Tipping in Peru is appreciated but not complicated. In restaurants, check whether a service charge has already been added to the bill; if not, a small tip of around 10 percent is customary. For guides, drivers and trek crews, tips are an important part of their income. Carry small notes and coins in soles.
Restaurants, cafés and bars
Some restaurants add a service charge to the bill, particularly in tourist areas and upscale places. Look for it on the receipt before adding a tip. If it is included, no extra is expected, though leaving a few coins is a kind gesture. If it is not, round up or leave around 10 percent for good service.
At casual places, markets and food stalls, tipping is not expected. In bars, leaving small change is enough. Taxi drivers are not tipped as a rule, but rounding up the fare is normal. If a price was agreed beforehand, pay that price, as the taxis and apps explains.
Guides, drivers and trek crews
For day tours, guides and drivers often rely on tips. Many travellers tip a guide at the end of the day and a little for the driver, with the amount depending on the group size, the length of the tour and the quality of the service. Group tips can be pooled.
On multi-day treks such as the Inca Trail, porters, cooks and guides work as a team and tips are customary. Operators often suggest how to divide a collective tip, and good ones also explain pay and conditions. Ask your operator in advance about a recommended amount and how to hand it over, and carry cash in soles for it. Tipping in soles rather than dollars is easier for the recipient.
Hotels, lodges and others
Hotel porters and housekeeping receive small tips, and a few soles is a normal gesture for carrying bags. In jungle lodges and on boats, a collective tip for the staff is often left at the end of the stay in a box or handed to the manager. Ask whether there is a standard.
For services such as spa staff, drivers who wait for you or people who guard your car, small tips are welcome. Small amounts matter more to the recipient than the headline figure suggests, so it is worth keeping change handy.
Tipping on a trek: how it works in practice
On a multi-day trek the crew is usually larger than people expect: guides, a cook, assistants and porters or muleteers. The tip is normally handed over on the last evening, often at a short ceremony where each member of the team is introduced. Operators may suggest a total and ask the group to pool it, so check this beforehand and bring enough cash in small notes, because there are no cash machines on the trail.
Ask the agency how much of the crew's pay comes from tips and how the operator treats porters. For questions on pay and weight limits, see choosing an agency. On other routes, such as the Salkantay trek, the same principle applies: a collective tip for the team and an extra for the guide if the service was exceptional.
How much cash to carry
Tips are paid in cash, so keep a stock of small notes and coins in your day bag. Large notes are hard to break in small towns, and most tipping happens at moments such as the end of a tour or a stay when you cannot easily get change. Withdraw extra soles before a trek, a jungle stay or a long weekend, as the money suggests.
Keep tipping money separate from your main wallet, perhaps in an envelope per team, so you do not need to open your wallet in front of a crowd. Do not hand large sums to children or street sellers; a small coin for a photograph or a purchase is enough.
Fair, not showy
Tipping is a way of thanking people for good work, not a performance. Tip what you can afford and what the service deserves, and do not feel pressured by anyone who demands a particular figure. If service was poor, you can tip less or nothing, and it is fair to give feedback to the operator.
For many guides, drivers and porters, tips are a substantial part of their income, so a fair tip supports local livelihoods, as the responsible travel discusses. Avoid ostentatious gestures, and bear in mind that a few extra soles from a visitor on a modest budget is a respectful gesture and well received.
Common questions at the end of a tour
Guides sometimes mention tips at the end of a trip, which can feel awkward. It is not rude to ask a guide or the agency beforehand what is usual. For private tours, a driver and guide are tipped separately; for groups, each traveller usually gives a share. If you paid a deposit by card, bring cash anyway, since card machines are not available at pick-up points.
If you are travelling on a tight budget, check the daily costs and put a small tipping fund aside for the trip, so that the end of a tour or trek does not come as a surprise. The etiquette around money is explained further in the etiquette.
Frequently asked questions
Is tipping mandatory in Peru?
No, but it is customary for good service, and it matters for guides, porters and drivers.
Should I tip in dollars?
Soles are easier for local people to use, though dollars may be accepted in some tourist settings.
How do I know if service is included?
Check the bill for a line marked service. If it is there, you do not need to add more.
Do I tip taxi drivers?
Not as a rule. Agree the fare before the ride and round up if the driver helped with luggage or waited.
How do I tip trek porters and the cook?
Usually as a collective tip handed over at the end of the trek, divided among the team according to the operator's guidance. Ask the agency how it works and bring cash in small soles notes.
Is it rude to leave no tip?
Not in casual places, and not if service was poor. For tours and treks, though, a tip is an expected part of the crew's income, so ask the operator about the usual practice.
Do hotels expect tips?
A few soles for porters and housekeeping are appreciated, but not required in budget places. Lodges often have a shared tip box.