A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Serengeti National Park vs. Cape Town for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Serengeti National Park or Cape Town?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Serengeti National Park or Cape Town, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Where Should I go: Serengeti National Park or Cape Town?

Serengeti National Park

Sprawling across 5,700 square miles of northern Tanzania in East Africa, Serengeti National Park makes up one of the oldest ecosystems in the world-one whose climate, vegetation, and fauna has barely changed over the past million years.  Today the park is a major wildlife destination, especially during the Great Migration when over a million hoofed animals are on the move.

Cape Town

Picture your travel bucket list. Is Cape Town on it? Yes, most people dream of visiting the "Mother City" of South Africa. As one of the most iconic places in the world, Cape Town is a world-class cosmopolitan city full of bustling nightlife, historical backdrops and a large gay community.

Cape Town is the most southern city in Africa with seasons turned upside down. In the southern hemisphere they experience the summer from December to February. During these months days can be hot and dry so be sure to gather in the shade and wear plenty of sunscreen. The winter from June to August is full of rainy days and cold nights.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Eco Tours in Tanzania, The Best Cultural Tours in Tanzania, The Best Camping Tours in South Africa, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in South Africa.


Which place is cheaper, Cape Town or Serengeti National Park?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Serengeti National Park is $157, while the average daily cost in Cape Town is $179. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Serengeti National Park and Cape Town in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Serengeti National Park $58
    Cape Town $83
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Serengeti National Park $116
    Cape Town $166
Compare Hotels in Serengeti National Park and Cape Town

Looking for a hotel in Serengeti National Park or Cape Town? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Serengeti National Park


Hotels in Cape Town


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Cape Town Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Serengeti National Park $22
    Cape Town $18

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cape Town

Also for Cape Town, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Airport Transfers To Hermanus: $237
  • Airport transfers: $24
  • Retun Transfer - Cape Agulhas - Where Two Oceans Meet Cape Town : $143
  • 1-3 Passenger Private Arrival & Departure Cape Town - Airport Transfers: $57
  • 1-3 Passenger Private Cape Town - Airport Transfer: $29
  • 4-7 Passenger Private Cape Town - Airport Transfer: $41
  • AIRPORT Transfer to and from Cape Town City: $29
  • Airport Transfer (Cape Town ) Bus: $46
  • Airport Transfer (Cape Town ) Bus: $19
  • Airport Transfer: Airport CPT to Cape Town by Luxury Car: $118
  • Airport Transfer: Cape Town to Cape Town Airport CPT in Luxury Car: $106
  • Airport and day tour transfers to Cape Town International Airport: $33

Is it cheaper to fly into Serengeti National Park or Cape Town?

Prices for flights to both Cape Town and Serengeti National Park change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Serengeti National Park $69
    Cape Town $77

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cape Town

For Cape Town, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • African Cooking with a Chef Founder: $30
  • Private Indonesian & Cape Malay Cultural Cooking Class : $71
  • From African Dinner and Drumming Experience: $72
  • African Dinner Experience from Cape Town: $75
  • Cape Malay/Creole Cooking Class and Local Shopping in Salt River: $77
  • South African Cooking Class in Cape Town with a Local Family: $82
  • Sunset At Signal Hill Constantia Wine Tasting and Dinner: $83
  • Cape Town African Taste-Safari & Live Entertainment Dinner Experience: $88
  • Private Authentic Cape Malay Cooking Class in Manenberg with Locals: $92
  • Food Tour in “Little Mogadishu,” Bellville, Cape Town: $94
  • Half Day Cape Town African Dinner Restaurant with Live Music Show: $98
  • Private Cape Malay Cooking Class in Cape Town with a Local Family: $100

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Serengeti National Park $54
    Cape Town $25

Tours and Activities in Cape Town

For Cape Town, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Cape Peninsula Sightseeing Small Group Tour from Cape Town: $2.65
  • Skip the Line: District Six Museum Admission Ticket: $3.53
  • Half Hour Seal and Harbour Cruise from Cape Town: $4.15
  • Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Ticket (One way Up): $4.70
  • Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Ticket (One way Down): $4.70
  • Sea Point Promenade: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.13
  • Muizenberg to Kalk Bay: Amble along the amazing False Bay Coast on an audio tour: $5.20
  • Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens: A Self-guided Audio Tour: $5.34
  • The Village in the City: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Bo-Kaap: $5.34
  • Slavery in the Cape: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Cape Town's Slave History: $5.40
  • Cape Point Flying Dutchman Funicular Return Ticket : $5.68
  • Cape Town Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $5.81

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Serengeti National Park $16
    Cape Town $22

Sample the Local Flavors in Cape Town

Also in Cape Town, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Stellenbosch Small Group Wine Tasting Tour From Cape Town: $2.65
  • Distillery Tour, rum and gin tasting: $12
  • Experience South African Craft Rum tasting and distillery tour in Cape Town: $14
  • Craft Gin Tasting Experience and Distillery Tour: $14
  • Indigenous Food and Wine Tasting: $26
  • Drumstruck at Silvermist. Live African Drum Show & Wine tasting: $28
  • Urban Wine Tasting: $30
  • Wine Tasting & Storytelling with SA Tapas add-on: $30
  • Cape Town Hop- On Hop -Off Tour and Groot Constantia Wine Tasting: $31
  • Franschhoek, Stellenbosch and Babylonstoren Wine Tour: $38
  • Wine Tour at Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, and Paarl: $46
  • Wine Tour: Paarl, Franschhoek & Stellenbosch incl 3 wineries: $47


When comparing the travel costs between Serengeti National Park and Cape Town, we can see that Cape Town is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Africa, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Serengeti National Park Expensive? and Is Cape Town Expensive?.