Planning a safari. Updated November 2026. 6 min read.
A mid-range week in Kenya costs most Americans about $4,500 to $7,500 a person, flights included. Most companies hide that number behind an enquiry form. We would rather show you where every dollar goes, and the three choices that move the total by thousands.
The biggest pieces are the international flight, about $1,200 per person as a planning figure, and the land cost: lodges, park fees, and a vehicle with a guide, which runs about $300 to $600 per person per day at the mid-range level. Season, flying versus driving, and reserve versus conservancy decide where in the range you land. Fees, fares and rates change, so treat every figure here as a guide, check the official sources linked at the bottom, and ask us for a dated quote.
The number: three worked totals for two people, seven days
| Budget | Mid-range | Luxury | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land cost per person: lodges, guide and vehicle, park fees | About $2,600 | About $3,100 to $4,800 | From about $6,000 |
| Round-trip flights per person, economy | About $1,200 | About $1,200 | About $1,200 |
| eTA and inbound health insurance per person | About $82 | About $82 | About $82 |
| Travel insurance, vaccines and malaria tablets per person | About $150 | About $150 to $400 | About $400 |
| Tips for the couple | About $300 | About $300 to $450 | About $450 or more |
| Total for two | About $8,400 | About $9,400 to $13,400 | From about $15,800 |
| Per person | About $4,200 | About $4,700 to $6,700 | From about $7,900 |
Budget here means larger lodges and camps, a shared or basic vehicle and road transfers. Mid-range means comfortable tented camps and lodges with a private vehicle for the two of you. Luxury means small camps, often in private conservancies, usually with flights between parks. All three include full board on safari.
Line by line: two people, 7 or 10 days
Here is the mid-range trip broken into the lines you will actually pay for. Seven days is six nights on a road safari through two parks. Ten days is nine nights across two or three parks, still by road.
| Cost line | Two people, 7 days | Two people, 10 days | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| International flights | $1,800 to $3,200 | $1,800 to $3,200 | Economy round trip, about $900 to $1,600 each; plan on $1,200; highest July to September and December |
| Kenya eTA | About $60 | About $60 | About $30 each at etakenya.go.ke; every traveler, infants included |
| Inbound travel health insurance | About $104 | About $104 | Required since October 6, 2026; about $52 each through eCitizen |
| Maasai Mara reserve fees | $600 to $1,200 | $800 to $1,600 | 3 or 4 days at $100 (January to June) or $200 (July to December) per adult per day |
| Other park and conservancy fees | Varies | Varies | KWS sets fees for Amboseli, Nakuru and the other national parks; conservancy fees of $80 to $120 per adult per night are usually inside the camp rate |
| Lodges and camps, full board | $2,400 to $4,800 | $3,600 to $7,200 | Mid-range, roughly $200 to $400 per person per night sharing; 6 or 9 nights |
| Private vehicle and guide | $1,750 to $2,800 | $2,500 to $4,000 | Roughly $250 to $400 a day for the vehicle and a professional guide |
| Tips | $300 to $450 | $450 to $650 | Driver-guide, camp staff boxes, porters and transfers |
| Travel insurance, vaccines, malaria tablets | $300 to $800 | $300 to $800 | About $150 to $400 each; medical evacuation cover matters most |
| Total | About $7,300 to $13,400 | About $9,600 to $17,600 | Plus the KWS fees for your other parks, and extras such as a balloon flight |
Where the money goes
On a typical mid-range trip from the U.S., flights take about 25 to 35 percent of the total. Lodging and park fees take the largest share, about 45 to 55 percent. Ground transport, the vehicle, fuel and guide, is about 10 percent, and entry fees, tips and small extras make up the last 5 to 10 percent. That is why the two biggest levers are where you sleep and when you go.
The three choices that move the total
- Season. The Maasai Mara reserve fee doubles in July, from $100 to $200 per adult per day, and lodges charge their highest rates from July to October and over Christmas. For a couple spending three days in the Mara, the fee alone is $600 more in August than in February. January to March, which many guides rate second only to the migration months, is also among the cheapest, and November and early December bring the lowest lodge rates of the year
- Flying or driving. A flight from Nairobi's Wilson Airport to the Mara costs about $200 to $250 one way, or $300 to $450 return, and fly-in trips usually run about $700 to $850 more per person than the same trip by road. Our fly-in versus road guide weighs time against money
- Reserve or conservancy. Conservancy camps add fees of $80 to $120 per adult per night, usually built into the camp rate, and the camps are small and cost more. In return you get capped vehicle numbers, walks and night drives. Reserve lodges cost less. Our conservancy versus national reserve guide compares the two
One more lever matters for couples: a private vehicle adds about $100 to $150 each per day over a shared safari, while for a family of four it costs almost nothing extra. Our private versus shared guide does the math.
How the Mara fee works
At the time of writing, the Maasai Mara National Reserve charges non-resident adults $100 per day from January to June and $200 from July to December. Children aged 9 to 17 pay $50, and young children enter free. A ticket covers one day, from 6am to 6pm, and on your last day you need to leave by 10am or pay for another day. Narok County sets the fees and can change them, so check its official notices, and see our park fees page for the national parks.
What is never in the package price
- The Kenya eTA, about $30 per traveler
- The new inbound travel health insurance, about $52 per traveler
- Tips for guides and camp staff
- A hot-air balloon flight over the Mara, about $450 to $550 per person
- Drinks, at many lodges; some camps include house drinks, so ask
- Visas for Tanzania or Zanzibar if you add an extension
- Your own travel insurance with medical evacuation cover
- The single supplement if you travel alone, often 20 to 30 percent
The new entry insurance, explained
Since October 6, 2026, Kenya has required visitors to buy inbound travel health insurance through the government's eCitizen platform. It costs $44 plus fees, about $52 at checkout, per traveler, and gives three months' cover. The High Court upheld the requirement on October 7, 2026. At the time of writing, foreign policies were reportedly not accepted in its place, so your U.S. travel insurance does not replace it. It also does not replace your own travel insurance: it is not medical evacuation cover. Rules like this change quickly, so check eCitizen and the eTA portal before you fly.
How to spend less without a worse trip
- Travel January to March, or in November, when fees are lower or lodges cut their rates
- Share a vehicle with friends or family; the cost per person falls fast
- Do the Nairobi, Lake Naivasha and Mara triangle by road instead of flying
- Spend three nights in two parks rather than two nights in three; less travel, more game viewing
- If you fly, fly the one leg that saves the most time, usually the Mara to the coast
- Travel as a group, and ask about a free place for the organizer
- If you are a Kenyan citizen, carry your Kenyan ID for citizen park fees
Our prices, and how to pay
Our 7-day and 10-day itineraries show a from price per person, and every quote we send is itemised: what is in the price, what is not, and a tipping guide for your trip. You can pay in full, or in equal monthly payments with no deposit that finish before you travel. Tell us your dates, your city and your style, and we will send you a total you can plan around.
