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Tipping & Gratuities
Information on tipping during your Island Expeditions trip
General Information
-Tipping in Belize is customary and appreciated, similar to what you’d expect in North America.
-A good rule of thumb is to budget 5–15% of your total trip cost for gratuities. This can vary depending on your level of satisfaction and the length or complexity of your itinerary.
-Example: For a $3,000 USD trip, allocating $150–$450 USD for tipping is considered appropriate.
-Consider how many days you’re spending in each location, and divide your tip budget accordingly.
Multi-Stop & Day Tours
-Depending on your trip, you’re likely to meet different sets of guides and staff across various locations. If you would like to leave a tip for them, you should do so before moving on to your next location.
-If leaving a tip for a guide on a day tour—you should do so directly after the tour.
-On some itineraries you will have a guide that stays with you for multiple days across multiple locations. These guides generally see you off at the very end of your trip and get tipped last.
Tipping At Basecamp
-Leaving a tip at basecamp generally happens on the final morning before leaving the island.
-You can either leave a general/pooled tip for the staff to share, leave a tip for a specific individual, or a combination of both.
-10% of the shared tip pool at our basecamps goes back to our Belize office for our behind the scenes staff—similar to how tipping at restaurants work with the “front of house” staff tipping out to the “back of house”.
Restaurants, Hotels, Taxi's
-Some restaurants may include a basic service charge, but you’re always welcome to tip extra if you feel the service was great, a 10-20% is standard.
-For tour guides (other than Island Expedition guides) a 10–15% tip on the value of the tour is standard ($10-20 pp avg)
-For taxi drivers, even a few dollars is appreciated and goes a long way!
-Tip based on the service that was provided!
Thank You!
By budgeting for gratuities and tipping thoughtfully, you’re directly supporting the incredible people of Belize—our local guides, lodge staff, boat captains, and cooks—who make your adventure truly unforgettable.