When you travel to another country, it's always a bit of a learning curve to understand the customs. Tipping is one of those typical things that can often be tricky when you've just arrived. To make your trip to Vietnam as enjoyable as possible, we'd like to provide you with some information on how tipping works here. Is it customary to tip in Vietnam? Where should you tip or not? How much should these tips be? In this article, we'll provide you with all the answers.
In Vietnamese restaurants, tipping isn't customary. Especially in local, smaller-scale eateries, tipping isn't expected, and you might even receive a surprised reaction. However, with increasing tourism, this is gradually changing, and it's becoming more common in touristic areas. It's uncommon in Vietnam for a service charge to be added to the bill, but upscale restaurants might do so. Unlike some other countries, tipping isn't seen as offensive in Vietnam. If you wish to tip, rounding up the bill or giving a tip of 5 to 10% is acceptable. When at a bar or café just for drinks, it's not customary to tip in Vietnam; rounding up the bill suffices.
Tipping hotel staff in Vietnam isn't expected. However, if someone helps with your luggage to the room, a small tip of 50 cents per bag or backpack is appreciated. Additionally, leaving a daily tip of around 50 cents to 1 dollar for the cleaning staff is a gesture of appreciation, although it's not anticipated.
In Vietnam, tipping when buying food on the street isn't customary. Locals might even try to negotiate the price. You're not obligated to do so, but a tip of 5 to 10% isn't expected. However, rounding up the amount you need to pay is a kind gesture. Given that street food is inexpensive in Vietnam, rounding up usually involves small amounts.
Tipping taxi or cyclo (cycle rickshaw) drivers isn't customary in Vietnam. However, they do appreciate small tips or rounding up the fare. Especially if the driver has given helpful tips about the area, you might consider tipping. As always, it's advisable in Vietnam to agree on the fare before getting into the taxi or cyclo.
Giving a small tip after a tour isn't expected but is considered polite. Especially after a full day of touring, it's customary to give a tip of around 5 to 10%. Guides in Vietnam seldom explicitly ask for tips, but it's highly appreciated.
In Vietnam, tipping isn't particularly customary. In more touristy areas, it's becoming slightly more common to leave a small tip at restaurants. In other places, tipping isn't very customary, and rounding up the bill is often seen as a nice gesture.