Cancellation and Refund Policy

We recognize that going on a Tanzanian wildlife safari is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many. However, these activities often require a significant financial investment, including airfare, tour costs, accommodation, and travel insurance, making them more expensive than many other vacations.

This is why cancellation and refund policies matter to many people—unforeseen events can happen, leading to a need to cancel or urgently postpone the tour.

Why Full Refunds Aren’t Always Possible

Many wonder why a full refund isn’t typically available. Even though the tour hasn’t happened yet, the reality is that we’d love to refund everyone who has to change their plans. It’s always difficult for our team to say “no” to customers who were excited about their upcoming safari.

However, it’s not just our company, Tanzania Wisdom Safaris, that’s involved in your trip. Many other organizations play a crucial role, and we make payments to them well before you arrive in Tanzania. These include:

• Hotels, Lodges, and Local Airlines: Tanzania Wisdom Safaris doesn’t own hotels, and most of our tours involve partner lodges that have their own cancellation terms, making full refunds rare. The same applies to local airlines we use for domestic flights.

• Tanzania National Parks Authority: We pay park entry fees on your behalf a few days before your tour begins. These fees are non-refundable once paid.

• Local Suppliers: We purchase fuel, medication, bottled water, and other essentials in advance. These costs are non-recoverable.

Additionally, our team, who worked hard to prepare your trip, depend on the stability of their jobs. We take job security seriously and aim to protect the livelihoods of our Tanzanian employees, which is why we must be cautious with refunds and adhere to our cancellation policies.

Flexibility and Support

At Tanzania Wisdom Safaris, we strive to make our trips as risk-free as possible. While the following terms are our standard policy, we review each case individually. In extreme situations like a death, serious illness, or natural disaster, we aim to provide a full refund.

When a cancellation request is made, we immediately contact our partners to inform them and negotiate the best possible outcome. We evaluate and respond to refund requests within 72 hours.

Cancellation Fees

The refund amount depends on when we receive your cancellation request:

• A non-refundable deposit of $100 per person is required to confirm a safari package, though it can be transferred to other dates.

• For our safaris, the following policy applies:

  • 10% cancellation fee if canceled more than 90 days before the tour starts

  • 30% cancellation fee if canceled 60-89 days before the tour starts

  • 60% cancellation fee if canceled 30-59 days before the tour starts

  • 80% cancellation fee if canceled 15-29 days before the tour starts

  • No refund if canceled 0-14 days before the tour starts

Please note: If the penalties charged by lodges and airlines exceed these percentages, the non-refundable amount may increase. Bank fees for returning funds will also be deducted from the refund amount.

Lifetime Deposits

Instead of canceling entirely, consider that Tanzania Wisdom Safaris allows you to hold your deposit indefinitely and use it for a future trip. Keep in mind that prices may increase over time, and you’ll need to cover the difference when you reschedule.

If you choose to reschedule instead of canceling, lodges and airlines are often more willing to offer a penalty-free deferral, especially outside of peak seasons. However, this is at their discretion.

Travel Insurance

We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance with sufficient coverage to protect against potential tour cancellations. In the event of illness, flight cancellations, or other unforeseen events, your insurance can cover financial losses, and we will provide the necessary documentation to support your claim.