Without our gorilla trekking tipping guide, you might not know how to tip properly on your trek. This guide will help you understand how to tip in a fair and respectful way.
Tipping is a personal choice. You can give based on what you can afford or how well you think the guide did their job.
Most guides are paid basic salaries by tour companies, so they often depend on tips from tourists to support their daily lives.
This tipping advice is for gorilla trekking in both Uganda and Rwanda. There are no fixed rules for how much you should tip, but most travelers give between $10 and $25. If the guide did a very good job, you can tip more if you wish.
During the trek, you will be helped by ranger guides, trackers, and porters. Only eight people are allowed to visit each gorilla family per day. Your group can talk together and decide how much each person will contribute to the tip, which can be shared with the rangers and guides.
Tipping is not required by law, but it is a kind and helpful gesture that many travelers choose to do. It is usually done on the last day of the trek or tour.
You can also tip guides on other safaris, such as game drives, and thank hotel or lodge staff like porters, waiters, and waitresses if you are happy with the service.
Tipping is always appreciated. It helps support the workers and sometimes even helps their families.
Porters do not have fixed salaries. They earn about $10 to $20 per trek. Adding a small tip to this amount shows your appreciation and can make a big difference to them.
To visit mountain gorillas, you must buy a permit. This permit allows you to trek and see one specific gorilla family.
In Uganda, the permit costs $800 per person. In Congo, it costs $400 in the high season and $200 in the low season. Rwanda has the most expensive permit at $1500 per person.
You can trek gorillas any time of the year, but the best months are from June to September and from December to February.
During the rainy season, the paths become slippery and muddy, making the trek more difficult. However, some lodges may offer lower prices during this time.
Gorilla trekking means hiking through the forest and sometimes climbing hills to find the gorillas. To get ready for the trek, you should pack waterproof hiking boots, garden gloves, warm clothes, insect repellent, enough drinking water, and energy snacks. Other useful items may include sunscreen, a rain jacket, and a hat.
