Country
Restaurant norm
Detail
United States
18-22% restaurants
Restaurant tipping is a labor-wage issue — service workers rely on tips for most income. 18% standard, 20% for good service, 22%+ for exceptional. Hotel bellhops $2-5/bag. Taxi 15-20% of the meter. Tour guides $10-20/person/day. Do not tip at fast-casual or counter-service; tip jars are optional.
Canada
15-18% restaurants
Similar to US but slightly lower. 15% for standard service, 18% for good, 20% for exceptional. Taxis 10-15%. Bellhops CAD 2-5/bag. Tour guides CAD 10-20/day. Note that Quebec has higher service-charge adoption and tipping can be slightly lower.
United Kingdom
10-12.5% restaurants
Most mid-and-upper restaurants add a discretionary 12.5% service charge — check your bill before tipping additionally. Pubs don't expect tips (buy the bartender a drink if you want to show appreciation). Taxis round up. Hotel bellhops £1-2/bag.
France
Service compris (included)
Service is legally included in restaurant bills. Leave €1-5 in cash for good service or simply round up the bill. Taxis €1-2 rounded up. Hotel bellhops €2-3/bag. Tour guides €5-10/person/day. Over-tipping here signals naivete; it's not proportionally expected the way it is in the US.
Italy
Service compris, often with coperto
Most restaurants include a 'coperto' (cover charge, €2-5/person) on the bill; service is usually included. Tipping on top is optional — €1-3 per person if service was good. Taxis round up or 5-10% for luggage. Hotel bellhops €1-2/bag. No tipping at cafés.
Spain
Round up, or 5-10% at nice places
Spaniards tip very modestly. Round up at casual restaurants; 5-10% at nicer places if service was exceptional. Tapas bars: leave a few cents change. Taxis round up. Hotel bellhops €1-2. Over-tipping is rare and not expected.
Germany
5-10% or round up
Announce the tip out loud when paying ('thirty euros' on a €27 bill). 5-10% at restaurants, more for exceptional service. Taxis round up. Hotel bellhops €1-2/bag. Bars: round up or add a euro.
Netherlands
5-10% or round up
Similar to Germany. Round up at bars and casual restaurants; 10% at nicer places for good service. Taxis round up. Hotel bellhops €1-2. Service is included in most bills.
Switzerland
Service included; round up
Service charge is legally included in all bills. Round up to the nearest franc at bars and cafés; 5-10% at restaurants for exceptional service. Taxis round up. Hotel bellhops CHF 2-5/bag.
Austria
5-10% at restaurants
Tipping 5-10% expected at restaurants even though service is technically included. Announce the total you want to pay ('35 euro') when handing over cash. Taxis round up. Hotel bellhops €1-2/bag.
Greece
5-10% at sit-down
Leave 5-10% at sit-down restaurants in cash on the table. Casual tavernas: round up. Taxis round up. Hotel bellhops €1-2. Greek restaurants often exclude tip from card payments even if you add it; leave cash.
Portugal
5-10% or round up
Tipping is modest. 5-10% at nicer restaurants, round up at casual places. No tipping at cafés/pastelarias. Taxis round up. Hotel bellhops €1-2/bag. Gentle upward revision since COVID as the industry has pushed tip norms higher.
Turkey
5-10% at restaurants
5-10% at restaurants, more in fancier venues. Hamam attendants 10-20%. Taxis round up. Hotel bellhops ₺20-50/bag. Tipping is more expected than in Western Europe; under-tipping attracts notice.
Morocco
10% at restaurants; small tips expected everywhere
10% at restaurants. Taxi drivers round up. Tour guides 100-200 MAD/day. Hotel bellhops 20-50 MAD/bag. Small tips (5-20 MAD) are expected for most services — parking-lot attendants, mosque shoe-keepers, photo-posers. Keep small bills handy.
Egypt
10-15% at restaurants; baksheesh widespread
Restaurants: 10-15% (often a 12% service charge is added; additional 5% in cash is appreciated). 'Baksheesh' (small tips for any service) is deeply embedded: 5-20 EGP for bathroom attendants, drivers, porters. Tour guides $15-20/day. Keep a supply of small bills.
Japan
No tipping; often refused
Japan has no tipping culture — attempts are often politely refused. Leaving a tip on a table will result in staff chasing you down to return it. For exceptional service (a ryokan geisha, a private guide), tips are given in an envelope (not loose cash) with both hands. Service is already included in what you pay.
South Korea
No tipping expected
Korea traditionally has no tipping culture. Service charge (10%) is included at upscale restaurants. In recent years, some tourist-area restaurants accept tips, but it remains not expected. Tour guides accept tips but don't require them.
China
No tipping (mainland); 10% in HK
Mainland China: no tipping at restaurants, taxis, or hotels. Sometimes refused. Hong Kong: 10% service charge usually added; additional small tips for exceptional service appropriate. Tour guides in both: $10-20/day in cash.
Singapore
Service charge included
10% service charge is usually added to restaurant and hotel bills. Tipping on top is neither expected nor common. Taxis: no tipping (many refuse). Hotel bellhops: SGD 2-5/bag optional.
Thailand
10% or round up
10% at nicer restaurants (often 10% service charge is already added; check). Casual stalls and street food: no tipping. Taxis round up. Tour guides 100-200 baht/day. Hotel bellhops 20-50 baht/bag.
Vietnam
5-10% at tourist restaurants
5-10% at tourist restaurants if service charge not added. Local pho/bun stalls: no tipping. Taxis round up. Tour guides $5-10/day. Hotel bellhops 20,000-50,000 VND/bag. Tipping is more expected in tourist areas than locally.
India
10% at restaurants; various
10% at nicer restaurants (often 5-10% service charge added). Taxis round up. Hotel bellhops ₹50-100/bag. Tour guides ₹500-1000/day. Housekeeping at hotels ₹100/day left on the pillow. Auto-rickshaw: round up.
Indonesia
10% at upscale; round up elsewhere
10% at upscale restaurants if service charge not added. Casual warung eating: no tipping. Taxis round up. Tour guides IDR 100-200k/day. Hotel bellhops IDR 20-50k/bag.
Malaysia
Service charge included; round up
10% service charge usually added at restaurants; tipping on top optional. Taxis round up. Hotel bellhops RM 5-10/bag. Tour guides RM 50-100/day.
UAE
10-15% at restaurants
10-15% at restaurants; most bills already add 10% service charge — verify. Taxis round up. Hotel bellhops AED 10-20/bag. Tour guides AED 100-200/day. Over-tipping in UAE is common and appreciated but not expected.
Australia
10% at restaurants for good service
Australia doesn't have a strong tipping culture; 10% at restaurants for good service, not expected. Taxis: round up. Hotel bellhops: AUD 2-5/bag, optional. Tipping is rising in tourist areas but still optional overall.
New Zealand
Optional, 10% for good service
Similar to Australia — no formal tipping expectation. 10% at restaurants for good service is appreciated. Otherwise, round up. Hotel bellhops: NZD 2-5/bag, optional.
Mexico
10-15% at restaurants
10-15% at restaurants (sometimes 15% already added as 'propina'). Taxis round up. Hotel bellhops MXN 20-50/bag. Tour guides $10-15 USD/day. Housekeeping at resorts: MXN 50/day.
Argentina
10% at restaurants
10% at restaurants. Taxis round up. Hotel bellhops ARS 200-500/bag (adjusted for inflation; peg it roughly to USD $1-2). Tour guides $10-15/day in USD cash preferred given peso volatility.
Brazil
10% often added
10% service charge often added ('10% do serviço'). Tipping on top optional — most Brazilians add nothing extra. Taxis: round up. Hotel bellhops BRL 5-10/bag. Tour guides BRL 50-100/day.
Peru
10% at restaurants
10% at restaurants; often already added as 'servicio'. Taxis: round up. Hotel bellhops $1-2/bag. Tour guides $15-20/day. Porters on the Inca Trail: $15-20/day per porter.
Colombia
10% at restaurants
10% service charge often automatically added. Always ask 'quiere incluir propina?' (do you want to include the tip?) before it's added. Taxis: round up. Hotel bellhops COP 5-10k/bag. Tour guides COP 50-100k/day.
Costa Rica
10% at restaurants
10% service included by law at restaurants (labeled as 'servicio'). Tipping on top optional — $1-2/person for good service. Taxis: round up. Hotel bellhops $1-2/bag. Tour guides: $10-15/day. Driver-guides: $20-30/day.
South Africa
10-15% at restaurants
10-15% at restaurants. Taxis: round up. Tour guides: ZAR 200-400/day. Hotel bellhops: ZAR 20-40/bag. Safari camps: $10-15/person/day to the guide, $5-10/day to the tracker, given at end of stay.
Kenya / Tanzania
Safari-specific
Camp staff: $10-15/person/day shared to the overall camp tip box. Safari guides: $15-25/person/day separate. Taxis and casual restaurants: 5-10%. Hotel bellhops: $1-2/bag. Bring USD cash for tips; change is hard.
Iceland
Not expected
Service is included and tipping is not expected. Rounding up is appreciated at restaurants if service was exceptional. Taxis: no tipping. Hotel bellhops: ISK 500-1000/bag optional. Iceland's service-wage model is high enough that tips are genuinely optional.
