Your vehicle · Your guide · Your pace

Private Safaris

No fixed departure, no strangers to wait for. A private safari is your own Land Cruiser and your own guide, on a route we shape around what you actually want to see.

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Your own 4x4 and guide
Depart any day from Arusha or JRO
Every seat is a window seat

Safari vehicle crossing a flooded stretch of track

Honeymoon safari vehicle with a Just Married wheel cover beside a baobab tree

Overview

What Private Actually Means

Private Tanzania safaris with your own guide, your own 4x4 and your own pace — planned in Arusha and built around the way you want to travel.

Start planning 9 sample itineraries

Your own vehicle

The 4x4 is yours for the trip. Our safari vehicles are large enough that every guest gets a window seat, with a roof hatch open for the whole game drive.

Your own pace

Stay an hour at a leopard sighting or move on in five minutes. Nobody else's schedule decides when you leave.

A route built for you

We plan around your interests, your travel window and how much driving you want each day — not around a fixed itinerary.

One guide, start to finish

The same driver-guide stays with you the whole way, so nothing has to be explained twice.

9 itineraries

Safaris We Run Privately

Start with one of these, or tell us what you have in mind and we will build the route from scratch.

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Serengeti · Tarangire · Ngorongoro 10 Days Serengeti Wildebeest Migration Safari 10 days from $3,440 per person Explore

Tarangire · Serengeti · Ngorongoro · Lake Manyara 10-Day Luxury Tanzania Safari: Tarangire, Serengeti, & Ngorongoro Adventure 10 days from $7,230 per person Explore

Serengeti · Kilimanjaro · Lake Manyara · Ngorongoro 9 Days Serengeti Safari During Calving Season 9 days from $2,670 per person Explore

Safari vehicles at a crater descent point with the rim behind

Serengeti · Ngorongoro 3-Day Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater 3 days from $940 per person Explore

Zanzibar · Tarangire · Ngorongoro 3 Days Safari from Zanzibar - Tarangire Np and Ngorongoro Crater 3 days from $830 per person Explore

Lappet Faced Safaris vehicle driving away along an open track

Ndutu · Serengeti · Ngorongoro 5-Day Tanzania Migration Safari: Ndutu, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater Adventure 5 days from $1,690 per person Explore

Aerial view of a lodge deck set among dense bush

Serengeti · Lake Manyara · Masai Mara · Ngorongoro 5 Days Serengeti Migration Safari | Lodge Safari 5 days from $1,500 per person Explore

Guests and their guide taking a selfie beside a lake below an escarpment

Serengeti · Tarangire · Ngorongoro · Lake Natron 5-Day Safari: Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro & Lake Natron 5 days from $1,500 per person Explore

7 Days North Serengeti Migration - Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater

Serengeti · Tarangire · Ngorongoro 7 Days North Serengeti 7 days from $2,410 per person Explore

Talk to us

Tell us how you want to travel

Send us your dates and what matters most — big cats, birds, an easy pace, a particular park — and we'll build the route around it.

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or call us on +255 755 625 994

“Francisco was amazing at organizing exactly the trip we wanted. He took the time to answer all our questions and custom made our trip with a great price. We chose t…”

catchatter2016 Best custom Private Small Group Safari Experi… Tripadvisor

At a glance

Private or Join a Group?

Both are available. Joining a scheduled departure shares the vehicle and the cost; private keeps the trip yours.

	Private safari	Joining a group
Vehicle	Yours alone	Shared with other guests
Departure	Any date you choose	Fixed scheduled dates
Pace at sightings	You decide	Agreed with the group
Route changes	Possible mid-trip	Fixed in advance
Cost per person	Higher	Lower — the vehicle is shared

The difference

What You Are Actually Buying

A vehicle that answers to you

On a shared departure the driver is balancing eight people's wishes. Someone wants lunch, someone wants to push on to the crossing, someone has been photographing the same lion for forty minutes. The guide has to average those preferences out, and the average is nobody's ideal day.

A private safari removes the averaging. The vehicle is yours, so the decision at every sighting is simply what you want to do next. That is the whole of it, and it changes more about a safari than any lodge upgrade will.

Where private matters most

It matters most at the sightings that reward patience. A leopard asleep in a sausage tree is a nice photograph after five minutes and a remarkable one if you wait for it to come down. A cheetah on a termite mound may hunt in the next hour, or may not. Waiting is only possible if nobody else in the vehicle is waiting on you.

It matters least on the drive between parks, which is the same road whoever is in the car. If your budget is tight, joining a group for transit days and going private in the Serengeti is a sensible compromise, and we are happy to quote it that way.

Private is not the same as expensive

Private describes who is in the vehicle. The tier — Standard, Mid-Range or Luxury — describes where you sleep. They are independent choices. A private camping safari is entirely normal in Tanzania and costs a good deal less than joining a group at the luxury tier.

In the quote

What a Private Safari Includes

Tanzania's park fees are a large share of any safari cost, and quoting without them is how a cheap-looking price stops being cheap. Ours are quoted inclusive.

Park and conservation fees Entry to every park and conservation area on your route, for the number of days you are inside it.
Your 4x4 and its fuel A safari Land Cruiser with a roof hatch, for your party alone, for the whole itinerary.
Your driver-guide The same guide from arrival to departure, including their meals and accommodation.
Accommodation at your chosen tier Standard, Mid-Range or Luxury — the same route, different beds.
Meals as listed on the itinerary Full board on safari days; the itinerary states which meals fall where.
Airport transfers From Kilimanjaro International or Arusha at the start and end of the trip.

Questions

Private Safari Questions

Is a private safari worth it for two people?

It is the case where the per-person premium is highest, because the vehicle cost is split two ways instead of six. Whether it is worth it depends on how much the flexibility matters to you. Couples who care about photography almost always say yes; couples who mainly want to see the big animals once are often happy on a scheduled departure.

Can we change the plan while we are out there?

Yes, within reason. Camps are booked in advance so the overnight stops are fixed, but the shape of each day — where you go, how long you stay, when you eat — is yours to change with your guide. If you want to spend a whole day in one valley because the cats are there, you can.

Do we get the vehicle to ourselves on every day?

Yes. On a private safari the vehicle carries your party only, including on transfer days between parks.

How many people fit comfortably?

Our safari vehicles are built so that every guest has a window seat, which is what actually matters on a game drive. Tell us your group size and we will tell you honestly whether it needs one vehicle or two.

Is a private safari the same as a tailor-made one?

They usually go together but they are different things. Private is about the vehicle. Tailor-made is about the route. You can take a private vehicle on one of our standard itineraries, or have us design something from scratch — most guests do a bit of both.

Reviews

What Travellers Say

363 reviews across 3 platforms

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Yiqing S

A memorable journey for a lifetime 💙

This was my first time travelling in Africa. Together with my Mum and two aunties we travelled as a family group of four. Generally it was an educative, cheering and lifetime memorable journey. All of us loved the safari. A genuine big thank to Lappet Faced Safari and our guide Frank. The trip was not only well arranged, safe and sound, but also full of luck. At the trip planning stage, the company general manager Francisco was very patient to answer all kinds of questions and made adjustments according to my demands as effective as possible. The cost breakdown was highly detailed. Before starting the trip, I had some concerns because my mum and aunties whose average age are nearly 60 and do not understand English. I expected that the trip might be a bit uneasy. But our guide Frank turned out to be an easy-going guy. He is so nice and got on well with three ladies. Even they don’t really understand each other’s language, there was no barrier at all :) And the car had been kept clean and tidy every morning before we get on. The ladies often praised “Frank你真棒！” (Frank you are so reliable!)During the safari, Frank could always discover those special animals that we never had such sharp eyes to notice🤣. We managed to spot the big five without much difficulties. Apart from those, we also spotted some rare creatures such as cheetah cubs, honey badger, serval, lappet faced eagle (safari company logo :D), steppe eagle, etc. Frank is absolutely professional. He introduced me all the animals alone the way in great details. Sometimes he would carefully double check the bird species in a beautiful birds illustration book. The safari was full of joy and surprise. We enjoyed every second in the wild nature of Tanzania so much that we even feel reluctant to back to city life🥲.P.S. I fulfilled my wish —— to make my own work of animal illustrations! Check them out 👇👇👇

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Ying / Aug 2026

The guide was very experienced

It was a very enjoyable trip! We were always lucky, and our wishes always came true. We had great travel companions and a great guide, and a…

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catchatter2016

Best custom Private Small Group Safari Experience by Lappet Faced Safaris

Francisco was amazing at organizing exactly the trip we wanted. He took the time to answer all our questions and custom made our trip with a great price. We chose the luxury tented lodges but the mid-priced accommodations looked good too. We saw so many animals up close, right by our Land Rovers, on our custom private 10 day safari (Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro). He also arranged a three night get away on Zanzibar at the Zuri Zanzibar resort. It was fabulous! All of the accommodations were fabulous and the food was delicious. You can trust Francisco to organize your safari and make it the trip of your lifetime! This trip exceeded our expectations and that is saying a lot for our group! Our guides, Ukadi & Alfred, were also amazing, they have a lot of experience as a safari guides and have vast knowledge on the animals, plants, trees and the culture. They spotted so many animals and birds for us, and were patient while we photographed everything. We even got to see all of the Big 5! We saw huge pools of hippos, leopards, cheetahs, lions, elephants, rhinos, Cape buffalos, zebras, wildebeest, ostriches, baboons, hyenas and much, much more! We really recommend going with Lappet Faced Safari tour company, they are the best! Thank you for sharing your beautiful world with us.

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Kiki / Aug 2026

A truly unforgettable trip, the local tour guide was very responsible!

Overall, our trip to Kenya was fantastic. The itinerary was excellent, and they handled a few hotel issues very promptly and efficiently. Our…

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Yixin D

Lappet Faced Safari Forever!

Francisco and his team have done a very good job. Francisco has arranged everything in Tanzania and kept an eye on our trip. Francisco's response speed is very fast. He arranged a photographer for our Safari The photographer recorded all the animals we saw and the wonderful moments. Our driver Noel is like my big brother. He has eagle eyes and finds animals at any time. He knows time management, and we have nothing to worry about with him. We saw rhinoceros and even baby rhinoceros six times in Ngorongoro, and on the third day we had seen all the Big Five and their babys.This is a Great Safari.Francisco and his team are very reliable. We paid the full amount when we were in China. Francisco completed all our hotel reservation requirements and sent us a hotel reservation form.Francisco is very honest. Their profits are not high, but they take their customers very seriously, even if their company is small.Their prices are detailed and transparent, and all details will be sent. Choosing them will make you have an unforgettable trip!弗朗西斯科和他的团队非常好，弗朗西斯科为我们安排好了一切，所有酒店没有任何更改，他安排了摄影师记录了我们的游猎时光，我们在第三天的时候已经看到了Big Five 和他们的babys.

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xiang / Jul 2026

A very reliable travel agency