Guide to Tipping in Chile

Tipping in Chile: Know How Much to Tip

Here’s our guide to tipping in Chile.

Want to know how much to tip in Chile? This tipping in Chile guide helps you understand why people tip when visiting and how much to leave.

Do I Need to Tip in Chile?

Chile has a stable and high-income economy, and tipping is a major part of its service industry and tourism culture.

Tips, or propinas in Spanish, may differ from your home country. What’s certain is that you’ll encounter a wide range of people on your Chile holiday, many of whom receive tips in recognition of their excellent service.

Many locals will contribute to your holiday’s enjoyment and smooth running, and a tip is always appreciated. Despite Chile’s economic success, as in many wealthy countries, service industries like cleaning and taxis do not always offer high wages.

Tipping in Chile will be straightforward and stress-free once you read this guide.

Remember: tipping is not obligatory in Chile. It is a reward for good service. Never feel pressured into giving a tip; only tip what you feel comfortable with.

Should I Tip in USD or Chilean Pesos?

It’s best to tip in Chilean pesos. However, larger tips at major tourist sites of international hotels in Santiago may be left in clean and undamaged USD or Euro bills. If you’re caught short, leaving a USD/Euro tip is better than none.

Top tip: Don’t leave foreign coins. These cannot be exchanged locally and are essentially worthless as tips.

For the purpose of this blog, recommendations are in Chilean Pesos (CLP). At the time of writing (September 2024), USD 1 is approximately CLP 900, or check with a currency converter.

Are Tips Included in Restaurant and Bar Bills in Chile?

A decade ago, Chile passed a law that allowed restaurants, bars, coffee shops and the like to add a 10% tip/service charge to bills. Sometimes, this included tip may be as high as 15%.

You can ask for this to be removed. You may also be asked if you wish to include the 10-15% tip in your bill.

Tip 10% if the service has been satisfactory, and consider giving an extra 5% directly to your server if they’ve been accommodating. Cash tips in Chilean Pesos are best.

However, a 5% total tip suggests that the service could improve, while anything lower may be interpreted as insulting. Leave no tip if the experience truly has been awful.

Should I Tip Taxi Drivers in Chile?

Most taxi drivers in large Chilean cities use a fixed meter to calculate fares. However, almost all locals don’t tip taxi drivers. If your driver has been kind and helpful, let them keep the change or round up to the nearest 500-1,000 pesos. They may have already rounded up the fare: it’s common practice, so it’s best to avoid getting outraged and not haggle down to the exact fare.

A transfer driver who takes you from an airport or station to a hotel and is helpful with bags and so forth doesn’t expect a tip, but a 3,000-5,000 pesos tip in total is always appreciated.

Your Chile tour may include a driver for several days. If the driver drives well and safely, is friendly, etc., then a pooled (not per person) tip of 5,000 to 10,000 pesos ($6-11 per day) would be very welcome.

Do I Tip Hotel Staff in Chile?

A friendly and helpful porter who carries your bag to your room is typically given 1,000 pesos ($1) per bag.

Hotel staff, from reception to breakfast waiting staff, also make your stay more comfortable. Consider leaving 2,000 pesos ($2-2.5) per person per night. Furthermore, you can also leave a direct tip of 2,000 pesos per person per night ($2) for cleaning staff. It is not expected, but the staff will be grateful.

Similarly, tip hotel or airport porters 1,000-1,500 pesos ($1-1.50) for each bag carried. Also, tip a concierge if they help with hailing cabs or other ways.

Supermarkets and Shops: Do I Tip the Bag Packers?

In addition, you might find people packing your purchases into bags in shops and supermarkets. These workers receive no wage for this service; a few hundred pesos recognise the help.

How Much Should I Tip in Chile?

Here are some guideline tipping amounts for the various service providers you may meet during your Chile holiday:

• Restaurants, cafés, and bars:                10-15% for good service
• Taxi-hailing concierge:                           1,000-1,500 pesos ($1-1.5)
• Housekeeping:                                        2,000 pesos per person per night ($1).
• Airport porters:                                      1,000-1,500 pesos ($1-1.5)
• Taxis:                                                         Tip not expected, but you can round up the fare to the nearest 500 pesos
• Transfer driver:                                       3,000 to 5,000 pesos in total ($3-5), depending on the journey length
• Group tour drivers:                                5,000 to 10,000 pesos ($6-11 per day) from the group, not per person
• Specialist guides:                                    20,000-25,000 pesos ($20-25) per day per group (not per person)
• Trek assistants/cooks:                             7,000-8,000 pesos ($7-8) per day per group (not per person)

Why Do Guides Get the Largest Tips?

On many Chiles trips, you encounter a number of specialist guides, such as trekking, mountaineering, biking, or in Torres del Paine National Park.

In most instances, these guides have spent several years studying at Colleges or Universities to qualify as guides. Generally, these guides will be with you for a few days, sometimes just for a day trip. As a general guideline, it would be expected to tip each specialist guide USD 20-25 a day in total from the group (this also depends on group size).

Again, the depth of knowledge of their area or specialist skill, command of English, and friendliness should help determine the tip. 

Guides on ‘free’ trips depend on tips for an income and should always be tipped around USD 5-7 per person (5,000-7,000 pesos).

Tipping in Chile

It’s crucial to remember that tipping in Chile is entirely voluntary. While anyone travelling to this wonderful country will encounter the tipping culture, it shouldn’t be a source of worry, stress, or confusion while away.

The above tipping guidelines for Chile are just that. Only give what you think is fair. Reward exceptional service generously. Many people working in Chile’s tourism industry provide wonderful service. Tipping recognises their work and your appreciation for those who help create an unforgettable holiday.

Contact us for more about holidays in Chile.