Policies
Travel Information, Tipping & Good to Know
Practical information for your trip: tipping on safari and Kilimanjaro, crew sizes, flights, photography and life on safari.
A few practical points help every trip run smoothly. This page covers tipping, the size of your mountain crew, getting to Tanzania and what to expect on safari. For more detail, browse our travel guides.
Tipping on safari
Tipping is a thank-you for good service, never an obligation. Guides and hotel staff are not allowed to ask for tips. If you are happy with the service, these amounts are a helpful guide:
| Who | Suggested tip |
|---|---|
| Safari driver-guide | US$15 to 20 per traveller, per day |
| Lodge and camp staff | US$10 to 15 per day, placed in the shared staff tip box |
You can tip in US dollars, euros, pounds sterling or Tanzanian shillings, or a mix of these.
Tipping on Kilimanjaro
- Tips depend on the length and difficulty of the climb, the number of crew and the number of climbers.
- Most groups meet before the end of the climb to agree how much to give each crew member, based on their own experience.
- You will receive an envelope at your hotel after the climb for your tips. Please do not pay tips, or for any extra services other than refreshments, while you are on the mountain.
- Tips should not depend on whether you reach the summit, but on whether your guides and porters were professional and looked after you well.
- If your crew did not meet your expectations, tell us straight away and do not feel obliged to tip. If anyone pressures you for a tip during the climb, please tell us: this is against our policy.
| Crew member | Suggested tip per day |
|---|---|
| Chief guide | US$20 to 25 |
| Assistant guide | US$15 to 20 |
| Cook | US$15 to 20 |
| Porter | US$10 to 15 |
As a guide, each climber can expect to tip about US$250 to 350 in total for the whole climb. Before tipping, ask your guide for the exact number of crew so that everyone is included.
Your Kilimanjaro crew
The size of your crew depends on the number of climbers:
| Climbers | Head guide | Assistant guide | Cook | Porters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | None | 1 | 3 |
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12 |
Getting to Tanzania
Tanzania has three main international airports: Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) for Arusha, Moshi and the northern safari parks; Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) in Dar es Salaam; and Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ) on Zanzibar. Airlines flying in include Turkish Airlines, Kenya Airways, Qatar Airways, Ethiopian Airlines and KLM.
Inside Tanzania, scheduled domestic flights connect the cities, the coast and the main parks. Operators include Air Tanzania, Precision Air, Coastal Aviation, Auric Air, Regional Air and Air Excel. Hot-air balloon flights over the Serengeti are run by licensed balloon companies and can be added to most safaris.
On safari
Tanzania has more than 30 protected areas and the distances between them are large. Roads can be long and bumpy, so we plan trips with more time in fewer parks: you see more, enjoy more and go home rested rather than exhausted. Please follow park rules and your guide's instructions at all times, and read our safety guidance.
Photography
Bring spare batteries and memory cards, keep your camera covered from dust and out of the heat, and always ask before photographing people. Most people are happy to help when asked politely.
Age policy
Lodges, camps and activities each have their own age rules, especially for young children on walking safaris, boat trips and some tented camps. Tell us the exact age of every traveller when you book so we can choose the right places for your family.
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