How much does a Uganda Safari cost?
How much does a Uganda Safari cost? This is one of the most frequently asked questions by tourists interested in a safari experience in Uganda. This question always comes to a traveller’s mind because finances which are the main component of a safari. Without money, there is no way you can organize and travel without money however much one desires to take a Uganda safari. Therefore, today where there are no resources (money) are unusual, travelling comes with a lot of commitments and obligations to fulfil, and one has to know in advance on what it will cost them to go on a Uganda safari in order to do proper planning for the finances.
The cost of a Safari in Uganda is uncertain given that Uganda is one of the countries in the Africa with the lowest cost of living. Nevertheless, Uganda can accommodate all kinds of travellers ranging from high-end, Luxury, Mid-range and budget travellers. Tourism stakeholders have put up opportunities that cater for all people from different walks of life to enjoy and appreciate the beauty of Uganda. Therefore, there is no fixed cost/price of a Uganda Safari; the cost of the safari is actually determined by the traveller in accordance to the choices of travel items he/she makes on the itinerary or tour program. Most local tour operators normally cost for the expenses their guests will do when they land in Uganda that means all ground experiences are the one quoted for while the client handles their own air ticket and travel insurance expenses. Given that we cannot come up a conclusive cost of a Uganda safari for the so many items involved, below are some of the variables that come into play when costing a Uganda safari
Activities indicated in the safari package
Uganda has numerous tourist destinations to explore and it is always difficult to make choices of activities in Uganda however, a traveller can always share their best interests in Uganda for example you specify activities like Gorilla trekking, Chimpanzee trekking and wildlife safari however, all the tourism places and the tourism activities to engage in come with a cost.
Prices for activities in all the 10 Uganda national parks are standard and cannot be negotiated. Different tourism places have different rates as well as the tourism activities. For instance, all national parks’ activities have prices which are provided by the Uganda Wildlife Authority in that is called a “tariff book”. Therefore, a traveller has to look at the tourism activities or places to visit to get to know the cost of the Uganda safari.
Cost of Accommodation
Uganda has a chain of accommodation facilities and they range from high-end, luxury, mid-range to budget and hotels. The cost of a Uganda safari also depends on the type of accommodation you wish to stay in whether 5 star or 2-star hotel, your budget determines that. At different national parks and other tourism destinations in Uganda, there is no single lodge/hotel that has the same rate with the other but they can have rates within the same range.
The range of prices is where we group the accommodations in luxury mid-range and Budget. On a Uganda safari, the accommodation is one part of costing that takes up the biggest share of the cost because they include meals as well. Imagine having about 2 nights on the Uganda safari, you will have to pay about US$200 to stay in a relatively budget accommodation. Therefore, a traveller always has to note the rates of lodges/hotels for which he/she wishes to stay determine the cost of a Uganda safari.
Days on the Uganda safari
This is quite a variable cost for a Uganda safari because the longer one stay on a safari, the more they spend on the costs of the safari. This is because each day of stay is charged depending on your activities you do per day accommodation you stay per day. The costs keep increasing for more days. Therefore, a traveller who wishes to do a short trip in Uganda is more likely to spend less than the one who wishes to take more days. For example, a visitor who wishes to spend 3 days on a Uganda Gorilla trekking experience pays less compared to the person who booked a 5 Days Uganda Gorilla and wildlife safari depending on your interests.
The cost of transport
Transport is one of the most important aspects of the cost of a Uganda safari because every traveller to Uganda needs a means of movement around the tourist attractions. These tourist destinations do not offer transfer around the areas so you are recommended to either hire a vehicle or book your trip with any of the available tour operators in Uganda with good transfer services.
Usually a Uganda safari package includes transfers with airport pick up and drop off after the trip and you are also driven around as long as you have confirmed the package as provided to you on the itinerary. You can wish to travel luxuriously or moderately. Unless in Kenya and Tanzania, tour operators in Uganda usually offer transportation in 4X4 SAFARI VANS although there are a few companies with 4X4 land cruiser vans. The car hire expenses come with a safari driver-guide and fuel expenses as well. The transport cost varies with the type of vehicle a traveller wishes to travel in. Hiring a land cruiser vehicle for a Uganda safari is more expensive than hiring a van, so because of the costs, clients usually prefer vans.
The number of travellers on a Uganda safari
The cost of the Uganda safari can also be determined by the number of people taking on a safari. The total cost of a Uganda safari increases with an increase in the number of guests. This is because there will be need for more room for all the travellers for tour services like transport, accommodation, and tour activities. Therefore, the cost of a Uganda safari will always change with the number of tourists. However, it is recommended for travellers to travel in groups to be able to share the costs of transport and accommodation compared to travelling as 1 person because if you travel alone, all the costs of the trip will be incurred by only you. The more number of people, the lower the sharing costs of the trip per person.
Meals during the safari
Most of the tourism destinations of Uganda are located upcountry far away from Kampala city. When tourists are traveling to these destinations (National parks), they will always need to eat something along the day. Whether you are travelling to Bwindi impenetrable national park or Murchison falls national or Lake Bunyonyi or Lake Mburo national park, you will need en-route lunch along the way because the journeys are usually long. There are actually designed places for stopovers for meals along all roads leading to tourist attractions. The expenses of these meals are always included in the cost of your Uganda safari. However, the rest of the meals especially breakfast and dinner and sometimes lunch is provided by the accommodation you stay at thus meals are always included on the accommodation costs. Thus most of the lodges and hotels in Uganda always offer their clients bed and meals incorporated in the same rate.
Mark up of the tour operator
Most of the Uganda safaris are all inclusive tours where a tour operator combines the different tour items and sell it as a tour package. The tour operator does the booking and reservation of the accommodation and meals, tourism activities and transport and in return he/she has to be paid a commission by the clients for the job done. What the tour operator does in this case is to put a mark-up of a certain percentage on a particular quotation he/she makes for the client. Sometimes, there are some costs that the tour operator will need to ensure your reservations are booked for example purchasing gorilla and chimpanzee permits,
In conclusion, there is no exact cost for a Uganda safari. One also can never be accurate with the quotation unless they are working with a local tour operator in Uganda like Achieve global safaris who will consider offering you a relatively lower cost for a suitable safari. Most tour packages are tailor-made because of the varying interests of clients. However, any traveller must know the standard variable or principle travel items that make up the cost of a Uganda safari tour.
