Q. How much does a Tanzania safari cost?
A. HM Safaris offers private, custom safaris. We hire the latest models of safari Land Cruisers. In addition and all of our guides have a minimum of 15 years guiding experience and are walking encyclopedias on Tanzanian plant and wildlife. Generally speaking, an eight day safari for two people will start at $4000 per person. The price increases depending on addendums such as: Zanzibar excursions, Kilimanjaro climbs, southern Tanzania safaris and hot air balloon rides. Additional days will add to the cost and additional people in the safari group will help bring the cost per person down.
Q. How many people are required to book a safari?
A. HM Safaris offers private, custom safaris. The only people in your safari vehicle are you and your guide. Our Safari Vehicles hold up to seven people and there are no middle seats.
Q. Can you do a safari for a large group of people? What about a safari for just one person?
A. Absolutely—we can accommodate safaris of all sizes.
Group safaris: The more folks around the campfire at night, the merrier! If you’ve more than seven people in your group, then more than one safari vehicle and safari guide will be needed. So, a safari of eight or nine people will be similar in cost to one of four or five people.
Individual safaris: We are happy to take individuals out on safari and have worked with photographers, journalists and professors who often travel alone. The safari cost for a single individual does come at a premium, as there are single supplement room fees and none of the safari costs are shared with other guests.
Q. How far in advance should I book a safari?
A. It’s advisable to book a safari a minimum of 90 days in advance, as most lodges require payment in full by then. During the peak and busy seasons—June to October and December to January, we advise people to try to book 120 days out to avoid disappointment as some of the smaller tented camps and lodges do fill up quickly.
Q. When should I book my airfare?
A. We often recommend that people book their airfare first, and then we can work on the lodging based on arrival and departure dates. We will not be able to send a final, confirmed itinerary until we received all flight details.
Q. How do I secure my safari?
A. When you decide to book with us, you will be sent a safari booking agreement, which needs to be filled out by each person in your party and sent back to us. If you are booking more than 60 days in advance, you will also need to secure your booking with a $1000 deposit, per person. This tells us you are committed to working with us and allows us to book one of our safari guides for your safari. It also allows us to hold some of the lodges. However, some lodges do require payment in full, in which case we can only confirm them once we receive full payment.
Q. Can children go on safari? Is there a minimum age for children on safari?
A. There is no set minimum age for children on safari. HM Safaris suggests that children ten years of age and older are best suited for a safari. The drives can be long, the roads can be bumpy and patience is required to spot a leopard in a tree or a lion with its kill. Of course, every person has different personalities and matures and different rates, so we handle younger guests on a case by case basis.
Q. What is the best time of year to visit Northern Tanzania?
A. Tanzania really is ideal year round, but our Tanzania weather page has information on monthly averages for sunshine, rain and temperature.
Please check out our Wildebeest Migration Map to see where the migration is and at what time of year.
