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Vietnamchecked Jul 2026Tipping in Vietnam
Vietnam has a light tipping culture: not required, but increasingly appreciated in tourist areas. Round up at restaurants, tip guides and spa staff a little, and use small dong notes. Here is what you actually owe.
At a glance
Tipping
Not required, but appreciated
Restaurants
Round up, or small change
Tourist areas
Small tips are common
How
Cash, in small dong notes
Vietnam has a light tipping culture: not traditionally required, but increasingly appreciated, especially in tourist areas. At a restaurant, rounding up or leaving the small change is normal, and a bit more for good service; some tourist and upscale places add a service charge, so check the bill. It is common to tip a guide, driver, spa therapist or hotel porter a small amount. For taxis, use Grab or round up. Leave tips in cash, in small dong notes.
Not required, but appreciated
Vietnam did not traditionally have a tipping culture, but in tourist areas it is increasingly appreciated. At a restaurant, rounding up or leaving the small change is normal, with a bit more for good service. At a street stall or local eatery, no tip is expected.
Some tourist and upscale restaurants add a service charge (often 5 to 10%), so check the bill; if it is there, you need not tip on top.
Where a tip is a nice gesture
It is common and appreciated to leave a small tip for a tour guide, driver, spa or massage therapist, or hotel porter, especially on the tourist trail. Amounts are modest, a few dollars' worth of dong for a service well done.
It is a kind gesture, not an obligation, so there is no set percentage to track.
Taxis, and paying in dong
For taxis, the easiest is Grab, which shows a fixed price, or round up a metered fare from a trusted company. Leave any tip in cash, in small dong notes, since large notes are hard to use for tips. For the wider picture, see the Vietnam money guide.
Common questions
Quick answers.
Do you tip in Vietnam?
It is not required, but increasingly appreciated in tourist areas. Round up or leave the small change at a restaurant, and a bit more for good service. At street stalls, no tip is expected.
Is there a service charge in Vietnam?
Sometimes, at tourist and upscale restaurants, often 5 to 10%. Check the bill; if a service charge is there, you need not tip on top.
Should I tip a guide or driver in Vietnam?
Yes, a small tip for a tour guide, driver, spa therapist or hotel porter is common and appreciated in tourist areas. Amounts are modest, a few dollars' worth of dong.
Do you tip taxi drivers in Vietnam?
Rounding up a metered fare is a kind gesture but not required. The easiest option is Grab, which shows a fixed price up front, so there is no need to negotiate or tip.
More on Vietnam
The little money things nobody warns you about.
- Do I need cash in Vietnam, or can I use cards?Short answer: cards for hotels and larger purchases, and dong cash for daily life. One quirk to watch: the dong has a lot of zeros, so notes are easy to mix up. Here is how to handle it.
- Which taxi app to use in Vietnam, and the airport scam to skipThe honest answer is that installing one app before you land makes most of the risk disappear. Here is the app to use, the fake-taxi trick to know, and how to get from the airport into town without the tourist markup.
- Common money scams in Vietnam, and what they cost youVietnam is a wonderful and largely trouble-free trip, and the scams that target tourists are mostly small-value money hustles, not danger: overcharging, sleight of hand and a few transport tricks. They rely on confusion, and a few habits defuse nearly all of them. Here is each one and how to avoid it.
Sources, and how this was checked
Last checkedJul 2026
- US State DepartmentVietnam country information
Our own readVietnamese tipping is light and emerging, most visible in tourist areas, with a service charge common at some tourist and upscale restaurants. Amounts here are our own read from recent traveler reports and local guidance, not a single official table. Checked July 2026.