How Much and When to Tip in Istanbul
Tips or gratuities are custom in Istanbul, or Turkey for that matter. The good news is that tipping (bahşiş) won’t hurt your wallet since you are only expected to spend rather humble amounts. But Turks don’t tip anywhere. Here is the lowdown on where and how much you are expected to tip in Istanbul. You’re of course free to raise the bar for excellence. On the flip side, you can lower or skip the tip if you were unhappy with the service you received.
General Tipping Rules
As a rule of thumb, you are expected to tip 5-10% in restaurants, cafés and bars. Hotel staff expect, depending on their duties, between 5 to 20 Turkish Liras for their services. Turks don’t tip taxi drivers, but round up cab fares.
How to Tip?
Cash — In bars, cafés and restaurants, waiters will bring the bill to your table, on a plate or in a small booklet. You can pay the bill cash or by credit card. Unfortunately, contrary to some Western countries, there is no way to add an extra amount to the bill before paying it by credit card. Tipping always occurs with cash money, so be prepared to have some with you!
Turkish Liras — The staff prefers to receive Turkish Liras, both notes and coins are fine. Foreign currency is appreciated too, as long as it is paper money and not change. Foreign coins cannot be exchanged into Turkish Liras.
Where and How Much to Tip?
Airports — Every airport has professional porters, operating by an official tariff. In case the tariff is not prominently posted, tip 2 to 3 TL per suitcase. In case it totals less than the official tariff, be reassured that the porter will let you know.
Taxis — For taxi drivers, don’t tip, just round up the fare. So, a fare of 8.60 TL, will become 9 TL. The only time people tip cab drivers is when they carry your luggage or bags to and from the car.
Minibus (Dolmuş) — No tip.
Hotels — For porters and room service, it is customary to tip 5 TL, the smallest paper bill. For housekeeping, people tend to leave their local change (5-10 TL) in the room, especially on the bed. Guests usually leave a tip at the reception after checking out, mostly around 20-50 TL.
Restaurants, Cafés & Bars — As mentioned earlier, 5 to 10 percent is common. In more up market eateries, it’s appropriate to tip 10 to 15 percent.
Musicians — Some establishments (meyhanes, fish restaurants) have strolling musicians. They play for tips. If you don’t want them to play at your table, it’s not impolite to graciously wave them away. However, it’s not done to have them play a few songs and not reward them. The correct technique is to slide a 5 or 10 lira note behind the strings of the violinist when he leans over the table. Alternatively, you can just drop some money in his pockets.
Turkish Bath (Hamam) — There is no way you can avoid or forget tipping the Turkish bath/hamam attendant(s). Before you leave, they will all come ‘to say goodbye’, so make sure you have some cash money on you. You normally divide 10 to 20% of the total amount you spent among the attendants.
Tour Guides — Tour guides don’t work for tips, you already paid for their service. Having said that, they of course do hope to receive a tip, which is token of your appreciation for a job exceptionally well done by the tour guide. Typically, people don’t tip the guide(s) individually, but as a group. Between 20 to 30 TL is common.
Further Recommended Reading
FAQs
Before you leave, they will all come 'to say goodbye', so make sure you have some cash money on you. You normally divide 10 to 20% of the total amount you spent among the attendants. Tour Guides — Tour guides don't work for tips, you already paid for their service.
How much should you tip a tour guide in Turkey? ›
Your tour guide can make or break your experience when travelling - so when you find a great guide in Turkey do tip them the standard 10%.
How much to tip for tour guides? ›
About.com has a Tipping Guide for travelers that further suggests that the tour guide should receive a tip of 10% to 20% of the tour cost. As a last thought, the guide still needs to earn his or her tip. Just with any other profession, the tip should match the level of service.
What is a good tip for a taxi driver in Turkey? ›
Taxi Drivers: Should I tip? Turks simply do not tip taxi drivers. The common pratice (which is more to avoid headache for the driver and yourself) is to simply round up the fare. For example, on a fare of ₺8.60, leave ₺9.
Is 400 lira a good tip in Turkey? ›
In general, a tip of 5-10% is considered standard for good service in restaurants, cafes, and bars. For hotels, porters might expect 10-20 lira per bag, and housekeeping staff might receive 20 -50 lira per day.
Is 20 Turkish lira a good tip? ›
General Tipping Rules
As a rule of thumb, you are expected to tip 5-10% in restaurants, cafés and bars. Hotel staff expect, depending on their duties, between 5 to 20 Turkish Liras for their services. Turks don't tip taxi drivers, but round up cab fares.
Is it rude not to tip a tour guide? ›
Basic tipping etiquette says, yes, you should tip your tour guide. 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.
What do you tip a tour guide and driver? ›
Generally, it's appropriate to tip your private guide $10-$15 per day and another $5-$10 for drivers. For large group tours, you'd tip half of that.
What do you tip a VIP tour guide? ›
Please do not forget to tip your guide. It is not mandatory but appreciated. 20% is the customary tip for these guides. Your travel agent can add an VIP Tour guide to your booking.
How to get tips as a tour guide? ›
- Learn to be an Amazing Guide.
- Delivering and Over-Delivering.
- Increase your Perceived Value as a Guide.
- Increase the Price of your Tour.
- The Principle of Reciprocity.
- Build a Social Connection.
- Be Clear on Your Tipping Policy.
- Give a Tip Speech.
Although the person you tip would probably prefer Turkish liras, you may tip in any currency as long as you give notes/bills (paper money). Don't give foreign coins, as these cannot easily be exchanged for Turkish lira; instead, use small bills.
Is 300 lira a good tip? ›
In restaurants, it's common to tip around 10% to 15% of the bill, depending on the level of service. For taxis, rounding up to the nearest lira is usually sufficient, while for hotel services, a tip of a few lira is usually appreciated. In more upscale establishments, a larger tip may be expected.
How much lira should I take to Turkey? ›
A guide to using Turkish Lira abroad
It's a good idea to budget for at least 150 Turkish Lira per day – that's about £20, and should cover the basics. Bargaining (haggling) is very common in Turkey, particularly in bazaars, and it can be a lot of fun!
What is the best cash to take to Turkey? ›
One thing to note is that due to the volatility of the Turkish Lira, euros is often accepted in Turkey / Türkiye and can even be requested as the main currency. It's often a good idea to take a combination of Lira and euros in cash and currency on the Travelex Money Card.
Is 2 euro a good tip in Turkey? ›
Hotels — For porters and room service, it is customary to tip 2-3 Euro. For housekeeping, people tend to leave 5 Euro in the room, especially on the bed. Guests usually leave a tip at the reception after checking out, mostly around 10 Euro. Restaurants, Cafés & Bars — As mentioned earlier, 5 to 10 percent is common.
Can you use euros in Turkey? ›
If you're in a tourist area or a large city, you may spot prices marked up in euros - or even US dollars or pounds. Euros may well be accepted by some stores, hotels and restaurants - although if you're headed to the countryside, you'll definitely need lira to pay your way.
What is a good tip in Turkey all inclusive? ›
Tipping in Turkey 2023
| Hotel Staff | $1 / day – though not necessary |
|---|
| Turkish Bath & Spas | 10 – 15% |
| All-inclusive resorts | As you want in the tip box or 10% of what the service would cost if it wasn't included |
| Tour Guides | 10% of tour's cost |
| Street Musician | Whatever you want |
6 more rowsShould you tip a VIP Tour Guide? Absolutely! They've just made all your dreams come true and gifted you with an even more magical day than you would have had going it alone. Ideal tipping considerations range anywhere between 10% and 20%, but custom tipping is also an option.
How much Turkish lira do I need per day? ›
Practical tips for planning your budget
It is advisable to set a daily budget of 966 Turkish liras per day per person. This will allow you to stay in a hotel for two people, buy an average of two meals and buy a public transport ticket. The average cost of a meal in a good restaurant will cost you about 150 TRY.
