 18 years). You should also be informed that, children below 5 years are charged in any Tanzanian park.
Conservation fees. Conservation fee varies depending on the season. Two seasons are considered here; the peak season (16 May to 14 March) and low season (15 March to 15 May).
Peak Season. Adult residents and their children will be charged TSHS 10, 000 and TSHS 2,000 per person respectively but, foreign non-residents and their children will be charged $70 and $20 per head respectively and adult foreign residents and their children will be charged $35 and $10 per head respectively.
Low Season. There is no change in fees for residents and foreign residents’ children but for foreign non-residents and their children, the fee will drop to $60 and $10 per head respectively and for adult foreign residents, the fee will drop to $30 per head.
Camping fees. These fees are payable per head per night.
Public Campsite. Adult residents and their children will pay TSHS 5000 and TSHS 2500 respectively but the fee is $30 for both adult foreign non-residents and foreign residents and $5 for their children.
Special and Seasonal Campsite fee. To trek the Great Migration, you will have to book a seasonal campsite.
For special campsite. Adult residents and their children will pay TSHS 10, 000 and TSHS 5000 respectively but the fee is $60 for both adult foreign non-residents and foreign residents and $5 for their children.
For seasonal campsite. Adult residents and their children will be charged TSHS 15, 000 and TSHS 7500 respectively but the fee is $60 for both adult foreign non-residents and foreign residents and $10 for their children.
Fly Campsite. Adult residents and their children (between 12 and 15 years) will pay TSHS 5000 and TSHS 2500 respectively but the fee is $50 for both adult foreign no-residents and foreign residents and $10 for their children.
Video shooting. This fee applies for groups of 2-20 people who want to record their own art (music or movies). The fee for residents is TSHS 100, 000 per group while the fee for foreign non-residents and foreign residents is $100 per group.
Bush Meal per person. If you want enjoy the sweetest cuisine in the African bush, you can book it in advance. The fee for foreign non-residents and foreign residents for a bush meal is $5 per person while the fee for residents is TSHS 5000 per person thus Serengeti National Park Fees.
Special Rhino viewing. As I said earlier that, Serengeti National Park is the place where you can spot the rare endangered black rhino. There is a special viewing point in Serengeti, Moru Kopjes simply called Moru. The fee is the same for foreign non-residents and foreign residents and it is $100 per trip while residents will pay TSHS 100, 000 per trip.
Filming fees. These fees cover entrance, filming and camping fees. They are per person per day and are applicable to all nationalities. The filming fee is $300 per head per day.
Balloon operation fees. Serengeti National Park gives you a bird’s eye view experience on a hot air balloon. This safari is thrilling and used to trek the Great Migration in the Grumeti and Mara Rivers. The fee for a balloon safari is $50 per person per trip.
Park Accommodation Facilities. The fee is paid per head per night. To keep a reserve, prior booking is required.
Hostels. Hostels are special for organized groups. Here, the age of a visitor is not important except for below 5 years who are not charged any fee. Residents will pay TSHS 5,000 per head per night while both foreign non-residents and foreign residents will pay $10 per head per night.
Rest House. Both foreign non-residents and foreign residents will be charged $30 per person per night while residents will be charged TSHS 20, 000 per person per night.
Hotel Concession fees. During peak season, foreign non-residents and foreign residents will be charged $60 per person per night while the fee for their children is $10 per person per night. Adult residents and their children will pay TSHS 30, 000 and TSHS 10, 000 per person per night. During low season, there is no change in fees for residents and their children and for children of both foreign non-residents and foreign residents while the fee for adult foreign non-residents and expatriates drops to $50 per head per night thus Serengeti National Park Fees.
Fees for students in organized groups. Serengeti National Park receives all kinds of visitors from officials to students. The conservation fee for Primary, Secondary and High School students is TSHS 2000 per person while for Colleges and University students is TSHS 5000 per head. The camping fee for Primary, Secondary and High School is TSHS 2000 per head but for Colleges and University students is TSHS 3000 per head. Students will be charged TSHS 5000 for huts and hostels regardless of their level.
It is my hope that, the planning of your budget will be easier. If you can’t sum small numbers in your budget, you can book a trip via a tour operator who will package the whole thing for you. Don’t plan to miss a safari to Serengeti. You won’t regret it.
