Should I bring US dollars or euros to Tanzania?

Bring US dollars. They are accepted for park fees, hotels and tours far more widely than euros or pounds, and they get the best exchange rate. Crucially the notes must be series 2009 or newer and unmarked, or banks and bureaux will refuse them.

Can I pay everything by card in Tanzania?

No. Cards work at upmarket hotels, established restaurants and supermarkets in Stone Town, Arusha and Dar, often with a 3-5 percent surcharge. Markets, small guesthouses, dala-dalas, most park gates and village shops are cash-only, so never rely on plastic alone.

How much cash should I carry in Tanzania?

Plan on USD 300-500 per person in dollars for fees and tours, topped up with TZS from ATMs as you go. Keep it split across two places and carry small TZS notes for tips, taxis and the odd cold beer.

Are ATMs reliable in Tanzania?

In towns yes, in the bush no. CRDB and NMB ATMs in Arusha, Stone Town, Moshi and Dar usually dispense TZS, with withdrawal caps around TZS 400,000 per transaction [VERIFY] and a fee near USD 3-5. There are no ATMs inside the parks, so draw cash before you leave a town.

How much should I tip in Tanzania?

Tipping is expected and matters. Reckon on USD 15-25 per day for a safari guide from the group, USD 5-10 a day for camp staff pooled, and rounding up restaurant bills by about 10 percent. Tip guides in dollars, everyday staff in shillings.

Is it safe to change money at the airport?

Use it only for a small amount to get going. Airport rates are poorer than town bureaux de change and bank ATMs. Change a little at Kilimanjaro or Zanzibar arrivals, then top up properly in Arusha or Stone Town.

Tanzania Money: Cash, Cards & Daily Costs

Tanzania quietly runs on two currencies, and once you understand which one to reach for, the whole trip gets simpler. The short version: pay for park fees, organised safaris and most mid-to-upper hotels in US dollars, and pay for everything in daily life, meals, taxis, markets, the local Kilimanjaro lager, in Tanzanian shillings (TZS). Cards exist but you cannot lean on them. Cash, in both currencies, is what keeps you moving.

I have watched plenty of guests arrive with a single card and three crisp notes from 2006, then spend their first morning hunting for an ATM. A little planning here saves you that.

Dollars or shillings: who wants what

National park and conservation fees (Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire) are priced in dollars and usually paid by card or, increasingly, prepaid card at the gate, not loose cash. Safari operators, dive centres, balloon flights and upper-tier hotels also quote in USD. For all of that, dollars are your friend.

Shillings are for the rest of life. Street food, dala-dala minibuses, a bajaji (tuk-tuk) across Stone Town, fruit at the market, a SIM card, tips for everyday staff. Paying these in dollars works occasionally but you will get a poor made-up rate, so change money and use TZS.

One firm rule that trips people up every week: your dollar notes must be series 2009 or newer, clean, unmarked and unfolded. Older notes, or anything with a pen mark or a tear, get rejected flat by banks, bureaux and many hotels. Ask your bank at home for new bills, and bring a mix of denominations, including small ones, because change for a USD 100 note is not always forthcoming.

Cards, ATMs and the surcharge reality

Cards (Visa and Mastercard, rarely Amex) work at established hotels, dive shops, supermarkets and the better restaurants in Stone Town, Arusha, Moshi and Dar es Salaam. Expect a card surcharge of roughly 3-5 percent [VERIFY] at many places, since they pass on the processing cost. Tell your bank you are travelling so the payment does not get blocked.

ATMs are dependable in towns and absent everywhere else. CRDB and NMB are the most reliable networks; Exim and Stanbic are fine too. Per-transaction withdrawal limits sit around TZS 400,000 [VERIFY] with a fee near USD 3-5, so if you need a lot of shillings you will make several pulls. There are no ATMs inside the national parks and few on the smaller stretches of the Zanzibar coast, so draw your cash while you are still in a proper town.

What to skip: do not bother changing a big wad at the airport. The rate is mediocre. Change just enough at Kilimanjaro or Zanzibar arrivals to cover your transfer and first day, then get a sensible rate from a town bureau de change or an ATM.

Rough daily costs

Budgets swing wildly depending on whether you are on safari or just living on the coast.

Shoestring: USD 30-50 a day. Guesthouses, local food, public transport, no big tours.
Mid-range: USD 60-120 a day. Comfortable hotel, mix of local and tourist restaurants, a few taxis and a guided day or two. [VERIFY]
Comfortable Zanzibar week, off-safari: boutique stays, good restaurants, the odd boat trip, generally USD 150-300 a day per couple. [VERIFY]

Safari is a separate line entirely, because the cost is front-loaded into lodge, vehicle, guide and park fees.

Safari price bands

These are per person per day, all-inclusive of vehicle, guide, fees and lodging, as a planning guide only:

Budget camping safari: roughly USD 200-350 pp/day. [VERIFY]
Mid-range lodge safari: roughly USD 400-700 pp/day. [VERIFY]
High-end / luxury: USD 800 to well over USD 1,500 pp/day. [VERIFY]

Northern circuit prices climb in the June-October high season and peak migration months; green season (March-May) is cheaper and quieter but wetter. Always confirm exactly what a quote includes, as park fees alone can add USD 70-100 per person per day.

How much cash to actually carry

Carry USD 300-500 per person in clean recent notes as your dollar float, mostly for tips, any cash-priced tours and emergencies, plus a card or two for fees and hotels. Top up TZS from ATMs as you go rather than carrying enormous local cash. Keep your money split across two spots, a money belt and your day bag, and hold a stash of small TZS notes for tips, taxis and markets where nobody can break a big bill.

Tipping is real money here and worth budgeting: about USD 15-25 a day for a safari guide (from the group), USD 5-10 a day pooled for camp staff, and roughly 10 percent rounded onto restaurant bills. Tip guides in dollars, everyday staff in shillings.

Next, line this up with your route in our Tanzania travel overview and pin down timings with the best time to visit Tanzania guide so your budget matches the season.