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Tanzania National Park Fees & Permits

Ever found yourself lost in a maze of confusing online information about Tanzania's national parks? We noticed that there is a lot of old data out there regarding fees, permits and practical information - which might guide you in the wrong direction.

To shed some light on it all, we have collected all the necessary information about the current situation in Tanzania's most popular parks, such as the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Natron. Ready to dive in? Enjoy the read and start planning your self-drive in Tanzania!

*Sidenote: This article focuses mainly on Tanzania's parks' fees and permits. If you're looking for more activity-based information, we recommend you to read our Tanzania Travel Blog instead. 



National Park fees for TANAPA

Most of Tanzania's protected areas, except for the Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Natron, are managed by the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA). The most visited TANAPA parks are Tarangire, Lake Manyara and Serengeti

When exploring Tanzania during a self-drive roadtrip, there is no need to book your TANAPA permits in advance. This only becomes necessary if you choose to rent a car with a local driver-guide. TANAPA doesn't apply a maximum limit on the number of visitors, so there's no need to worry about gate denials. Simply pay for permits using a credit card (Visa or Mastercard) at the entrance gate. Note that cash and debit cards are not accepted.

These are the current TANAPA conservation entry fees: 

  • Serengeti, Kilimanjaro, Nyerere National Park: US$82.60
  • Gombe Stream: US$118
  • Mahale: US$94.40
  • Arusha, Tarangire and Lake Manyara: US$59
  • Mikumi, Ruaha, Rubondo Island, Saadani, Mkomazi, Udzungwa Mountains, Katavi: US$35.40

Fees are quoted per person including VAT for your convenience. Tanzania charges VAT separately, so prices may seem different from what you find online. Children up to 5 years are free of charge, while children between 5 and 15 years old pay an entry fee of US$15-20. 

A day pass remains valid for 12 hours, while if you choose to stay within the park, the permit extends to 24 hours.

These are the current TANAPA hotel concession fees:

When spending the night at a lodge inside the TANAPA national parks, you'll need to pay an additional hotel concession fee. It's recommended to check with your lodge if the concession fee has been included in their quotation. Most hotels will add the concession fee to your hotel bill.

  • Serengeti and Nyerere: US$70.80 pp / night 
  • Arusha, Tarangire, Lake Manyara and Kilimanjaro: US$ 47.80 pp / night
  • Mahale, Ruaha, Katavi and Gombe: US$35.40 pp /night
  • Mkomazi , Saadani, Mikumi and Udzungwa Mountains: US$29.50 pp / night

Children up to 5 years are free of charge, while children between 5 and 15 years pay a US$11.80 concession fee.

These are the current TANAPA fees for optional activities and services:

  • Ranger fee: US$23.60 
  • Walking safaris: US$23.60 per person
  • Night game drives ( Katavi, Ruaha, Mikumi, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Nyerere only): US$59 per person

These are the current additional TANAPA fees:

  • The vehicle entry fee for your locally registered Roadtrip Tanzania rental car is 23,600 TSH (US$10) for an RAV4 and 41,300 TSH (US$20) per day for a Landcruiser, valid for multiple entries. 
  • Camping fees: Public campsites managed by TANAPA cost US$ 5.40 per person/night. Special campsites cost US$59 per person/night. For children between 5-15 years, the camping fee is US$11,80. Children below 5 years are free of charge. 
National Park fees for TANAPA

National Park fees for Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Fees for the Ngorongoro Conservation Area:

  • Visitor fee: US$70.80 per person per 24 hours
  • Vehicle entry fee: approx. US$10 for an RAV4 vehicle and US$20 for a Landcruiser. 

If you want to go down Ngorongoro Crater, you must pay the additional Crater Service Fee of US$295 per vehicle per trip.

Are you passing through the Ngorongoro Crater (for example to visit the Serengeti) but don't intend to visit? Then you'll still have to pay the national park fee each way. The only way to avoid paying the NCA fee twice is by exiting/entering the Serengeti via Klein's gate in the Northeast, on your way to/ from Lake Natron. Do note, that this requires paying the Lake Natron fees instead. 

Permits for the Ngorongoro Conservation Area:

You'll find a lot of disinformation online on how to arrange your Ngorongoro permits, insinuating that visiting Ngorongoro on a self-drive roadtrip is not possible. That is incorrect.

You can, indeed, visit Ngorongoro by yourself. The only thing to keep in mind is that an individual is not allowed to arrange and pay for their permits upon arrival. Instead, a Tour Operator will have to arrange and issue your NCA reservation for you.

Roadtrip Africa is happy to help you organize your NCA reservation. Please select this option in our booking form when renting your car. We charge a handling fee of €25,- in total. The actual entrance and camping permit can be paid for by credit card at our office in Arusha.  

National Park fees for Ngorongoro Conservation Area

National Park fees for Lake Natron

Fees for Lake Natron:

Lake Natron is part of Tanzania's Wildlife Management Areas (WMA);  countrywide conservation areas, established to benefit and help local communities throughout Tanzania. 

When entering Lake Natron, you can expect the following entry and vehicle fees:

  • Entrance fee (''wildlife activity fee''): US$ 11.80 per person
  • Vehicle entrance fee: TSH 17.700 per car
  • Camping fee: US$23.60 / per night

Staying at a lodge inside Lake Natron adds a bed night levy to your visit called a ''concession fee''. Your accommodation is required to pay this concession fee to the government and shall add this to your hotel bill. The rate is US$17.70 / night for everyone over 5 years old.   

Fees are quoted per person including VAT. Children between 5 and 17 years are charged a US$6 entry fee, and a US$11.80 / night camping fee, while children up to 5 years are free of charge.

A permit is valid for 24 hours. 

Paying for your Lake Natron entrance permits:

In Engaresero, the entry point to Lake Natron, you'll find a small office to secure your WMA entrance permits. Payment can be made via credit card or cash. Given the weak GPS signal in this area, it's recommended to have some cash on hand in case their payment terminal experiences connectivity issues.

National Park fees for Lake Natron

National Park fees for Wildlife Management Areas

Lake Natron stands out as the most frequented WMA area, yet several lodges in Tanzania are situated in other WMA regions. In such instances, only the bed night levy fee or concession fee of US$17.70 per night is applicable. The lodge will manage this fee, incorporating it into your hotel bill.

Below, Roadtrip Africa has compiled a list of the most visited Wildlife Management Areas and their lodges, subject to the bed levy/concession fee:

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


The 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)

• Kambi Ya Tembo
• Simba Farm


Don't forget your exit stamp!

Before you leave this page and start your adventure, here's a last piece of advice: when entering a National Park, it is mandatory to specify the date of your exit and pay the appropriate fee. It is then your responsibility to ensure that you receive an exit stamp upon leaving the park. This applies to all National Parks in Tanzania. 

If you do not see a ranger at the gate, please proceed to the ranger post to obtain the exit stamp. Forgetting to check out can result in the rangers searching for you in the park, and our company is fined for the overstay. Any such fines will be passed on to you. Roadtrip Africa cannot be held liable. 

Ready for your Tanzania safari roadtrip?

We hope we have helped you on your way with our information about Tanzania's national park fees. Any more questions about travelling in Tanzania? Check out our rental car fleet or get in touch with us. Our team at Roadtrip Africa is happy to help you create the Tanzania trip of a lifetime!


Disclaimer:
We do our best to keep the information on this website accurate and up-to-date. However, please be advised that no claims or rights can be guaranteed or derived from our website's content. We encourage you to verify any details independently to ensure accuracy. Please be aware that the information on our website may be subject to change.