Africa isn’t known for being a cheap destination. In fact, it can be a very expensive continent to visit.
So, the big question is – can you do a budget safari in Africa? And if so, where is the cheapest and best safari destination to do this?
Which Budget Safari is the Cheapest?
For a 3-day/2-night safari in Maasai Mara, prices start at 270 USD for the budget safari option, right up to 1500 USD for a luxury private tour.
That’s a big difference in the price, especially for long-term travelers. backpackers or families with children.
To compare the different prices per country check out the following list. Just wait until you see the difference in the cost!
Prices may have increased since the time of writing this article and make sure to read the find print prior to booking because not all tours include the park fees in their safari package.
Starting from high to low, they are all the estimated prices for a budget safari for three days/two nights per person. Take note that not all of these budget safaris have The Big 5.
- Zimbabwe – 3 day Victoria falls + Hwange National Park – 800 USD
- Zambia – 3-day South Luangwa National Park – 400 USD – 600 USD
- Tanzania – 3-day Serengeti +Ngorongoro Crater – 540 USD
- Uganda – 3-day Murchison Falls – 530 USD
- Botswana – 3-day Chobe National Park – 450 USD
- South Africa – 3-day Kruger National Park – 330 USD
- Kenya – 3-day Maasai Mara National Park- 270 USD
The cheapest safari is in the Maasai Mara National Park in Kenya.
However, just because it is the cheapest option doesn’t mean it will be a cheap experience!
In fact, what you get for your money will be one of the best experiences of your life. It definitely was for us!
Besides seeing The Famous Big 5, you will see more than 25 different types of animal species.
Maasai Mara vs The Serengeti
After traveling from Cairo to Cape Town, Happy Irish Wanderers are confident to say that Maasai Mara is the best African safari to do.
But wait, you say – I heard the famous Serengeti National Park in Tanzania is the best one.
Then let us clarify something, Maasai Mara and the Serengeti are the same pieces of land. One is on the Kenyan side (the smaller Maasai Mara) and the other is on the Tanzanian side (the very large Serengeti)
So what’s the difference? Only the name, size, and PRICE of a safari.
The land is separated by a land border. Yet both sides contain all the same animals who don’t know anything about this invisible boundary line.
For the ultimate Africa trip, consider adding a trip to the paradise island of Zanzibar to your Safari Holiday. That way you still get to visit Tanzania.
Which Africa Safari Is the Best?
When we were completing our Cairo to Cape Town trip it would have been very unwise to do a safari in every country because of the high costs that come with safaris. If that were the case, we would be back in Ireland in no time.
We decided to visit 3 national parks in Africa for a safari, Kruger Park in South Africa, Etosha National Park in Namibia, and the Maasai Mara in Kenya.
All 3 safaris were fantastic, but without a doubt, the best experience was in the Maasai Mara in Kenya.
What Time of Year is The Cheapest for a Budget Kenya Safari?
The best time to visit is in July – October. During these months one of the greatest wonders of nature occurs – The Great Migration.
An annual event when over 1.5 million wildebeest cross the border from Tanzania’s Serengeti into the Maasai Mara in Kenya.
During this trek, they must cross the treacherous river Mara where thousands of crocodiles are anticipatingly waiting for an easy meal.
The bad thing about visiting during these months is that you will not be the only one and prices will be slightly more expensive during this time of the year.
Check out this link for the latest prices and tick a safari off your bucket list!
The Green Season
Don’t worry if you can not visit during the months of The Great Migration. There are still many great times of year to visit.
Just make sure not to visit In March and April, maybe even at the start of May. Those months are the wet season, which is also known as the “long rains“.
Once the wet season is over there is a small period called the “Green Season.”
This is towards the end of May and the month of June. The spring rains will have transformed the dry brown savannah to an emerald green.
After the transformation of colors, the plains will also have many newborns. This gives you a good chance of seeing some high-speed chases and kills by the predators in Maasai Mara.
We visited at the end of May and sighted two cheetah kills in one day.
There is also a second but smaller wet season. The second rainy season occurs during November and December. Although there will be less rain, it will still be overcast and cloudy.
What Does a 3-Day/2-Night Budget Safari in Maasai Mara Look Like?
Each Kenya safari holiday experience will be different, but they are all roughly the same format.
No matter how much you spend, everyone has to go through the same process. The only way your experience would be different is if you got a helicopter!
Day 1
Your Kenya safari holiday begins in Nairobi with a pickup from your hotel and start the drive to Maasai Mara. Even though it is only 250 kilometers away, it will take around 6 hours to get there.
Along the way, you will stop off at a viewpoint of the Great Rift Valley and have a second stop for lunch.
Finally, you arrive at your camp in the afternoon, now the real fun begins! Have a quick cup of tea and start your budget safari for a couple of hours of game drive until sunset.
As soon as you drive through the gate you’ll be amazed by the number of animals, it’s mind-blowing!
Even today we still talk about how this one piece of land is packed with so much wildlife. And it wasn’t even during the great migration!
Once the sun goes down you head back to your accommodation, have dinner, and bed for an early start the following morning.
Day 2
Your day begins with an early breakfast and ready to hit the road by 6.15 AM to be in the park for sunrise. Again, as soon as you drive through the gate the magic starts instantly. Every animal is already awake, grazing, and playing in the plains.
Our guide went searching for lions straight away and immediately found them. After that, we were brought to fields of many different types of antelope, elephants, giraffes, zebras, and even a leopard having his breakfast.
Luckily for us, we also witnessed two cheetahs chase and kill an antelope, not lucky for the antelope though…
For lunch, we parked up next to the Mara River where the wildebeest must cross the dangerous waters. At the river, you will see many hippos, crocodiles, monkeys, and mongooses.
Be careful of the monkeys because they will snatch your lunch!
After lunch, you will have a quick stop at the Tanzania border. Here, you can see the invisible line……
With about 4 to 5 hours before sunset, you slowly make your way back to camp. Along the way, you will see many more lions, cheetahs chasing antelope, and lots and lots of different types of wildlife strutting around Maasai Mara.
Altogether day 2 will be around 12 hours of game drive. There are no words for the number of animals you will see in that time frame.
This was our very first safari and honestly, it is up there with some of the most incredible things we have ever done in our lives!
Once back in camp, it’s the same routine again. Dinner, shower, and bed to look at the million pictures and videos you took that day.
Day 3
On the last day of your Kenya safari holiday, the following activity is optional. But we would recommend doing it, because why not!!
Before you head back to Nairobi you will have the opportunity to visit a real Maasai Mara Village. This additional activity will cost you 1000 Kenya Shillings or 10 USD per person.
The local guide will introduce you to the Maasai Mara tradition and customs. These include dance, the famous jumping, fire making, a visit to the locals’ houses, and even a very special visit to the local school.
Day 3 and Day 4 Itinerary – Rhinos in Lake Nakuru
Because it is extremely rare to see a rhino in Maasai Mara, there is an option of having an additional safari day on a 4-day/3-night safari.
Everything remains the same as a 3-day/2 night safari. The only difference is, instead of heading to Nairobi on day 3, you will transfer to Lake Nakuru which takes around 6 hours.
Besides visiting the Maasai Mara village nothing else really happens on Day 3
On day 4 you will have another early rise, sight rhinos and flamingos (along with most of the other animals you would have already seen over the previous two days in Maasai Mara) around Lake Nakuru for 3 to 4 hours and once finished make your way back to Nairobi.
Only consider this extra day if you have the time or really want to see wild rhinos.
Are you excited yet?!
What Does a Budget Safari Include?
Everything was included in the package we chose, the entrance fees, accommodation, transport + guide, and all meals.
Entrance Fee
At the time of writing, the daily entrance fee for Maasai Mara is 80 USD per person/day. We visited the park on two days, which would have cost us 160 USD each for the two days. The entry fee to sight rhinos at Lake Nakuru is 60 USD.
*The entry fees may have increased since the time of writing this article.
Transport
We were brought from Nairobi to Maasai Mara and back again. This road trip takes around 6 hours each time.
The driver is also the guide and we were very fortunate to have a very smart and witty driver/guide.
Accommodation
We knew we would be staying in a tent. Wrongly we assumed because it was a budget safari, that it would be something like a small pop-up kind of tent.
Only joking, but our expectations weren’t high.
In reality, what we got was a glamping experience! A large clean tent with a large bed, comfy mattress, and 4 pillows.
Also included were our own toilet and our own shower. Which again, we wrongly assumed would be shared facilities.
All Meals are Included
On day 1 we were given lunch and dinner, for day 2 we were given another 3 meals (Breakfast, packed lunch, and dinner), and on departure day we had another two meals (breakfast and lunch).
All of these meals were buffet and water was also always provided daily.
The only things you had to pay for were items such as alcohol, soft drinks, and snacks.
How Much Did It Cost In Total for Our Budget Safari?
When you hear the word budget you may falsely presume it will be cheap and shite. Yet there was nothing budget, cheap or shite about it!
It was some of the best money we ever spent and worth every penny!
We opted to go for the cheapest option, which was a so-called “Budget Safari”. A 3-day/2-night safari would have cost us 270 USD per person.
We decided to add an extra day at Lake Nakuru to see rhinos for an additional 80 USD per person, bringing our total price for a 4-day/3-night safari to 350 USD per person.
All are included in this cost – transportation, guide, food, accommodation, and entrance fees.
If you fancy any of these activities, then please use the following link to allow us to earn a small commission at no extra cost to you – Book here.
Budget Safari vs Luxury Safari
What is the difference? Let me explain why you should choose a budget safari over a luxury safari, and not just because it is much cheaper!!
For a 3-day safari, it would have cost 270 USD per person, the cheapest option, compared to a luxury safari which is over 1100 USD per person.
Luxury Transport
To get to Maasai Mara, you will still have to drive the same distance. Once in the park, you see the same animals in the same places. The only real difference is the mode of transport.
A budget safari will be in a high-clearance 4×4 pop-up rooftop van, and a luxury safari will be in a high-clearance 4×4 pop-up rooftop jeep.
See the difference?! You still see the same stuff and the roads will still have the same bumps.
Luxury Accommodation
For a luxury safari, the inside of the accommodation may be a bit better looking, but not an extra 700 USD worth better looking!
The location of the stay will be within the park. However, again we have another strong argument why this isn’t necessarily the better option.
You will be up before sunrise and out for all of the second day on a game drive. So unless you have night vision you won’t be seeing many more animals.
Luxury Meals
Just like a budget safari, all meals are included in a luxury safari. And like the budget option, alcohol is not included.
All meals that we had were buffet style with plenty of choices and an option to go for second servings if you wanted to.
There you have it, the differences between a luxury and budget safari. Sounds pretty much the same right?!
There is not one thing we would change from our budget safari experience. Our guide was excellent, the accommodation was very comfortable and the food was plentiful and delicious.
Yes, It is Possible to do a Safari on a Budget!
One of the best things we EVER did in our lives was a budget safari in the Maasai Mara.
Even though we opted for the cheapest price, there were no shortcuts or feelings of cheapness about it. Everything was perfect. It may sound expensive, but when you break down the costs, it is money well spent.
We truly felt we were within the real-life set of The Lion King. Without a doubt, we would recommend a safari to be on everyone’s bucket list, especially in Maasai Mara!
Surely by now we have convinced you to go on an Africa safari?!
If so, make sure to leave us a comment below or on our socials and let us know how you got on.
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