Sri Lanka tipping culture - who to tip and how much per service?
3 Answers from travellers
Tipping conventions 2026: (1) Chauffeur: 1500-2500 LKR per day tip at trip end, in envelope. (2) Safari driver + tracker: 1000-2000 LKR each per safari. (3) Hotel porter: 200-500 LKR per bag. (4) Housekeeping: 200-500 LKR per day left in room. (5) Restaurant waitstaff: 10% if service charge not already added (many hotel restaurants add 10% - check the bill). (6) Tuk-tuk: rounding up 50-100 LKR is polite. (7) Tour guide (half day): 1000-2000 LKR. Currency in LKR preferred, USD acceptable at hotels.
For chauffeur specifically: at end of a week+ trip, 500-1000 LKR/day is baseline, 1500-2500/day is generous, over that is 'wow'. Include a handwritten thank-you note - often valued more than the amount. Don't tip in coins - always notes.
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