Hi
We are leaving in about a week for alaska and have greatly appreciated everyones help. After more than 8 months of planning it's finally here! I do have one final question on tipping guides. We are taking bear trip with emerald air for a day and really don't know what to tip. We are also doing 1/2 daykayak trip,1/2 day horseback riding,glacier trek ,flightseeing etc and could use some advise on what's the norm. Thanks

SNORKY CUTE NAME I DONT KNOW .....ACTUALLY I HOPE SOMEONE ELSE DOES I WOULD TIP WELL IF ENJOYED ON VACATION ..HOPE YOU ENJOY ALASKA I HAVE A COUSIN IN SITKA ALASKA ..CHERI

I usually tip $10 per half day. $20 on the full day. I once gave an extra $20 to a river guide who saved my $1,000 camera. Outside of the U.S., I once gave $5 to a driver who pulled over to fetch a real coconut for my spouse - on her request.

Emerald Air is operated by its owners. No tips needed. After all you are paying over $500 per person. The same goes for daykayak trip if it is operated by its owner. Ask whether your guide is the owner or not

I don't care WHO owns the tours, I tip as suggested above. If I have an enjoyable SAFE trip. Who cares???

Thanks to all for your responses

I DO care who owns a company. It looks like tipping is getting out of control

I am preparing to get slammed for this. I have traveled in Alaska and taken a few side trips like snorky has told about. I don't tip for things like that. Those side trips are expensive and my tip is already included in the price as far as I am concerned.

Tiping is a regional thing. You fellow Fodorites on the east coast tip for things which people in the midwest and maybe Alaska would never tip for, and the person performing the service would not even be expecting or wanting a tip. In some cases the person would be embarrased if he got a tip. I have been in situations where I have been tipped and felt very odd about it.

One the other hand if most of the people on the expedition are tipping it would be good to follow suit. 10% Max.

Thank you Jorr, I agree with you 100%. Took a bear watching trip with Emerald Air Service and did not tip. Nobody tipped. One person tried to but our guide (owner)refused to accept it.

The etiquette for years and years has been to NOT tip the owner of a company...be it a beauty salon owner, Tour Co. owner,or whatever. It seems more and more lately that this rule has been softened and often people do try to tip the owner.Guess it's what you want to do, though some owners will refuse, as Pat2003 said. It boils down to a personal choice...but for extra service it's probably a good idea.

mari5, nobody gets extra service for tipping at the end of an excursion. As Pat said, Emerald Air Service doesn't want tips. $500 per person does not warrant a tip. Consider the tip included. Throwing extra cash at people is sometimes arrogant.

jorr: I couldn't agree more. the last sentence of my paragraph sould be deleted. Absolutely NOT tip on a $500 plane ride,,,but I think others were not thinking about THAT type of tour!

On the other hand, Jorr, YOU youself said in a previous posting .. "on the other hand, if most the people on the tour are tipping, then it would be good to follow suit"

I still think it is bad ettiquette to tip the owner, or in a lot of situations. Again...whatever one SINCERELY feels like doing. ....It's pretty personal, and NEVER necessary!

I too couldn't agree more with your statement, mari5, It's pretty personal, and NEVER [!!!!!!] necessary!