Tipping Guide for Tanzania Safari

Tanzania has a strong tradition of tipping. Very often, tour operators do not include the payment for the work of the driver, guide, boat captain, etc. in the tour package at all, and the income of these people consists only of tips given by tourists. We believe that this approach is not fair to people who do their work in good faith. Therefore, in our Tanzania safari trips, payment to the driver-guide for their work is already included in the price of the Tanzania safari, and the tip is not a mandatory payment not included in the offer, but a voluntary choice of tourists.

If you're happy with the service, tip; if you're not, don't. It is generally accepted that tips can be given individually in a hotel, for example to a porter or a maid, and also to leave a hotel tip in a box or jar for all staff. It is customary to give a tip to the driver and guide at the end of the trip — it is like a farewell gift from the traveler to the service provider for the service provided. 

Tipping can be done in Tanzanian shillings, as well as euros (paper money) and US dollars (banknotes issued after 2009).

Indicative Tipping Amounts in Tanzania

In Tanzania, it is generally accepted that tipping amounts are:

• Tip for a driver or guide from a small group of travelers (up to 4 people) is 10–20 USD per day per person, and from a larger group of travelers (more than 5 people) is 30–40 USD per day per group
• For hotel staff — 2–4 USD per day
• In a restaurant, for a small bill, you can round it up to the next thousand shillings or leave a tip of 5,000 Tanzanian shillings (about 2 USD); for a larger bill, a tip of 3–5% of the bill is considered normal, while 10% is considered generous; often, when paying by card, the waiter will ask if and how much tip you want to leave, and it will be added to the bill
• Tippers and porters in hotels and airports — 1–3 USD
• If you want to tip the driver after a transfer in the city, it will be 2–4 USD, depending on the time and distance

Tipping on a Tanzania Safari — What to Know

The Guided Tipping Assistant is designed to help you tip sensibly if you want to. It does not make tipping obligatory.

Remember, tipping is optional and based on your satisfaction. Enjoy your Tanzania safari experience with us, and feel free to explore the beauty of Tanzania knowing that everything is taken care of — you can also contact us to plan your Tanzania safari → contact page.