How much should you tip?

Tipping habits can vary from country to country, which can be a bit confusing which is why we thought to share some guidelines around it for your Cuba tours.

If you’re happy with the service you receive, providing a tip – though not compulsory – is appropriate. While it may not be customary to you, it’s of great significance to the people who will take care of you during your travels, inspires excellent service, and is an entrenched feature of the tourism industry across many destinations. Due to the low Government-set wages in Cuba, tipping is relied upon heavily so expect to tip for just about everything.

Please note we recommend that any tips are given directly to the intended recipient, either by yourself or by a member of your group if you are in a group tour.

Hold on to your smaller notes and coins to make tipping easier. The following amounts are per person suggestions based on local considerations and feedback from our past travelers:

– Restaurants: Local markets, government and private (paladares) restaurants – round your bill up to the nearest 10%. There’s no need to tip at dinners taken at Guesthouses.

– Guesthouse: You may consider tipping the employees (not the owners) of a Guesthouse; CUC1-2 is suggested.

– Toilet attendant: CUC 0.25 per use.

– Musicians: CUC1-2 per session.

– Local guides: Throughout your trip you may at times have a local guide in addition to your leader. We suggest CUC2 per adult per day for local guides.

– Drivers: You may have a range of drivers on your trip. Some may be with you for a short journey while others may be with you for several days. We would suggest a higher tip for those more involved with the group however a base of CUC5 per adult per day is generally appropriate.

– Your Tour Leader: You may also consider tipping your leader for outstanding service throughout your trip. The amount is entirely a personal preference; however as a guideline CUC5-7 per adult, per day can be used. Of course you are free to tip more or less as you see fit, depending on your perception of service quality and the length of your trip.

In total, we recommend you budget approx CUC10-15 per day of your trip to cover tipping.

Remember, a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.

Are you looking to travel to Cuba? Check out our Small Group Tours on Offer.