Do you tip in Vietnam?
Short answer
Not required, and not a local habit. It has become common only where tourism is the main business.
Not something locals do
At a street kitchen, a market stall or a neighbourhood restaurant, the price is the price and nobody is waiting for more. Vietnamese customers do not tip in these places and no one expects a visitor to.
Rounding up so as not to bother with small change is common and reads as convenience rather than as a tip.
Where it has taken hold
Hotels, spas, tour guides, private drivers and restaurants in the tourist districts are where tipping has become normal, largely because visitors brought it.
In those settings a small amount is welcomed and its absence is not held against you. Some bills also carry a service charge, which settles the question on its own.
Doing it without awkwardness
Hand it over directly and keep it modest. Money left on a table can simply be missed, or picked up by whoever clears next rather than the person you meant it for.
Local currency is better than foreign notes. Small foreign denominations are difficult to change here and turn a gesture into an errand.
Good to know
- Check the bill for a service charge before adding anything
- Small foreign notes are hard to change — tip in local currency or not at all
No. Tipping is not expected, and money left behind is usually treated as forgotten, not as a gift.
No. Tipping is not customary, and handing over extra money will often be refused outright.
Optional, and never expected at street level. Leaving the coins from your change is the usual gesture.
No. Tipping is not a Korean custom and staff do not expect it. Where a charge exists, it is printed on the bill as a service charge.
No. Sit-down restaurants may add a service charge, and where they do, that settles it.