Tipping in Denmark: 2026 Guide for Travelers
Updated October 22, 2026 · 5 min read
- Tipping
- Optional
- Restaurants
- None (round up optional)
- Currency
- DKK
| Service | Tip in Denmark |
|---|---|
| Restaurants | Not expected; round up or 5–10% for great service |
| Cafés & bakeries | No tip |
| Bars | No tip |
| Taxis | No tip; rounding up optional |
| Hotels | No tip |
| Free walking tours | 50–100 DKK per person (about $7–15) |
| Card-terminal tip screen | Optional — skipping is fine |
In Denmark, the price on the menu is the price you pay. Service is included, hospitality workers are covered by collective wage agreements, and Danes don’t tip the way Americans do. The Danish word for a tip is drikkepenge (“drink money”), and it’s reserved for service that genuinely stood out.
Copenhagen is expensive, and that’s exactly why you shouldn’t add 20% out of habit. Here’s when a little extra is welcome, and how payments work in a country where cash is increasingly rare. Amounts use a rough rate of 6.5–7 DKK to the dollar.
Restaurants and Cafés
Pay the bill as presented. There’s no service line to look for, because it’s already built into the prices. After a memorable dinner — whether at a neighborhood bistro or one of Copenhagen’s acclaimed tasting-menu restaurants — rounding up or leaving 5–10% is appreciated, but many Danes leave nothing and no one minds.
Most restaurants bring a card terminal to the table, and some show a tip prompt. Selecting zero is normal. At cafés and bakeries, where you order at the counter, no tip is expected.
The same goes for smørrebrød (open sandwich) lunch spots, hot dog stands (pølsevogn), and food markets like Torvehallerne, where you order and pay at the counter. Restaurants inside Tivoli Gardens follow the same rules as anywhere else in the city.
Ask for the bill with “Regningen, tak.” The server usually brings a card terminal to the table. If you want to leave a little extra, use the tip screen or tell the server the total to charge before they enter it — on a 1,380 DKK dinner, “1,450, please” is a generous thank-you.
Some Danish businesses add a small fee for paying with a foreign card. That fee isn’t a tip and doesn’t go to staff.
Bars and Nightlife
Bartenders don’t expect tips for drinks ordered at the counter. At a cocktail bar with table service, rounding up the tab is a friendly gesture. Many bars are cashless, so any tip goes on the card terminal.
Taxis, Hotels, and Other Services
Service is included in Danish taxi fares, and drivers don’t expect more. Rounding up for help with heavy luggage is a nice touch but optional. Hotels don’t expect tips for porters, housekeeping, or concierge — compare that with US expectations in our hotel tipping guide.
- Hairdressers and barbers: no tip expected; the listed price is the price.
- Spas and massage: no tip expected.
- Food delivery: tipping in the app (Wolt and similar) is optional; a small amount is a nice gesture in bad weather.
- Bike rentals: no tip.
Tours and Guides
Copenhagen’s canal boat tours and paid bus tours don’t expect a tip. “Free” walking tours are the exception: guides are paid by what guests give, and 50–100 DKK (about $7–15) per person is a fair amount. For a private guide, a tip is optional; our tour guide tipping guide has benchmarks.
Coach day trips to Kronborg Castle, Roskilde, or the Louisiana museum don’t carry a tipping expectation either. If a driver or guide on a small-group trip was especially helpful, rounding up the per-person cost with a small note is plenty.
Paying in Denmark
Denmark uses the krone, not the euro, and cards and phone payments are accepted almost everywhere. Some places no longer take cash at all. A card without foreign transaction fees is the easiest way to pay, and when a terminal offers to charge you in dollars, choose DKK for a better rate.
Heading on to Sweden? Tipping works much the same way there — see tipping in Sweden.
Tipping in Denmark: FAQ
Do you tip in Denmark?
Generally no. Service is included in prices and staff are paid a full wage. Rounding up or leaving 5–10% for outstanding service is welcome but optional.
Is service included in Copenhagen restaurants?
Yes. Menu prices in Denmark include service and tax, so the total on the bill is what you owe.
Should I add a tip on the card machine in Denmark?
Only if you want to. Some terminals show a tip prompt, but selecting zero is normal and nobody will think it is rude.
Do you tip taxi drivers in Denmark?
No. Service is included in the fare. Rounding up for help with luggage is a kind but optional gesture.
Do you need cash in Denmark?
Rarely. Cards and phone payments are accepted almost everywhere, and some businesses no longer accept cash.
Back home in the US? Work out 15–20% in seconds.
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