Should I tip my guide? (2024)

This is up to the individual. Our guides do accept tips, and we can say that they are greatly appreciated, and go a long way towards making outdoor guiding a feasible career choice. However, we don't want to pressure our clients, and the following should be regarded as a guideline in case you're looking for guidance on this issue. Ultimately, as in many service industries, tipping is left up to the individual, but as a general practice, 10% - 20% of the trip cost is a common gratuity in Seward.

We're including an outside resource as a guideline. This was referenced from this pageand is in line with practices common to Seward's outdoor community.

I get asked about this often so it is time to get an answer out to everyone.

Yes, backcountry tour guides work for tips and they are greatly appreciated. How much they get tipped has been a mystery since there is little information on the internet related to tipping a backcountry guide. Many of the tipping guidelines are for the guides on van tours which isn’t a good comparison to backcountry guides.

A backcountry guide does more than just lead the group down the trail. He or she takes care of the group’s safety, cooks for the group, takes care of the gear and makes sure the tour runs smoothly.

The average tip amount for an outdoor or backcountry guide is between 10% and 20% of the tour cost per person. For example, if the tour price was $1,000 per person, then the acceptable tip should be between $100 and $200 per person depending on the level of service provided by the guide.

The tip is given at the end of the tour and the tipping guideline is for guided tours in the United States. If the owner of a guide service happens to be your tour guide, he or she is tipped according to these same guidelines.

Just so you don’t think I’m making this up, here are my references.

FindALink.net has aTipping Etiquette Guidethat states Outdoor guides should receive 15% of the cost of the service as a tip. It differentiates outdoor tour guides from motor tour guides and confirms that the owner of the company should be tipped if he or she provides the service (leads the tour).

About.com has aTipping Guidefor travelers that further suggests that the tour guide should receive a tip of 10% to 20% of the tour cost.

As a last thought, the guide still needs to earn his or her tip. Just with any other profession, the tip should match the level of service."

Should I tip my guide? (2024)

FAQs

Should you tip your guide? ›

Typically, the gratuity rate for guides should be around 10 to 20 percent of the total trip cost. That means if you're paying $500 for a day or two of guided rock climbing, an appropriate tip for your guide would be between $50 and $100.

Is it rude not to tip a tour guide? ›

Most tour guides do not expect tips, but they do appreciate them. If a guide is working through a booking service they are probably making minimum wage and tips are a huge bonus.

How much should I tip a private guide? ›

Generally, it's appropriate to tip your private guide $10-$15 per day and another $5-$10 for drivers. For large group tours, you'd tip half of that.

When should you not tip? ›

If you get sick, the server becomes physically aggressive with you, or you see something completely unsanitary affect your food, by all means let the management know and likely, you may not need to pay for any of the experience at all. If you are forced to pay, then, you can decide not to tip on that same day.

What is a good tip guide? ›

Even if the service is poor, it's recommended you leave at least 10 percent. * Check your tab carefully because some places add a gratuity to the bill. You may or may not want to supplement that. For the wait staff at sit-down restaurants, the tip should be 15 percent to 20 percent of the pretax bill.

How much do you tip a free tour guide? ›

It depends on the length of the tour, how other people are on the tour and and how satisfied you are after the tour, but it's common to tip anywhere from $5-$20 per person. If you consider the cost of paying for a group or private tour, even though "free" tours aren't totally free, you're still saving money.

Why is it disrespectful to not tip? ›

Tipping gives the waiter an incentive to provide better service. Waiters are paid less than minimum wage and need the money. Refusing to tip is embarrassing: it makes you lose face in front of the waiter and your colleagues. Tipping is a strong social norm and violating it is extremely rude.

Where is it considered rude to tip? ›

Of all the world's most popular tourist destinations, Japan is most notoriously the one where you should make a point not to tip. Why? Well, the gesture could be considered rude. The Japanese philosophy is that the staff works for an establishment as a team, and if they do a good job, customers will return.

What happens if you don't tip? ›

Legally it's voluntary but if you slink out of a restaurant without leaving a gratuity of between 15 and 25 per cent, you're likely to be chased by a waiter demanding to know why. To help you avoid tipping anxiety (and disgruntled waitstaff), we explain how to tip in the United States.

Do you tip your VIP tour guide? ›

20% is the customary tip for these guides. Your travel agent can add an VIP Tour guide to your booking. Ask the for pricing and details.

Are you not supposed to tip the owner? ›

"Not tipping the owner is an old tradition that's dying out," Post says. She recommends 15 to 20 percent of the fee, whether or not the stylist owns the place. When more than one person (stylist, colorist, blower) attends to you, split 15 to 20 percent among them according to how much each contributed to the outcome.

How much do you tip a multi day private tour guide? ›

For a multi-day tour, you should tip your guide $5 to $10 per day on the last day. If there was a driver in addition to a guide, tip them $1 to $5 per day. For free tours, which are offered in many large cities, you should tip between $5 to $10, depending on the quality of the tour.

What is guilt tipping? ›

For many, like Talya Berenholz, a student at Touro University, they've found themselves “guilt tipping.” It means she's found herself tipping more since the transactions have become so public, especially if she's around new friends.

Is it rude not to tip 15%? ›

Only the tipper knows for sure." According to Raskin (blogger, server and food-tour organizer) leaving a 15-percent tip isn't just rude, it's also unrealistic, insensitive, ungrateful and outdated. Think that $3 tip on a $20 bill is fine? Think again, she says.

What is tip creeping? ›

But using this type of software – such as Square and Toast – can also make consumers feel “guilted” into leaving a larger tip than they may otherwise offer. Some have dubbed this new phenomenon “tip creeping.”

What percent tip is considered generous? ›

How to tip in general. A 20% tip is generous and requires straightforward math. To calculate a 20% tip, first identify 10%, then double that amount. So, if the total cost of your service was $90.00, find 10% by moving the decimal one spot to the left, which leaves you with $9.

Is tipping 20 percent ridiculous? ›

Restaurant Servers

“I always recommend 20 percent, and even going over that a bit more if you receive better than expected service.” If you're not totally pleased with your service, consider talking to the manager to find a resolution instead of withholding a tip.

Why do I have to tip everyone? ›

Tipping is supposed to be a reward for excellent service, but studies have shown that the vast majority of people are motivated more by social pressure. Tipping is expected of them, and they don't want to deviate from a long-established norm — especially if other people are watching and possibly judging them.

Do you tip guides from tours by locals? ›

Should we tip our guide? No, there's no need to leave a gratuity. All of our guides have set fair prices for their tours that mean they aren't relying on tips for their income.

Do the free tour guides get paid? ›

So far, you will see that there is little difference between a conventional tour and a free tour. The peculiarity of free tours is that the traveller pays at the end of the tour. Depending on the experience they had, the payment may be more or less generous.

Do you tip on a food tour? ›

On a guided food tour, it's expected that you tip your guide, as well as your driver if you have one. A standard tip is 15 – 20% of the tour price. Tip is typically included at each restaurant you visit, so it's not necessary to tip restaurant staff.

What states is it illegal to not tip? ›

Are There Laws on Tipping? Tipping is not mandatory in the United States, so there are no laws that govern how much gratuity should be paid. That means it is generally up to you to decide how much of a tip to leave a server at a restaurant.

Why is 15 tipping considered rude? ›

You Tip 15% Maximum for Good Service and $0 for Bad Service

Though 15% is within the recommended tipping range for service, it's the absolute least you should tip. There has long been an idea that the amount of the tip should correlate to the service, so good service earns a tip, and bad service doesn't get one.

Why is there no tipping in Europe? ›

The notion of tipping people for their performance in serving others is an archaic practice and it's time this country puts an end to it. This tradition was actually born in the 19th century when Americans abroad brought back to home soil the European idea of tipping employees to reward them for doing good jobs.

Why do Americans insist on tipping? ›

A quick history lesson. Tipping became the norm in the 1900s. Rumor has it that the practice drifted over from Europe thanks to the aristocracy. After their European visits, where tipping was part of the culture, they wanted to seem more cultured and in-the-know than their peers.

Is it rude to tip in cash? ›

Restaurants and Dining Out

According to The Takeout's advice columnist The Salty Waitress, most food industry servers prefer cash tips. They receive that money right away, instead of potentially having to wait until the next payday to receive credit card tips.

What culture doesn't tip? ›

1) Japan: Be careful not to tip at restaurants in Japan; you might insult someone. The general ideology is that the wait staff works for the restaurant as a team, and if a customer enjoys their visit, they will return to the restaurant again, refer others, and bring more business.

Is it OK to tip nothing? ›

Servers Often Pay Out Their Tips to Other Staff

Even if the service is bad, or your food isn't right, it hurts everyone if you don't tip.” He recommends speaking to a manager about your concerns, and leaving a small tip rather than leaving none.

Why do some people not tip? ›

They're not concerned with future service, and they aren't interested in providing a reward for a job well done. Some may find tipping to be fundamentally wrong, but maybe, actually, they'd just rather... not.

Are people not tipping anymore? ›

One survey, from Popmenu, a restaurant tech company, found a decline in the percentage of consumers who say they tip 20% or more in restaurants — from 56% in 2021 to 43% this year.

How much do you tip a private tour guide in NYC? ›

Like most other service providers, tour guides depend on tips. Generally, a 15-20% guideline applies, though tipping in these situations should also reflect the size of the tour group, as well as the length of the tour.

How much do you tip a tour guide in LA? ›

Tour Guide: 15-20% of the per person ticket price – what did you think we'd say?! Tour guides work hard.

Are you supposed to tip tour guides reddit? ›

Same ratio as eating out. 15-20% minimum. If you have children, a large group, ask for special considerations, or your guide is really freaking awesome consider tipping more. Yes it is expensive, but you are getting a private tour (I'm assuming) and yours is the only party the guide will have each day.

How much do you tip a hairdresser on $200? ›

$50 service = $10 tip. $100 service = $20 tip. $150 service = $30 tip. $200 service = $40 tip.

How much do you tip a hairdresser on $400? ›

Remember the golden rule: "You should tip 20 percent on the entire service cost, not per individual," says Schweitzer. So if your haircut and blow-dry cost $40 total, and your color was $60, your total service cost comes to $100. That means you should tip $20 divided between the colorist and stylist.

Is it rude to not tip a hairdresser? ›

Many service workers—including hairdressers and barbers—depend on tips. So it's considered good etiquette to tip them and any other professionals that helped you during your salon visit. And when it comes to figuring out how much to tip, it'll usually depend on the overall cost of services you're receiving.

Do you tip horse guides? ›

We like to say, “If you liked your ride, kiss your horse and tip your guide!” Many people do not realize that it is customary to tip your trail ride wrangler. If you had a great time on your ride, show your appreciation. The standard is 15-20% – similar to what you would tip a waiter or waitress.

Do you tip a hunting guide? ›

As a general rule in the industry, it is most common to tip a guide 10%-15% of the hunt value. To put it simply, if you book a hunt for $5,000, an adequate tip would be $500. There may be circ*mstances where you feel like your guide deserves more or less, depending on the effort they gave.

How much do you tip a boat guide? ›

According to the MYBA, yacht tips should run 5% to 15%. You'll give the tip directly to the captain—either via cash, check, or even a wire transfer if you don't want to carry a substantial amount of cash on your vacation. Often you can go through your charter broker to wire gratuity to the captain.

Is it appropriate to tip landscapers? ›

Lawn care workers and landscapers

It's impractical and unnecessary to tip the guys who mow your lawn every week, though it's nice to put a pitcher of cold water out for the workers. If the same crew arrives every Thursday, at the end of the season you can show your appreciation with $20 to $50 cash tip each.

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