Tipping on Kilimanjaro
Tipping your Kilimanjaro mountain crew after a climb is an important custom.
Tipping on Kilimanjaro is not mandatory, but it is highly encouraged.
Most climbers are eager to tip their mountain crew after witnessing their hard work and dedication throughout the trek. Tips serve as a meaningful way to express gratitude for the crew's efforts in ensuring a safe and successful climb.
Beyond appreciation, tipping is an established tradition on Kilimanjaro, and it is generally expected. In fact, many crew members depend on tips to supplement their income.
While we pay the government-mandated minimum wage, these salaries alone are not always enough to provide a sustainable livelihood.
There are a few reasons why tipping remains the preferred system rather than increasing base salaries.
First, many crew members—especially porters—support the tipping system because it allows them to earn a livable wage while staying below the tax threshold.
Second, a performance-based system motivates mountain crews to deliver exceptional service, as higher tips reward their hard work. Lastly, the tipping system is endorsed by the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP), an organization dedicated to fair treatment of porters.
For these reasons, tipping plays a crucial role in supporting the Kilimanjaro mountain crew. We strongly encourage our clients to set aside a budget for the tipping ceremony as a way to recognize and reward their incredible dedication
How much should I tip?
Determining the exact amount to set aside for tipping can be challenging in the early stages of planning, as the size of your climbing group—and consequently, your mountain crew—is still uncertain.
However, as your climb approaches and your group size is confirmed, you can use the tables below to calculate the precise amount to bring.
Before that, we'd like to outline the recommended tipping amounts for each type of mountain crew member. The crew operates within a hierarchical structure based on experience and responsibilities, so it's essential to distribute tips fairly among them.
Our recommendation:
Tip based on the service you receive
Tipping should reflect the quality of service provided. One of the main purposes of tipping is to motivate the mountain crew to deliver excellent service.
If you feel the service was below expectations, you are welcome to tip less than the recommended amount. If the service met your expectations, tipping within the suggested range is appropriate. And if your crew went above and beyond, consider tipping at the higher end of the recommended scale.
However, while it may be tempting to tip beyond the maximum recommendation when you've had an outstanding experience, we advise against it. Excessive tipping can create unrealistic expectations and lead crews to rely on unsustainable amounts.
Instead, if you were highly satisfied with the service, we encourage you to tip each crew member at the highest recommended daily rate for their role. When multiplied by the number of days on the mountain, this results in a generous and well-appreciated reward for their hard work.
How to give your tip
Tips are collected as a whole by your local tour leader (not the tour operator, our local representative). They are then divided according to KPAP recommendations to all the members of the team, in a fair and equitable way.
Tips should be provided to the local tour leader before you leave the mountain - typically at the final group celebration before boarding the bus back to Arusha or Moshi. The team will be immensely appreciative, and thank everyone in a very special and memorable way.
Whilst it may sound odd, we ask that climbers take their tips with them on the climb, so that they have them on hand at the end of the trip.
We ask that you do not give tips directly to team members, as this could cause embarrassment and appear unfair to others.