These Booking Terms & Conditions explain how to book with Topi Adventure and what happens if you need to change or cancel your trip. They apply to every safari, Kilimanjaro climb, day trip, transfer and add-on service you book with us, and they form part of our main Terms & Conditions.
Please read them alongside your written quotation or invoice. Where your quotation or invoice states a figure that differs from this page, that figure applies to your booking.
Overview
We keep booking simple and human. You will always deal with a real person in our Moshi office, you will always have your arrangements in writing, and you will never be asked to pay a deposit before you have agreed an itinerary and a price.
The sections below set out the commitments on both sides: what you pay and when, what your price includes, and what happens if plans change.
Making a booking
- Send us an enquiry with your dates, party size and what you would like to do.
- We reply with a suggested itinerary and a written quotation, usually within one business day.
- When you are happy with the itinerary, confirm in writing that you would like to book.
- We issue an invoice and hold your dates while you arrange your deposit.
- Once your deposit reaches us, we issue a booking confirmation and your contract begins.
Your dates are not guaranteed until your deposit is received. From June to October, and over the December to February holidays, lodges and mountain permits can sell out quickly, so early confirmation is advisable.
Deposits and payment schedule
A non-refundable deposit confirms your booking. It covers the advance costs we pay to secure your accommodation, park permits, guides and mountain crew.
- Standard deposit: 20% of the total trip cost per booking.
- Kilimanjaro climbs: a minimum deposit of USD 300 per climber may apply where this is greater than 20%.
- Balance: due no later than 30 days before your trip start date, unless your invoice states otherwise.
- Late bookings: where you book within 30 days of travel, the full amount is payable immediately.
| Stage | Amount | When |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit | 20% of total trip cost (minimum USD 300 per climber on Kilimanjaro) | On booking |
| Balance | Remaining 80% | At least 30 days before departure |
| Late booking | 100% of trip cost | Immediately, if booking within 30 days of travel |
Prices, inclusions and exclusions
Your confirmed price is based on the itinerary, travel dates, accommodation standard and group size in your quotation. Please check section 4 of our Terms & Conditions for how price changes are handled if a government or park fee changes after booking.
Included in your price
- Accommodation on the board basis stated in your itinerary.
- All park, conservation and crater service fees for the confirmed itinerary.
- A 4x4 safari vehicle with a professional driver-guide, fuel and unlimited game drives.
- Kilimanjaro: licensed guides, porters, cooks, park fees, camping fees, mountain tents and meals on the mountain.
- Airport transfers and ground transport as described in your itinerary.
- Government taxes and levies applicable at the time of booking.
Not included
- International and domestic flights, and airport departure taxes.
- Tanzania visa and entry fees, and travel insurance.
- Drinks, tips, laundry, souvenirs and personal items.
- Kilimanjaro personal gear and equipment hire.
- Optional activities and excursions not listed in your itinerary.
- Any increase in government or park fees after booking.
Confirmation and travel documents
Once your booking is confirmed we send you a booking confirmation and a receipt. Your final travel documents — including a day-by-day itinerary, packing lists, arrival instructions and emergency contacts — are normally issued within 14 days of your final payment.
Please check your documents as soon as you receive them and tell us straight away about any error. Names should match your passport exactly, as some suppliers will not allow corrections later.
Amendments by you
If you would like to change your itinerary, dates, accommodation or party size, contact us as soon as possible. We will always try to help. Where an amendment is possible, we will tell you any price difference or supplier charge before we action it.
- Changes made more than 60 days before departure can usually be arranged, subject to availability.
- Changes within 60 days may be restricted by supplier availability, and any non-refundable costs already paid may not be recoverable.
- Increasing the party size is subject to availability and may change the price per person.
- Reducing the party size may increase the price per person, because fixed costs such as the vehicle and guide are shared.
Cancellation by you
If you need to cancel, please tell us in writing at sales@topiadventure.com as soon as you can. The date we receive your written notice is the date used to calculate the cancellation charge. Cancellation charges are based on the total trip cost and are calculated per person.
We pay lodges, park authorities, guides and porters in advance to secure your trip. Their terms are strict, especially in peak season, and some suppliers are wholly non-refundable. We only pass on the costs we actually incur.
| Days before departure | Cancellation charge per person |
|---|---|
| 61 days or more | Loss of deposit |
| 60 to 31 days | 50% of the total trip cost |
| 30 to 15 days | 75% of the total trip cost |
| 14 days or fewer | 100% of the total trip cost |
Non-refundable items
Certain items are non-refundable once paid, whatever the date of cancellation. These include Tanzania park fees, crater service fees and permits, some peak-season lodge deposits, and any flight or activity booked on your behalf by a third party. Where these apply, we will always tell you before you book.
Cancellation or changes by us
We will do everything reasonable to run your trip as agreed. In rare cases we may have to change or cancel it — for example if a park closes, if a lodge withdraws a confirmed room, or because of a Force Majeure Event.
If we cancel for a reason within our control, you may choose either:
- a full refund of the amount you have paid us; or
- an alternative trip of equivalent standard, or a credit note if you prefer.
If a Force Majeure Event makes your trip impossible, we will offer the closest reasonable alternative or a refund of what we can recover from our suppliers. We will always explain the position transparently and provide evidence where we can.
Postponements and credit notes
If you cannot travel on your booked dates but would like to move your trip rather than cancel, tell us as early as possible. Where our suppliers agree, we can transfer the value you have paid to a new date, subject to availability and any price difference for the new season.
Postponements within 60 days of departure may attract the same charges as a cancellation, because the costs we have already paid are often not transferable.
Refunds
Any refund due is paid to the person who made the original payment, and in the same currency, normally within 30 days of being agreed. Bank charges and currency conversion costs are not refundable.
Refunds are made less any charges properly due under the cancellation fee schedule. Where a refund relates to a force majeure event, it may be limited to the amounts we can recover from our suppliers.
Kilimanjaro climb bookings
- The minimum age for Kilimanjaro is 10 years, and some routes and private departures may set a higher minimum.
- A pre-climb briefing and equipment check take place the day before you start. Missing it may delay your departure.
- Mountain crew, park fees and rescue fees are paid in advance and are non-refundable once your trek has begun.
- Descending early because of altitude, weather or safety concerns does not entitle you to a refund of unused days.
- Summiting is never guaranteed. Weather, health and how you acclimatise decide the outcome, and our guides have the final say on whether it is safe to continue.
Our guides carry oxygen and a pulse oximeter, and are trained to recognise altitude sickness. They will turn the group around if continuing would be unsafe — no summit is worth a life.
Safari, beach and day-trip bookings
- Park fees, crater service fees and conservation fees are paid to the authorities in advance and are generally non-refundable once paid.
- Wildlife and migration movements are unpredictable. Changes to routing made to give you the best possible wildlife experience are not a breach of these terms.
- Balloon safaris, diving and some activities are operated by third parties and may carry separate payment and cancellation rules, which we will tell you about at the time of booking.
- Day trips and transfers cancelled less than 48 hours before departure may be charged in full.
- Zanzibar hotel and transfer bookings are subject to the individual hotel's own cancellation policy, which we will share with you before booking.
Group, family and private bookings
- For group bookings, the group leader named on the invoice is responsible for paying the full amount, even if individual members withdraw.
- Where a group falls below the minimum number for a group-departure price, we may adjust the price or offer a private departure instead. We will always discuss this with you first.
- Children are welcome on most safaris. Some lodges, activities and Kilimanjaro routes have age or height restrictions, so please tell us the ages of all travellers at the time of enquiry.
- Family rooms, interconnecting rooms and specific tent configurations are subject to availability and should be requested early.
No-shows and late arrivals
If you do not appear for a service, arrive after the agreed departure time, or are removed from a trip for misconduct or for being unfit to travel, the booking is treated as cancelled by you and no refund is due.
If you miss a flight or transfer, contact us immediately. We will do everything reasonable to rearrange your arrangements, but any additional cost is yours and may be recoverable from your insurer.
Travel insurance
Adequate travel insurance is a condition of travelling with us. It must cover medical treatment and emergency evacuation, trip cancellation and curtailment, and personal belongings. For Kilimanjaro, it must include high-altitude trekking and helicopter or mountain rescue.
We may ask for your policy details before departure. If you cannot show adequate cover, we may not be able to let you join part or all of the trip.
How to pay and acceptance
We accept payment by bank transfer to our Tanzanian bank account and, where available, by secure card payment link. Card payments may attract a processing fee of approximately 3.5%, which we will always confirm in advance. Please send us the payment confirmation when you pay, so that we can match it to your booking quickly.
By paying your deposit or confirming your booking in writing, you confirm that you have read and accept these Booking Terms and our main Terms & Conditions.
Frequently asked
How much deposit do I pay?
Our standard deposit is 20% of the trip cost, and for Kilimanjaro climbs a minimum of USD 300 per climber may apply. Your invoice confirms the exact figure before you pay.
When is the balance due?
No later than 30 days before your trip begins, or immediately if you book within 30 days of travel.
Can I cancel, and what will it cost?
Yes, but charges apply. See the cancellation fee schedule above: charges rise from the loss of your deposit to 100% of the trip cost within 14 days of departure.
What happens if Topi Adventure cancels?
If we cancel for a reason within our control, you may choose a full refund of what you have paid us or an alternative trip of equivalent standard.
You have reached the end of this document. Last updated 19 October 2026.
