No Fixed Rate
There isn’t a fixed tipping rate for Guides, Porters, Chiefs, Kitchen Helpers and Climbing Sherpa’s however, they will expect to be tipped. Tipping is a great way to show your appreciation for all the hard work that your Staff will have put in to make your trip successful, but it should only be done if the service merits it.
Here is some useful information to help you navigate through the tipping dilema. The living wage in Nepal is estimated to be around NRP20,000 (about US$150, £120) per month (=US$5 or £4 per day based on a 30 day month) with the legal minimum wage NRP17,300 (US$130, £100) per month.
It’s generally advised that any tips should raise the pay up to the living wage. However, at Monkey Mountaineering, we already pay our Guides and Porters more than the living wage (pro-rata on a daily basis as our trips are often less than a month). Our trekking Guides receive US$25 per day and Porters/Other Staff US$15 per day. Our Climbing Sherpas are paid US$150 per day.