About Ruta Legacy Safaris
A Tanzanian-owned safari and trekking company in Arusha, founded and led by Charles George.
The founder
Charles George: from porter to founder
Charles George was born and raised in the Arusha region of northern Tanzania, where Mount Meru stands on one horizon and Kilimanjaro on the other. Like many guides of his generation, he started at the bottom of the mountain economy — carrying loads, learning the routes, watching how good crews look after nervous climbers at 4,600 metres in the dark.
Over years of climbs and game drives he built two things: a reputation for calm, careful leadership, and a network of guides, cooks, drivers and porters he would trust with his own family. Ruta Legacy Safaris was founded to give that network a home — a company where the people doing the hard work are the people who own the standards.
Charles still writes itineraries himself and speaks personally with most travellers before they book. When you email or message us, you are talking to the company, not a reseller.
What we stand for
Three commitments we do not negotiate
- Safety first, summit second. Every Kilimanjaro group carries bottled oxygen, a pulse oximeter and a comprehensive first-aid kit, and guides run twice-daily health checks. A summit is never worth a medical risk.
- Fair work. Transparent wages, correct porter loads, three meals a day for crew, proper sleeping tents and gear. Porter welfare is a safety issue, not a marketing line.
- Straight answers. If a five-day Kilimanjaro climb is a bad idea for you, we say so. If February is the wrong month for the migration crossing you want to see, we tell you before you pay.
Where we operate
Northern Tanzania and the islands
Our home base is Arusha, the gateway city for the northern safari circuit and an hour from Kilimanjaro's main trailheads. From here we run Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire, Lake Manyara and Kilimanjaro trips, plus Zanzibar extensions on Unguja island.
We also arrange Mount Meru treks, Lake Natron and Ol Doinyo Lengai trips, Mikumi and Ruaha safaris in the south, and Maasai and Chagga cultural programmes for travellers who want time with people as well as wildlife.
How a booking works
From first message to airport pickup
- 1. Tell us your plan. Dates, group size, budget range and what you most want to see.
- 2. Receive a tailored quote. A day-by-day itinerary with accommodation options and itemised costs, usually within 24 hours.
- 3. Refine it together. Swap lodges, add a day, change route — as many revisions as you need.
- 4. Confirm with a deposit. Typically 30%, with the balance due before arrival. Bank transfer or card.
- 5. Pre-departure support. Packing lists, gear-rental help, flight and visa advice, and a WhatsApp line to your trip coordinator.
- 6. Arrival. Your driver meets you at JRO, Arusha or Zanzibar and the trip begins.
Questions
About our company
Where are you based?
In Arusha, northern Tanzania — the gateway town for Kilimanjaro and the whole northern safari circuit. Everything is planned and run from here by our own team, which is why you can reach us directly on WhatsApp instead of going through an agent abroad.
Who will guide my trip?
A senior guide from our own team — never a subcontracted stranger. You will know your guide's name and experience before you travel, and on Kilimanjaro you meet the full crew at the briefing the evening before the climb.
How do you support the communities you work in?
Porters and cooks receive wages and loads in line with Kilimanjaro porter welfare guidelines, we buy produce from farmers around Moshi and Arusha, and our cultural visits pay village hosts directly rather than through middlemen.
Enquiry
Talk to Charles and the team
We do not publish fixed prices, because no two trips are the same. Tell us your dates and what you would like to see, and a local guide — not a call centre — will send you a tailored itinerary and a personal quote.
- Reply within 24 hours from our Arusha office
- Itineraries built around your dates, pace and budget
- Free quote, no deposit and no obligation
Email info@rutalegacysafaris.com
WhatsApp / Call +255 670 912 578 (0670 912 578 in Tanzania)