What is it about tipping that makes people go running for the hills or break into a sweat? Perhaps it is a desire to do right by the service providers or to ensure that we do not cause a faux pas when it comes to tipping. Well, no matter the situation, I hope this guide on tipping in Guatemala will help you learn about the expectations and trends in this Mayan country.
Planning your travel to the beautiful Central American country of Guatemala? Be sure to read this post on a complete one-week itinerary to Guatemala covering all the spots you must visit!
Do you tip in Guatemala?
First of all, you may be wondering if tipping is a thing in Guatemala at all. After all, in some countries, tipping can be offensive or unnecessary. However, in Guatemala tipping is common for certain services.
Perhaps not as customary as tipping in the US or Canada, but there is a trend of tipping for services in Guatemala. Whether you tip and the amount of tip depends upon the type of service as well as the person or institution where the service is provided.
Tipping in Restaurants in Guatemala
The tipping culture in Guatemalan restaurants depends on whether the restaurant is upscale or more of a casual eatery. In most upscale restaurants, tipping is common and expected. In fact, your check will likely arrive with a total amount due and a blank line when you can add a tip, similar to restaurants in the US. So, it is clear that a tip is expected.
However, there are other places that are more casual, where there won’t be an expectation to tip. In such places, there won’t be a line in the check to add a tip.
From my experience, in sit-down restaurants where you could pay with a foreign credit card, you should expect to pay some tips. In general, aim to pay about 10% of your bill if you tip.
Do you tip waiters in Guatemala City?
If the food at a restaurant is great, and the waiter provides good service as well as recommends a tasty dish, consider adding a small amount to your tip. If you plan on tipping around 10% of your bill per my recommendation above, you do not need to add extra.
But, if you eat at a place where tipping is not expected, you can tip about 5% for great service. In such cases, tip in cash.
Tipping for Tours in Guatemala
Tours are common in Guatemala and in order to enjoy the best of the country, go on at least one of them. There are so many experiences and activities to participate in in the country. And with a tour, you will be able to cover more spots, as well as get to learn about the local culture. Besides, not having to worry about how to get to a spot and how to make the most of the visit, are added bonuses.
My husband and I booked a total of 4 tours and we enjoyed them all, with the exception of the one to Pacaya Volcano (more on that below).
The Tour Guide
Hiring a tour guide is a great way to experience a new city or location. When traveling in Guatemala, taking a guided tour of, for instance, the city of Antigua is a wonderful way of getting acquainted with the city, its culture, and its history. On a related note, if you want to scale to the top of Pacaya Volcano, taking a guided tour is your only option.
Interestingly, while the tipping expectations in other areas are fairly well known, I found the task of tipping a tour guide the most confusing in Guatemala.
Some tour guides were very upfront in making it obvious that they expected tips. Our tour guide to Pacaya asked for tips at the end of our hike, which I found somewhat distasteful. However, he was gracious enough to say, “If you had fun, do give us tips”. Additionally, since he was not a very good guide, we felt a tip was not warranted.
On the flip side, our guide at Tikal National Park was hands down, the best guide we have experienced on our trips to Central America! He worked part-time with an archeology group and was involved in various excavations of the Mayan ruins all over Central America.
Our guided tours at sunrise and sunset in Tikal National Park were truly enriched by listening to him point out historical facts and archeological tidbits about the Mayan world. We ended up learning a lot about the Mayan people and the world they left behind. Since he was clearly an exceptional guide, we tipped him 25% of our tour ticket price.
Thus, here is my overall recommendation. Don’t tip a guide if you were not blown away by the service. On the other hand, if a guide did an exceptional job, give them a generous tip.
The Tour Driver
When we were on a tour of Pacaya Volcano, we had a shared shuttle with a number of tourists. Curiously, the bus driver had a tip jar taped to the dashboard with a big sign that read “Tips welcome”. Considering that the tour drove us from Antigua to Pacaya on a somewhat questionable route where we avoided the main roads, we did not tip the driver.
However, some drivers might expect a tip. From my experience though, I would say skip the tip for the tour driver. Instead, tip the tour guide if they are excellent.
The Tour Agent
A tour agent is someone who helps book your tour for you. They make sure to work with your dates and times of availability and connect you with the drivers or tour guides available. Many a time, they work in hotels where you stay and book everything for you. At our Antigua hotel, a tour group had a desk set up in the lobby and the front desk sent hotel guests looking for tours their way.
For a tour agent, there is no expectation to tip as usually, their commission is tied to the number of bookings they do.
We chose to stay here for our entire vacation and were able to hang out in the downtown area every evening. The nightlife was great and its proximity to the manta ray snorkel tours was an added bonus. However, note that this area is more expensive than the others.
Renting a horse
Climbing up Pacaya Volcano? You may want to consider getting a horse to make the steep climb up to the top. Tip the horse owner about 2 to 3 USD per horse.
Tipping for an Experience
Nowadays, travelers look for authentic “experiences” to get a feel of a place and delve deep into the culture and lifestyle of a place. This led to an increase in seeking out experiences to learn about places in an authentic way. Personally, I like to add an experience with a touch of luxury to a trip if I can. Helps elevate the trip, and indulge in one thing that we can.
In Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, we booked a private chef who came to our villa at B’alam Ya and cooked us dinner. The chef was phenomenal and he showed us how he cooked the dishes, plated everything beautifully, and allowed us to enjoy a fabulous experience. We ended up tipping him 20% because he was that good. Due to the truly amazing experience, we thought he definitely deserved that tip!
If you love an experience and it was unique and worthwhile for you, consider tipping 15 to 20%.
Tipping in Guatemalan Hotels
When staying in a hotel in Guatemala, you should be aware of the tipping expectations and etiquette of the country.
Bellhop
A bellhop helps you with your luggage and takes it to your room when you check in to a high-end hotel. It is customary to tip a bellhop (although not required) in North America and Europe. Similarly, in Guatemala, tip your bellhop about $1 per luggage bag. If tipping in Quetzals, tip an equivalent amount.
Concierge
The hotel concierge helps you with confirmation of reservations when you check in. They also offer suggestions and answer questions, especially if you are a tourist looking for services or tours. Not all hotels have concierge groups. Now, if your hotel does have a concierge, note that you do not need to tip them.
Driver
Did you book a driver through your hotel to pick you up from the airport? Some hotels offer complimentary pickup and drop-off services. Whether you pay for this service or not, consider tipping a small amount for the ride, particularly for good service. Tip about $5 for a single trip.
However, I would recommend tipping only if the driver is a part of the hotel staff, and would not receive the money from your booking.
On the other hand, if the hotel engages a third-party independent driver (equivalent to a taxi), skip the tip.
Do you need to tip an Uber driver in Guatemala?
Similar to the US, you do not need to tip an Uber driver in Guatemala. My recommendation is to tip only for exceptional service. When we took an Uber from Antigua to Panajachel, Atitlan, the driver navigated us around hairpin turns, and steep inclined gravel roads, with skill and grace. So, we ended up tipping him about 25%. Granted, it was steep, but we were very impressed with his service.
For regular rides, a tip is not needed. For a good service, aim to tip about 10%.
What currency should you tip in?
In most places in Guatemala, tips are welcome in local currency as well as US dollars. Most people we encountered were happy to receive a tip in USD as well as Quetzals. They did not indicate a preference to receive a tip in one currency over the other.
However, it is a good idea to ask beforehand if the recipient would accept payment in USD.
We tipped in USD for the following services:
- Antigua city tour guide
- Renting a horse on Pacaya Volcano
- Private transfer car arranged through our hotel from Atitlan to Guatemala City
Where to get cash in Guatemala?
Getting cash in Guatemala was difficult outside Guatemala City and Antigua. Only specific ATMs accepted international cards, and we had to try our luck at several ATMs before successfully withdrawing cash. Even in larger places like Panajachel in Atitlan, withdrawing Quetzals was not easy.
This was unlike what we saw in Costa Rica, where getting USD from an ATM was much easier.
Therefore, while getting ready for your Guatemala trip, make sure to take some cash. Carry some USD if you aren’t able to secure Quetzals. At least, you will be able to use USD for some transactions.
Tipping Culture in Guatemala
Overall, the tipping culture in Guatemala has quite a few similarities with their northern neighbors of the US and Canada and some dissimilarities.
In restaurants, the expectation for tipping is way less and is not necessary. However, tourism-based occupations appear to be influenced more by the tipping culture. Some tour guides make it more obvious that they expect a tip, while some do not. I want to reiterate that you should not feel obligated to tip if you don’t want to.
Additionally, if you are traveling from a country where tipping a high amount is the norm, note that the cultural expectations are different in Guatemala.
Tipping in Guatemala Summary
Thus, here is the summary of the etiquette of tipping in Guatemala.
Occupation | Amount to tip (in USD) | Notes |
Waiter | 10% of the total bill | In larger or more high-end restaurants when the service is good. |
Tour Guide | 0 to 20% | This is highly variable based on the nature of the tour and the guide’s knowledge. For exceptional guides who know their domain well, consider tipping up to 20%. |
Tour bus driver | None | Tipping a tour bus driver is not necessary. |
Tour agent | None | There is no expectation to tip a tour agent. |
Horse | 2 or 3 USD (approx. 15-23 Quetzals) | Going up Pacaya Volcano? You may want to get a horse. Tip them about 2 to 3 USD. |
Bartender | 5 to 10% of the total bill | Tip the bartender only for an exceptional drink. |
Uber or Rental Driver | None | Tipping a driver is not necessary. However, if they did an exceptional job, consider a tip of about 10%. |
Hotel concierge | None | Tipping concierge staff is not necessary. |
Bellhop/Hotel Porter | 1 USD per bag (approx. 8 Quetzals) | Tipping a bellhop is only expected in high-end hotels (4 or 5-star hotels). |
Hotel driver | 5 USD for a single trip | Tip if the driver would not get paid directly for the trip. |
I hope this tipping in Guatemala guide is useful for your awesome trip to the heart of the Mayan world!
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