Ultimate guide on park fee payment for self drive clients in Tanzania

Tanzania national park fees and permits

Known for its several national parks that range from the vast Serengeti national park to the uniquely diversified Ngorongoro conservation area. Tanzania is blessed with several attractions that draws thousands of revelers all over the world to the country to enjoy the stay within this special country of Africa. The country has gotten attraction for almost everyone. Be it mountain climber who can enjoy the hiking to the top of the highest mountain on African continent and the highest free-standing mountain in the world in Kilimanjaro Mountain. Even those interested in cultural excursion will have a lot to tell with an encounter with Masai People around Serengeti and Ngorongoro or Datoga and Hadzabe people around Lake Eyasi. You will be exploited with what to see during your stay in Tanzania.

Why Park fees matter?

Park fees play a great role in the conservation and protection effort of the protected area as they support anti-poaching effort and maintenance of the park infrastructure, community outreach program, and the protection of the biodiversity.

The national parks in Tanzania are managed by Tanzania national park authority (TANAPA) and Ngorongoro conservation area is managed by Ngorongoro conservation area authority (NCAA). The park fees do vary from park to park, and you can get to know the fee per park by visiting TANAPA tariff that details all fees. For the Ngorongoro fees can be found at NCAA tariff.

General entrance fees (as of 2025)

The entrance fees for the parks in Tanzania vary from one park to another and are determined by other factors including the citizen status of the visitor depending on whether you are east African or non east African national. The cost will also depend on the age of the people that do visit the parks with 3 age categories specified. That is between 0-5 years of age, between 5 to 16 years and above 16 years of age.

The park fees for Non east African residents (foreigner tourists)

Here are the fees for park entrance before taxes for the most popular park in Tanzania

• Serengeti national park: USD 70 Per adult per day
• Ngorongoro crater: USD 60 Per adult per day
• Tarangire national park: USD 59 Per adult per day
• Lake Manyara national park: USD 59 Per adult per day
• Arusha national park: USD 59 Per adult per day
• Nyerere national park: USD 70 Per adult per day
• Mount Kilimanjaro national park: USD 83 Per adult per day

NOTE:  for children between 5 and 16 years pay about half of the stated price whereas those below 5 years are not charged any park fee.

Crater service fees

For those planning to descend to the Ngorongoro crater, you will have to pay 300-dollar crater fees on to of the park entry fees. This fee is per trip, and it is fixed.

Accommodation fees inside the park.

For those planning to spend a night inside the park, you will have to pay extra fees beside the normal accommodation fees. This fee is called concession fees and vary from park to park.

Here are the Ngorongoro and Serengeti Park accommodation fees for those planning to spend a night in the park

Public campsite: 35 dollars

Special campsite: about 60 dollars

Lodges: subject to the standard rate as per class of the lodge

Concession: on top of the above-mentioned rate, you will have to pay the concession fee which is 60 dollars.

VAT: the quoted fees is also subject to 18 percent value added tax (VAT)

Climbing permits

Tanzania is a prime destination for the mountain climbers with popular mountains like Kilimanjaro Mountain, Meru Mountain and Usambara mountains which are distributed in different parts of Tanzania.

Approximated Kilimanjaro fees

Conservation fees: USD 70 per person per day

Camping fees: USD 50 per person per day

Rescue fees: USD 20 per person per day

Park service fees: USD 60 per person per day (paid once)

Guide and porter fees: variable but regulated by TANAPA

For more fees about climbing, you can check the TANAPA tariff for details.

You can also book with us the kilimanjare trekking expedition by leaving us a message.

Vehicle entry fees

• For Tanzania and east African registered cars, the entry fees to Serengeti and other TANAPA parks ranges between 10000 TSH and 40000TSH depending on the size of the car. For Ngorongoro conservation area, the cars from other east African countries are billed as foreign cars at 177 dollars
• Foreign cars in Serengeti are charged between 40 dollars and 50 dollars depending on the size of the car.

You can get more details from the TANAPA and NCAA tariffs

Permits for special activities in the parks

Beside the normal game drive, some parks offer permits for other activities that can be carried out during your visit.

Some of these activities include

Guided walking

The cost of walking safari ranges between 20 dollars and 30 dollars. You can check the TANAPA tariff to find out which parks that can offer the walking safari experience.

Night game drive

The night game drive is offered at some specific national parks that include Lake Manyara national park and Tarangire national park. The fees for the night game drive are 50 dollars per night.

Filming and photography

For those planning to do filming in national parks of Tanzania, you will need to do a special arrangement with TANAPA in order to get the permit that allow you to do filming in different parks of Tanzania.

Payment and regulations

• All park fees are paid in advance and for the car registered by the tourism company operating in Tanzania. Those should be paid by the organising country.
• For self drive client, direct payment is possible except for Ngorongoro permit that is supposed to be arranged by authorised tour operator.
• Always carry your passport or any other identification with you as you are heading to the park
• The park permits are varied for 24 hours but that does not mean that you can do game drive at night.

Advice for the budget conscious travellers

• Consider visiting the less known national parks like Ruaha, Katavi or Mikumi as they all have a lot to offer at a relatively low cost.
• Consider travelling during the low season as the overall rates tend to go down during this period of the year
• Consider going for a camping safari as this is more cost friendly compared to the lodging and tented camping safaris
• Consider spending the night outside the park as that will save you from paying the extra concession fees.

In summary

Understanding the park entry fees of Tanzania will greatly help you to properly plan the cost of your Tanzania safari and choosing which time you are planning to visit Tanzania basing on the budget of your safari. This will also help you to determine where to stay during your visit in Tanzania. You can contact us to design for you your dream Tanzania safari.

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