Freedom Trail Walking Tour
Ten stops from Boston Common to Copp's Hill, past the Old North Church steeple where two lanterns hung on the night of April 18, 1775.
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How much to tip a tour guide: a calculator for any tour
In the US, tip a tour guide 10 to 20 percent of the price: $3 to $6 a person on a $30 walking tour. In Europe, €2 to €5 a person is plenty for a two-hour group walk, and in Japan you don't tip at all. Put your own tour in below.
Work out your tip
Tips for common tours
| Tour | Tip |
|---|---|
| A $30 walking tour in the US | $3 to $6 a person |
| A $120 day trip in the US | $12 to $24 a person |
| A $300 private guide in the US, for 4 of you | $30 to $60 for the group ($7.50 to $15 each) |
| A pay-what-you-wish walk in the US | $20 to $30 a person |
| A two-hour group walk in Europe | €2 to €5 a person |
| A free walking tour in Europe | €5 to €15 a person |
| A couple of hours with a private guide in Europe, for 2 | €10 to €20 for the group (€5 to €10 each) |
| A 10-day coach tour, the director and the driver | $80 to $130 a person |
| Any guided tour in Japan | No tip expected |
From the rules below. Tip more for a guide who went out of their way and less for one who didn't: the sources here agree the tip should follow the service.
How much to tip, tour by tour
On a group tour you paid for in the US, the usual tip is 10 to 20 percent of the ticket. Exit Glacier Guides in Seward, Alaska, calls that the common gratuity, and a guide writing for Kane County's tourism office in Utah puts it at $15 to $20 a person for a half-day outdoor trip and $20 to $40 for a full day. Europe tips less: Rick Steves suggests €2 to €5 a person for a two-hour city walk, toward the top in a small group, and nothing extra for a guide who gives a talk at a sight you've already paid to enter.
A free walking tour is free to join, not free to run. Free Tours by Foot, which runs pay-what-you-wish walks in US cities, says its guides keep everything you give and that other companies charge $20 to $30 a person up front, which is a fair mark for a good walk. In Berlin, a guide writes that €10 is a normal tip for a good guide, €15 a strong thank-you and €5 modest but fair on a tight budget.
With a private guide in the US, the same 10 to 20 percent applies, to the whole fee. Private groups tend to tip more, the Utah guide notes, since they get the guide's full attention and the guide has fewer guests to earn from. In Europe, Rick Steves puts it at €10 to €20 for the group for a couple of hours, more if the guide booked tickets or a driver for you.
On a coach tour of several days, you tip the tour director and the driver by the day, at the end. Trafalgar suggests $5 to $7 a person a day for its travel director and $3 to $5 for the driver; EF suggests $8 and $3. Local guides who join for a day get their own tip: $2 to $3 a person for half a day and $5 for a full day, says Trafalgar. Read your trip papers first, because some tours put the tips in the price.
In Japan, tipping isn't expected, and the Japan National Tourism Organization says so plainly. A private guide used to overseas visitors may accept a tip as thanks. If you give one, put it in an envelope and hand it over discreetly.
How to hand it over
At the end, in cash, in the local currency, is the safe default. Plenty of guides take more than cash now: every Free Tours by Foot guide takes Venmo, some take PayPal, cards or Cash App, and a Utah tour company runs card tips through its office. A Berlin guide's advice holds anywhere: bring small notes, and don't ask the guide in front of everyone what the minimum is.
No guide, no tip
A self-guided audio tour has nobody to tip. Ours are $4.99 for your group on up to 4 phones, and the first stop of every walk plays free in your browser, no sign-up. A good guide still beats an app at answering your questions; we just think you should hear a walk before you pay for one.
Haunted Savannah Walking Tour
Savannah's squares hide pirates, plague victims, duels and a famous killing, and each stop here pairs the legend with the record behind it.
Haunted French Quarter Walking Tour
Eight stops from the Hotel Monteleone to the Beauregard-Keyes House, built in 1826, by way of the LaLaurie Mansion at 1140 Royal Street.
See all our tours, walks and drives.
Tipping a tour guide: questions people ask
How much do you tip a tour guide?
In the US, 10 to 20 percent of the tour price, so $3 to $6 on a $30 walking tour. In Europe, €2 to €5 a person for a group walk of a couple of hours. In Japan, nothing is expected.
How much should you tip on a free walking tour?
The tip is the guide's pay, so give what the walk was worth to you. In the US, paid walks cost $20 to $30 a person, Free Tours by Foot notes. In Europe, €10 is normal for a good guide and €5 is fair on a tight budget, a Berlin guide writes.
How much do you tip a private tour guide?
In the US, 10 to 20 percent of the fee, and private groups tend to tip toward the top. In Europe, Rick Steves suggests €10 to €20 for the group for a couple of hours, more if the guide booked tickets or a driver for you.
How much do you tip a tour director and a bus driver?
On a coach tour of several days, about $5 to $8 a person a day for the tour director and $3 to $5 for the driver, at the end of the trip. Trafalgar suggests $5 to $7 and $3 to $5; EF suggests $8 and $3. Check your trip papers first: some tours include the tips in the price.
Do you tip tour guides in Europe?
Yes, but less than in the US. Rick Steves suggests €2 to €5 a person for a group walk. A guide who gives a talk at a sight you've already paid for needs no extra tip, he says, though a euro or two is welcome.
Do you tip tour guides in Japan?
No. Tipping isn't expected in Japan. A private guide used to overseas visitors may accept a tip as thanks: give it discreetly, in an envelope, the Japan National Tourism Organization says.
Can you tip a tour guide with Venmo or a card?
Often. Free Tours by Foot's guides all take cash and Venmo, and some take PayPal, cards or Cash App. A Utah tour company takes card tips through its office. Cash in the local currency is still the safe bet.
Do you tip on a self-guided tour?
No: there's no guide to tip. A Stories audio tour is $4.99 for your group on up to 4 phones, and its first stop plays free in your browser.
Where these numbers come from
- Exit Glacier Guides (Seward, Alaska): Should I tip my guide?
- Visit Southern Utah (Kane County Office of Tourism): Should I tip my guide?, by a Dreamland Safari Tours guide
- Free Tours by Foot: What is a name-your-own-price tour?
- Rick Steves: Tipping in Europe
- Berlin Walk: How much should you tip on a free walking tour in Berlin?
- Trafalgar: Tipping on a Trafalgar tour
- EF Tours: Tipping on tour
- Japan National Tourism Organization: Tipping in Japan
Read on November 9, 2026. Every tip on this page is a number one of these sources publishes; where none does, the calculator says so instead of guessing.