Tipping in Vietnam

If you are traveling to Vietnam, you may be wondering how much of a tip to leave and how tipping there compares with other countries you have visited. Hence, the Conde Nash Traveller Tipping Guide (which is available on the Conde Nash website and is also downloadable in pdf format) offers a very handy and useful reference guide for tipping in more than 35 countries around the world.

According to the guide, visitors should scan their restaurant bill first just in case the gratuity was included. If that is the case, throw a few extra bills on top and if no gratuity was included, then you should leave a tip of about 10% in cash and a little extra if you tip via a credit card. At Vietnamese hotels, a concierge should receive about US$20 if he does you a favor such as securing hard to get reservations somewhere outside the hotel. Doorman don’t need to be tipped but you should leave cleaning staff with US$2 a day at the end of your stay. In addition, massage therapists in upscale Vietnamese hotels should receive US$5 to US$10 and if you visit a days-long spa, find out the tipping policy in advance.

Meanwhile, guides should receive US$10 per person per day while drivers should receive about half of that amount. Taxi drivers don’t need to be tipped but you may also choose to round up the fare to a larger denomination. For drivers of cyclos or bicycle carriages, its ok to add a tip of a few dollars on top of the usual US$10 fare. 

Finally, US dollars are widely accepted in Vietnam and US$2 bills are considered to be rare and lucky. Hence, bring a supply of them to give to porters.