Written by the Paramount Gorilla Expeditions team, based in Uganda, as a country-by-country safari tipping guide.
Tipping is customary across East Africa and is part of how guides and camp staff earn their income, so treat it as a planned part of your budget, not a surprise. Amounts below are typical guide ranges that safari operators often suggest, not rules. Confirm them for your trip.
Safari tipping guide: who to tip
- Your safari guide: often the largest tip, since the guide is with you throughout.
- Camp and lodge staff: usually pooled through a communal tip box at each property.
- Trackers, rangers and porters: on gorilla and chimpanzee treks, tip the trekking guide and porters separately. See what happens on trek day.
- Drivers and transfer staff outside the safari portion, with a smaller amount.
Safari tipping guide: typical ranges
As a rough guide, many operators suggest around $15 to $25 per person per day for a safari guide, around $10 to $15 per person per day pooled for camp staff, and smaller separate amounts for trekking guides, porters and transfer drivers. Amounts vary with group size, service and country, so we give a written tipping guide tailored to your itinerary in your trip pack.
How to carry tips
US dollars in small notes are the most widely accepted tipping currency, and many places prefer notes that are recent and undamaged. Some camps also accept card or mobile-money tipping. Bring more small notes than you think you need.
When to tip
- Tip your safari guide at the end of your time together, not daily.
- Use the communal tip box at each camp on your last morning there.
- On gorilla and chimpanzee treks, tip the trekking guide and porters directly after the trek.
A worked example
For two people on an 8-day safari, the ranges above come to roughly $240 to $400 for the guide and $160 to $240 for camp staff, before any trekking or transfer tips. We confirm a tailored figure for your itinerary in your trip pack.
Plan it, then relax
Add tips to your budget from the start. See what a safari costs and first-time safari planning. Tipping guidance can change, so ask us before you travel.
Use this safari tipping guide on your trip
Official park fees are set by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the Kenya Wildlife Service, TANAPA and the Rwanda Development Board. We confirm the current fees for your dates in every quote.
Numbers and money words for tipping and markets are in our Swahili phrases for travellers guide.
The kitchen team deserves thanks too; see our East African food guide for how meals work on safari.
For porters and carrying teams, see our gorilla trekking age limit guide.
For the word you will hear on the road and how to answer it, read our mzungu guide.