Tipping is not customary in mainland China. You do not tip in restaurants, taxis, DiDi cars, cafes or most hotels, and tips are often refused. The exceptions are tour guides and drivers, for whom about ¥100–200 a day is typical on a private tour for one person, porters at international hotels, and Hong Kong and Macau, where many restaurants add a 10% service charge.
The amounts below are typical ranges drawn from established China travel companies and guidebooks, not fixed rules. Where sources differ, we show the spread.
Is tipping expected in China?
No. Prices in shops, restaurants and taxis are the full price, and nothing extra is expected. Frommer’s notes that tips are often refused and that many businesses have official no-tipping policies.
China’s Tourism Law also bars licensed guides and tour leaders from asking tourists for tips (Article 41). A guide may accept a tip you offer, but should not request one. If a guide or shop pressures you to pay extra, that is a warning sign rather than local custom.
Is tipping rude in China?
Not rude, but it can be awkward. Offering money for ordinary service can make staff unsure whether they are allowed to take it. Frommer’s advises against carrying over American habits: a 20% tip can come across as showy or excessive.
If you do want to thank someone, keep it modest and discreet. Hand it over in private rather than in front of the group, ideally in an envelope, and if it is declined, do not press.
How much to tip a tour guide and driver in China
Guides and drivers on tours are the main exception, and the one most visitors meet. On private tours and small-group tours with a foreign-visitor agency, a tip at the end is normal and appreciated. Tip the guide and the driver separately; the driver usually gets about half the guide’s amount.
Suggested ranges, per traveler, per day, in yuan (CNY):
| Group size | Guide | Driver |
|---|---|---|
| Traveling alone | ¥100–200 | ¥50–100 |
| 2 people | ¥80–100 each | ¥40–50 each |
| 3–5 people | ¥50–70 each | ¥25–35 each |
| 6–9 people | ¥40–50 each | ¥20–25 each |
| 10 or more | ¥20–30 each | ¥10–15 each |
These combine the published suggestions of China Highlights and TravelChinaGuide, two long-established agencies for foreign visitors. China Highlights sits at the top of each range (¥150–200 a day for a solo traveler), TravelChinaGuide at the bottom (¥100 a day). Frommer’s gives a similar general figure of ¥70–130 a day for escorted-tour guides, with drivers getting about half.
A few practical points:
- Check what is included. Read the booking terms in case gratuities are already built into the price.
- Tip for good work, not by default. A guide who rushes you between shops or spends the day selling does not earn the top of the range.
- On longer tours, tip once at the end for the guide you had throughout, and tip local guides and drivers in each city on their last day with you.
- On Yangtze cruises, TravelChinaGuide says some cruise lines suggest a tip of about ¥150 per passenger for the whole cruise.
Tipping on group tours and day trips
On a coach tour or a shared day trip, the per-person amounts in the table are lower because the tip is pooled across the group. TravelChinaGuide suggests about ¥25–30 per person per day for the guide in groups of 10 or more, and ¥10–15 for the driver. Asia Odyssey Travel, which publishes its figures in US dollars, suggests about US$4–6 per guest per day for the guide and US$2–3 for the driver in groups of 10 or more.
On large group tours, one person often collects the money and hands it over at the end. TravelChinaGuide notes that for groups of 10 or more the group leader also collects the hotel porters’ tips and gives them to the concierge, so you do not need to tip each porter yourself.
Be wary of very cheap day tours, such as some budget Great Wall trips, that spend much of the day in shops paying commission to the guide. Those guides are paid in a different way, and a tip is not owed for time spent in a showroom. Our China safety guide describes how these tours work.
Do you tip in restaurants, hotels, taxis or massage shops in China?
- Restaurants. No tip at ordinary restaurants, food stalls or fast food. Some upscale city restaurants and hotel restaurants add a service charge of 10–15%, which takes the place of a tip. If there is no charge and service was excellent, a small amount is fine but never expected.
- Hotels. Porters at international and upscale hotels usually receive about ¥10 per bag; China Highlights gives a range of ¥5–30. Budget and mid-range hotels do not expect tips. Asia Odyssey Travel suggests extra money for hotel staff only after exceptional personal help. Luxury hotels may add a service charge to the bill.
- Taxis and DiDi. No tip. Pay the meter or the fare shown in the app.
- Massage and spas. Local massage and foot-massage shops do not expect a tip. International hotel spas may add a service charge, so check the price list first.
- Bars and cafes. No tip on the mainland.
How do you tip when everyone pays by Alipay or WeChat?
This is the practical problem in modern China, where almost everything is paid by QR code. Cash is still the easiest way to tip. Keep a few ¥50 and ¥100 notes aside for the end of a tour, and hand them over in an envelope; a red envelope (hongbao) makes the gesture look intended rather than improvised.
Paying a tip through the apps is harder for visitors. Chinese users send money to each other as WeChat transfers or digital red packets, but Trip.com notes that wallets funded by foreign cards cannot send red packets, and person-to-person transfers may need a Chinese account. If your guide shows a payment QR code, you can try scanning it as you would at a shop. Remember that QR payments above ¥200 on a foreign card carry a 3% fee; our guide to paying in China explains how the apps work for visitors.
If the tour was booked through an agency, you can also ask whether it can add the tip to your final payment and pass it on.
Tipping in Hong Kong and Macau
Hong Kong and Macau have their own customs, closer to the international norm.
In Hong Kong, the Tourism Board says most restaurants add a 10% service charge, though some cafes and diners do not. The charge covers the tip; leave a little extra at a high-end restaurant only if service was very good. Local diners (cha chaan teng) do not expect tips. Taxi passengers commonly round up the fare, hotel porters usually receive about HK$10–20 per bag, and Cathay Pacific suggests HK$20–40 a day for housekeeping at luxury hotels.
In Macau, most restaurants, bars and cafes add a 10% service charge, according to the Macau Daily Times. It is a contractual charge rather than a tax, so it should be shown on the price list. Frommer’s notes that hotels in both cities often add a 10% service charge, and that rounding up taxi fares is usual.
For your own trip, a Hosted China guide can take care of these details on the ground.
