What Is Included in a Luxury Safari — and What Is Not
Two quotes for the same camps rarely differ on the camps. They differ on the internal flights, which sit inside some rates and outside others.
The short answer
An all-inclusive safari rate is genuinely inclusive, which is why it looks high next to a hotel room. It carries accommodation, all meals with house drinks, twice-daily guided game drives, in-country transfers and light-aircraft hops, park and conservation fees, laundry and emergency medical evacuation. In private reserves it also carries a tracker alongside the guide. What it does not carry is the international flight, the premium wine and — on some itineraries — the internal flights between camps.
| Included in the nightly rate | Not included |
|---|---|
| Camp accommodation | International flights |
| All meals, and the drinks most camps include | Premium spirits and fine wine |
| Twice-daily guided game activities | Spa treatments |
| In-country transfers and light-aircraft hops | Internal flights between camps, on some itineraries |
| Park and conservation fees | Gratuities |
| Laundry, usually same-day | Visas and travel insurance |
| Emergency medical evacuation | A private vehicle, where it is not already the default |
| A tracker alongside the guide, in private reserves |
The line that decides a comparison
Two quotes for the same camps rarely differ on the camps. They differ on the internal flights. Light-aircraft hops between regions are inside some rates and outside others, and on a three-camp itinerary that is not a rounding error. Ask for the inclusions in writing before comparing, and check that line first.
The second thing to check is park fees. In Kenya's private conservancies the conservation fee of US$80–150 per person per night is usually already inside the camp rate; the Maasai Mara National Reserve charges US$100–200 per person per day at a gate instead. In Tanzania the Serengeti and Ngorongoro fees are charged separately and add up quickly. In South Africa's private reserves there is no gate fee at all. See what a safari costs for the full picture.
What an advisor adds that is not a line item
The international flights, the visas and the permits are arranged rather than quoted, and someone stays reachable while you travel — so a delayed connection is resolved before you land, not after. Gorilla permits in Rwanda are capped daily and are secured before flights, which is a sequencing job rather than a booking one.
What is quoted is what you pay. If a rate looks materially below the range in our costs guide, the difference is almost always the internal flights, the park fees, or a shared vehicle rather than a private one.
Questions, answered.
Camp accommodation and all meals, game activities with a guide, in-country transfers and light-aircraft hops, park and conservation fees, laundry and emergency medical evacuation — and in private reserves a tracker alongside the guide. Most camps include house drinks. Your advisor also arranges the international flights, the visas and the permits, and stays reachable while you travel.
International flights, premium spirits and fine wine, spa treatments, gratuities, visas and travel insurance — and, on some itineraries, the internal flights between camps. That last one is the item that most often explains why two quotes for the same camps differ, so ask for the inclusions in writing.
House drinks are included at most luxury camps — the wine, beer and spirits poured with meals and on the game drive. Premium spirits and fine wine are charged separately. The distinction varies by camp, which is one of the specifics worth confirming in writing rather than assuming.
It depends on the country and the land status, and the difference is large. In Kenya's private conservancies the conservation fee of US$80–150 per person per night is usually already inside the camp rate. The Maasai Mara National Reserve charges US$100–200 per person per day at a gate instead. Tanzania's Serengeti and Ngorongoro fees are charged separately. South Africa's private reserves charge nothing at a gate.
No. Gratuities are excluded from every all-inclusive rate we quote, and they are customary for the guide, the tracker and the camp team. Your advisor will tell you what is normal for the country and the camp before you travel, so it is budgeted rather than improvised.
Emergency medical evacuation is inside the rate at the camps we use — it is standard at this level, because the camps are hours from a hospital. It is not the same as travel insurance, which is excluded and which you should hold separately.
Safaris
See the collection →Tell a private advisor how you like to travel — no quotes, no obligation.
Begin Your Private Consultation