Tipping in Poland
Tipping expectedService Breakdown
Notes by Service
10% is standard; sometimes a service charge is included.
5–10 zł per night for housekeeping.
Round up or add 10%.
10–15% is appreciated.
10% of tab.
10% is polite.
20–50 zł per person for Warsaw or Kraków tours.
5–10 zł is appreciated.
About Tipping in Poland
Tipping is well-established in Poland and expected at restaurants in Warsaw, Kraków, Gdańsk, and other cities. Ten percent is standard at sit-down restaurants; the local custom is to state the total including your tip when paying, rather than leaving cash on the table after you've left.
Tip at sit-down restaurants, taxis (rounding up or 10%), hotel porters and housekeeping, and tour guides. Hair salons also appreciate 10%. For guides at Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial visits and city walking tours, a tip acknowledges both quality and the emotional weight of the work.
Tell the server the total you'd like to pay when settling the bill — this is the Polish and broadly Central European convention. For card payments, round up or select a percentage on the terminal. Cash tips directly to your server are still common and preferred at local restaurants.
Poland's economy has grown rapidly since EU accession in 2004, and Warsaw and Kraków now have restaurant scenes that rival Western European capitals in ambition and quality. Service at the best restaurants is polished and professional, and a 10% tip reflects genuine appreciation. At memorial sites, guides deliver emotionally and intellectually demanding tours — a generous tip acknowledges the weight of that work alongside the quality of the presentation.