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Travel Guide
Visiting Guyana
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Top Attractions in Guyana
The most iconic and unmissable experiences this country has to offer.
Kaieteur Falls
Kaieteur Falls drops 226 metres over the edge of a Pakaraima sandstone plateau on the Potaro River, making it one of the world's most powerful single-drop waterfalls by the combined measure of height and volume. The surrounding Kaieteur National Park protects ancient rainforest where golden poison-dart frogs cling to bromeliads and Guiana cock-of-the-rock birds flash through the mist. Most visitors arrive by small charter flight, stepping directly into views that place the cascade in breathtaking scale against an unbroken forest canopy.
Iwokrama Rainforest
Iwokrama is a protected one-million-acre block of primary rainforest in central Guyana, managed jointly by the Guyanese government and the Commonwealth for conservation and sustainable forestry. Its canopy walkway stretches 154 metres across suspension bridges up to 30 metres above the forest floor, offering close encounters with red howler monkeys, two-toed sloths, and a remarkable diversity of bird life including the harpy eagle. The forest is also regarded as one of the best places on the continent to spot a wild jaguar.
Shell Beach
Shell Beach is a 120-kilometre stretch of Atlantic coastline in north-western Guyana, its shore formed from billions of tiny crushed shells accumulated over centuries. It is one of only a handful of primary nesting sites in the world for the leatherback sea turtle, and four marine turtle species in total come ashore here between March and August each year. The Protected Area is managed to give visitors the rare opportunity to observe nesting turtles at night in an almost entirely undeveloped coastal setting.
Wise
Your bank marks up every USD you spend in Guyana. Wise doesn't.
- No foreign transaction fees
- Free ATM withdrawals up to your limit
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4.8 ★ App Store·4.8 ★ Google Play
Airalo eSIM
Your phone plan was built for home. This one was built for Guyana.
- No SIM swapping
- No data roaming charges
- Active in minutes
4.7 ★ App Store·4.6 ★ Google Play
Health & Safety
Health & Emergency Info
Before You Travel
Before you travel check that: your destination can provide the healthcare you may need you have appropriate travel insurance for local treatment or unexpected medical evacuation This is particularly important if you have a health condition or are pregnant. Emergency medical number Call 913 and ask for an ambulance. Contact your insurance company quickly if you’re referred to a medical facility for treatment. Vaccine recommendations and health risks At least 8 weeks before your trip: check the latest vaccine recommendations for Guyana see where to get vaccines and whether you have to pay on the
Full health advice (FCDO) →Emergency Numbers
Police911
Ambulance913
Fire912
Health information sourced from UK FCDO. Always consult a travel health professional before departure.
Practical Info
Travel Essentials
Travel Guide
Frequently Asked Questions About Visiting Guyana
Entry requirements vary by passport. Check the requirements for your specific passport on the Guyana page at Yoogo.
Guyana's official currency is the Guyanese dollar (GYD), and cash is the dominant form of payment throughout the country. US dollars are widely accepted in Georgetown, though change is typically given in GYD. Credit cards are accepted at a limited number of upscale hotels, car rental agencies, and larger restaurants in the capital, often with a surcharge of 3–5%, and are rarely usable outside Georgetown.
Georgetown experiences higher rates of petty crime such as pickpocketing and bag-snatching, particularly around busy markets and the seawall, and extra care is warranted after dark. Guyana's interior regions, which include most of the country's main tourist destinations such as Kaieteur Falls, Iwokrama, and the Rupununi, are generally considered safe, and the majority of visitors travel there without incident. Travelling with a reputable tour operator and staying alert in urban areas significantly reduces risk.
Within Georgetown, yellow licensed taxis (identifiable by the letter H on their number plates) are the most convenient option, with fares negotiated in advance as there are no meters. Minibuses run fixed coastal routes at low fares and are the most common form of public transport between towns. Reaching interior destinations such as Kaieteur Falls and Iwokrama typically requires a small charter flight or a combination of road and river travel.
Guyana has two dry seasons: roughly September to November and February to April. These periods offer the most reliable conditions for visiting Kaieteur Falls, exploring rainforest trails, and wildlife watching in the Rupununi. The wet seasons (May to August, and December to January) bring heavy rains that can limit access to interior regions, though they also fill rivers and bring the landscape to vivid life.
English is Guyana's official language and the medium of instruction in schools, making it the only English-speaking country in South America. The majority of the population speaks Guyanese Creole (Creolese) as their everyday language, an English-based creole with African, Indigenous, and South Asian influences. Indigenous Amerindian languages are spoken in interior communities, and you will find some Hindi and Portuguese spoken in specific communities as well.
Yellow fever vaccination is strongly recommended for all travellers aged nine months and older, and a valid certificate may be required if arriving from a country with yellow fever risk. Malaria prophylaxis is advised for travel to interior regions, though the risk in coastal Georgetown is considered low. Hepatitis A and typhoid vaccinations are also commonly recommended; consult a travel health clinic well before your departure.