Tipping is customary and appreciated on your Kilimanjaro trek. While your trek costs cover National Park fees, tipping the local team – guides, porters, and other crew members – is a meaningful way to show gratitude for their exceptional work. Tips significantly impact their lives and help support their families. The standard minimum is about 15% of your total trip cost per person, shared among the team. However, if service doesn’t meet expectations, tipping isn’t obligatory. Generous tipping is welcomed for outstanding service.
Tipping is a historical tradition, recognizing crew efforts. This is crucial, especially after the pandemic’s impact on tourism and rising costs of living in Tanzania.
To express gratitude, many also donate gear post-trip. Quality mountain gear is often unaffordable for local team members, making gear donations invaluable. Daily recommended tip rates vary:
Lead guide: $20 – 30
Assistant guide: $15 – 25
Cook: $15 – 25
Waiter: $10 – 15
Porter: $8 – 10
Toilet porter: $10 – 15
Tipping usually happens in US-Dollars on the climb’s last day during a Kilimanjaro tipping ceremony, involving an envelope for each member of the crew.