My husband and I will be embarking on a 14 day private tour of Vietnam arranged through Griswalds Vietnamese Vacations on Sept. 20, 2003. The same guide will travel with and be with us the whole time. What would be an appropriate tip? Has anyone else done a private tour? What did you think?

average service--nothing

great service $5 per day.

don't buy anything from a store he takes you to, as there are commissions to be had on his part and the part of the tour company. this has been our experience in china.

make sure you give the driver 50% of what you give the guide if they are different....i think i gave my vietnamese guide $50 for 3 days as a tip...

I hope the vietnamese guide stood on his head for your for a $50 tip.........

$5 a day seems right.

Scaredtodeath is correct when she says that your guide will in all probability receive commissions from the stores he or she takes you to. However, unlike Scaredtodeath, I will in most cases still buy from those stores. "Commissions" in that part of the world is the norm although it may be something we flinch at. I have a friend who was a long time tour escort (an American)in China and Vietnam for several well-known tour companies. She said that she never had a problem with local tour guides taking them to "their" shops and receiving commissions. In China and Vietnam, that's how they make money. She also felt that the guides generally took them to the most reputable shops because the guides want to make sure their clients are happy. Tour guides need to have referrals and be liked by their clients. If the company gets complaints, they will not be used. Obviously, you should do what you feel most comfortable with, but I just wanted to pass along another view. Have a great trip. We loved Vietnam and hope to go back in a couple of years.