Tipping Your Guide and Porter on the Everest Trail: How, How Much, and When

“How much should I tip my guide and porter?” “In what currency? USD or NPR?” “Do I give it daily or all at once?” “Wait—do I tip the porter in Lukla and the guide in Kathmandu??”

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When Should You Tip?

• Salary or partial payment is often handed at the beginning of the trek (especially if you’ve hired independently). This helps your guide/porter cover expenses along the trail.
• Tips are always given at the end of the trek—think of it as a farewell and a thank you.

For porters, this usually happens in Lukla before they return down to the lower villages.

• For guides, many trekkers wait until Kathmandu if you’ll see them there again—but it’s also perfectly fine to tip them in Lukla if your trip ends there.

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How Much Should You Tip?

General Rule of Thumb:

• Tip around 10% of your total trek cost

Suggested Daily Rates (Per Staff):

Split Suggestion (if no group pooling):

• 60% to the guide
• 40% to the porter (Unless your porter climbed 5,000m while carrying 25kg of your “minimalist” gear—then maybe flip that ratio.)

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What If I Have a Guide-Porter?

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What Currency Should I Use?

• If paying in USD, use clean, undamaged bills (Nepali banks can be picky).
• Avoid coins—they can’t be exchanged easily.

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Real Trekker Tips (From the Trail)

“We tipped $100 each to porters, and $150 to our guide for a two-week trek. Worth every cent.”

“I gave my porter my hiking pole and snacks during the trek—they loved the ginger candies!”

“Standard is one day’s wage per week of trekking. But go higher if you can. They work HARD.”

“I paid some salary up front, then topped up with tips in Lukla. Our group also pooled for a farewell bonus.”

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Tipping Is More Than a Transaction

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Planning Your Everest Base Camp Trek?