Guyana holidays
Guyana holidays at a glance
Our Guyana holidays take you somewhere very few travellers ever reach, a country where rainforest covers most of the land, few roads run into the interior and the wildlife is as wild as it gets. This is not a destination for everyone, and that’s the point. Most people come for the jungle, the birds and the chance to see giant otters, black caiman and giant anteaters in habitats that feel untouched.
Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America, a former British colony where cricket is the national sport and the culture blends Caribbean, Indian and Amerindian roots. Georgetown, the capital, is a low-rise city of wooden colonial buildings, Hindu temples and market stalls selling roti and pepperpot. From here you’ll fly by light aircraft over unbroken forest, then travel by boat along the rivers to remote lodges and Amerindian communities. This is adventure travel in the truest sense.
The Iwokrama Forest is a 371,000-hectare reserve with a canopy walkway 30m above the forest floor, where dawn puts you at eye level with toucans and howler monkeys. The reserve is one of the best places on the continent to look for a jaguar. Further south, the Rupununi savannah is where you’ll search for giant otters, giant anteaters and black caiman along the riverbanks. With more than 800 recorded bird species, Guyana pairs well with Suriname, or slots into a wider South America trip taking in Brazil, Peru or beyond.
Why choose Journey Latin America for your holiday to Guyana
We’ve been planning trips to Central and South America for over 45 years, longer than any other UK specialist. Every holiday is built around you by a Travel Expert who has been to the places they recommend, with support from your first enquiry to the day you fly home.
Guyana is for explorers. What you get is access to wildlife and landscapes that very few people ever see. The Iwokrama canopy walkway at dawn is extraordinary, and the Rupununi is unlike anywhere else.
When to visit Guyana
Guyana sits close to the equator and stays warm all year, around 25-30°C on the coast. The best time to visit depends on where you’re going, as the coast and the interior have different rainfall patterns.
The driest months, roughly mid-August to April, are the best time overall. In the Rupununi savannah this is prime wildlife season – water levels drop, animals gather around the remaining rivers and pools, giant otters are easier to spot and the tracks into the interior are in better shape. On the coast around Georgetown, mid-January to April and mid-July to mid-November are the most comfortable stretches, with September and November particularly good.
The wet seasons bring more rain but have their own rewards. The coast has two wet spells, May to mid-July and mid-November to mid-January, while the Rupununi has a single wet season from May to July. The Iwokrama Forest can be visited year-round, though the trails are muddier during the rains and birdwatching is good at any time.
Kaieteur Falls is dramatic year-round, but carries the most water during and just after the rains, when the volume thundering over the edge is at its peak. Whenever you travel, the falls are worth the flight.
This is the wet season in the north of the country and it is hot and humid. Everywhere else it is hot and humid but slightly drier. Travelling by boat during these months can be an easier and magical way to visit the interior.
Hot and humid but generally drier, this is a great time for wildlife viewing and exploring the country’s interior as attractions are more easily accessible.
The second wet season in the north of the country meaning it is hot, humid and overcast. Elsewhere it is drier but still hot and relatively humid.
Hot, humid but drier across the country. From September to November is another good time for wildlife spotting as roads and lodges are more accessible.
Places to visit in Guyana
Guyana’s highlights are spread across a vast, sparsely populated interior, linked by light aircraft and river boat. Most holidays pair Georgetown with two or three stops in the rainforest and savannah. Here’s where we recommend spending your time.
Georgetown & Kaieteur Falls holidays combine Guyana’s Caribbean-flavoured capital, with its colonial architecture, temples and canals, and the awe-inspiring Kaieteur Falls, which plunges 226 metres into the rainforest. Together, they offer an unforgettable introduction to one of South America’s most fascinating destinations.
The Interior
Guyana Interior holidays open onto South America’s last great wildernesses: vast rainforest, savannah and swampland barely touched by human hands, criss-crossed by rivers that gave the country its name, “Land of Many Waters”. Over 80% of Guyana is rainforest, and getting around in boats and light aircraft rather than roads, keeping this corner untouched.
Top Things to do in Guyana
From flying to one of the world’s most powerful waterfalls and walking the rainforest canopy to searching for giant otters and joining a caiman research project after dark, Guyana offers hands-on wildlife and adventure you won’t find elsewhere. Here’s what we recommend.
Get a bird’s-eye view of the jungle from the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway and climb Turtle Mountain to look out across the surrounding wilderness.
Soar over a remote and inaccessible waterfall in a propeller plane, landing nearby to peer over the edge as a huge volume of water plunges over a vertical cliff.
Seek out the rare harpy eagle at a nesting site and visit a Cock-of-the-Rock lek to see the vibrantly coloured male’s mating display.
Accommodation in Guyana
Accommodation in Guyana is simple, comfortable and all about location. We hand-pick every property, from Cara Lodge, a colonial guesthouse in Georgetown, to Atta Rainforest Lodge beside the Iwokrama canopy walkway, the community-run eco-lodges at Rewa and Surama, and Karanambu Lodge out on the Rupununi savannah. Expect good food, knowledgeable guides and the sounds of the forest or the river at night.
Modest rainforest lodge offering an intimate experience of Guyana’s rich flora and fauna, with basic but private accommodation near the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway.
Atmospheric guesthouse influenced by the tastes of Guyana’s Victorian colonial elite, housed in a wonderfully historic wooden building.
Locally run wildlife lodge with impeccable environmental credentials, offering the chance to enjoy the area’s rich flora and fauna and learn about the work of local researchers and conservationists.
A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.
Holidays to Guyana
From expertly designed Private Journeys to trail-blazing Escorted Group Tours, browse our range of carefully crafted holidays to Guyana.
Group Guyana Tours
Our group tours follow expertly designed, well-planned routes with an experienced local guide throughout. Prefer to keep it to your own party? Book the same trips privately for four or more.
Coq of the Rock: Trailblazing the Guianas
Places visited: Rio de Janeiro
16 days from £5,917
Makonaima: Discover the Three Guianas
Places visited: Georgetown and Kaieteur Falls
13 days from £7,359
Tailor-Made Guyana Tours
Prefer to travel on your own terms? We’ll build a trip around your dates, your pace and the things you most want to see – whether that’s a first run at Machu Picchu, a family adventure mixing history and wildlife, or a food-focused journey through Lima and the Sacred Valley. Our Travel Experts can help shape it with you.
Discovering The Hidden Guianas
Places visited: Georgetown and Kaieteur Falls · The Interior
15 days from £8,140
Guyana Wildlife: South America’s wild frontier
Places visited: Georgetown and Kaieteur Falls · The Interior
13 days from £6,070
Signature Guyana – Wildlife and Waterfalls
Places visited: Georgetown and Kaieteur Falls · The Interior
12 days from £6,350
FAQs about visiting Guyana
Guyana is one of the most popular destinations, and there’s plenty to think about before you go. Here, our specialists share their best advice.
- When is the best time to visit Guyana?
The climate in Guyana is typically hot with average daily temperatures of 27oC and it stays warm throughout the night. The north of the country experiences two wet seasons – May-Jun and Dec-Feb. The south and the Rupununi has only one wet season, May-Aug. The best months to visit for wildlife viewing and exploring the interior are Feb-Apr and Oct-Dec.
For more detailed information visit our When To Go section.
- What is the official language of Guyana?
The official language of Guyana is English.
- What is Guyana's official currency?
The official currency of Guyana is the Guyanese dollar. Notes can be withdrawn from ATM at the Scotia bank in Georgetown (protect your PIN number) using a UK credit or debit card. Some other banks will offer advances on a credit card. Otherwise you can change cash at hotels and money exchanges. Never change money on the street. Guyana is largely a cash economy though credit cards are accepted in some establishments used by tourists.
- What is the time difference between the UK and Guyana?
The time difference between the UK and Guyana is GMT-4 hours.
- Do I need a visa for Guyana?
Holders of a full British passport do not require a visa, although passports must be valid for at least 6 months after the trip begins. Anyone with a different nationality should enquire with us or check with the relevant consulate. If flying to the US, or via the US you will need to fill in your online ESTA application.
- What vaccinations do I need for Guyana?
Please check Travel Health Pro for information on health recommendations and vaccinations for the destinations you are visiting. Please note that many Latin American countries require proof of vaccination against Yellow Fever if you have recently travelled to another country where Yellow Fever is present.
- Which countries combine well with Guyana?
A visit to the two other Guianas, which sit east of Guyana along the coast: Suriname, colonised by the Dutch, and Guyane, still a French overseas département. It’s not easy to do independently: we recommend you join our annual small group guided tour, named Coq of the Rock.
- What are the festivals, cultural and sporting events in Guyana?
The religious festivals of all the main religions represented by the population are celebrated, Christian Christmas and Easter; Hindu Diwali; Muslim Eid al-Adha and Amerindian Mashramani.
Ready to start planning?
Tell us where you want to go, and we’ll take it from there. No obligation, no sales pitch – just a conversation with someone who knows the region inside out.