Best national parks to visit in tanzania
In this section, you’ll find all the practical information you need, to visit the Best national parks to visit in Tanzania and Wildlife Management Areas on an independent self-drive safari.
Check our Travel Guide, for inspiration and tips on what to do and where to stay in the must-visit parks of Tanzania.
How much are the park fees in Tanzania?
TANAPA manages the Tanzanian National Parks. Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Lake Natron are managed by separate organizations and dealt with below.
TANAPA conservation entry fees as of June 2022 – 2023
- Gombe Stream- $118
- Mahale- $ 94.40
- Serengeti, Kilimanjaro, Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous Game Reserve) – $82.60
- Arusha, Tarangire and Lake Manyara – $ 59
- Mikumi, Ruaha, Rubondo Island, Saadani, Mkomazi, Udzungwa Mountains, Katavi – $35.40
Children up to 5 years are free of charge
Children between 5 and 15 years pay $15- 20 conservation entry fee.
Fees are quoted per person including VAT, multiple entry (except for the Ngorongoro Conservation Area), up to 12 hours with a day pass, or 24 hours when sleeping inside the park.
TANAPA hotel concession fees
If you are staying in a lodge or private mobile camp inside the TANAPA national parks, you also need to pay a hotel concession fees. Enquire with your lodge if the concession fee has been included in their price, or if you need to pay for this yourself. Most hotels and mobile camps will arrange this for you, and have the concession fee added to your hotel bill.
- Serengeti and Nyerere- $ 70.80 per person / night
- Arusha, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Kilimanjaro – $ 47 pp / night
- Mahale , Ruaha, Katavi, Gombe – $ 35.40 pp /night
- Mkomazi , Saadani, Mikumi, Udzungwa Mountains – $29.50 pp / night
Children up to 5 years are free of charge
Children between 5 and 15 years pay $11.80 concession fee.
Further TANAPA fees
- Vehicle entry fee for your locally registered Roadtrip Tanzania rental car is 23,600 TSH ($10) for the RAV4 and 41,300 TSH ($20) per day for the Landcruiser, valid for multiple entry.
- Camping fees: Public campsites managed by TANAPA cost $ 35.40 per person/night. Special campsites costs $59 per person/night. For children between 5-15 years, the camping fee is $ 11,80. Children below 5 years are free of charge.
Tanapa fees for optional activities and services
- Ranger fee – $ 23.60
- Walking safaris – $ 23.60 per person
- Night game drives ( Katavi, Ruaha, Mikumi, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Nyerere only) – $59 pp
Ngorongoro fees
The fee to visit the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is $70.80 per person per 24 hours, plus the vehicle fee as mentioned above.
If you’re planning to visit the Serengeti and are only in transit through the NCA, you still have to pay the NCA fee twice: on your way going to the Serengeti and on your way returning from the Serengeti. The only way to avoid paying the NCA fee twice is by exiting/entering the Serengeti via Klein’s gate in the North East, on your way to/ from Lake Natron. However, if you visit Lake Natron, you”l have to pay a Wildlife Management Fee instead, so don’t choose this route only because you want to avoid paying the NCA fee twice. Check our Travel Guide on Lake Natron for a route description from Serengeti to Lake Natron.
If you want to go down Ngorongoro Crater, you have to pay the additional Crater Service Fee of $295 per vehicle each time you go down the crater. Read more about how much to budget for your Ngorongoro Safari drive in our Destination Guide, here.
Entrance permits for the NCA and Crater can’t be arranged and paid for on arrival at the gate. The Tour Operator has to issue your NCA reservation quote. And actual permit needs to be paid for in cash at the bank. 4×4 selfdrive can organize your NCA reservation. This is an option you can select in our bookings form. For this, we charge a handling fee of € 25 in total.
NOTICE – always get an exit stamp!
When entering a National Park, you have to mention what date you shall exit and pay accordingly. During exiting a park, always make sure you get an exit stamp. This is your own responsibility. If you don’t see a ranger at the gate, walk to the ranger post to make sure you’ll get the exit stamp. If you forget to check out, rangers start looking for you in the park. Our company is fined for the overstay, these costs will be forwarded to you. For example, if we hear from the NCA 2 days later that one of our cars is not listed on their exit list. the NCA acts as if you overstayed in the park for 2 more days, and our company is charged accordingly.
Gombe National Park fees
Gombe Stream National Park, located on the western border of Tanzania on the tropical Lake Tanganyika, is the best park in Tanzania to spot chimps. Also, hiking through the lush forest and swimming in the crystal clear lake are popular activities here. It’s a real off-the-beaten-track experience, but comes at a price. Apart from the above-mentioned entrance and concession fees, you’ll have to budget for the boat ride. You can’t take your Tanzania rental car into Gombe Stream National Park. You park your vehicle at Kigoma and take a boat. This costs $ 354 per boat, taking up to 11 people. Tanzania is probably the only country in the world where also a ”waiting fee” is charged of $ 23,60 pp. One might think if a discount for waiting wouldn’t be more appropriate..?
Wildlife Management Areas in Tanzania
Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) are countrywide conservation areas, established to benefit and help local communities throughout Tanzania. You can read more about these areas and their benefits here.
These areas are different from National Parks, Conservation Areas, and Game Reserves. Therefore, they have their own fees and regulations.
Lake Natron is the most visited Wildlife Management Area. There’s a small office in Engaresero, the gateway town to Lake Natron, where you’ll get the entrance permits, payable by credit card or cash. As the GPS system is weak in Lake Natron, we advise bringing some cash in case their payment terminal is down.
You can expect the following entry and vehicle fees:
- Entrance fee (”wildlife activity fee”): adults $11.80 / 24h, children (5-17 years): $5.90 /24h.
- Kids below 5 years free of charge
- Vehicle entrance fee: 17.700 TSH per 24 hours.
- Camping fee $ 23.60 / per night, children (5-17) $11.80 / night
- If you are staying at a lodge, there is a bed night levy also called ”conservation fee”. Hotels inside a WMA need to pay this concession fee to the government and shall add this to your hotel bill. The rate is $17.70 / night for all above 5 years old.
See the most common Wildlife Management Areas listed below as well as the lodges and campsites included in these conservation areas. If you are staying at a lodge or campsite listed below, WMA fees will apply:
Areas around Tarangire National Park
(Burunge & Sangaiwe)
• Whistling Thorn Tented Camp (considered part of Olasiti WMA)
• Tarangire Roika Lodge (considered part of Kakoi WMA)
• Lake Burunge Tented Lodge
• Maramboi Tented Lodge
• Tarangire River Camp
• Tarangire Osupuko
• Tarangire Simba Lodge
• Sangaiwe Tented Camp
Area around Lake Manyara National Park (Losirwa Wildlife Management Area)
• Manyara Wildlife Safari Camp
Lake Natron
(Engaresero Wildlife Management Area or Lake Natron Game Controlled Area)
• Lake Natron Halisi Camp
• Moivaro Naton River Camp
• Lake Natron Camp (Summits Africa)
• Maasai Giraffe Eco-lodge / Maasai Giraffe Campsite
• Lengai Safari Lodge
• World View Campsite
West Kilimanjaro (Enduiment Wildlife Management Area)
How do I arrange my park entrance fees?
TANAPA Parks
Permits are paid at the entrance gate by credit card (Visa or Mastercard). Cash is NOT accepted; neither are debit cards.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
The entrance permits for the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Crater can’t be arranged and paid for on arrival at the park gate. The Tour Operator has to issue your NCA reservation quote, and the actual permit needs to be paid for in cash at the bank. Roadtrip Africa can arrange your quote. This option is included in the online reservation form when you book a car with us. For this, we charge a handling fee of € 50.
Wildlife Management Areas
All WMA fees must be paid for and arranged in advance before your arrival at any of the lodges or campsites listed below. 4×4 selfdrive Tanzania can assist you to arrange these permits when you stop by our office in Arusha. The permits are then payable at our office by credit-card ( Visa or Mastercard). This is an option you can select in the bookings form when you book a car with us. But alternatively, you can arrange these permits yourself. You need to go to the Wildlife Management Area head office in Arusha town with your accommodation details where they will provide you a quote to pay. But you will have go to a local bank and deposit the money into the WMA account and then return to the head office to collect your WMA permit.
