Tipping in Nepal, and the small customs worth knowing
How much to tip and when, and the handful of everyday customs that keep you from being rude without knowing it.
By the Lakeshore team · 5 min read · Updated 5 October 2026
Almost every email we get before a trip asks two things: how much to tip, and what people do wrong without realising.
Neither is complicated, and getting them roughly right changes how people treat you for the whole trip. Nobody expects a visitor to know any of this, but they notice when you do.
Tipping on a trek
The usual figure is around ten percent of the trip cost, split between guide and porter, given on the last evening. Tips aren't in our trek price and aren't obligatory, and neither of them will ask.
Give it to each person directly and separately, not as a lump sum to the guide, and put it in an envelope if you can. Doing it privately, with a few words about the trip instead of in silence, matters more than the amount. If there were several staff, the usual split gives the guide a little more than the porter, but not by much, because the porter did the physical work. If someone went out of their way for you, say so out loud as well as paying for it.
Tipping elsewhere
Many restaurants add a service charge, and then nothing more is expected. Where they don't, ten percent is generous and appreciated.
Taxi drivers don't expect a tip, but agree the fare before you get in, not after.
Hotel staff who carry bags or bring room service don't expect small notes, but they're always welcome.
Tipping isn't customary for adventure activities, though pilots and river guides won't refuse.
The everyday customs
Use your right hand for eating, giving and receiving, because the left is considered unclean. Giving with both hands is more respectful still.
Feet are the lowest part of the body, so don't point them at people, shrines or food, and don't step over anyone. If you touch someone with your foot by accident, the local apology is a quick touch of your hand to them and then to your own chest.
The head is the highest, so don't touch anyone's, children's included, however affectionate the impulse.
Jutho is the rule that once food or drink has touched your lips, it's considered polluted for everyone else. Don't offer someone a bite from your plate or a sip from a bottle you've drunk from. Pour it into their hand or a cup instead.
Namaste, with your palms together, works as hello, goodbye and thank you, and it's never wrong.
At temples and on the trail
Walk clockwise around stupas, chortens and mani walls, keeping them on your right, and spin prayer wheels clockwise too.
Take your shoes off where others have. Some Hindu temples don't welcome leather, and that includes belts and bags.
Ask before you photograph people, houses and rituals, every time, and accept a no.
Dress modestly at religious sites, with shoulders and knees covered for everyone. In villages generally, Nepal is more conservative than Lakeside suggests, and shorts and vests look different three hours up a hill than they do by the lake.
Things that are fine
Bargaining in markets, cheerfully and without grinding. Not in restaurants, though, or with a taxi once the fare is agreed.
Asking about religion, family and caste. People are generally open and will ask you the same, including your salary and your marital status, within about four minutes.
Declining food, though you may have to do it three times, because a refusal isn't believed until it's been repeated.
Not knowing any of this. People are forgiving and curious, and it's the trying they notice.
Walk it with us
Private departures on your dates, guided by the people who wrote this page.
Questions we get asked
How much should I tip for a week-long trek?
The usual benchmark is around ten percent of the trip cost, split between guide and porter. Adjust it for how the trip went and what you can afford.
Should I tip in dollars or rupees?
Rupees, in small notes. Dollars mean a trip to a money changer for them.
Is it rude not to tip?
It's customary, not obligatory, and nobody will say anything. But tips are a meaningful part of seasonal income, so if you can, do.
Can I give my guide gear instead?
Boots and jackets in good condition are welcome. Give them privately, and as well as a tip, not in place of it.
What if I am unhappy with the service?
Tell us, instead of letting the tip say it for you. We'd much rather know and fix it, and the guide deserves to hear it directly.
Still deciding?
Tell us your dates, and we'll tell you whether Permits & TIMS Service is right for you. If it isn't, we'll say so.
Nothing to pay online. We confirm your dates first.
Or call the office +977 61-457830