GUIDES & PORTERS

TIPPING GUIDELINES

Tipping your porters, guides and camp staff on Kilimanjaro is customary and encouraged but not obligatory, much like tipping for services in the U.S. Tipping is not in lieu of adequate wages; it is meant to acknowledge good service. Thomson Safaris is a leading member of the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP), a nonprofit organization supporting porters, and your porters receive one of the largest compensation packages on the mountain.

  • A finalized trek and safari tipping guideline will be sent to you in your Final Packet prior to your departure. It is based on your specific trip staffing needs. You will receive a convenient, easy-to-use suggested tipping breakdown, guidelines will vary based on group size.

  • If you have a personal porter, please tip him directly. Do not include his tips with the camp porters’ tips.

  • Guests recommend filling tipping envelopes before departure. Then you don’t need to think about it during your trip, and you can always add or remove money as you see fit.

  • Tips for lodge staff are included in the cost of your trek. If you feel that you have received exceptional service, feel free to tip more at your discretion.

Getting the Money to the Right People

We are often asked why we don’t include tips in the overall price of the trip. This is because any funds we send from the U.S. will be taxed in Tanzania by more than 30%, meaning that the team would receive far less.

Distributing tips from a pooled fund can be difficult as well, particularly on Kilimanjaro where graft is common. For these reasons, we brought together our staff, the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP), and the porters themselves to design a tipping system that ensures your tip goes exactly where it’s intended to go.

Respecting Tradition

Tipping is an expected custom in Tanzania and on Kilimanjaro, and people are used to the system, preferring it to a higher base wage. Porters are not looking for hand-outs, but do pride themselves on doing the best possible job to earn the best possible tips.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Do They Earn?

The porters on our treks are among the highest paid on the mountain. While most trekking companies do not offer KPAP-compliant wages, Thomson porters are paid much higher than the KPAP partner average. KPAP has called us “the premier standard for ethical treatment of Kilimanjaro porters.” This is before considering tips from our trekkers.

Tipping is not in any way an effort to offset lower porter wages but rather a customary reward for a job well done.

 

How Much Should I Tip?

We send specific recommendations one month prior to the trek when we have a better idea of the total number of trekkers in your group. Group size affects the amount of porters, guides, cooking staff, etc., which impacts tipping amounts. Suggested amounts take into consideration Tanzania’s cultural norms, recommendations from previous trekkers and the guidelines suggested by KPAP.

  • Note: Something that is really hard to explain in advance of your trek is the gratitude you will feel towards your trekking team. Many of our trekkers are inspired to tip more after seeing the incredible job the porters do, and more often than not, we hear feedback from trekkers who come home saying they wish they had brought cash to tip more. We recommend bringing an additional envelope with extra cash for tips in case you do decide to tip more than the industry standard as ATMs will not be readily available on your trip should you need additional cash.

 

 

How Do I Give Tips to My Trekking Team?

We recommend bringing plain envelopes, labeled with each individual or group who will get a tip, as laid out in the guidelines we send. For example, you would label one envelope each for: Head Guide, Assistant Guide 1, Assistant Guide 2, etc, Porter team…). From home, pre-fill the tipping envelopes with the amounts suggested in our guidelines. You can then adjust as you see fit prior to the tipping ceremony.

The tipping ceremony protocols were designed by our staff, KPAP and the porters themselves. On your last trekking day, all of the group’s tips are added together by category, and the sum total for the porters is calculated. Your head guide will read the sum aloud to the team and act as a translator if you would like to say thank you in Swahili.

The ceremony ensures transparency and that everyone gets their fair share of the tips. It can also be a lot of fun! It’s a celebratory occasion often filled with singing, dancing, cheering and many thank yous.

 

What Type of Currency Should I Use?

Please use U.S. dollars of a series date within the past 10 years (2010 or more recent).  Bills should be in good condition, free of tears, marks and folds.

 

What About Tipping My Personal Porter?

Your personal porter’s tip should be given directly rather than included in the camp porters’ envelope.

What If I Want to Do More?

Here’s a secret many trekkers don’t realize – you will become very fond of your team during your trek! If you want to go beyond tipping, as many of our guests do, here are some ideas:

  • Leave Gear as a Gift
    Thousands of porters work on Kilimanjaro, and many could use better or replacement equipment after the wear and tear of dozens if not hundreds of treks. If you won’t use a piece of equipment after your trek, don’t want to travel back with it or would simply like to make a kind gesture, you might consider leaving some of your equipment as a gift to others. For fairness, donated equipment is distributed via a lottery system.

  • Hire a Personal Porter
    The personal porter position is an opportunity to make extra money and is highly desired among the porter crew.

  • Encourage Others to Trek
    Tourism is incredibly valuable to Tanzania’s people, so please tell your friends about the experience!