A self-drive tour means you rent a vehicle and travel between your destinations driving yourself. A private guided tour means that you have a private guide with you for the duration of your tour and who will do the driving for you. A self-drive is cheaper as this only includes the rental vehicle and the accommodations you’ve booked for your itinerary. A private guided tour, includes the cost of the rental vehicle, your private guide’s daily rate and meal and his accommodation throughout as well as yours. It also includes all necessary park entry fees for the activities he can do with you, fuel for the duration of your trip and drinking water in the vehicle. So while a self-drive does seem much cheaper, if you add the cost of the fuel and the park entry fees as well as any activities you may wish to book with a lodge guide, all of which you will pay yourself while on tour, you will see that the cost difference is really only in the cost of the guide himself.
