To tip or not to tip - or what to tip!? Questions regarding tipping etiquette are some of the most common concerns travelers have when visiting a foreign country. To make matters even more confusing, there is no universal language for tipping; in fact, in some countries a tip is considered an insult or an act of arrogance. Unfortunately, there is not a straight-forward, yes or no, answer to the "tipping question." Instead, tipping is a personal subject – some people tip very generously and others choose not to tip at all. We strongly believe that in no case should it forced upon our travelers. That said, tipping for services in South and Central America is very common and very much appreciated. If you are pleased with a service, here are some suggestions.
Restaurants -- 10% of the bill*
Hotel/airport portage -- US$1 per suitcase, per person
Local guides -- US$5-8 per day, per person
Cooks and Porters -- US$2-3 per day, per person
Driver for tours -- US$3 per day, per person
Guides on Galapagos tour -- US$5-10 per day, per person Galapagos cruise crew -- US$10 per day per person for entire crew
*This amount is usually included in the bill, so double check that you are not tipping twice. And note that many times your server doesn't see this tip if it is included in the bill - it is typically pooled into the staff or absorbed by the restaurant. If you feel your server did a stand-out job, you might want to leave something specific for him/her.
Rest assured – if you have reservations or are confused about tipping you are not alone. Whatever you feel comfortable with is usually the best rule of thumb. As in any situation you might find at home, if you feel someone has provided exceptional service, any small gift of extra tip is graciously accepted. But bottom line, remember that tipping is at your discretion.
Let me expand...
In general, Latin America is not really a tipping culture -- certainly nothing like the U.S. where the culture is such that it is almost a requirement; at the very minimum there is a huge pressure to tip.
United States citizens are known throughout the world for being "good-tippers" or for over-tipping. In Latin America it is not "expected" like it is in the U.S., and it is certainly much more appreciated. But sectors of the community that work specifically within the tourism industry are becoming much more accustomed to receiving tips.
For example, take taxi drivers -- those directly working in the tourism sector anticipate a tip from travelers. Is this due to an increase of U.S. visitors and their tipping practices? Perhaps. But truly the only division that really expects, and almost requires a tip, are guides.
Keep in mind, however, that many of the services that you receive on a Latin America trip would cost much more in North America, especially if you venture outside of the tourism sector and into locally-owned businesses.
For services directly linked to the tourism industry, tipping is quite common. For those outside of the industry, it is not expected, but welcomed. Frankly, you are probably more inclined to want to tip, simply because you've receive a service at a very reasonable price.
That is about as clear-cut as I can get when it comes to tipping. Honestly, even when I travel I always struggle a bit with tipping but typically follow my own recommendations.
Questions?
TrustScore 4.8 | 254 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 254 reviews on
1 day ago
The holiday of a lifetime. The company is Alaksa-owned and thhat makes a big difference to the experineces you get i.e. meet genuine First Nations tribes people. The amount of wildlife was beyond my expectation, and seeing everything on sucha small, intimate boat made it even more spoecial and unique.
Liz O
1 day ago
Adventure Life covered all the details in planning our trip to Ireland. Any questions we had were answered immediately. Any trip glitches, which always happen when traveling, were resolved immediately. There were no worries, just fun!
Kathleen Weller
1 day ago
It was an outstanding, up-close, educational vacation of nature, culture, history, animals and geology! It was everything they promised! Binoculars were plentiful on the boat, but I'm glad I brought my own. Food was excellent. Rooms had black-out shades. Pack/wear multiple layers of clothing (I carried a small backpack when off the ship). Crew were delightful and very accommodating! Remember to jump FEET FIRST first when taking the optional polar plunge! Spend as much time outdoors as you are able and ENJOY!!!
Janet Dutton
6 days ago
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
1 week ago
Our six-day tour in Iceland went smoothly with one exception. We had asked for two rooms each night. Somehow we were booked with one room with three beds. It could not be fixed at the first hotel in Reykjavik because the hotel was fully booked. Once informed of the problem, however, Adventure Life rebooked for two rooms for the remainder of the trip. As an 85-year-old traveler, I appreciated that one could participate at different physical levels at many of the stops. Iceland is a great place to visit but on the expensive side.