Tipping is a customary practice on Mt. Kilimanjaro and holds special significance. While it might be unfamiliar to those from places where tipping isn’t common, it’s an integral part of the trekking experience here. Tipping amounts are generally larger due to the unique setup on Kilimanjaro, where a considerable crew is involved to ensure a successful trek. For example, a team of 23 members, including senior guides, assistant guides, cooks, and porters, supports a group of just 6 trekkers.

Why Isn’t Tipping Included in the Price?

Tipping carries cultural importance on Kilimanjaro and has evolved over the years. Our company maintains a transparent approach by providing tipping guidelines without incorporating tips into the overall price. This is because including tips in the price could lead to discrepancies in compensation and transparency, especially since the size of the group can vary.

Our Tipping Recommendations

While more substantial tips are always welcomed, the crew deeply appreciates it when you follow the tipping guidelines outlined below. Keep in mind that these amounts are meant to be shared among the entire group. For instance, if the group collectively gives $15 to the cook per day, this amount will be divided among all group members.

– Senior Guide: $20 – 25 per day (for the whole group)

– Assistant Guide: $15 – 20 per day (for the whole group)

– Cook: $12 – 15 per day (for the whole group)

– Waiter: $10 – 12 per day (for the whole group)

– Porter: $8 – 10 per day (for the whole group)

– Summit Porter: $12 – 15 per day (for the whole group)

– Toilet Crew: $10 – 12 per day (for the whole group)

Tailoring Tips to Your Crew Size

To calculate tips accurately, it’s essential to understand the size of your support team. Here’s a breakdown of the crew sizes for trekking groups ranging from 1 person to 10 persons:

Group of 1: 1 Senior Guide, 1 Cook, 3 or 4 Porters

Group of 2: 1 Senior Guide, 1 Assistant Guide, 1 Cook, 6 Porters

Group of 3: 1 Senior Guide, 1 Assistant Guide, 1 Cook, 9 Porters

Group of 4: 1 Senior Guide, 1 Assistant Guide, 1 Cook, 12 Porters

Group of 5: 1 Senior Guide, 2 Assistant Guides, 1 Cook, 15 Porters

Group of 6: 1 Senior Guide, 2 Assistant Guides, 2 Cooks, 18 Porters

Group of 7: 1 Senior Guide, 2 Assistant Guides, 2 Cooks, 21 Porters

Group of 8: 1 Senior Guide, 3 Assistant Guides, 2 Cooks, 24 Porters

Group of 9: 1 Senior Guide, 3 Assistant Guides, 2 Cooks, 27 Porters

Group of 10: 1 Senior Guide, 3 Assistant Guides, 2 Cooks, 30 Porters

Giving Tips to the Crew

An effective approach is to pool the tips from your entire group and then distribute them among the crew members. Place the tips in separate envelopes, and climbers can personally hand them to each crew member. Alternatively, you can prepare two envelopes:

1. For the guide, assistant guides, and cooks – to be given to the lead guide.

2. For the porters – to be given to the representative porter.

By adhering to these tipping guidelines, you show appreciation for the hard working crew that makes your Kilimanjaro trek a memorable and safe experience.

Expected tip amounts per client for some common routes and group sizes.

To help you calculate, here are the tip amounts broken down for each crew member