Tipping in Vietnam — who, how much and when

Short answer: tipping in Vietnam is not expected. There is no "leave 15%" tradition here — Vietnamese don't tip each other and don't wait for it. In everyday local life it simply isn't a thing.

Tourist areas are a different story. As foreign visitors have poured in, a thank-you for good service has become normal in hotels, restaurants, spas and on tours. Hospitality workers are used to tips — and they value them, because pay in the service sector is low even by Vietnamese standards.

20,000–50,000 VND (~$0.80–2) is the universal amount that will please a housekeeper, masseuse or driver. For a guide on a full-day tour, 100,000–200,000 VND (~$4–8). In a restaurant, round up the bill or leave 5–10% if there's no service charge.

At a glance — who and how much

Tip in dong (VND) — it's easier for the person receiving it. Dollars are accepted in tourist areas, but the worker then has to exchange them at a loss, and small USD notes ($1–2) aren't always easy to break.

Restaurants & cafés

What to do depends on the type of place. The pricier the restaurant, the more a tip makes sense.

Street food and local eateries

No tip needed or expected. You pay the listed price, often at the counter or when you order. Leaving 5,000–10,000 VND on a plastic stool just confuses the vendor and can create an awkward moment.

A bowl of phở bò for 40,000–70,000 VND (~$1.60–2.80) or a bánh mì for 20,000 VND (~$0.80) — the price is the price, full stop. For more on what things cost, see our Vietnam prices guide.

Tourist cafés

If there's no "service charge" line on the bill, you can leave 5–10% or round up. A 185,000 VND bill → leave 200,000 VND. A 450,000 VND bill → 500,000 VND. The waiter will appreciate it.

Paying by card? You can add a tip to the total (ask the waiter) or leave cash on the table. Cash is the safer bet: it definitely reaches the specific person who served you.

Upscale and hotel restaurants

Check the bill. A service charge (5–10%) is often already added, and sometimes tax (VAT) comes as a separate line on top, so the total ends up noticeably higher than the menu price.

How to spot it on the bill:

• "Service" or "S/C" — the service charge
• "VAT" — tax
• "Total" — the final sum with everything added

If the charge is already there, no extra tip is needed. If you want to thank one particular waiter, hand them 50,000–100,000 VND directly.

Bars and nightlife

Bars don't expect tips. Cocktails run 80,000–150,000 VND (~$3.20–6) at a fixed price. If a bartender does something special, 20,000–50,000 VND on the bar is a nice gesture.

Hotels

Budget guesthouses and hostels — no tips. They're often run by the owner or their family. Your best thank-you is a good review on Booking or Google.

3–4★ hotels — 20,000–30,000 VND (~$0.80–1.20) a day for the housekeeper. Leave the money on the pillow with a note saying "Thank you" or "Cảm ơn" — that way the housekeeper knows it's a tip and not cash you forgot.

5★ hotels and resorts — 40,000 VND to the porter for the bags, 50,000 VND a day for the housekeeper, 100,000 VND for the concierge if they genuinely helped (booked a table, sorted tickets, fixed a problem). At places like Vinpearl and InterContinental the staff are used to tips.

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Tours & guides

Guides are the one category where a tip really is expected. A good guide works a full day, speaks a foreign language, adapts the plan to you — and isn't paid much by tourism-industry standards.

Group tour (per day)

In a group of 10–15 the tips add up, and the guide takes home 500,000–1,500,000 VND (~$20–60) for the day. For Vietnam, that's a real boost to their pay.

Private tour (per day)

If the guide was excellent — found a non-touristy spot, told stories off the script, helped you shop — 200,000 VND (~$8) will make their day.

Multi-day tours (2–5 days)

Give the tip on the last day, in an envelope or folded notes. Hand it over in person with a thank-you.

Cruises (Ha Long, Mekong)

On a 2-day Ha Long Bay cruise the tips usually go into a shared envelope (tip box) on the last day. Suggested: 100,000–200,000 VND (~$4–8) per person. The money is split between the crew, guide and kitchen.

For more on booking trips, see our guide to tours and excursions in Vietnam.

Spa & massage

Spa therapists are among the lowest-paid workers in Vietnam's service sector — a base wage of around 4–6 million VND (~$160–240) a month. For them, tips are a noticeable slice of income.

Big spa centres sometimes have a tip box by the exit. At small salons, hand it to the therapist directly.

No need to add 20% the way you would in the West. 10–15% of the service is generous by Vietnamese standards. If a 200,000 VND massage was good, 30,000–50,000 VND on top says thank you.

…in the spa business, even if people don't leave a tip but book for the following days, the staff always work hoping the client will leave a good tip on the last dayMr_Viet, Vinsky Forum, 2018, translated by VietnamSpot

For where to go and what it costs, see our guide to massage and spas in Vietnam.

Taxis & transport

Grab: no tip expected — the price is fixed in the app. If the driver helped with bags or waited for you, 5,000–10,000 VND is a nice gesture, but it's the exception: locals rarely tip.

Regular taxi: round up to the nearest thousands. The meter reads 47,000 VND → give 50,000 VND. A 123,000 VND ride → give 130,000 VND, and everyone's happy.

Motorbike taxi (Grab Bike): no tip needed. Rides cost 15,000–25,000 VND, which is already small change.

Tour bus drivers: 20,000–50,000 VND (~$0.80–2) if they helped with bags, were polite and got you there comfortably. On a sleeper bus (intercity), it's not the custom.

Boatmen and captains (Ha Long cruises, Mekong trips, island runs): 50,000–100,000 VND (~$2–4) per person. They work all day in the sun, and a tip matters to them.

Tuk-tuk / cyclo drivers: 10,000–20,000 VND (~$0.40–0.80) on top of the agreed fare. But settle on the price first, then round up.

Where a tip is NOT needed — or even harmful

• Street food and small family eateries. You pay the listed price. Leaving coins on the table is like tipping in a school canteen.
• Government officials (police, border guards, civil servants, customs). Any money outside an official payment counts as a bribe. Absolutely not.
• Doctors at public clinics. It can be read as a bribe. At private clinics (Vinmec, FV Hospital) it's not the custom either.
• Shops, supermarkets, pharmacies. Tipping a cashier or shop assistant makes no sense anywhere.
• City bus drivers. Not the custom under any circumstances.
• Banks and exchange counters. The service is simply their job.

Tipping etiquette — how not to get it wrong

Give money with your right hand, or both hands. That's the usual way to hand over money and gifts, and it looks more polite than casually holding out a note.

Don't make a show of the tip. Pass it folded and discreetly. Waving a note in someone's face is awkward for both of you.

Don't leave coins. Vietnam barely uses coins — it's all notes. Leftover coins from another country are not a tip.

Smile and say thank you. Genuine gratitude counts as much as the money. "Cảm ơn" (kam un) is the all-purpose "thank you."

Don't give money to children. In tourist spots kids sometimes ask for cash. Better not to — it encourages begging and keeps them out of school.

Useful Vietnamese phrases

"Cảm ơn" covers 90% of situations. Vietnamese people appreciate the effort to speak their language, even if your pronunciation is far from perfect.

Budgeting for tips

For two people over 10 days, that's roughly $35–90 — or about 1.5–3% of a typical trip budget. A small sum for you, but a noticeable one for the people receiving it.

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