How to enjoy the ultimate Serengeti Safari in Tanzania on a budget

The Serengeti National Park, with its vast open spaces and incredible wildlife, is one of the best destinations for an African safari vacation. The good news is there are a number of ways to do a Serengeti Safari in Tanzania on a budget. It largely depends on the level of comfort you prefer and how many days you’d like to spend on your African safari. 

Here’s how to do an affordable Serengeti Safari in Tanzania, second to none

Located in East Africa in northern Tanzania, the Serengeti National Park is part of a larger conservation area known as the Northern Safari Circuit.

The best way to do a Serengeti Safari on a budget is as part of a small group tour of the Northern Tanzania Safari Circuit. This way, you can keep costs down and enjoy the benefits of a small tour group. These small group tours are led by highly knowledgeable and experienced guides. African Budget Safaris offers a carefully curated selection of affordable safari packages that include the Serengeti in Tanzania. 

Serengeti safari lodge, tented camp

Small group Serengeti Safaris on a budget

Ranging from four to seven days, our Tanzania Safari Packages have a maximum group size of seven travellers. This intimate safari experience means you will not have to jostle with other safari-goers and can really enjoy the wide-open spaces and serenity of the African bush. Travelling around in a purpose-built 4x4 vehicle, your safari guide will take you down dirt roads and through remote areas, right into the heart of the Serengeti National Park. 

Budget Tanzania Safari

The Serengeti is a photographer’s dream, with nearly 100 mammal species and a high concentration of predators. You might see cheetahs sitting on top of large termite mounds, the perfect vantage point for spotting prey. This area is also home to tree-climbing lions: unusual behaviour for Africa’s biggest feline. This is a big cat paradise. You can enjoy these incredible wildlife sightings on a budget Serengeti Safari in Tanzania from just $1225 per person sharing. 

Cheetahs in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

A budget Serengeti Safari on the Northern Tanzania Safari Circuit

Starting and ending in Arusha (Tanzania), our safari packages take you through exciting destinations dotted around the Northern Tanzania Safari Circuit. The best way to enjoy a high-quality Serengeti Safari on a budget is to tour this region on one of our small group safari packages. The Northern Safari Circuit is extremely rich in flora and fauna and includes the best Tanzania safari destinations: Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara National Park, and Tarangire National Park. 

What’s included in Tanzania’s Northern Circuit?

The Ngorongoro Crater on Tanzania Safari by ActiveSteve

1. Serengeti National Park is one of the seven natural wonders of Africa and one of the oldest ecosystems on the planet. This savanna grassland has remained unchanged for the last million years, giving the landscape a truly prehistoric feel. 
2. The Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa’s most densely populated regions, not with people but with African wildlife. The crater was formed when a prehistoric volcano erupted and collapsed in on itself. These days, it is Africa’s Garden of Eden and attracts almost every African wildlife species imaginable. 
3. Lake Manyara National Park boasts incredibly diverse habitats and animal species. Famous for its breathtaking scenery and abundance of wildlife, Lake Manyara has over 670 flowering plants and fern species. Huge populations of pink flamingos live on the soda ash lake. Tree-climbing lions are also found in the park - a source of great interest to visitors and researchers. 
4. Tarangire National Park is southeast of the Serengeti National Park. Here, you can see huge herds of elephants (up to 300 individuals) and massive troops of baboons. But visitors must also remember to pay attention to the trees: exquisite and majestic baobabs can be found throughout the area, and acacia trees are the perfect shelter for tree-climbing lions, leopards, and pythons. 

Combining the Serengeti National Park with other destinations on the Northern Tanzania Safari Circuit is a great way to do a Serengeti Safari on a budget. The Serengeti ecosystem is found in both the Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire National Park, so even with our four-day tour options, you can experience the magic of the Serengeti without breaking the bank. 

Best options for a budget Serengeti Safari in Tanzania

From basic camping to mid-range tented camps and fully-serviced glamping lodges, African Budget Safaris has several excellent options for a budget Serengeti Safari Tour. To help you make the best choice for your budget safari in Tanzania, let’s have a look at what each one entails… 

Option 1: Serengeti Safari Tours with basic camping accommodation

This is the perfect option for thrill-seekers and adventure lovers and is usually the most affordable option for a budget Serengeti Safari. From $1990 for our 7-day Tanzania Camping Safari to Serengeti & Beyond, you will be accompanied by no more than six travellers, heading straight into the wild heart of Africa. 

Tanzania Safari, camping in Serengeti

Sleeping in two-man dome tents surrounded by nature, you will drift off to sleep with the sounds of the African bush. This safari package includes meals and drinking water is provided. You will be led by an English-speaking guide and an English-speaking cook. With departure dates throughout the year, you just need to get to Arusha for this budget Tanzania Safari. From there, your safari guide will meet you and the rest of your group and whisk you off on your adventure. 

Option 2: Budget Serengeti Safaris to mid-range tented camps and lodges 

An upgrade from our basic camping options is our mid-range safari with accommodation in lodges and tented camps. Ranging from $1775 for a 5-day Tanzania Safari on the Northern Circuit to $2470 for a 7-day Tanzania Lodge Safari to Serengeti & More, these packages include more comfortable stays than our basic camping safaris. Immersed in the African bush, you will stay at places like Kati Kati Tented Camp in Serengeti National Park. 

Tanzania safari lodge, tented

This small Serengeti safari camp offers the African bush atmosphere but with extra amenities to make your stay more comfortable. All tents have running water, basins, and bucket showers. Solar-powered campsites and real linen add that touch of comfort to your camping safari experience. You’ll sleep in a real bed where you will have a wonderful night’s sleep. Fresh meals, both regional and international, are prepared for you. After sundowners at sunset, you can unwind into the evenings next to a campfire. 

Option 3: Fully-serviced glamping safaris to Serengeti and beyond

If you would like to have an even more luxurious Tanzania safari experience on a budget, then you should consider our glamping options. Our 6-day Private Tanzania Safari (lodge and camping package) starts at $4494 and $4554 for our 7-day Private Tanzania Safari Tour. With these Tanzania safari packages, you can expect fully-serviced camping in remote campsites or overnight stays at lodges. Nature lovers can take a break from most creature comforts, but still enjoy warm showers and fully catered meals throughout the day. 

Private Tanzania Safari, glamping

If you opt not to stay at safari lodges, you sleep at private campsites. All camping equipment is included and set up for you: your tent, bed and bedding, chairs, side tables, washing tripod, grass rug, and electric lamps. You’ll be accompanied by a camp assistant who is there to make your Serengeti Safari comfortable and relaxing. 

Explore the budget Serengeti Safari Tours African Budget Safaris features.

What to expect on a Tanzania Safari in Serengeti Park

So you know generally where you’ll go and where you’ll stay, but what exactly can you expect on a budget Serengeti Safari booked through African Budget Safaris? To picture it better, let’s explore one of our Tanzania safari routes, which includes a few days in the Serengeti National Park.  

Tanzania Safari wildlife

Tanzania wildlife safari tour (budget camping option):

As with our other Tanzania safari packages, this Tanzania Wildlife Safari starts in Arusha. You’ll be collected from the airport or hotel and meet up with the rest of your small group. On the first day, you will explore the Tarangire National Park, going off the beaten track on gravel roads to bring you into close contact with Africa’s wild animal and bird species. 

Tanzania Serengeti Safari zebras

After spending a night camping under the stars, you will head to Lake Natron, travelling past rural Maasai villages on lesser-known routes along the Rift Valley escarpment. In the afternoon, a local Maasai guide will escort you to a waterfall - your camping spot for the night. The next three days of your Tanzania Safari are spent in the Serengeti National Park. Your guide will take you to the best places to see the Great Migration and other animal hotspots. You might see a leopard relaxing in a tree or massive herds of zebras crossing the open plains. 

At the end of day five, you head to the Ngorongoro Crater, camping on the edge. The next morning, you explore the crater with the possibility of seeing all of the Big 5 in one day. On the last day of the tour, you head out of the Serengeti to Mto wa Mbu village, enjoying panoramic views as you travel into the Great Rift Valley and back to Arusha. 

Book a Serengeti Safari on a budget!

The Serengeti National Park is arguably the best safari destination in Africa. One of the main highlights is an annual event known as the “Great Migration.” Every year, over two million animals travel around 2,000 kilometres, with daily distances of up to 40 kilometres. It is an incredible spectacle to watch these savannah mammals and their hungry predators. The best time to go on safari in Serengeti is from the end of June to August, or in the first three months of the year (January to March). 

Great Migration Serengeti, Tanzania by Marc Veraart

From adventure camping to comfortable lodge stays and glamping, African Budget Safaris has a fantastic range of budget Tanzania safari packages that include Serengeti Park. 

The best way to keep your costs down, and enjoy the exclusivity of small-group travel, is to join a small-group tour of the famous Northern Tanzania Safari Circuit.

Compare the budget Serengeti Safari Tours on African Budget Safaris and contact them to book your safari. Their travel advisors are also experts at tailor-making Tanzania Safaris in Serengeti (or Serengeti and beyond), designing the best affordable safari for you.

Contact the travel experts at African Budget Safaris for more information.

Safari camp in Serengeti Park, Tanzania