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Tipping in Peru

Appreciated, not requiredPEN (S/)Tips: cash only

Here's the tip.

Not mandatory, but appreciated and low-key.

Tipping in Peru is modest and genuinely optional. Rounding up covers most situations, and 5 to 10% marks good service at a restaurant. Guides, trek porters and hotel staff are the people who actually rely on it, and a few soles carries real weight.

At a glance

Card tipping. Cards work in hotels, mid-range restaurants and tour agencies, but not in colectivos, street stalls or rural shops. Carry soles for tips.

  • Inca Trail and Salkantay porters are the exception to Peru's low-key tipping. Lonely Planet puts the going rate at 15–20 soles per trekker, per day, collected and split at the end.
  • Tip in soles rather than dollars. Small notes are hard to get and worth hoarding.
  • Someone who offers to carry your bags at a bus terminal or ATM may be angling for a tip rather than helping. Rough Guides flags this as a common approach in Lima and Cusco.

Tip calculator

5%
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10%
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PERU

The tipping cheat sheet

  • RestaurantsRound up, or 5–10%
  • CafésRound up
  • BarsRound up
  • TaxisNo tip
  • Hotel portersS/ 5–10 per bag
  • HousekeepingS/ 5–10 per day

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Things to do in Peru

Where are you actually going? These are the best rated in each place.

CuscoAnthropologist-Led Horseback: Moon Temple & Mysticism (Max 5)5.0·202 reviews·from €56.46LimaLima Food Tour: 9 Peruvian Experiences5.0·134 reviews·from €45.53Arequipagazebos cannon of the coca5.0·31 reviews·from €10.93PunoKayaking uros island (half day)5.0·23 reviews·from €45.53

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Travelling in Peru?

Stay connectedGet an eSIM before you land so you can check fares, maps and this guide without roaming charges.View eSIM plansAirport transfersBook a fixed-price transfer in advance and skip the taxi-rank negotiation.Book a transfer

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Common questions

Do you tip in Peru?
Not mandatory, but appreciated and low-key. Tipping in Peru is modest and genuinely optional. Rounding up covers most situations, and 5 to 10% marks good service at a restaurant. Guides, trek porters and hotel staff are the people who actually rely on it, and a few soles carries real weight.
How much do you tip at a restaurant in Peru?
Round up, or 5–10% if service isn't included.
Can you tip by card in Peru?
Cards work in hotels, mid-range restaurants and tour agencies, but not in colectivos, street stalls or rural shops. Carry soles for tips.

Reviewed by Greg Kockott on 5 September 2026.

Figures checked against the sources below on 5 September 2026.

Sources