How do you pay for your safari in Tanzania?

In short

You pay for your safari in 2 steps. When you book, a deposit of 40% of the trip price is due; you pay the balance before departure, no later than 8 weeks before the start of the trip. If you book less than 8 weeks before the start of the trip, the full amount is due immediately.

Only the Terms and Conditions of Wildfinder are binding. This article explains the process from enquiry to payment and what you should bear in mind regarding bank charges and money locally. It does not replace the Terms and Conditions.

From proposal to booking

The path from the first idea to a firm booking takes 4 steps:

1. Enquiry: You fill in the form; that takes around 3 minutes.
2. Proposal: Within 24 hours you receive a proposal with route, accommodation and the price per person.
3. Adjustment: Duration, parks and accommodation category (Classic, Premium or Exclusive) are adjusted until everything fits. Days on Zanzibar can be added on request.
4. Booking: With the signed booking form the proposal becomes a booking, and the deposit falls due at that point. Nothing is binding before that.

Deposit and final payment

The deposit is 40% of the trip price. The remainder of the price is due no later than 8 weeks before the start of the trip. For a booking made less than 8 weeks before the start of the trip, the full amount is due immediately. The invoice is issued in US dollars (USD). Your proposal states the price per person. It depends on the route, duration, group size and level. The guide to safari costs explains what a safari in Tanzania costs in total and which items are included in the price. The trip ideas on the Tanzania Safari page each show a duration and a starting price, so you can estimate the 40% deposit for your trip.

Payment methods and bank charges

At present, you can only pay the deposit and the balance by bank transfer. The notes on card payment below concern payments during the trip, for example at the till or at the cash machine.

One important point up front: Tanzania is not part of SEPA, the Single Euro Payments Area. SEPA covers the EU member states, the other EEA states as well as Switzerland and Monaco; SEPA transfers are made exclusively in euros. A transfer to Tanzania is therefore a regular international transfer, not a SEPA transfer.

Money in Tanzania

According to the Bank of Tanzania, the legal tender in Tanzania is the Tanzanian shilling (TZS).

According to the Bank of Tanzania’s 2025 rules, goods and services in Tanzania must generally be priced and paid for in Tanzanian shillings. There is an exception for tourism: tour operators based in Tanzania may pay for services within the country in foreign currency on behalf of non-resident tourists. This is set out in a letter from the Bank of Tanzania dated 8 July 2025 to the tourism sector. Correct as of October 2026.

For expenses not covered by the invoice, the Federal Foreign Office recommends taking sufficient cash in euros or US dollars. Banks and bureaux de change usually only accept dollar notes printed from 2006 onwards. Credit cards are accepted mainly by larger hotels, sometimes only Visa. With a German Girocard you will struggle to withdraw cash from cash machines; with common credit cards, withdrawals are relatively reliable at various banks, according to the Federal Foreign Office. Machines occasionally break down, so a cash reserve is recommended. In the past, unauthorised debits occurred repeatedly shortly after card use at cash machines. Keep receipts and check your transactions.

For bringing currency into or out of the country, the Austrian foreign ministry (BMEIA) states clear limits: you may import and export foreign currency without restriction, but amounts of 10,000 US dollars or more must be declared. The import and export of Tanzanian shillings is prohibited. So spend any remaining local currency or exchange it back before departure.

Cancellation and mandatory insurance

Full details of how payment and cancellation are handled can be found in Wildfinder’s Terms and Conditions.

The government-mandated insurance for entry into Tanzania is not included in the Wildfinder trip price. You take it out yourself and pay for it separately. The team will provide you with instructions. As of October 2026, it costs USD 44 for adults and USD 22 for children aged 3 to 17. Children aged 0 to 2 are free of charge. You can find all the details in the guide Mandatory insurance for Tanzania and Zanzibar.

Frequently asked questions about paying for your safari