Starting as an occasional limited-time offering, the Private VIP Rhino Tour first debuted in September 2018 as the Rhino Endangered Species Tour and allowed guests an opportunity to get up close with black rhinos on the Serengeti Plain. The tour was also known as the Endangered Species Tour and VIP Rhino Safari. It became a more regular offering in late 2020 and continued to be available until late Spring 2023.
History
On August 31, 2018, Busch Gardens Tampa announced through their social media channels that a limited-time Rhino Endangered Species Tour would be offered combining a regular safari tour with an up-close experience with a black rhino. The 45-minute tour cost $49.99 and was available for guests ages five and up.
A total of 13 tour dates were made available in September 2018: 6 – 8, 10, 13 – 17, and 20 – 23. The park’s website described the tour sequence as first going out to feed the giraffes, then going behind the scenes at the black rhino habitat.
It returned as the limited-time Endangered Species Tour on March 29 – 31, 2019. It was done to coincide with Jody the black rhino’s 30th birthday.
The tour returned for a limited time in December 2020 as the VIP Rhino Safari, available on Thursdays through Sundays until January 3, 2021. The pricing model was changed to a flat rate of $299 for up to four guests, with pass-member discounts available for the 45-minute experience. Like the previous versions of the tour, guests were able to feed giraffes on the southern portion of the plain from an open-air safari vehicle and visit the black rhinoceros habitat for an up-close encounter.
By late December 2020, the offering had another name change to Private VIP Rhino Safari. The pricing also changed to a flat rate of $599 for up to 12 guests. The tour itself remained the same, and pass member discounts continued to apply. The tour was available on Thursdays through Sundays until the end of January 2021.
The tour remained available for booking through late Spring 2023 when it was removed from the experience offerings. The webpage for the tour remained live, however, with a note the safari was not currently being offered.
Sources:
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay | Rhino Endangered Species Tour – accessed 8/31/2018
Twitter – @BuschGardens | Aug 31 2018 – accessed 8/31/2018
Twitter – @BuschGardens | Mar 19 2019 – accessed 12/11/2019
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay | VIP Rhino Safari – accessed 12/4/2020
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay | Park Tours – accessed 12/21/2020
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay | Private VIP Rhino Safari – accessed 1/2/2021
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay | Private VIP Rhino Safari – accessed 5/28/2023
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay | Park Tours – accessed 7/29/2023
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay | Private VIP Rhino Safari – accessed 9/18/2023
Last update: September 18, 2023