All I wanna know is "How Much?": Straight talk about tipping your tour guide

[havcamwiltravel]

Ok, so we all know that tipping is a discretionary practice and we certainly won't all agree on the ways and means. But I've been through many of the other threads about tipping your tour guides on excursions and it's really hard to figure out what to do because there's way too much chatter and arguing.:confused:

 

So, I thought I'd post three hypothetical scenarios to see if I can get simple responses stating amounts that you would tip (in dollars per person) for the service described. Please, no long explanations or rationalizations but if you must, you can state if it's based on amount or percentage. Also, please quote this post so that others will understand the thread as it moves on.

 

Scenario 1: A private (one couple), 2-day typical overnight excursion to Cairo from Alexandria; . The tour guide has provided excellent all around service and info, and helped to make the excursion "A trip of a lifetime" . The driver was also very competent and pleasant. Tour Cost = $260 per person. Supplementary charges for Hotel = $200 per person.

 

Scenario 2: Four couples on a 2-day typical overnight excursion to Cairo from Alexandria; . The tour guide has provided excellent all around service and info, and helped to make the excursion "A trip of a lifetime" . The driver was also very competent and pleasant. Tour cost = $200 per person. Supplementary charges for hotel = $50 per person.

 

Scenario 3: On a bus with 30-40 other people on a 2-day typical overnight excursion to Cairo from Alexandria; . The tour guide has provided excellent all around service and info, and helped to make the excursion "A trip of a lifetime" . The driver was also very competent and pleasant. Tour cost = $200 per person. Supplementary charges for hotel = $50 per person.

 

Anyone want to give it a try?

[PROCRUISE]

Ok, so we all know that tipping is a discretionary practice and we certainly won't all agree on the ways and means. But I've been through many of the other threads about tipping your tour guides on excursions and it's really hard to figure out what to do because there's way too much chatter and arguing.:confused:

 

So, I thought I'd post three hypothetical scenarios to see if I can get simple responses stating amounts that you would tip (in dollars per person) for the service described. Please, no long explanations or rationalizations but if you must, you can state if it's based on amount or percentage. Also, please quote this post so that others will understand the thread as it moves on.

 

Scenario 1: A private (one couple), 2-day typical overnight excursion to Cairo from Alexandria; . The tour guide has provided excellent all around service and info, and helped to make the excursion "A trip of a lifetime" . The driver was also very competent and pleasant. Tour Cost = $260 per person. Supplementary charges for Hotel = $200 per person.

 

Scenario 2: Four couples on a 2-day typical overnight excursion to Cairo from Alexandria; . The tour guide has provided excellent all around service and info, and helped to make the excursion "A trip of a lifetime" . The driver was also very competent and pleasant. Tour cost = $200 per person. Supplementary charges for hotel = $50 per person.

 

Scenario 3: On a bus with 30-40 other people on a 2-day typical overnight excursion to Cairo from Alexandria; . The tour guide has provided excellent all around service and info, and helped to make the excursion "A trip of a lifetime" . The driver was also very competent and pleasant. Tour cost = $200 per person. Supplementary charges for hotel = $50 per person.

 

Anyone want to give it a try?

 

Okay, I'm willing to jump into the frying pan! We spent the last 2 weeks of September, 2010 touring Egypt with a private guide and driver everywhere for just the 2 of us, except the 4 days on The Nile when we had 12 in our English speaking group on tours.

Scenario #1: $100 total tip to guide and $45 tip to driver.

Scenario #2: $120 total tip to guide and $55 tip to driver

Scenario#3: $20-25 per couple tip to guide and $10 tip to driver.

[texancruzer]

I realize you wanted specific answers to the 3 scenarios......but...... we didnt fit in any of those three. We did a 15 day tour with Gate 1 in Egypt last fall. There were 11 in our tour (altho there could have been 40+) so we got really lucky. We had a guide who met us at the airport and stayed with us 24/7 until we left to come home. He was amazing. Did many extra things with us on his own time and we had a blast with him.

 

We tipped him $400.00 US for 14 days. I know another couple tipped him $300.00 and I am assuming the others tipped him more than the "recommended" amount. I will say that Procruise is mighty generous. If we had tipped our guide $100. per 2 days we would have been up to $700. :D We took the recommended amount given to us by the tour company and added quite a bit to that. Our drivers were different in each city (Cairo,Luxor, Aswan etc) so we tipped smaller amounts as per our tour company recommendations.

 

So my advice is to tip what you feel you got. They do really depend on the tips.

[havcamwiltravel]

Thanks, Texancruzer and Procruise. I appreciate the feedback.

 

Anyone else? I'm sure your answers will be very helpful to those of us still trying to figure it all out.

[terry2]

I would suggest a basic level tip of $10 per person per day to each of the guide and driver as a starting point, which you can then ramp up for any service you consider to be above average.

 

Note that the cost of the tour and accomodation that you have to pay is largely irrelevant, as they have to put in the same amount of effort whether you are staying in a 5-star or 2-star hotel.

[luvtravelbug]

When we went, we were in the middle of scenario 2 and 3. There were 13 of us on the overnight from Alexandria to Cairo. Our guide was excellent and the driver was fine. DH and I tipped $50 to the guide and $10 to the driver. I could not say how much the others in my group tipped. I myself questioned what is considered a good tip and if I was under tipping. I am interested in what others have to say. Granted I can't change it at this point, but it would be good for future reference.

[willing292]

the minimum MONTHLY wage in Egypt, is $6.50 US. (no wonder they're protesting!) We usually tip more than the suggested amount when the guide and driver go over and above. if they are just so-so, we tip the recommended amount.

[havcamwiltravel]

the minimum MONTHLY wage in Egypt, is $6.50 US. (no wonder they're protesting!) We usually tip more than the suggested amount when the guide and driver go over and above. if they are just so-so, we tip the recommended amount.

 

Thanks Willing292 but what would that recommended amount be (for each scenario, if possible);)?

[tiyana4]

OP - I would email the tour operator and ask them their recommendation.

 

You will get a wide variety of responses on CC, but it is nothing like hearing it from the people who actually organize the tours. We did this with our organizer in Egypt and Turkey and were quite surprised that we were told only 8-10% of the tour costs. The price we had preset in our minds was much higher than what the company "suggested". Of course you can always tip more based on the quality of service.

[Cahroozer]

I sympathize with the OP.

 

We took a Ramses tour from Alexandria to Cairo and tipped what I thought was an appropriate amount. True, it was based on the cost of the tour, and not the enhanced hotel arrangement.

 

Our guide was clearly disappointed when I handed over the cash. I checked with an acquaintance onboard who had the same itinerary and hotel, and by coincidence tipped the same amount, and she said her guide was also visibly disappointed.

 

I also felt this was an appropriate tip since this guide took us to a papyrus store with a very high-pressure sales staff, rather than a true Cairo market, where he very obviously got a kickback on whatever was bought. People taking other Ramses tours were not brought there.

 

We later learned that the guides apparently depend heavily on tips for much of their income, something not explained by Ramses. Like the OP, I wish I'd been told in advance just what this will really cost. We certainly don't like feelings as though we've been chiselers.

 

I for one am fed up with having to figure out what the "right" tip is. Just name me a price that pays the employees fairly and let me show my gratitude for especially good service, but on my own terms. If you can't do that, then tell me how much I really ought to be tipping this person and let's get it out there up front.

 

One other thing that may be just me, but when the guides are SO dependent on our good will and largesse, they tend to treat us like we're not very bright 5-year-olds. I love it when the guide is an honest professional who is well paid, takes pride in his/her work, and isn't trying to sweet talk us to get more money out of us.

[havcamwiltravel]

Ok, so we all know that tipping is a discretionary practice and we certainly won't all agree on the ways and means. But I've been through many of the other threads about tipping your tour guides on excursions and it's really hard to figure out what to do because there's way too much chatter and arguing.:confused:

 

So, I thought I'd post three hypothetical scenarios to see if I can get simple responses stating amounts that you would tip (in dollars per person) for the service described. Please, no long explanations or rationalizations but if you must, you can state if it's based on amount or percentage. Also, please quote this post so that others will understand the thread as it moves on.

 

Scenario 1: A private (one couple), 2-day typical overnight excursion to Cairo from Alexandria; . The tour guide has provided excellent all around service and info, and helped to make the excursion "A trip of a lifetime" . The driver was also very competent and pleasant. Tour Cost = $260 per person. Supplementary charges for Hotel = $200 per person.

 

Scenario 2: Four couples on a 2-day typical overnight excursion to Cairo from Alexandria; . The tour guide has provided excellent all around service and info, and helped to make the excursion "A trip of a lifetime" . The driver was also very competent and pleasant. Tour cost = $200 per person. Supplementary charges for hotel = $50 per person.

 

Scenario 3: On a bus with 30-40 other people on a 2-day typical overnight excursion to Cairo from Alexandria; . The tour guide has provided excellent all around service and info, and helped to make the excursion "A trip of a lifetime" . The driver was also very competent and pleasant. Tour cost = $200 per person. Supplementary charges for hotel = $50 per person.

 

Anyone want to give it a try?

 

Thanks, Cahrooser and Tiyana4 ... now back to the question at hand ...;)

[chrispb]

I don't think you'll get a "right" answer. Just use your discretion. Perhaps a rough rule of thumb would be either 10 or 20 % of the tour cost. No need to be overly generous. The guide usually splits the tips with the drivers, but if you decide to tip the driver then I'm sure it would be welcome.

Maybe 20% if there's just 4 of you and 10% for a full bus of 30 or 40 people.

[MonocacyCruiser]

Thanks, Cahroozer.

I don't want to put you on the spot and ask what you and your acquaintance actually tipped but could you give a hint as to what you think the guide would have been happy with.

This quide-tourist relationship is not one that I am usually involved in, here in the USA, the people that I depend on for my happiness, health, and/or security do not depend on me to tip them so that they can support their families.

When I go to Egypt in April (if the ship still goes there) I want to be treated fairly by my guide and I want to pay him fairly.

[tiyana4]

Thanks, Cahrooser and Tiyana4 ... now back to the question at hand ...;)

 

Sorry. I guess we didn't give you the answer you were looking for?:confused:

 

Emailing the operator was the best thing we could have done. It was done and over with and I didn't waste any time worrying whether or not we were tipping the correct amount.

[WeBeGone]

We tipped our guide a flat 10% of the tour amount.

[cruisemom42]

Anyone want to give it a try?

 

No, not really. I think you are looking for quantification of something that is not quantifiable. Tipping isn't a science, it's more of an art.

 

If I were on a private tour with a couple from America and we compared our tips, they might consider me stingy for not tipping as much as is commonly thought appropriate -- in America.

 

If I were on a private tour with someone from the UK and we compared our tips, they might consider me ridiculously extravagant for tipping the same amount as I gave in the first scenario.

 

If I were to ask the guide involved, he or she might realize that the tip is appropriate -- but might be slightly disappointed that it is not as much as they are accustomed to receiving from wealthy American travelers.

 

If I were to ask a local not involved in the tourist industry, he or she might find the amount of money that guides are tipped to be quite high compared with what most in that country typically earn.

 

In Egypt it is especially difficult. In most of Europe, guides are well paid to start with and, while they appreciate tips, they do not depend on them. I have a feeling that in Egypt -- again compared with the rest of wage earners in that country, and not compared against US or European standards -- they are also compensated fairly well for their work. On the other hand, we cannot help feeling that we should perhaps give more because we have more. IMO, that's not tipping, it's largesse, and the two should be separated.

 

So that's my 2 cents, and you are no nearer your goal of quantifying "how much". Sorry! :D

[Karennella]

This is a very difficult area for many fellow Aussies, and I appreciate this question. We get very stressed in the US about tipping whereas in Europe the practice seems to be similar to that of Sydney.

An expat friend who is Middle-East based pointed out that it is wrong to assume, as we did, that the porter we tip eg in Bangkok, will keep that amount to supplement his income, as a porter would here in Sydney. He said that the porter will have paid an agent to secure that position, and would only keep a fraction of the total.

I do not know if that is correct nor if that is also the practice in Egypt.

[Cruzer Two]

Tipping Etiquette

 

http://www.tipguide.org/iPhone/index.php

 

Tour guides

 

Check ahead. If the tip is not already included, give 10-15% of the tour price. No less than $1-2 for a half-day tour, $3-4 for a full-day tour, and $5-10 for a week-long tour. This is a per-person rate. Tip private tour guides more. If the bus driver is particularly helpful with bags, then tip $1-2 per bag.

[FlightMedic555]

Presuming I was organizing your options one and two I would tip $50 for option one, for the couple. For option two, I would work with the other three couples and I would suggest a tip of $20 - $30 per couple.

 

Option three I would presume I did not organize but I joined a group tour. For this one I would tip $10-$20 per couple.