Tipping on Kilimanjaro Guide 2027: How Much, When & How
Tipping on Mount Kilimanjaro is a deeply entrenched custom and a critical component of your mountain crew’s livelihood. As a general rule of thumb, you should budget 10% to 15% of your total trek cost for tips, which generally equates to roughly $250 to $300 USD per climber for the entire support team. Because mountain support crews outnumber climbers significantly—often 3 to 4 crew members per single hiker—the ultimate amount is determined by the size and composition of your team.
Tipping on Kilimanjaro
We adhere to the criteria set by Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Program (KPAP) regarding all elements of guide and porter payments and welfare. KPAP publish suggested tipping amounts for all operators and we use these.
The recommended climbing Kilimanjaro tips are the same no matter what path you choose to take. tip; you should.
Recommended guidelines from organizations like the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP) suggest the following daily rates for your support crew:
- Lead Guide: $20 – $25 per day
- Assistant Guide: $10 – $20 per day
- Cook: $10 – $15 per day
- Waiter / Toilet Crew: $8 – $12 per day
- Porter / Helping Porter: $6 – $10 per day
- Summit Porter: $10 – $15 per day
These payments are per group of climbers NOT per individual climber. You will be told the complete amount of your team in your last briefing pack.
A normal crew for a two person climb over 7 days would be 1 x lead guide, 1 x assistant guide, 1 x cook and 6 to 7 x porters as a general guide. If your climb is longer then the number of porters will grow as more food will need to be carried for everyone. If you have reserved a private toilet, there is also a toilet porter who transports the equipment and keeps it clean.
Tips should be given to the head guide on the morning of the last day of the climb. The head guide will then divide the points according to our stringent policy.