Find places in Guyana

Must-Haves

• Stabroek Market (Water Street)
  The iron clock tower market by the Demerara River is the beating heart of the city, best visited in the morning with a local.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Bourda Market (Robb Street)
  A busier, less touristy market for tropical fruit, fresh fish, greens and cheap street snacks.

Off the Beaten Path

• Kitty Market (Kitty)
  A small neighbourhood market where locals buy produce and grab breakfast near the seawall.

Fun for Everyone

• Giftland Mall (Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara)
  Guyana's largest mall with a food court, cinema and shops, cool on a hot day.
• Amazonia Mall (Providence, East Bank Demerara)
  A modern mall with shops, restaurants and a cinema near the stadium.

Must-Haves

• St. George's Cathedral (North Road)
  One of the tallest wooden churches in the world, a white Gothic landmark that is quietly breathtaking inside.
• National Museum of Guyana (North Road)
  An old fashioned but fascinating collection of natural history, including a giant sloth replica and local wildlife.

Off the Beaten Path

• Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology (Main Street)
  A small museum in a colonial house that tells the story of Guyana's Indigenous peoples through artefacts.

Great for Date Night

• Castellani House (Vlissengen Road)
  The National Art Gallery, set in an elegant wooden mansion with Guyanese paintings and sculpture.

Fun for Everyone

• Umana Yana (Kingston)
  A striking thatched benab built in the style of Wai Wai Indigenous architecture, rebuilt after a fire.

Must-Haves

• Georgetown Seawall (Kingston to Kitty)
  Locals walk, jog and lime along the seawall at sunset, especially on Sunday evenings.
• El Dorado Rum Heritage Centre (Diamond, East Bank Demerara)
  Tour the home of El Dorado rum and its historic wooden stills, then taste the aged Demerara rums.

Fun for Everyone

• Demerara Harbour Bridge (Demerara River)
  One of the longest floating bridges in the world, a memorable crossing on the way west.
• MovieTowne Guyana (Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara)
  A cinema, restaurant and entertainment complex popular with families and dating couples.
• Providence Stadium (Providence, East Bank Demerara)
  Watch West Indies cricket or the Caribbean Premier League in a lively Guyanese crowd.

Must-Haves

• Georgetown Botanical Gardens (Vlissengen Road)
  Lily ponds, manatees, kingfishers and huge trees make this the city's favourite green escape.

Fun for Everyone

• Guyana Zoo (Botanical Gardens)
  A modest zoo where children can see harpy eagles, jaguars, giant otters and manatees up close.
• National Park (Thomas Lands)
  Open lawns for kite flying at Easter, family picnics and big Emancipation Day gatherings.

Great for Date Night

• Promenade Gardens (Middle Street)
  A peaceful little garden with a bandstand, shade trees and colourful flowers right in the centre.

Off the Beaten Path

• Arrowpoint Nature Resort (Kamuni Creek)
  A river lodge an hour from the city for kayaking, birding and Indigenous village visits.

Must-Haves

• Shanta's Puri Shop (Camp Street)
  A Georgetown institution for roti, puri, curry and chutney eaten fast and hot.

Great for Date Night

• Backyard Café (Bent Street, Wortmanville)
  Chef Delven Adams cooks a market fresh Guyanese menu in his own backyard, booked ahead.
• Bottle Bar and Restaurant at Cara Lodge (Quamina Street)
  Candlelit dining in a historic wooden hotel, ideal for a calm evening out.
• Brazil Churrascaria and Pizzaria (Alexander Street)
  Endless grilled meats served Brazilian style, a lively choice for groups and celebrations.

Low Cost and Authentic

• German's Restaurant (Mundy Street, Albouystown)
  Famous for its rich cow heel soup and Creole lunches that locals have loved for decades.

Must-Haves

• Oasis Café (Carmichael Street)
  A relaxed café with good coffee, pastries and wifi, a reliable first stop for new arrivals.

Off the Beaten Path

• Coconut water vendors (Seawall and markets)
  Fresh green coconuts cut open with a cutlass, the best way to stay cool.

Fun for Everyone

• Sheriff Street (Campbellville)
  The city's famous nightlife strip, lined with bars, rum shops and late night food.

Must-Haves

• Mashramani (Citywide)
  Guyana's Republic Day carnival in February, with costume bands, steel pan and calypso on the streets.
• Diwali Motorcade (Citywide)
  Hundreds of lit up floats wind through the streets on the eve of the national Diwali holiday.

Fun for Everyone

• Phagwah (Citywide)
  The spring Hindu festival of colours, celebrated with powder, water and music across the country.
• Easter kite flying (Seawall and National Park)
  On Easter Monday the sky fills with homemade kites, a uniquely Guyanese tradition.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Emancipation Day (National Park)
  On 1 August families gather for African food, drumming and a celebration of freedom.

Must-Haves

• Cara Lodge (Quamina Street)
  A charming historic wooden hotel in the heart of the city with a lovely garden bar.
• Guyana Marriott Hotel Georgetown (Kingston)
  The city's best known international hotel by the seawall, with a pool and sea views.

Great for Date Night

• Herdmanston Lodge (Peter Rose Street, Queenstown)
  A quiet colonial guesthouse in a leafy neighbourhood, close to good restaurants.

Fun for Everyone

• Ramada Georgetown Princess Hotel (Providence, East Bank Demerara)
  A large resort style hotel with a pool and casino, handy for the airport road and stadium.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Grand Coastal Hotel (Le Ressouvenir, East Coast Demerara)
  A comfortable mid-range hotel east of the city with a pool and easy access to the malls.

Must-Haves

• Bartica Regatta (Bartica waterfront)
  Bartica's Easter weekend of speedboat races, beach parties and music.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Bartica Stelling (Bartica waterfront)
  Watch speedboats come and go at the town's busy jetty, the gateway to the interior.

Off the Beaten Path

• Parika Stelling (Parika, East Bank Essequibo)
  The busy boat terminal where speedboats leave for Bartica, full of snacks and bustle.

Fun for Everyone

• Lake Mainstay Resort (Essequibo Coast)
  A blackwater lake resort on the Essequibo Coast with a beach, swimming and a holiday mood.

Off the Beaten Path

• Fort Kyk Over Al (Mazaruni River)
  The ruins of an early Dutch fort on a tiny island where three rivers meet.

Must-Haves

• Marshall Falls (Mazaruni River)
  A short boat ride and forest walk lead to cascades where you can cool off.

Off the Beaten Path

• Sloth Island Nature Resort (Essequibo River)
  A simple lodge on a forested island for birding, sloth spotting and swimming.

Fun for Everyone

• Essequibo River beaches (Essequibo River)
  Sandbars and river beaches appear in the dry season for swimming and picnics.

Must-Haves

• Baganara Island Resort (Essequibo River)
  A private island resort with a sandy beach and its own airstrip, ideal for a calm escape.

Great for Date Night

• Hurakabra River Resort (Essequibo River)
  A small family run riverside resort with sandy shore, kayaks and a very peaceful pace.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Bartica Market (First Avenue)
  A lively river town market where gold miners and farmers stock up before heading inland.

Fun for Everyone

• Easter Regatta beach party (Bartica waterfront)
  Thousands travel upriver at Easter to dance on the riverside, a true local party.

Must-Haves

• Kaieteur National Park (Potaro River)
  A single drop waterfall of extraordinary height plunging into a deep green gorge.
• Golden rocket frog spotting (Kaieteur National Park)
  Look for tiny golden frogs living in giant tank bromeliads near the viewpoints.

Off the Beaten Path

• Orinduik Falls (Ireng River)
  Terraced falls on the Brazil border where you can sit in warm, flowing water.

Fun for Everyone

• Kaieteur viewpoints (Kaieteur National Park)
  Several unfenced viewpoints give dramatic views; follow your guide and keep children close.

Must-Haves

• Karanambu Lodge (North Rupununi)
  A historic ranch famous for giant otter conservation, giant anteaters and river trips.
• Rock View Lodge (Annai)
  A friendly ranch lodge with gardens and a pool at the foot of the Pakaraima Mountains.

Off the Beaten Path

• Caiman House (Yupukari)
  A community lodge where you can join black caiman research by night.
• Rewa Eco Lodge (Rewa)
  A remote community lodge for arapaima, giant otters and pristine rivers.

Fun for Everyone

• Surama Eco Lodge (Surama)
  An Indigenous owned lodge with forest walks, birding and Burro Burro river trips.

Must-Haves

• Rupununi Rodeo (Lethem)
  Easter weekend cowboy contests, horse races and Indigenous food in Lethem.

Must-Haves

• Rupununi savannah (North and South Rupununi)
  Vast grasslands with termite mounds, jabiru storks, giant anteaters and huge skies.
• Giant otters on the Rupununi River (Karanambu)
  Evening boat trips to watch giant otters and the giant water lily open.

Off the Beaten Path

• Kanuku Mountains (South Rupununi)
  Forested mountains rich in birds and wildlife, explored with community guides.

Off the Beaten Path

• Takutu Bridge (Lethem)
  The bridge to Bonfim in Brazil, where two cultures meet at the border.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Lethem market and shops (Lethem)
  A small border town where Portuguese mixes with English and Brazilian goods fill the shops.

Must-Haves

• Iwokrama River Lodge (Kurupukari)
  The research centre's riverside lodge, the base for jaguar spotting and forest walks.

Great for Date Night

• Atta Rainforest Lodge (Atta)
  A rainforest lodge by the canopy walkway with great birding and night walks.

Must-Haves

• Iwokrama Canopy Walkway (Atta)
  Swaying bridges high in the treetops, magical at dawn for birds and howler monkeys.
• Turtle Mountain (Iwokrama Forest)
  A boat trip and climb to a summit view over endless rainforest.

Off the Beaten Path

• Night caiman spotting (Essequibo River, Kurupukari)
  Torchlit boat rides reveal caiman eyes and nightjars along the riverbanks.
• Guianan cock of the rock lek (Near Kurupukari)
  A short hike to see the brilliant orange cock of the rock displaying.

Fun for Everyone

• Burro Burro River paddling (Surama)
  Quiet dugout canoe trips with guides for river otters, tapirs and birds.

Off the Beaten Path

• Kurupukari river crossing (Essequibo River)
  The pontoon crossing of the Essequibo on the road south, an adventure in itself.

Must-Haves

• Berbice River Bridge (New Amsterdam)
  A floating bridge across the Berbice River into the historic old town.

Fun for Everyone

• Albion Sports Complex (Albion, Corentyne)
  A cricket ground with a proud local following in the cane country of Berbice.

Off the Beaten Path

• Moleson Creek ferry (Corentyne)
  The ferry across the Corentyne River to Suriname, for travellers continuing east.

Low Cost and Authentic

• New Amsterdam Market (Strand)
  A Berbice market for fruit, fish, Indian sweets and everyday bustle.

Must-Haves

• All Saints Anglican Church (New Amsterdam)
  A graceful wooden church that reflects the town's colonial heritage.

Off the Beaten Path

• Rose Hall Town (Corentyne)
  A small town known for its cricket heritage and as a centre of Berbice life.

Off the Beaten Path

• Number 63 Beach (Corentyne Coast)
  A long, wild Atlantic beach where Berbicians gather on holidays.