Field guide by Lucia Herrera, Galapagos and Amazon naturalist who briefs every client on money. Figures checked for 2026.

Why this route

Tipping confusion costs travelers real money and goodwill: over-tipping 20 percent on a 1,500 USD trek versus under-tipping the 6 USD-a-day porter who carried your duffel. In 2026 our rule of thumb holds across six countries: guides 10 to 15 USD per day in a group, 20 to 30 USD private; drivers 5 to 8 USD per day; restaurants 10 percent where service is not included; porters 60 to 80 soles per Inca Trail trekker. The log below follows one anonymized three-country client week, Peru, Ecuador, and Chile, with the actual envelopes and handovers. Currencies matter: soles in Peru, dollars in Ecuador, pesos in Chile and Argentina, and small bills decide everything.

The protocol we teach has three parts: tip in local currency, hand it directly with thanks, and separate the guide envelope from the crew envelope on treks and cruises. Group tours pool tips through the briefing envelope; private service tips go person to person. Restaurants in Chile and Brazil add 10 percent by law or custom, check the bill before doubling. What follows is the dated record of one trip's tipping decisions, kept so you can copy the pattern without the awkwardness.

The log: envelopes across three countries

Six dated entries from Lima to Santiago. Amounts per person unless noted, in 2026 figures.

Day 1 - Lima arrival tips

Morning airport driver, 45 minutes: 5 soles handed directly, about 1.50 USD, the town standard for transfers. Midday hotel porter: 3 soles per bag, left at the desk. Afternoon city guide, 3 hours private: 40 soles, about 11 USD, in an envelope with thanks. Evening restaurant, 80 soles bill: 8 soles cash on the table, 10 percent, since service was not included, bringing the day-one total to roughly 12 USD in tips on 150 USD of services.

Day 2 - Sacred Valley guide and driver

Full-day private guide, 8 hours: 100 soles, about 27 USD, at the top of our 20 to 30 USD private band for excellent work. Midday driver, same 8 hours: 30 soles, about 8 USD, handed separately so shares stay clear. Afternoon weaving cooperative: no tip expected on purchases, 10 soles left for the 30-minute demonstration. Evening hotel dinner, included, gets 5 soles for the server, bringing the day total to about 38 USD, the week's highest service day.

Day 3 - Inca Trail crew briefing

Morning trail briefing sets the trek pool: 60 to 80 soles per trekker for the porter crew, collected by the guide into one envelope. Midday equipment check: no tips, just the 6 kg duffel weigh-in. Afternoon free in Ollantaytambo: 5 soles for the hotel porter carrying bags upstairs. Evening note: the crew envelope is presented on the final trail morning, never the first, and the guide's own tip stays separate at 40 to 60 soles per trekker for the four days.

Day 4 - Quito and the market day

Morning Quito guide, half day: 15 USD, mid-range of the 10 to 15 USD group band, adjusted up for private service. Midday market lunch, 8 USD: 1 USD on the table, street stalls expect coins not percentages. Afternoon driver to Otavalo, 2 hours: 8 USD handed at arrival. Evening hacienda dinner, included: 3 USD for the server, bringing the day total to about 27 USD, all in small US bills since Ecuador runs on dollars.

Day 5 - Galapagos cruise envelopes

Morning naturalist guide briefing explains the boat system: 15 to 20 USD per day for the crew pool, 8 days equals 120 to 160 USD, plus the guide separately at 10 USD per day. Midday crew envelope: sealed, named, dropped at reception on day seven, never handed dockside. Afternoon note: the 200 USD park fee and 20 USD transit card are fees, not tips, paid at arrival. Evening bar bill: 10 percent added automatically, check before adding more.

Day 6 - Santiago close and the pattern

Morning Santiago guide, half day: 15,000 pesos, about 16 USD, handed in local currency from the airport exchange. Midday restaurant, 25,000 pesos bill: the 10 percent servicio already included, verify the line before adding. Afternoon airport driver, 45 minutes: 5,000 pesos, about 5 USD. Week pattern set: roughly 150 to 200 USD in tips on a 2,500 USD week, 6 to 8 percent, with small bills prepared per country before each flight.

If you go

Small bills, direct hands, local currency. The 2026 tipping rules follow.

• Carry small bills per country before each flight; 1, 5, and 10 notes cover 90 percent of tips.
• Tip guides 10 to 15 USD group or 20 to 30 USD private per day, drivers 5 to 8 USD per day.
• Pool trek and cruise crew tips in sealed envelopes: 60 to 80 soles per trekker, 15 to 20 USD daily aboard.
• Pay restaurants 10 percent where service is excluded; verify the bill where 10 percent is already added.
• Hand tips directly with thanks; front-desk drop-offs dilute the message on private service.
• Budget 6 to 8 percent of trip cost for tips: 150 to 200 USD on a 2,500 USD week is the normal band.

We brief every client on tipping by country after the walk-through call, confirm the envelope system before treks and cruises, and answer money questions on the trip line daily.