Tips for excursions

Simple question (I hope). How much do you tip for excursions? Country, activity, length, cost. Do those effect what you tip?

All of the factors you mentioned factor into the amount tipped as well as whether it is a privately booked excursion or a X sponsored excursion.

Simple question (I hope). How much do you tip for excursions? Country, activity, length, cost. Do those effect what you tip?

I always do 15%-20% of the cost of the tour per person. That percentage depends on if there is a driver or if the guide is our driver. I've done 10% as well when the guide wasn't really as involved and focussed on their phone instead of our questions.

whatever will bewilder me

Depends what the excursion entails....if it's simply transportation, then we got what we paid for...we don't tip for just that. If there is a guide and he/she is entertaining, then we do tip...we don't do "percentages"...but $5-10 pp seems reasonable, to me. If the guide is a total dud (which has happened!), then no tip. If they keep reminding us to tip over and over, then the tip gets reduced...I absolutely HATE when they start that stuff!

If a tour guide has given us super tour, we tip them.

We pay for a tour. The guides are paid by their companies. We don't feel obligated to apply a percentage. We tip on our experience and it can vary.

Many countries do not have a tipping tradition.

Depending on the excursion, we typically tip $5 to $10 per person.

. I've done 10% as well when the guide wasn't really as involved and focussed on their phone instead of our questions.

 

 

So I don't understand... why you would tip someone who didn't even do the expected basic service you paid for? :eek:

So I don't understand... why you would tip someone who didn't even do the expected basic service you paid for? :eek:

Because they still provided a service, just not good enough to warrant 20%. I can afford the small percentage and don't want to potentially have their kid hungry that night because of a parents shortcoming.

whatever will bewilder me

If they keep reminding us to tip over and over, then the tip gets reduced...I absolutely HATE when they start that stuff!

I have seen this the first time in Jamaica on our last cruise. Our group tipped the guides but there were 4 others from France. Only one of them speak English, but at the end of the tour, the guides just kept following them around and telling "It is customary to tip after the tour..." almost yelling at them. It was awful. I think they finally understand him or just got tire of him and tipped him. But I never seen anyone asking for tip so aggressively.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

When will people get it in their heads that much of the world does not have the tradition of paying people poorly and expecting staff to dance for tips. In some countries tipping is even an insult. Do your research, tip in accordance with local practice, not what you've been indoctrinated to do at home.

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zero

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So I don't understand... why you would tip someone who didn't even do the expected basic service you paid for? :eek:

Now ain't that a great question, I thought tipping was for exceptional service, but is seems to some (many????) it's for looking at you.

Assuming we are talking of a tour in country without a tipping culture ....On a coach trip rammed with passengers where the guide just provides what they said they would then usually nothing.

I always do 15%-20% of the cost of the tour per person.

I do not see tipping 15%-20% of the inflated cost of a ship's tour.

I do not see tipping 15%-20% of the inflated cost of a ship's tour.

Cool? I do though, so it shouldn't matter if you see it or not. The OP asked a question and I answered it with what I do. If you do something else just answer the OP. Your thoughts aren't needed with me.

whatever will bewilder me

We tip for service, normally $5- $10 per person based on quality/time spent on tour ... but, if hounded for tips, or tour was poor quality then tip is reduced or no tip. On occasion for a really Exceptional tour, we will give a little more.

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So for clarity. I am booked on non-ship excursions on a Western Caribbean cruise this coming Sunday.

So for clarity. I am booked on non-ship excursions on a Western Caribbean cruise this coming Sunday.

Doesn't matter if you book private tours or thru the ship. As you read, whether you tip on top of what you pay for a tour is a personal decision. Choice is yours. Certainly not a mandatory amount.

Well yes of course, tipping is always optional. I am more looking for some basic guidance on what others tend to tip. At the end of the day I will certainly make up my own mind but it can be nice to have a good idea of what others offer in figuring out what I would like to tip.