Cancellation & Refund Policy

At Mimark Tours and Safaris, we recognize that climbing Mount Kilimanjaro or experiencing a wildlife safari in Tanzania is often a once-in-a-lifetime journey. These adventures are incredibly rewarding, but they also represent a considerable financial commitment – including international flights, guided tours, accommodations, park fees, and travel insurance – making them more costly than many standard holiday options.

Because of this, we understand how important our cancellation and refund policy is to travellers. Unforeseen circumstances can arise, and plans may need to be altered, postponed, or cancelled on short notice. Our goal is to provide a clear, fair, and flexible policy to support our guests when such situations occur.

Why Full Refunds Are Not Always Possible

We are often asked why a full refund isn’t always possible when a trip is cancelled – especially if the tour hasn’t yet taken place. At Mimark Tours and Safaris, we genuinely wish we could offer full refunds to every traveller whose plans change unexpectedly. It’s never easy for our team to decline a refund request from someone we’ve been excited to welcome and serve here in Tanzania.

However, organizing a Kilimanjaro climb or safari is a complex process that involves many partners beyond our company. As your tour operator, Mimark Tours and Safaris works closely with a wide network of service providers, many of whom require advance payment to confirm your booking. These include:

– National park authorities (for permits and park fees)
– Local lodges and tented camps
– Safari vehicle and equipment suppliers
– Kilimanjaro mountain crew (guides, porters, cooks)
– Transfer and logistical support teams

These expenses are often non-refundable to us, regardless of whether the client arrives or not. Therefore, while we always do our best to recover costs where possible, full refunds are not always feasible once certain reservations have been confirmed and paid for.

We appreciate your understanding and are always happy to explain specific costs and offer alternative solutions such as rescheduling, credit toward future trips, or partial refunds where applicable.

Our Commitment to Flexibility and Support

At Mimark Tours and Safaris, we understand that unexpected situations can arise. While we operate under standard cancellation terms, we strive to be as flexible and supportive as possible for each guest’s unique circumstances.

Our goal is to make your journey with us as stress-free as possible. In exceptional cases – such as serious illness, family emergencies, natural disasters, or political unrest in your country of origin – we always do our best to secure a full or partial refund, even if this falls outside our general policy.

When notified of a cancellation, we immediately reach out to our partners – lodges, camps, guides, and park authorities – to explore all options. Thanks to our strong relationships with these partners, many are willing to waive cancellation fees in genuine, unavoidable situations.

Each refund request is carefully reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and we commit to responding within 72 hours or less. Our team is here to support you with understanding, transparency, and a willingness to find a fair solution.

Cancellation fees

The amount of refund that we will be able to provide you with depends on the date when we receive your cancellation request.

As of today, our cancellation and refund policy is as follows:

To our  Kilimanjaro packages and safari adventures of any category, the following cancellation and refund policy applies:

• 10% cancellation fee if cancelled more than 90 days before the tour starts;
• 30% cancellation fee if cancelled 60-89 days before the tour starts;
• 60% cancellation fee if cancelled 30-59 days before the tour starts;
• 80% cancellation fee if cancelled 8-29 days before the tour starts;
• No refund if cancelled 0-7 days before the tour starts.

Please note: should the penalty fees charged by lodges and airlines exceed the percentages stated above, the non-refundable amount is to be increased accordingly. Bank commissions to be paid for the return of the funds to your account shall be deducted from the refund amount.

Lifetime Deposits

At Mimark Tours and Safaris, we understand that unexpected changes can affect your travel plans. That’s why instead of cancelling your trip completely, we offer the option to hold your deposit indefinitely. This means you can apply your deposit to any future trip with us, whenever you’re ready to travel.

Please note:

– While your deposit is secure and transferable, future pricing may be subject to change due to factors like national park fee adjustments, fuel prices, or increased operational costs. Any difference between the original and new cost will need to be settled when rescheduling.

If you opt to reschedule instead of cancel, many of our partner lodges and airlines are more open to offering no-penalty deferrals or significantly reduced cancellation fees. If allowed, we will make every effort to move your entire itinerary to the new dates without additional charges. However, this flexibility is not guaranteed and depends entirely on the terms set by third-party providers.

Important Considerations:

– Cancellations or date changes made on short notice during peak travel periods (Mid-December to Mid-March, and Early July to Mid-October) are much more likely to incur high cancellation penalties from lodges and airlines.
– These penalties may not apply to the full tour cost, but because accommodation and internal flights make up a significant portion of the trip value, up to 50–80% of your total cost may be affected if last-minute changes are made.
– Any remaining balance after deductions will be held as a credit towards your future booking.

We’re committed to offering flexible, guest-friendly policies, and our team will do its best to work with all partners involved to find the most favourable outcome for you.

Travel Insurance is Highly Recommended

We strongly recommend that all our guests purchase comprehensive travel insurance to protect their trip investment. While we strive to be flexible and understanding, certain unforeseen situations — such as illness, injury, delayed or cancelled flights, or personal emergencies — can lead to unexpected cancellations or changes in your itinerary.

A suitable travel insurance policy should cover:

– Tour cancellation or interruption
– Emergency medical expenses
– Baggage loss or delay
– Trip delay or missed connections
– Emergency evacuation (especially for remote locations like Kilimanjaro)

In the event that your trip is disrupted, your insurance provider can reimburse financial losses, including non-refundable expenses. We will gladly supply all supporting documentation required to assist with your claim process.

Having travel insurance offers peace of mind — so you can fully enjoy your adventure, knowing you’re protected if the unexpected happens.