Guides
Tipping guides, drivers and staff
Information as of 2026-09-21
Tipping is not a Mongolian custom. Waiters, taxi drivers and hotel staff do not expect a tip, and the exception is tourism-facing services, above all tour guides.
Bars and cafes in Ulaanbaatar have become used to receiving tips from foreigners, so a tip there is neither expected nor awkward.
Smarter restaurants and hotels in the capital often add a service charge to the bill themselves, particularly for larger groups, in which case no further tip is needed.
A taxi driver who declines to give change is overcharging rather than soliciting a tip, and the two should not be confused.
Customary amounts for a guide and driver on a multi-day countryside tour are usually suggested by the operator at booking. Commonly cited planning figures sit in the range below, but no authoritative published schedule could be confirmed, so ask your operator for its own guidance.
Common planning range: about 5-10 USD per traveller per day for a guide and about 3-5 USD per traveller per day for a driver
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- Ask your operator directly what it recommends; Mongolian agencies are used to the question and their answer beats any generic figure.
- Tip in tugrik, not in foreign notes, so the recipient does not lose money on the exchange spread.
- Give the guide and the driver separately and in a sealed envelope at the end of the trip, rather than pooling it.
- In a family homestay, a useful gift for the household often lands better than cash.
- Check the bill in upmarket Ulaanbaatar restaurants for a service line before adding anything.