Amboseli Budget Safari Tours

4.4/5 – 256 Amboseli Reviews

Kenya has some fantastic parks and Amboseli National Park is the favorite one of all for many travelers. It’s a compact park that’s easy to get to and get around, and it’s a place for memorable wildlife encounters, from lions and cheetahs to denning hyenas and up-close elephants. Looming over the park along its southern flank is Mt Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain: it may lie across the border in Tanzania, but the best views of all are from Amboseli. The national park is also deep in the Maasai heartland, and the wider ecosystem includes many Maasai-run conservancies where you can encounter these true custodians of the land.

1-20 of 110 cheap tours, packages and holidays to Amboseli National Park

5 Questions About Amboseli Budget Safaris

Expert

Answered by

Anthony Ham

Anthony is a writer and author of over 150 Lonely Planet guidebooks, including guides to ‘Kenya’ and ‘East Africa’. He has written about Kenya and the wider region for magazines and newspapers around the world. He is also the author of ‘The Last Lions of Africa’, which is partly set in Amboseli.
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Which other parks and reserves should I visit on a budget Amboseli trip?

“You should dedicate as much time as you can to visiting and exploring Amboseli National Park. It’s a fantastic park for culture, wildlife and scenery, a combination that few other parks can match. I recommend a minimum of 2 days in the park but would suggest more if you can spare them. If you do have time to venture beyond Amboseli, the conservancies around the national park are worth exploring. However, they don’t have much in the way of budget accommodations. When you’re in Amboseli, you’re a half-day drive from both Nairobi National Park (to the northwest) and Tsavo West National Park (to the southeast). Both are world-class wildlife destinations. Tsavo East National Park is also one of Kenya’s best. Closer at hand is Chyulu Hills National Park, the setting for Ernest Hemingway’s ‘Green Hills of Africa’, although the scenery is generally better than the wildlife viewing.”

What kind of vehicle can I expect on a budget safari to Amboseli?

“There are many different tours and packages available for an Amboseli budget safari, but in most cases, you’ll travel by road to the park. Flying is possible but expensive. The trip to Amboseli from Nairobi or Mombasa will take you along the crowded and chaotic Nairobi–Mombasa road, where you may experience heavy traffic. Your trip may be in a minibus or a 4WD vehicle. Once inside the park, your game drives will probably take place in a minibus. These workhorses of Kenyan safari trails should have a pop-top roof: you stand on the seats and can enjoy an elevated, uninterrupted view. On a budget safari, you’re likely to be sharing the vehicle with other (sometimes many) travelers. The 4WD safari vehicle (with open sides, a canvas roof and tiered seating) is also possible, although this is usually reserved for more expensive safari tours.”

What type of accommodations can I expect on cheap Amboseli packages?

“In most instances on a budget Amboseli safari, you’ll be camping. Where this is the case, you’ll likely sleep in simple two- or three-person tents with a ground mattress. Inside the park, there are a handful of basic public campsites. At these fenced sites you can expect a communal building with showers (hot water is unreliable) and toilets with separate sections for men and women. One of these campsites, close to Kimana Gate in the east, has a small bar and kitchen. Facilities may be basic, but often all you have to do to see Mt Kilimanjaro is stick your head out of your tent in the morning. Outside the park there are numerous affordable, privately run accommodations. Most of these are camping areas with all the usual facilities (including a communal kitchen and dining area), plus views of Kilimanjaro as an added bonus. Some places have simple rooms (either in a lodge or a Maasai village context), usually with shared bathrooms.”

How do I avoid the crowds in Amboseli?

“Amboseli is a really popular park, and there are times when it is impossible to avoid the crowds. But you shouldn’t let that spoil your holiday. The busiest months are in high season, which runs from December to March and again from July to October. Visiting outside these months can be a good option, although April and May can be rainy, not to mention muddy for getting around. Be careful if you are traveling at this time: I once visited Amboseli at Easter and it was busier than ever, including sharing one cheetah sighting with 36 other vehicles (yes, I counted them, and no, I didn’t stick around). June and November can be good months for a slightly quieter safari experience. If you’re staying inside the park, the first hour or so can be lovely and quiet, before all the vehicles start arriving through the park gates.”

How much does an Amboseli budget safari cost?

“A cheap Amboseli budget safari can start at US$150 per person per day. A large proportion of this amount will go to your Amboseli National Park entry fees, which are a pricey US$60/35 per adult/child per day. Also included in this estimate should be all accommodations (such as camping fees and equipment), food, water, guide, driver, vehicle and, on most days, two game drives around the park. There are lots of different tours and packages, but one thing to remember is that for a really cheap safari, you may be expected to join in and help with camp tasks such as setting up camp and taking down the tents when it’s time to move on, as well as cooking and washing up. You may be able to keep costs down a little by traveling outside of the high-season months. However, budget prices are less variable by season than are more expensive safaris.”

Amboseli Reviews

4.4/5 256 Reviews

Expert

Mark Eveleigh –

Mark is a travel writer who grew up in Africa and has written over 700 titles for Condé Nast Traveller, Travel Africa, BBC Wildlife and others.

One of Kenya’s most picturesque parks with spectacular views of Kilimanjaro

5/5

I creaked into Amboseli after a frantic break-neck drive with the military convoy from Tsavo in a near-dead Suzuki Vitara hire-car. I had a soldier riding with me and the cartridge of his AK47 wore a hole through the dashboard because of...

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Lizzie Williams –

Lizzie is a reputed guidebook writer and author of the Footprint guides to South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

Guaranteed wildlife-viewing at the foot of Kilimanjaro

5/5

Amboseli has instant likeability and although it can be crowded with game-viewing vehicles, there are plenty of good reasons for its popularity. For a start, it’s a straightforward drive from Nairobi via the newish C102 road – the...

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Anne Berit Myrland –

Reviewed: Oct 27, 2024

4/5

We stayed at Manjaro Tented Camps. This is highly recommended and basically did our whole stay here. Otherwise being close to Kilimanjaro is great, but it's very dry and not very beautiful otherwise. Looots of elephants, which was cool.

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Shirley Rogers –

Reviewed: Jul 3, 2024

5/5

Amboseli is stunningly beautiful and very different from other national parks. We witnessed the predators and prey animals returning after the rains. Seeing Mount Kilimanjaro is wonderful. This was my third visit and I will go again next...

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Dulanjanee Prakash –

Reviewed: Jun 20, 2024

5/5

Amboseli National Park is an outstanding safari destination, offering stunning views of Mount Kilimanjaro, abundant wildlife including large elephant herds, and diverse ecosystems. Its unique landscape and excellent game viewing...

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Ilunia –

Reviewed: May 6, 2024

5/5

(we went in April)
It was flooded a bit so the big cats were hiding.
Lots of elephants in big herds.
Lots of birds.
The early morning walk was 10 USD extra, but we did not do it, as we wanted to enjoy the sunrise by ourselves.

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5 Questions About Amboseli Budget Safaris

Answered by

Anthony Ham

5 Questions About Amboseli Budget Safaris

Which other parks and reserves should I visit on a budget Amboseli trip?

What kind of vehicle can I expect on a budget safari to Amboseli?

What type of accommodations can I expect on cheap Amboseli packages?

How do I avoid the crowds in Amboseli?

How much does an Amboseli budget safari cost?

Amboseli Reviews

One of Kenya’s most picturesque parks with spectacular views of Kilimanjaro

Guaranteed wildlife-viewing at the foot of Kilimanjaro