Are you planning your first trip to Hawaii and are confused about the tipping etiquette in Hawaii? Keep scrolling to get answers to all your questions about tipping in Hawaii!
This tipping in Hawaii guide was written by Hawaii travel expert Marcie Cheung and contains affiliate links, which means if you purchase something from one of my affiliate links, I may earn a small commission that goes back into maintaining this blog.
One of the trickiest things about traveling is knowing whether or not you’re supposed to tip people. It’s the same thing with tipping in Hawaii; nobody wants to make a mistake, especially since tipping is different from one culture to another.
My family travels internationally a lot and we always feel awkward when it’s not clear if it’s expected (or considered rude) to leave a tip for service workers.
Since Hawaii has many international tourists and mainlanders who aren’t frequent travelers, I thought I’d write up a quick cheat sheet about the tipping culture in Hawaii.
So consider this your Hawaii tipping culture guide, where you will learn what to tip in Hawaii, how much to tip in Hawaii, and how to tip in Hawaii so you can have a fun vacation without worrying about the stress of tipping.
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Ultimate Guide to Tipping in Hawaii
How Much to Tip a Tour Guide
There are so many tours in Hawaii that there isn’t a standard tipping rate.
You can always use 20% of the tour price as a rule of thumb, but I think it really depends on how you feel about the tour, the length, and whether it’s a private or a group tour.
Private Tours in Hawaii
If it’s a private tour or your tour guide gave you a lot of personalized attention or assistance, you’ll probably want to tip the full 20% (or more.)
This is especially true if they provided outstanding service, such as sharing local history, offering extra amenities, or tailoring the experience to your needs.
Group Tours in Hawaii
But, if it’s a big group tour and it feels more like just transportation instead of an actual tour, you might want to tip less.
Some tour operators give a little plug for you to rate them online after your tour and there’s usually an opportunity to give them a tip as you leave.
Other times, you might want to just hand them some cash on your way out.
Boat Tours in Hawaii
If you book a snorkeling tour or sunset sail, you’ll probably want to tip about 15-20% depending on the length of the trip. This is pretty standard.
If the crew goes out of their way to provide exceptional service, such as helping guests with snorkeling gear or making sure everyone feels comfortable, consider tipping on the higher end of that range.
Usually, you can just give it to whoever is saying goodbye to guests at the end of the tour.
Hawaii Helicopter Tours
If you do a helicopter tour in Hawaii, plan on tipping about $20/hour per person.
Free Tours in Hawaii
There are some cool walking tours and docent-led tours in Hawaii that don’t have a fee.
If the tour is run by a non-profit, tipping is definitely appreciated. Tip a little extra if they provided good service.
Who Do You Tip at Your Hotel?
One question that we often have is trying to figure out which hotel workers we need to tip. It can feel a bit overwhelming.
While you don’t need to tip Front Desk workers, there are a few hotel staff members you do need to tip.
Bellhop
If you have the bellhop bring up your bags, you should tip them about $2 per item. Yes, that includes strollers and car seats.
If you’re traveling light and decide to carry your own bags, tipping isn’t necessary, but tipping appropriately is expected when assistance is provided.
Same goes for when you check out.
Concierge
If you happen to use the hotel concierge for more than a basic question, you should tip a few dollars.
You’ll want to tip more depending on how much energy goes into helping you. If they need to do research or you have a lot of special requests, tipping norms suggest leaving a larger tip.
Maid Service
There’s no hard and fast rules on how much to tip housekeeping in Hawaii, but here’s the norm that most people practice.
You’ll want to leave around $5 per day in an obvious spot (like an envelope that says “housekeeping” on it) for housecleaning service.
The person who cleans your room might change from day to day, so it’s best if you can leave cash each day instead of a lump sum at the end.
Room Service
If you happen to order room service during your Hawaii hotel stay, you’ll want to give the person who brought it up a few bucks.
Make sure to read the room service menu fine print. A lot of the time, the gratuity is already included.
Tipping in Hawaii Restaurants
While the cost of food in Hawaii is more expensive than on the Mainland, you’ll want to make sure you factor tips for food into your Hawaii budget.
The only time you don’t need to tip is at a national fast food chain, like McDonald’s. We still tip at local fast food places, like L&L.
Cafes and Food Trucks
If you are getting grab-and-go food or drinks (or yummy Hawaiian shave ice), there’s probably going to be a tip jar on the counter.
Just throw in a few bucks or the change after paying. It doesn’t have to be exact but try to have it semi-close to the 15-20% range.
Bars
When ordering drinks at the bars in Hawaii, it’s customary to tip about $1 per drink. And you’ll want to tip on any food you order.
Sit Down Restaurants
If you are eating at a Hawaii restaurant, you’ll definitely want to make sure to leave a 15-20% tip. And remember it’s always best to tip with cash.
Restaurants with Live Music
A lot of the restaurants in Hawaii offer live music during Happy Hour or throughout dinner.
While tipping musicians isn’t technically required, it’s usually what people do. This is especially true if you request a song.
The amount is totally up to you. We usually see what kind of cash we have and then tip anywhere from $5 to $20, depending on how long we stay.
Transportation
Depending on how you plan on getting around Hawaii, you’ll probably want to budget a little for tips.
At the Airport
If you take advantage of curbside baggage check at the airport, you’ll want to tip the handler $1-$2 per bag.
Airport Shuttle
This one is kind of murky. If you are pretty self-sufficient and don’t require any assistance, you don’t need to leave a tip.
However, if your driver helps you load or unload luggage, strollers, car seats, etc.you’ll want to tip appropriately—about $2 per item. And be sure to thank them!
Uber/Taxi Drivers
If you use Uber, it’s pretty easy to leave a tip within the app.
For a taxi driver, usually, people tip about 15% on their total bill if everything goes well. If you’re paying cash, you can always just tell them to keep the change.
Tipping Valet in Hawaii
If you rent a car in Hawaii and end up valet services at your hotel or at a restaurant, you’ll need to tip the valet a few dollars.
We usually tip the person who brings the car back to us. If it’s a busy night, it’s a good idea to tip a bit more to show appreciation for their hard work.
Additional Hawaii Tipping Advice
While the above covers the vast majority of people you’ll want to tip in Hawaii, I’ve got a few more specialty cases below.
Spa
If you plan on enjoying spa service in Hawaii, like a massage or getting your hair/nails done, the standard practice is tipping about 20%.
Photography
I’m a huge advocate for hiring a professional vacation photographer in Hawaii. It’s the best way to guarantee gorgeous Hawaii family photos.
We usually just give them cash after the shoot or sometimes we invite them out to a restaurant and cover their meal.
Hawaii Weddings
If you are getting married in Hawaii, you’ll want to tip anyone involved. That includes your wedding officiant, photographer, makeup stylist, musicians, caterers, etc.
Luau
Do you tip at a luau? This is entirely on you.
If you had fun and enjoyed everything, it doesn’t hurt to tip!
Top Questions about Tipping in Hawaii
While tipping is not legally required, it is a strong social expectation in Hawaii. Many service workers rely on tips as a key part of their income, especially given the state’s high cost of living. Hawaii’s tipping culture follows general U.S. tipping customs, meaning you should always plan to tip for services such as dining, tours, hotel stays, and transportation.
Tipping culture is a big part of American norms. Part of it is because most people in the service industry earn less than minimum wage. That’s because businesses are counting on servers getting part of their paycheck via gratuities. It’s especially important to tip in Hawaii because the cost of living is really high.
The standard tipping amount for adequate service is 15% and you can tip 20-25% for outstanding service. It can come across as insulting to tip less than 15% for service.
Absolutely. Try to tip with cash whenever possible to ensure your server actually gets the money. Sometimes tips via credit card never make it to the server. Plus, there isn’t a card fee with cash so you know your server is getting the full amount.
Nothing really happens if you don’t give tips in Hawaii, but it can be quite rude to the people serving and helping you. So, do you have to tip in Hawaii? Yes, make sure you tip in Hawaii.
Tipping in Hawaii Wrap-Up
Ok, so I think that covers just about everyone you’d want to tip in Hawaii. Basically, it’s any service provider or worker who provides exceptional service to you.
And if you are in doubt, just ask!
The bottom line is that you’ll want to either bring a lot of cash with you or plan on getting cash in Hawaii.
Cash is king is definitely the best way of tipping in Hawaii to ensure that the money goes to the people you give it to.