Tipping Guidelines for Your Mount Kilimanjaro Trek
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Tipping is a customary tradition when trekking on Mount Kilimanjaro and is an expected practice. While some might be new to this custom, especially if they come from regions where tipping isn’t common, it’s important to understand its significance on the mountain. The tipping amounts are larger than what you might have encountered on previous treks due to the unique crew setup on Kilimanjaro. For instance, a group of 6 trekkers is supported by a team of 23 members, including senior guides, assistant guides, cooks, and porters.
Why Isn’t Tipping Included in the Price?
Tipping has deep cultural meaning on Kilimanjaro and has evolved over the years into its present form. Our company maintains a transparent approach to tipping. We provide guidelines about what the crew typically expects, but it’s essential to note that you directly give tips to the crew members. Incorporating tips into the overall price isn’t practical for a couple of reasons. Firstly, including tips could lead to concerns of clients being overcharged for tips while the crew isn’t fairly compensated, creating transparency issues. Secondly, tip amounts can vary depending on the group size, which can’t be predicted in advance.Our Tipping Recommendations
While our staff appreciates larger tips, following the recommended tipping guidelines below will be highly valued by the crew. Keep in mind that the amounts provided are intended for the entire group. For example, if the group collectively tips $15 to the cook per day, this amount will be divided among all group members.- Senior guide: $20 – 25 per day for the entire group
- Assistant guide: $15 – 20 per day for the entire group
- Cook: $12 – 15 per day for the entire group
- Waiter: $10 – 12 per day for the entire group
- Porter: $8 – 10 per day for the entire group
- Summit porter: $12 – 15 per day for the entire group
- Toilet crew: $10 – 12 per day for the entire group
Crew for Different Group Sizes
To accurately calculate tips, it’s important to understand the size of your support team. Here’s the breakdown of the crew size for different group sizes, ranging from 1 to 10:- 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
How to Give Tips to the Crew
A recommended approach is to pool the tips from the entire group and then distribute them among the crew. Place the tips in separate envelopes and personally give them to each crew member. Alternatively, prepare two envelopes: one for the guide, assistant guides, and cooks, to be handed to the lead guide; and another for the porters, to be handed to the representative porter.Expected tip amounts per client for some common routes and group sizes.
| Group of 1 | Group of 2 | Group of 3 | Group of 4 | Group of 5 | |
| 5 Days Marangu | $280 – $350 | $238 – $300 | $198 – $250 | $179 – $225 | $182 – $230 |
| 6 Days Marangu | $336 – $420 | $285 – $360 | $238 – $300 | $215 – $270 | $218 – $276 |
| 6 Days Machame | $336 – $420 | $285 – $360 | $238 – $300 | $215 – $270 | $218 – $276 |
| 7 Days Machame | $392 – $490 | $333 – $420 | $278 – $350 | $250 – $315 | $255 – $322 |
| 7 Days Lemosho | $392 – $490 | $333 – $420 | $278 – $350 | $250 – $315 | $255 – $322 |
| 8 Days Lemosho | $448 – $560 | $380 – $480 | $317 – $400 | $286 – $360 | $291 – $368 |
To help you calculate, here are the tip amounts broken down for each crew member
| Senior Guide | Assistant Guide | Cook | Porter | |
| 5 Days Trek | $100 – $125 | $75 – $100 | $60 – $75 | $40 – $50 |
| 6 Days Trek | $120 – $150 | $90 – $120 | $72 – $90 | $48 – $60 |
| 7 Days Trek | $140 – $175 | $105 – $140 | $84 – $105 | $56 – $70 |
| 8 Days Trek | $160 – $200 | $120 – $160 | $96 – $120 | $64 – $80 |
