Do free walking tour guides get paid?

Most of the guides for these tours work on a tip only basis and ask that you tip them at the end for what you feel the tour was worth (you should also consider when tipping your guide for these “free” tours that often the guide pays a commission to the tour company for each person on the tour, so not all of what you ...



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If you are part of a small group, thanking the guide with a tip of three to five euros per person is a good practice. For larger group tours, one euro will suffice.

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Your budget: Finally, consider your own budget and how much you can afford to tip. While there is no set amount for how much you should tip, most people leave somewhere between 5 and 15 euros. If you are on a tight budget, you may want to aim for the lower end of this range.

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How much should I tip my tour guide?
  • For a short guided tour in the U.S.: Tip $5-$10 (or more) per person if your tour is around two hours or less. ...
  • For a full-day guided tour in the U.S.: Tip $10-$20 per person if it's a longer guided tour (think six hours or more).


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There are exceptions if your specific tour experience includes gratuities or you simply didn't have a good time, but in general, tipping your guide at the end of the tour is customary in the U.S. and Europe, though it's much more common in the States.

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At bars in Europe, tips are not customary, but leaving change or a few euros is always appreciated, if not expected. For takeaway food or drinks, counter dining, or stand-up service, tips are also not customary.

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In Spain, tipping is entirely optional and it's not very common. You may see people leaving small change at cafés and bars and, eventually, someone tipping at a nice expensive restaurant. But most of the time, you won't see anyone other than tourists leaving a tip.

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Tipping servers in restaurants and cafés in Spain, while appreciated, isn't mandatory. It's tough for Americans to get used to not leaving a tip, but locals generally don't leave anything extra at all in more casual eateries. In fine-dining restaurants, a tip may already be included in the check.

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