Tanzania currency, cash and tipping

Last checked: 2 October 2026

In Tanzania you pay in Tanzanian shillings. You can withdraw cash in the towns, in Moshi, Arusha, Dar es Salaam and Stone Town, and the machines give you shillings. On safari and on the beaches of Zanzibar there are no cash machines at all. That is why most of our guests bring US dollars in cash for the tips, and withdraw shillings for everything else.

Shillings or dollars

For years you could pay in dollars almost anywhere in Tanzania. That has changed. Since 2025, prices and payments inside the country must be in shillings, a rule set by the Bank of Tanzania. Shops, restaurants, markets and taxis charge in shillings.

You pay for the safari itself in advance, and your nights and meals are part of it. What you spend along the way goes on tips, drinks outside your package and souvenirs.

Dollars are for the tips. Bring clean, unfolded notes printed in 2009 or later, and plenty of small denominations. Older or damaged notes are often refused. No official rule says so, it is simply how it works here.

Shillings you withdraw in Moshi or Arusha, before you head into the parks. Tell your guide, and they will stop at a cash machine on the way.

Cash machines and credit cards

1. You will find cash machines (ATMs) in Moshi, Arusha, Dar es Salaam and Stone Town, not in the parks and not on Zanzibar's beaches.
2. A cash machine only gives shillings.
3. Some lodges and camps accept credit cards, often with a surcharge.
4. Before you leave, make sure your card is enabled for use abroad. With most banks you can do this in the app.

You can only change money legally at a bank or a licensed bureau de change. Never change money on the street.

Tipping your guide

In Tanzania a tip is a fixed part of people's income, and for your safari guide it is the most important part.

We work with senior guides. Plan on 25 to 50 dollars a day for your guide, for the whole group together, not per person. You give it at the end of the safari, in an envelope, to your guide in person.

Where you land within that range is up to you. A longer safari, a bigger group, or a guide who found you that one moment, all of it can count.

Tipping at the lodge

Most lodges and camps keep a shared tip box, at reception or at the bar. Whatever you put in is divided among everyone who looked after you, the kitchen staff and the maintenance crew you never see included. You give once, at the end of your stay.

One figure is hard to name, because lodges differ. The guidelines you find online run from 5 to 20 dollars per person per night. Many lodges have their own guideline, so do ask at reception.

If you want to thank someone personally, a butler, or the man who woke you with coffee every morning, give it to them directly.

Tipping in town

In a restaurant, 5 to 10 percent of the bill is usual. A porter at your hotel gets a few dollars, or the same in shillings.

How much cash to bring

Work out what your tips will come to, your guide per day plus the lodges per night, and bring that in dollars. On top of that, some shillings for drinks and souvenirs, which you withdraw once you are here. You do not need to carry more, and it is safer not to.

Know where you stand before you go

With us, your nights, meals, park fees and transfers are part of your trip. What you still need along the way is for tips and whatever you choose to spend on yourself. Every itinerary shows exactly what is included.

View our itineraries