Tipping a Guide – a Guideline: Is it necessary to tip on a self guided tour? Necessary – no, but you may feel inclined. Usually the only time you will meet our staff is at the beginning orientation, but sometimes when you need to call us to help with something that arises, our team will do everything to help and get you going. Tipping is at your discretion in these cases.
We do also offer guided tours and ‘supported’ adventures where our team members work in support but don’t guide on the road or trails. At Pure Adventures we pride ourselves on having an outstanding crew of support staff, and guides who speak fluent English which is almost always their second language. With our team back home dedicated to customer service, we help our guides and support staff prepare for your visit before you arrive. Our team will most often do whatever they can to ensure your best experience and comfort. Coincidentally, travelers sometimes don’t think a guide is necessary, until they need someone and then realize what a valuable service it truly is for the overall travel experience. This is only possible due to the the hard work and dedication of our support team and guides.
To help people decide about when and how much to tip a guide, we refer you to an article from Outside Magazine.
Outside Magazine discusses the matter of tipping a guide and references many well-qualified names in the travel industry, and figures that “the established tipping average is about 10 to 20 percent of the total tour price.” The same article also lists a series of questions to ask yourself while on your tour, to help decide upon the monetary specifics of your gratuity:
Happy Travels!
The Pure Adventures Team