Vietnam

Tipping

Overview

Tipping protocol in Vietnam largely depends on the region. In most parts of the country, tipping is not expected, but is greatly appreciated. In larger cities, and in places saturated with tourism, tipping is more expected, especially in luxury hotels. Simply rounding up to the nearest whole bill is significant. While the question of when and how much to tip can be murky, it is common practice to tip tour guides and drivers. However, saving face is a very important tradition in Vietnamese culture, and tipping exorbitantly can offend someone’s pride and honor, so do not overtip.

Tips are accepted in the national currency, the Vietnamese dong (D) (pronounced dom), or in the American dollar (US$).

Tipping Guide

Setting	Gratuities
Transportation	Rounding to the nearest whole dong when tipping taxi drivers is common.
Hotels	Leaving a small amount of money or small gifts for housekeepers is appreciated.
Restaurants, Bars, Cafés	Tipping protocol depends on your location and the type of establishment. One practice is to see whether service has been included in your bill: if not, leave a 5–10 percent tip.
Guides	Tip tour guides US$10 or D 200,000 per person per day. Tip tour drivers US$5 or D 100,000 per person per day.

Terms for Payment and Tipping

Vietnamese is spoken in Vietnam. Terms you might encounter and find useful for point-of-payment situations are provided below.

English	Vietnamese	Phonetic Pronunciation
The bill, please.	Tính tiền, vui lòng.	Ting ti-en, voo-ee lòwng.
How much is this?	Cái này bao nhiêu tiền?	Kae nai bao nhiu ti-en?
Is service included?	Dịch vụ đã bao gồm chưa?	Dee-uhk vuh da bah-ow gohm chuhr?
Money	Tiền	tee-en
Yes	Có	GO
No	Không	KAWM
How are you?	Dạ khỏe không?	Yaa kwea khong?
Please	Vui lòng	voo-ee lòwng
Thank you	Cám ơn	ka-ám ern