Are you nearing the end of your trek in Nepal and not sure what to tip your guides and porters?
Don’t worry! You are not alone.
After questions on safety this is the most common question that is asked by people on guided treks in the Himalayas yet there is no right or wrong answer. Tipping is part of every day life in many countries including America but is not practiced everywhere especially down under in countries such as Australia and New Zealand.
In Nepal tipping is not mandatory but it is expected. This basic guideline should help you establish a baseline, but remember tipping is based on the experience you had with your trekking team.
The tip should be based on 10% of the total trip cost for your entire party. 50% of that should be allocated to the guides and 50% to the porters.
This example is only a guide and tipping is a personal decision
Trekking Group |
= 4x persons who each pay $1000 USD |
= $4,000 USD in total x10% |
|
= $400 USD to tip between all 4 trekkers ($100 USD each) |
|
Guides and Porters |
1x Guide and 2x Porters (for a group this size) |
Guides tip (1) |
= 50% of $400 USD |
= $200 USD |
|
Porters Tip (2) |
= $50% of $400 USD |
= $200 USD /2 |
|
= $100 USD each |
For a group of 10 people you would expect to have 2 guides and 5 porters within your group. using the same numbers above: |
10 x 1000 |
= $10,000 |
10% |
= $ 1,000 |
50% Guides |
= $500 /2 = $250 for each guide |
50% Porters |
= $500 /5 = $100 for each porter |
To convert your currency to the USD or Nepali Rupee visit www.xe.com
Please remember these team members have worked for you for upwards of two weeks, got you safely through the Himalayan mountains and carried all that excess excess gear you brought with. We hope that they offered you an experience like no other and that you interacted with your trekking team.