Tipping in Cuba is highly encouraged. Tips are not only a big part of the income of the service staff at Cuban hotels and restaurants, but they are also a universally understood way of saying, “thanks for the awesome service!”
However, tipping in Cuba can be a little tricky for first-time travelers, especially if you come from a country with no tipping culture.
Who do you tip in Cuba? How much should you tip? Please take a look at the Cuba tipping guide below to learn all about the art of who to tip and how much to tip them!
Tipping Etiquette in Cuba
Cuba has a strong tipping culture, and you should be respectful of Cuba’s tipping etiquette. As a general rule, you should expect to tip plenty of people during your stay. Common places to leave tips are hotels, restaurants, museums, guided tours, and shops.
Plan to carry a handful of $1 or $5 notes of your home currency in your wallet (this is easier and less awkward than having to break larger bills into a change when you want to leave a tip).
You don’t have to tip everyone in Cuba the same amount. In fact, some people will earn a higher amount depending on the service they offer. Take a look at the section below to learn more about how much to tip in Cuba.
Pro tip: In addition to tipping in Cuba as a token of your gratitude, Cubans also love when tourists speak Spanish with them. Even a few basic phrases will go a long way toward bringing a smile to a local’s face!
If you’re still new to the Spanish language or a little rusty since your last Spanish class, bring a handy guidebook with you like Cuban Spanish 101: Bilingual Dictionary and Phrasebook for Spanish Learners and Travelers to Cuba.
CUP or Your Home Currency? The Right Currency for Tipping in Cuba
The best currencies to tip in Cuba are the Euro and Pound because they have the highest exchange rate. Also, if you are traveling to Cuba from the US make sure to exchange your US dollars for Euros or Pounds since USDs are not welcome in Cuba.
Since the Cuban Peso (CUP) is the only official currency in Cuba, you may be tempted to tip in CUP. And that would be ok, as long as you keep in mind that the CUP may be devaluated compared to your home currency. Check the current exchange rates and always do the math to make sure that you are tipping fairly.
The tipping amounts below are shown in USD only for illustrative purposes.
Tipping at Hotels
Hotels and resorts have lots of staff on hand to help make your trip as comfortable and stress-free as possible. Hotel staff you’re likely to encounter include maids, bartenders, receptionists, and bellboys. It would be best if you tipped them each time they help you.
Maids: 1-3 USD/night for each night of your stay
Bellboys: 1-3 USD at check-in and again at check-out
Hotel bartenders: 10% gratuity if the service is not included. At all-inclusive resorts, 1 USD every few drinks is the most common.
Tipping at Restaurants
Cuba has tons of interesting restaurants to choose from. When your meal is done, and you’re preparing to pay the bill, don’t forget to add a 10% gratuity. Keep in mind that some restaurants may automatically tack on 5% gratuity. If you had an awesome time at the restaurant, feel free to say “thank you” by leaving a larger amount!
Restaurants: minimum 10% gratuity
Tipping Tour Guides
The size of the tip depends on the kind of tour you sign up for. A simple walking tour of a museum doesn’t warrant as much as a day-long excursion or guided tour.
Museum guides: 1 USD/person
Guided bus tour: 2-3 USD/person
Snorkeling, sailing, guided hikes, etc.: 3-5 USD/person
Tipping Taxi Drivers
Renting a car in Cuba isn’t easy, so chances are you’ll rely on taxis and buses to get around the island.
Taxi drivers: 1-3 USD
If your taxi driver goes above and beyond the call of duty, like giving you directions, then he’s earned an extra CUC or two!
Tipping Street Artists and Musicians
Cubans love music, and they love to share it with visitors, too. In big cities like Havana, you’ll come across dozens of street musicians, dancers, and live salsa music. If you stop to enjoy some tunes, it’s only polite to leave a tip–especially if you request a song!
Street Artists: .5 – 2 USD/person
Tipping at Stores
Tipping shopkeepers and cashiers in Cuba is quite common among both visitors and locals. There’s no set amount for how much to tip, so most people round up the sum and tell the clerk to keep the change.
Store clerks: round up to the nearest whole dollar
Tipping Toilet Attendants
A toilet attendant supervises public toilets in Cuba. To use the toilet, you’ll need to pay a fee and tip the attendant.
Toilet attendant: 10c – 25c per bathroom break
Tipping Parking Valets in Cuba (Parqueadores)
This is only important if you rent a car in Cuba, which most tourists don’t do since rental services are expensive and the roads are iffy at best. Instead of parking meters, Cuba has parking attendants who collect a fee and watch your car while you’re away.
Parking valets: 25c -1 USD
Your Trusty Guide for Tipping in Cuba
That’s a wrap! In just a few minutes, you learned everything you need to know about tipping in Cuba and how much to tip in Cuba. Not bad, right?
If you’re heading to Cuba in the future, remember to bookmark this list so you can use it as a helpful resource during your Cuban adventures.
If you enjoyed the article, please share it so other Cuban adventurers can take a look (that’s how you “tip” us–we appreciate it!).
Let us know what you think in the comments!
Essential Travel Resources For Cuba
Cuban Tourist Card – If your Cuban Tourist Card (a.k.a Cuban Visa) isn’t bundled into your airline ticket or travel package, buy it only through EasyTouristCard. Learn more about the Cuba Tourist Card or Cuba Visa.
Travel Insurance – Travel insurance is an entry requirement for Cuba, so you can’t skip it. US travelers can get travel insurance for Cuba via RoamRight.
Essential Items to Pack – Bring the essential travel necessities that you may not be able to get in Cuba:
- First aid kit
- Hand sanitizer
- Face masks
- Water bottle with filter
- Sunscreen
- Mosquito repellent
- Pin adapter (for Europeans)
- Travel guide
- Spanish-English phrasebook
- Suggested Reading: The Cubans: Ordinary Lives in Extraordinary Times
Read our complete packing list for Cuba.
Find Accommodations – Find hotels or casas particulares (private accommodations) on Expedia, which lists thousands of accommodations available in Cuba.
Book Your Flight – Book cheap flights to Cuba on Skyscanner, our favorite flight search engine to find deals on flights to Cuba.
Very informative article! Now when it comes to travel insurance, apparently residents of Puerto Rico can’t get insurance on RoamRight. I just picked Puerto Rico off the list and Boom! … NO CAN DO???
Do I have options?
I have been going to Cuba for over 20 years. I carry quality gifts and toiletries and they have always been appreciated. Also at the a la carte restaurants, i make sure each waiter who serves me (sometimes 3) is tipped, the same for the buffet. I tip for whatever good service I receive but I tend to sit in the same area at the buffet so that I end up with the same waiters. One lady told me they have many family members and friends who do not work at resorts so they share the gifts with them. I actually gave her an expensive top to give to anyone if it did not fit her. The next day, she told me she took it for herself and that cloths were also appreciated. It was not the first time that I took down summer tops and they were glad for them. I guess if they got 100 soaps, they would sell some. I always ask who is cleaning the room and on which day, because the same person don’t always work for the whole week. I give them a tip for the week before they leave otherwise, you can end up leaving the tip for the wrong person. I prefer to give them one large tip at the end of the week or on their last day. There will be a shortage of things because of closures during the pandemic.
You have achieved to explain extremely well and clearly a great amount of information. Thanks!
We have always tipped, and tried to be generous, when in Cuba. One thing we learned is that, particularly with the housekeeping staff at the resorts/hotels, they really appreciate ‘trinkets’ (hair accessories, children’s toys, stationery items, the list is endless). I leave these in addition to the cash.
Thanks, Ruth. Those items are certainly appreciated in Cuba!
Very informative thank you,