Tipping in Bolivia is pretty common, whether you are sticking to the mountains or the roads. In fact, Bolivia is a mountain bikers paradise. It is home of The Death Road, where you can go on a 64km tour and see the diversity of Bolivia, plus risk your life! It really is a must see for outdoor adventurers. Use our guide below to figure out when you should tip on your adventure in Bolivia.
Taxis: Tipping a taxi driver isn’t expected unless they are hired for a full day. If that’s the case then 10% is a good tip.
Hotels: If the bell boy was to handle your baggage then you should give him about Bs5-8 a bag. The maid should get about Bs8 a night.
Restaurants: Service is often included but the wage is pretty low. An additional 5-10% is a nice gesture if the service was good.
Bars: Like restaurants a service charge will be included in the total. If you enjoyed yourself then 5-10% of the total is a good tip.
Other: You should tip your guides about 40-80 Bs a day. With the driver getting about half that amount.
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We are going on a Uyuni 3 day tour. If we give 70Bs a day to the guide and half of that to the driver, will this by per person or for the entire group of 4 people?
Hi Felisa,
You’ll find there is no set rules for multi day tours. Some tours mention tipping, others don’t. It also really depends on the the mood of the tour and if the driver and guide were good. You could probably get away with ~150 Bs a day to the guide between the 4 of you and half of that to the driver. You shouldn’t be spending more then 5-10% of the total cost on tips.
Also depends on the type of tour you go on as well! I went on a tour in Bolivia with locals and other South Americans, not one person tipped by me. I only tipped because the guide went out of his way to speak some English to me, even though I understood most of what he said in Spanish. I figured its ‘gringo tax’ in the end 🙂
Don’t forget though, its a tip! Tipping is seen for going above and beyond your job. You will find with Bolivia a tip isn’t really expected in most places, just appreciated.