Tipping In Ecuador & The Galápagos - A Complete Guide
Quick Guide
🍽️ Restaurant - 10% If No Service Charge
🍹 Bar - Not Expected - Optional $0.50-$1/Drink
🚕 Taxi - Not Expected - Optional Round Up
🛎️ Bellhop (Mainland) - $1-2 Total
🛎️ Bellhop (Galápagos) - $0.50-$1/Bag
🛏️ Housekeeping (Mainland) - Not Expected
🛏️ Housekeeping (Galápagos) - $1-2/Day
📸 Tour Guide (Mainland) - $10-20/Day
🦜 Naturalist Guide (Mainland) - $10-20/Day
🌿 Lodge/Jungle Cruise Staff - $10-20/Day Total
🛥️ Cruise Naturalist (Galápagos) - $15-30PP/Day
🛥️ Cruise Crew (Galápagos) - $20-30/Day Total
🏝️ Land Tour Guide (Galápagos) - $5-10PP/Day
🏝️ Land Tour Driver (Galápagos) - $5-10 Total
🅿️ Street Parking Helper (Mainland) - $1 On Exit
Generally speaking, you’ll tip less on the Ecuadorian mainland than you will on the Galápagos Islands. In any case, tips are always appreciated but only tip for good service.
Calculate a culturally appropriate tip for Ecuador using the calculator below and read on for more detail on tipping in Restaurants, Taxis, Hotels, Galápagos Cruises etc.
Ecuador & Galápagos Tip Calculator
Good Tip For Ecuador
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Tipping in Restaurants
Ecuador Mainland & Galápagos Islands
Service charges of 10-12% are common, especially in mid/high-end restaurants, so always check your bill. Don’t confuse it with the IVA which is tax (Ecuadorian VAT).
You don’t need to tip on top of the service charge but given it’s usually divided between all staff, you might opt to leave your server an extra $1-2 for excellent service.
If there’s no service charge, it’s customary to tip around 10% for good service in mid/high end establishments.
Tips aren’t expected in low-end eateries or local cafés. You may see a tip box near the cashier for loose change but tips in that case remain optional.
Tipping Taxi Drivers
Ecuador Mainland & Galápagos Islands
Tipping your taxi driver isn’t necessary. You might want to round up your fare if you don’t want change but it’s not expected or required.
Try to reserve round ups for situations where your driver goes above and beyond. If your driver doesn’t have change, you’ll need to round up anyway.
In the larger Ecuadorian cities like Quito and Guayaquil, metered taxis are common. If there isn’t a meter, agree on your fare before you set off.
Tipping The Porter/Bellhop
Ecuador Mainland
Tip hotel porters around $1-$2 in total (not per bag). Airport porters should get around $1 per bag since they usually work exclusively for tips.
Galápagos Islands
Here, you should tip around $0.50-$1 per bag.
Tipping Housekeeping
Ecuador Mainland
On the mainland you aren’t expected to tip housekeeping. If you’re really impressed with the service, you might feel inclined to leave around $2-3 once at the end of your stay but that’s completely optional.
Galápagos Islands
Tip your housekeeper around $1-2 per day as long as you’re happy with the service. Just leave cash on your bed with a note.
Tipping On Tours and Cruises
Ecuador Mainland
It’s customary to tip most tour guides on the mainland around $10-20 per day total (not per person). Tip drivers half of what you tip the guide.
If you’re staying in an Amazon Lodge or you’re on a Jungle Cruise, tip your Naturalist Guide $10-20 per day and give the rest of the crew/team the same again to split between them.
Galápagos Islands
On a Galápagos Islands Cruise 2 envelopes for 2 separate tips will usually be delivered to your cabin on the last night. These are for cash tips (cards might not work due to spotty service).
One envelope will be for your Naturalist Guide, the other for the captain/crew. If there are no envelopes, it’s best to ask. You might be expected to tip directly or via a tip box.
If they provide you with tipping guidelines, stick to those. Otherwise, as long as you’re satisfied, tip your Naturalist Guide around $15-30 per person per day and tip the crew around $20-30 per family/couple per day.
The more luxurious the cruise, the more money you’ll be expected to tip. You might even be expected to tip more than this which is why it’s important to check and budget for tips.
In any case, if you’re told to tip 10-20% of the cruise cost, that’s not customary. Feel free to ignore that guidance and stick to the ranges above.
For a land or island hopping boat tour of the Galápagos Islands, tip the guide $5-10 per person per day. Tip the driver around $5-10 total and give your island hopping boat crew around $5-10 per person to split between them.
Tipping Street Parking Assistants
Ecuador Mainland
When looking for on-street parking, it’s common for officials (or just entrepreneurial locals) to appear to help guide you to a space. They’ll also keep an eye on your car for you and guide you back out.
Tipping them $1 is perfectly adequate, just roll down your window and pay as you leave.
Which Currency To Use
Ecuador’s official currency is the US Dollar (USD) and you’ll need to stick to that.
Try and keep some small bills on hand as they’re great for tipping.
Whilst you might be able to pay by card, cash tips are always preferred. ATMs are available on mainland Ecuador and on the Galápagos Islands but fees may apply.
Que tengas un buen viaje! (Have a good trip!) 🇬🇹🏞️🧉
