Tipping etiquette, recommended amounts and practical advice for guides, hotels, restaurants and services during your tour in Mexico.
While on tour with Hola Colega
Main Guide & Driver
By default, we don’t provide fixed tipping guidelines unless our clients ask us to. The reason is simple: every trip is different. Length, complexity, group size, level of involvement, and about a million other factors can shape how a trip operates.
If you’d like specific guidance for a particular itinerary, just ask us and we’ll be happy to provide a recommendation.
Local Guides or Specialists
We pay the guide or specialist a highier fee than their standard rate, and depending on the type of contribution or activity, our guide will tip that specialist on behalf of the group with a round of aplause by everyone involved.
If your clients would like to leave something extra but are unsure about the appropriate amount or local etiquette, they can always ask their main guide for advice.
Included Meals
A 15% tip will always be included for meals that are part of the itinerary. If the meal happens at a community, that % will be higher.
If clients order additional food, drinks, or other items that are not included, they should tip separately on those items.
Hotels
On some of our trips, especially for groups, a service charge may already be included. Additional tipping is optional, but always appreciated when clients feel they received particularly good service.
While not on tour
Restaurants, Cafés & Bars
A tip of 10%–15% of the total bill is standard. (But go 15%)
If your clients feel the service was exceptional, 20% is also perfectly appropriate.
Hotels
If the hotel was not booked through us, tips were not included, or your clients simply want to leave something extra, the following can be used as a general reference:
Housekeeping: MXN $25–$50 per day. It’s better to leave it daily rather than at the end of the stay.
Bell staff: MXN $40–$50 per bag service.
Room service: 10%–15% if a service charge has not already been included.
Taxis & Ride Apps
Tipping taxi drivers is not required, although rounding up the fare is common.
If the driver helps with luggage, adding around MXN $ 20 – $ 50 is a nice gesture.
For Uber and similar ride apps, clients can tip through the app or in cash. Small tips are appreciated but not expected.
Spas, Salons & Personal Services
A tip of around 10%–20% is common for massages, spa treatments, barbers, hair salons, and similar services.
If clients are happy with the service, 15% is a good general benchmark.
A Few Notes About Currency
– Whenever possible, we recommend tipping in Mexican pesos.
– If your clients only have U.S. dollars or euros, bills should be clean and undamaged, as damaged foreign currency can sometimes be difficult to exchange.
– In cities and more tourist-oriented destinations, main guides will generally have no problem accepting foreign currency as a tip.
– In rural or more remote areas, however, pesos are much more practical. Exchanging foreign currency may require a trip to the nearest bank or exchange office, which can be far away and may involve additional time and cost.
– If clients only have foreign currency and need pesos for tips or small purchases, they can ask their main guide whether an exchange is possible.
When in doubt, rounding slightly up is always a considerate option.