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Voykit pocket guide · Haiti
Cap-Haïtien
Kap Ayisyen
Base here 2–3 nights for the Citadelle and the north coast beaches; it is Haiti's calmest city, but read your government travel advice first.
Cap-Haïtien is Haiti's second city and the practical base for the north: the UNESCO-listed Citadelle Laferrière and Sans-Souci Palace at Milot, Labadee and the Cormier beach strip, and a compact colonial grid on the bay. Two or three nights covers the fortress day, a beach day and the town itself. The dry months from December to April are the easiest window; hurricane season runs June to November. Most visitors stay in the centre near Boulevard du Carénage or out at Cormier Plage, and spend roughly US$60–150 a day. The city is generally calmer than Port-au-Prince, but the country's security situation is volatile: check your own government's advice, keep airport and border transfers arranged through your hotel, and avoid moving after dark.
- Country
- Haiti
- Local name
- Kap Ayisyen
- Best months
- Dec–Apr (dry season)
- Avoid
- Jun–Nov (hurricane season); Sep–Oct wettest
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- HTG
- Money
- Cash in US dollars and gourdes runs daily life; see Insurance & payments above.
- Daily spend
- Budget US$40–70 excl. bed · Mid US$70–150 excl. bed · High US$150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- Emergency
- Police 114 · Ambulance 115 · Fire 116
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Plate of barbecue chicken with plantains and pikliz | G100–150 (about US$1–2) |
| Seafood main (conch or lobster) at a waterfront restaurant | US$8–15 |
| Prestige beer | a few dollars |
| Rum sour (Barbancourt) | a few dollars |
| Water taxi to Paradis beach | G1,000 and up |
| Tap-tap to Milot | about G15 |
| Taxi to the airport from town | about G100 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CAP · Cap-Haïtien International Airport (Hugo Chávez)
- About 5 km (3.1 mi) southeast of the centre on RN 6; small terminal, no ATM — bring cash for the departure tax.About 3.1 mi (5 km) southeast of the centre on RN 6; small terminal, no ATM — bring cash for the departure tax.
Typical fares
- Airport → centre, taxi
- US$5–10; drivers may ask US$20
- Tap-tap to Milot
- about G15
- Departure tax at CAP
- US$28 cash, no ATM at the airport
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre is compact and walkable; taxis and motor-taxis (tap-taps on fixed routes) cover longer hops. Arrange cars through your hotel for the Citadelle, Labadee and the border — safer and easier than hailing on the street, and a little pricier.
See and do
Known for
- Citadelle Laferrière (UNESCO)
- Sans-Souci Palace ruins at Milot
- Boulevard du Carénage waterfront
- Labadee and Cormier Plage beaches
- Haitian seafood, pikliz and Barbancourt rum
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Milot — Citadelle Laferrière and Sans-Souci Palace | Taxi or tap-tap to Milot, then hike or donkey up to the Citadelle | Full day |
| Labadee | Taxi on the paved mountain road northwest, about 10 km (6.2 mi)Taxi on the paved mountain road northwest, about 6.2 mi (10 km) | Half day |
| Tortuga (Île de la Tortue) | Road to the coast, then a boat crossing | Half to full day |
| Fort Liberté | Road east along the north coast | Half day each way |
| Ouanaminthe / Dajabón border (Dominican Republic) | Hotel-arranged driver, or an Agedetour van to the border with a bus onward | 3–5 h |
Sleep
- Boulevard du Carénage / centre
- Waterfront strip with the main restaurants, bars and mid-range hotels; walkable to the cathedral and Grand Place.
- Rue 24 / Rue A grid
- Inland colonial grid near the Hotel Roi Christophe; good for cheap eats and guesthouses.
- Cormier Plage (Route de Labadie)
- About 8 km (5 mi) north of town; beach resort with restaurant, best if you want the sea at the door.About 5 mi (8 km) north of town; beach resort with restaurant, best if you want the sea at the door.
- Hills above the bay
- Boutique hotels with bay views; you will need a taxi for every trip into town.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjoubon-zhoo |
| Thank you | Mèsimeh-see |
| How much is it? | Konbyen li ye?kon-byen lee yeh |
| Where is the toilet? | Kote twalèt la?ko-tay twa-let la |
| I don't understand | Mwen pa konprannmwen pa kon-pran |
| Help | Anmwean-mweh |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Scams and watch-outs
- Read your government's Haiti travel advice before booking; the security situation changes and this desk does not plan around it.
- Arrange airport, Milot and border transfers through your hotel rather than on the street.
- No ATM at the airport: carry cash for the US$28 departure tax and for taxis.
- Kleren (local moonshine) is often homemade and strong — drink at your own risk.
- The hike from Sans-Souci up to the Citadelle is steep and strenuous; hire a guide or a donkey at the trailhead.
- Avoid moving around after dark and keep valuables out of sight in markets.
Calmer than Port-au-Prince, but Haiti's security situation is volatile: check your government's advice, move with a hotel-arranged driver, and stay off the streets after dark.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Cap-Haïtien yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Citadelle Laferrière (UNESCO)
- Sans-Souci Palace ruins at Milot
- Boulevard du Carénage waterfront
- Labadee and Cormier Plage beaches
- Haitian seafood, pikliz and Barbancourt rum
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- UNESCO — National History Park: Citadel, Sans Souci, Ramiers: whc.unesco.org/en/list/180
- OpenStreetMap — Cap-Haïtien: www.openstreetmap.org/#map=14/19.7500/-72.2000
- Wikivoyage: Cap-Haïtien, revision 5271444 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5271444
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Cap-HaïtienKap Ayisyen
Ale nan adrès sa a, tanpri
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No US embassy in Cap-Haïtien; the embassy is in Port-au-Prince. Most other countries also cover Haiti from Port-au-Prince — check your own government's list.
Carry cash: ATMs are scarce and the airport has none.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/cap-haitien). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.