Tipping in Peru
Jul 9th, 2014, 03:12 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 64
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Tipping in Peru
We have independently made all of the arrangements for our trip to Peru which need to be done in advance.
We're just wondering, what would you tip some of the people who will be helpful during your trip? For instance, the driver for the "complimentary" pick-up from the airport/bus station to your hotel. Or the tour guide for a day trip with a group ---or your personal driver during the day or your guide at a jungle/eco lodge?
What do you think?
Thanks,
Macboo
We're just wondering, what would you tip some of the people who will be helpful during your trip? For instance, the driver for the "complimentary" pick-up from the airport/bus station to your hotel. Or the tour guide for a day trip with a group ---or your personal driver during the day or your guide at a jungle/eco lodge?
What do you think?
Thanks,
Macboo
Jul 9th, 2014, 04:54 PM
#2
Our general rule of thumbs was to do what the locals do. So if we were eating in a small, family sort of place, just a couple of few soles, rounding up the amount. For a tourist restaurant, we tipped like a tourist. But since tourists come from all over, and some like the US tend to give out a lot of money and those such as from most places not as much, we followed the recommendations of several more factual sites and gave 10%, about the median, which seemed about right in person as well.
Mostly we used taxis with no tipping, in Lima, Arequipa and Cusco. That seemed normal to the drivers and to us. Gave 3 Sol to a man who carried our bag up to a room once. We did have a hotel arranged driver one day to take us around the Sacred Valley before dropping us off in Ollantaytambo and he'd been very nice, no guiding but waiting as we got out and checked out various places. Since we'd not negotiated his price for that directly with him, we have him 15 Sol as a gratuity.
We used this tipping guide, which turned out to be pretty accurate: http://www.whototip.net/tipping-in-peru
Some other major travel sites leaned more towards the "hey, they're poor, you're not, give as much as you can afford". (not so much facts as emotion there, I thought). That sort of throwing money around didn't seem to be the actual expectation once there. Yet. My general feeling is that one could tip more and it would be justified based on the inequity and that people just don't make much in Peru. Plus, tipping *does* exist in Peru's culture and not just because of the tourist trade. But it would also be a bit ham handed IMO to sort of come in and influence the service economy using something like US habits as some have suggested is more appropriate in developing nations (I don't know where you're from). That sort of thing does come at the expense of the *other* locals, who sometimes are no longer able to compete for the experience of eating away from home or joining a domestic day tour. But that's just me.
Mostly we used taxis with no tipping, in Lima, Arequipa and Cusco. That seemed normal to the drivers and to us. Gave 3 Sol to a man who carried our bag up to a room once. We did have a hotel arranged driver one day to take us around the Sacred Valley before dropping us off in Ollantaytambo and he'd been very nice, no guiding but waiting as we got out and checked out various places. Since we'd not negotiated his price for that directly with him, we have him 15 Sol as a gratuity.
We used this tipping guide, which turned out to be pretty accurate: http://www.whototip.net/tipping-in-peru
Some other major travel sites leaned more towards the "hey, they're poor, you're not, give as much as you can afford". (not so much facts as emotion there, I thought). That sort of throwing money around didn't seem to be the actual expectation once there. Yet. My general feeling is that one could tip more and it would be justified based on the inequity and that people just don't make much in Peru. Plus, tipping *does* exist in Peru's culture and not just because of the tourist trade. But it would also be a bit ham handed IMO to sort of come in and influence the service economy using something like US habits as some have suggested is more appropriate in developing nations (I don't know where you're from). That sort of thing does come at the expense of the *other* locals, who sometimes are no longer able to compete for the experience of eating away from home or joining a domestic day tour. But that's just me.
Jul 9th, 2014, 06:33 PM
#3
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 4,024
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If you are going to tip, tip in local currency (soles). Peru is not one of those "everybody takes dollars" countries. Tipping a waiter or guide or porter in dollars is giving them something that's of little use to them. Don't do that.
Jul 10th, 2014, 10:23 AM
#4
Many higher end restaurants and bars (and also hotels)already include a service charge (10% usually) and some restaurants also have cover charge (cubierto), so look at the menu before you hand it back.
Even Peruvians will leave the small change behind at a family restaurant.
Anyone who touches your luggage expects a tip for that part of the service. Taxi drivers don't otherwise expect a tip.
If you don't have soles, eg when first arriving at an airport, it is usually okay to pay or tip in dollars. The major tourist cities, will have cambios so locals can exchange them for local currency, and they are also used for transactions (legally accepted currency in Peru). In fact many hotels and tour guides will quote their rates in USD and then apply a disadvantageous conversion if you want to pay in Nuevo Soles!
But try not to do it outside of major tourist cities, for example 4 hours down the Amazon by launch!
Even Peruvians will leave the small change behind at a family restaurant.
Anyone who touches your luggage expects a tip for that part of the service. Taxi drivers don't otherwise expect a tip.
If you don't have soles, eg when first arriving at an airport, it is usually okay to pay or tip in dollars. The major tourist cities, will have cambios so locals can exchange them for local currency, and they are also used for transactions (legally accepted currency in Peru). In fact many hotels and tour guides will quote their rates in USD and then apply a disadvantageous conversion if you want to pay in Nuevo Soles!
But try not to do it outside of major tourist cities, for example 4 hours down the Amazon by launch!
