Quick answer: A tip is optional and is not part of the tour price. Decide on a number in pesos before the day, scale it to how long and how good the day was, and hand it over directly at the final drop-off, to each person who looked after you. We do not set a required amount, and we could not find an official figure, so ask your host what feels customary for your day.

Most visitors who feel awkward about tipping are not worried about the money. They are worried about getting it wrong in front of someone they like. The good news is that nobody on a private tour is keeping score of your math. A simple method, decided in advance, removes most of the stress.

What your price does and does not cover

On our public pages, tips are listed with admissions, meals, boat rides and optional extras as separate from the base price. The base price covers the private vehicle, the professional driver, the host and the time block. So the base price does not include a gratuity, and a tip is something you choose to add.

That is a general principle worth applying to any private day you book: ask whether gratuity is included, and get the answer in writing. If someone tells you a tip is mandatory, that is something to question. Our nine questions to ask a driver-guide include asking what is and is not in the price.

Who you may want to thank

On our private days there are usually two people looking after you: a professional driver who handles the road and traffic, and an English-speaking host who stays focused on you, the Route Card and the day. Different providers split roles differently, so ask who did what.

If two people worked for you, it is fine to thank both. You can give each a separate amount, or give one amount and ask the host to share it. Handing it to each person is clearer, and it avoids any confusion about who received what.

A simple way to decide the amount

We are not giving you a percentage or a dollar figure, because we have no official or verified source for a standard tourism tip in Colombia, and any number we invented would be a guess. A well-known travel guide acknowledges that tipping customs exist for restaurants, taxis, tour guides and drivers but its overview does not give specific amounts. So use a method instead:

  1. Start from the length of the day. A 4-hour city half day is a lighter day than an 8-hour city day, a 5–6 hour coffee outing, or a 9–10 hour Guatapé road day. The longer and more demanding the day, the more thanks it deserves.
  2. Add for what went beyond the plan. Did the team reshape the day for weather, help someone with limited mobility, handle a missed reservation or stay patient with kids? That is what a tip is for.
  3. Think of it as a group tip. Prices are for the private group, not per person, so decide one amount for the whole group, then divide it if there are several people to thank.
  4. Settle on a figure the night before. Deciding at the curb is when people freeze. Take your time at the hotel.
  5. Check it against your budget. Include tips in your daily budget, as you would admissions and meals.

If the day was merely fine, a smaller thank-you is fine. If it was memorable, give more. Either way, you are following the same method.

When and how to hand it over

Give the tip at the end of the day, at the last drop-off, not at the start or in the middle. Say thank you out loud as you hand it over, since the words matter as much as the amount. An envelope is fine if you prefer one, and so is handing it over directly.

Cash in pesos is the easiest

For small payments like this, Colombian pesos in smaller notes are the simplest. Our prices are quoted in US dollars, and the peso equivalent is confirmed at booking using the day's exchange rate. For tips, ask whether the recipient prefers pesos, and whether another currency or an electronic transfer is acceptable, because that varies by person. Break large notes into smaller ones before the day, since breaking a large note at the curb is awkward. Our cost guide covers how the base price is built.

Other people on your day

A private day often involves people who are not part of your team:

  • Restaurants and cafés. Check the bill. Some restaurants add a suggested service charge, and if one is on the bill you may already have covered it. Ask your host how to read the bill.
  • Attraction guides and boat crews. A local guide at a museum or a boat crew on the water is a separate person from your host. Whether to tip them is your choice, and they are not covered by your base price. Admissions, boat rides and tips are separate.
  • Hotel staff. Not part of the tour, but part of the same trip budget.

What not to worry about

  • The sincerity of the thank-you matters more than hitting a perfect number.
  • You do not have to tip more because a Route Card stop was closed or the weather turned. Those are not the team's choices, and a day that adapts well is the point of a private format.
  • You do not have to tip at all. It is optional.
  • If something went wrong, say so politely and on the day. A smaller tip is not a substitute for feedback. Our tour-day etiquette notes cover small habits that help the day run smoothly.
How our model works: The city theme does not change the base price. You are reserving the private vehicle, professional driver, host and time block. Admissions, meals and optional extras stay separate unless explicitly stated.

What to ask your host

Everyone has a different comfort level, and your host will have seen it all. If you are unsure, ask a question like this at the start of the day: "Is there anything I should know about tipping?" It gives your host a chance to answer without pressure, and it gets rid of the awkwardness for the rest of the day. We would rather answer that question than have you worry about it.

Bottom line

Tipping is optional, separate from the price, and best done at the end of the day, in pesos, in a way you decided on beforehand. Scale it to the length and quality of the day, thank each person directly, and ask your host if you are unsure. If you want to plan a day, send us the date and number of guests and we will build the Route Card.

Frequently asked questions

Is a tip included in the tour price?

No. On our public pages tips are listed as separate from the base price, along with admissions, meals, boat rides and optional extras.

How much should I tip?

There is no amount we could verify from an official source, so we do not name one. Scale it to the length and quality of the day, decide in advance, and ask your host what feels customary for your day.

Should I tip in US dollars or pesos?

Pesos in smaller notes are the simplest. Ask the person you are thanking whether another currency or an electronic transfer is acceptable, because that varies.

Do I tip the driver and the host separately?

If two people looked after you, it is fine to thank both. Giving each person a separate amount is clearest.

Is tipping mandatory?

No. It is optional. If anyone tells you it is required, ask for that in writing before you pay.

Sources and verification: We searched for an official or primary source for tipping amounts in Colombian tourism and did not find one we could verify, so this article gives a method and no figures. A travel guide's money and costs page notes that tipping customs exist for restaurants, taxis, tour guides, drivers and hotels but gave no amounts in the overview we read. Statements about what our price includes are from our own public pages and terms. Check bills and local practice yourself.
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