Terms & conditions

Last updated 2026.

Your contract

The binding terms of your trip are those set out in the written quotation and booking confirmation we send you, which state the itinerary, the price, what is included and excluded, the deposit, the balance due date and the cancellation terms that apply. Please read that document before paying anything, and ask us about anything that is unclear. This page is a summary and does not replace it.

Prices

Prices shown on this website are starting prices for the itineraries and group sizes described, quoted per person in US dollars. Your final cost is confirmed in a written quotation and depends on your dates, group size, season, and the park and conservation fees in force at the time.

National park and conservation fees, fuel costs and exchange rates are set outside our control and change from time to time, so published prices are reviewed periodically and the price on this site may differ from the price you are quoted.

Once you have accepted a quotation and paid your deposit, your price is fixed. If government fees rise between that point and the date you travel, we absorb the difference — we will not come back to you for more.

Deposits and payment

A deposit of 30% of the total trip cost confirms your booking. It is what lets us secure guides, vehicles, accommodation and park permits in your name, and much of it goes straight out to those suppliers rather than being held by us.

The balance is due 60 days before departure. If you book inside 60 days of departure, the full amount is payable at the time of booking. We will set out the exact figures, the due date and the accepted payment methods in writing on your quotation before you are asked to pay anything.

Cancellation by you

Tell us as early as you can. Cancellation takes effect from the day we receive your notice in writing, and the charge depends on how much notice that gives us.

Some costs cannot be recovered whatever the notice, because they are paid to third parties on your behalf and are not refundable to us:

• Kilimanjaro, Mount Meru and national park permits once issued
• Ngorongoro Conservation Area fees once paid
• Internal flights once ticketed
• Camp and lodge deposits already paid on your behalf

Where those unrecoverable costs come to more than the charge in the table, the higher figure applies. Where a supplier does refund us, we pass that refund on to you in full.

Changes to your booking

We would far rather move a booking than cancel it. Ask us and we will try, at no charge from us beyond any difference in price and any fee a supplier imposes. How far it is possible depends on the permits, the accommodation and how close to departure you are — moving dates more than 60 days out is usually straightforward and considerably harder after that. A change we cannot accommodate is treated as a cancellation, and the table above applies.

Cancellation by us

We may cancel in circumstances outside our control — a park or route closed, a government restriction, or conditions our guides judge unsafe. If that happens we will offer you alternative dates, or an alternative trip of equivalent value, or a refund of everything you have paid us less any third-party costs already spent on your behalf that we cannot recover. We do not pay compensation beyond that; that is what your travel insurance is for.

If you do not reach the summit

The price buys the expedition, not the summit. If you turn back — for altitude, illness, weather, or your guide's judgement — no part of the trip cost is refunded, because the permits, the crew and the equipment have all been paid for either way. This is standard across every reputable operator on Kilimanjaro, and a summit-or-your-money-back promise should be treated as a warning sign rather than a selling point.

Insurance

Comprehensive travel insurance is a condition of travelling with us. For Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru it must cover trekking to at least 6,000 metres and include emergency evacuation, including by helicopter. We may ask to see your policy before departure.

Safety and our authority

Your guide has final authority on all safety matters, including altering a route, shortening a day or ending a summit attempt. Decisions of this kind are made in the interests of your safety and are not open to negotiation on the mountain. No refund is due for a trip curtailed on safety grounds, which is one of several reasons insurance is required.

Health

You must tell us about any medical condition, medication, allergy or mobility requirement that could affect your trip, at the time of booking. This information is treated confidentially and shared only where it is necessary for your safety.

Things outside our control

We are not liable for losses caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including weather, natural events, disease outbreaks, civil unrest, strikes, airline delays or changes to government regulations and park access.

Contact

Northern Wonder Expeditions, Arusha, Tanzania. info@northernwonderexpeditiontz.com · +255 769 156 696