An English-speaking corner of South America where small aircraft, river boats and community lodges replace motorways and resorts. Eleven destination guides, honest booking advice and realistic routes.
Guyana is about the size of Great Britain and has fewer than a million people, nearly all of them on a narrow coastal strip. Behind the coast lie rainforest that is still largely intact, the tabletop mountains of the Pakaraimas and the open savannahs of the Rupununi.
Visitors come for Kaieteur Falls, for wildlife that is hard to see elsewhere — giant otters, giant anteaters, harpy eagles, jaguars, arapaima — and for lodges run by Indigenous communities. It is not a cheap or an easy country to travel in, and that is exactly why it is still so quiet.
Each destination has its own mini-guide: tours, things to see, getting there, practical tips and when to go.
A wooden Caribbean capital below sea level, and the gateway to everything else.
Dutch forts, river islands, a gold-rush town and forest waterfalls on one of South America’s great rivers.
Rice lands, sugar towns, temples and a wide brown river: the coast road east to Suriname.
A long, empty Atlantic shore in the far north-west where four species of sea turtle nest.
A 226-metre single drop in the middle of the rainforest, reached by small plane.
A million acres of protected rainforest, a walkway in the treetops and Guyana’s best chance of a jaguar.
A bauxite town on the Demerara, black-water creeks along the highway, and the start of the long red road to Brazil.
The tabletop mountain of the “Lost World” — from the Guyanese side, a sheer wall for expeditions only.
Open grassland, old ranches and river lodges where giant otters, giant anteaters and black caiman are part of daily life.
Where the rainforest meets the savannah: a Makushi village that pioneered community tourism, and a hilltop lodge beside an airstrip.
A forested range rising straight out of the savannah, with harpy eagles, waterfalls and village-run trails.
The moments that make the cost and the effort worthwhile.
A small plane, an hour over unbroken forest, and a 226-metre waterfall with no fence and almost no other visitors.
Suspension bridges up to 30 metres above the forest floor, and a road where jaguars are seen more often than almost anywhere — though never to order.
River trips from ranches and community lodges for giant otters, black caiman, giant anteaters and Victoria amazonica lilies opening at dusk.
A Caribbean capital on the South American mainland: a towering timber cathedral, an iron market, a seawall and manatees in the Botanical Gardens.
Dutch forts, river islands, a gold-rush town and forest waterfalls, all reached by speedboat on one of the continent’s great rivers.
Four species of sea turtle come ashore on a remote north-western beach between about March and August.
Three very different landscapes. Most trips combine the coast with one or two interior regions.
| Region | What it is like | Best for | How you get around | Time needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown & the coast | Flat, cultivated, Caribbean in culture; rivers kilometres wide | Architecture, food, markets, the Essequibo, Berbice, turtles at Shell Beach | Taxis, minibuses, speedboats | 2–4 days |
| Rainforest & highlands | Unbroken forest, tabletop mountains, big waterfalls | Kaieteur Falls, Iwokrama, the canopy walkway, jaguars, birding | Small aircraft, 4x4, river boat | 1 day (Kaieteur) to 5 days |
| The Rupununi savannahs | Open grassland, ranches and Indigenous villages below forested mountains | Giant otters, giant anteaters, community lodges, the Easter rodeo | Flights to Lethem or Annai, 4x4, boat | 4–8 days |
Only a handful of Guyana products are sold online, nearly all starting in Georgetown. These are real listings; the interior is booked through local operators and lodges, and we explain how.
Flight & guided visit from €623 The classic Guyana day out: a small-aircraft flight over unbroken rainforest to the airstrip beside the falls, a guided walk to several viewpoints and a light meal before the flight back. About four hours in all; flights depend on weather and on enough passengers.
Boat trip from €192 A long day by road and speedboat on one of South America’s great rivers: Fort Island and Fort Kyk-Over-Al, the mining town of Bartica, Sloth Island or Aruwai Resort, and a swim at Baracara Falls, with lunch included.
Guided tour from €177 A short introduction to the capital with a local guide: historic landmarks, the Botanical Gardens, the markets and the waterfront, with Guyanese food to taste along the way.
Guided tour from €295 Three hours around the main sights — St George’s Cathedral, the Parliament Building and the old wooden centre — with tastings of Guyanese dishes and dinner to finish. Small group, with pickup available.
Transfer from €59 A pre-booked ride between the international airport at Timehri and your hotel in Georgetown, roughly an hour away. Worth arranging ahead if you land late at night.
Private tour from €881 per group A private three-hour drive past the capital’s wooden landmarks, markets and the seawall, with stops for photographs and a route adjusted to your interests. Priced per group.
Transfer from €263 per group A private air-conditioned vehicle and driver between the international airport and Georgetown hotels, in either direction. Priced per vehicle, so better value for a group.
Transfer from €59 Shared transport from Georgetown along the coast road through Berbice to the Corentyne River ferry at Moleson Creek and on into Suriname. A transport service rather than a sightseeing tour; check current entry formalities for Suriname before booking.
The most dependable months on the coast and in the forest. Trails are drier and the savannah is easy to cross. Easter brings the Rupununi Rodeo.
The heaviest rain of the year. Kaieteur is at its most powerful, but the Rupununi floods, some roads close and flights are delayed more often.
Hot, dry and excellent for wildlife on falling rivers. Often the best overall window for the interior.
A shorter wet spell on the coast and in the forest; the Rupununi is usually dry. Christmas is a big family holiday.
Realistic routes that allow for small-aircraft schedules and weather.
Georgetown, a Kaieteur Falls flight and a day on the Essequibo River.
Add the Iwokrama forest, the canopy walkway and a community lodge.
The classic interior journey from the rainforest to the Rupununi ranches.
Deeper into the savannah, plus Shell Beach in season or onward to Suriname or Brazil.
Georgetown’s hotels can be booked online. Most interior lodges cannot — the links below open the Trip.com search for the nearest town it lists.
Seats on the small aircraft to Kaieteur Falls are limited and flights need a minimum number of passengers. Compare what is bookable from Georgetown, check live prices and reserve before you fly in.
Yes, if you want wilderness and wildlife rather than beaches and nightlife. Kaieteur Falls alone justifies the flight, and the interior lodges offer encounters that are hard to find elsewhere in South America. It suits travellers who are comfortable with basic comforts, changes of plan and higher costs.
For South America, yes. Georgetown hotels cost about what they would in a Caribbean capital, and the interior is pricey because everything — guests, food, fuel — arrives by small plane, 4x4 or boat. See costs in the travel guide.
On the coast, easily. In the interior it is possible but slow: there is one long unpaved road, few buses, and lodges need to know you are coming. Most visitors book the interior through a Georgetown-based operator or directly with the lodges. See getting there and around.
English is the official language, and Guyanese Creole is what you will hear in the street. Nine Indigenous languages are spoken in the interior, and Portuguese is common near the Brazilian border.
The interior lodges and villages are generally considered calm. Georgetown has a street-crime problem and most government advisories recommend extra care there, particularly after dark. Sensible habits — taxis at night, no valuables on show — go a long way. Read the safety section and your own government’s current advice.
Citizens of many countries, including much of Europe, North America and the Caribbean, have been able to enter without a visa for short tourist stays, but the rules change. Check the official Guyanese sources or your nearest embassy before booking.
