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Voykit pocket guide · Suriname
Paramaribo
Paramaribo is a morning-and-evening city: walk the wooden centre and the river before 10:30, rest at midday, eat at the riverside stalls after 18:00 — and take a car after dark.
Paramaribo's historic centre is compact and flat, but it is hot and humid all year, pavements are uneven and taxis are the way home after dark. Four clusters cover a first visit: the river and the fort, the mosque-and-synagogue street, the market and the hotel strip by the river. The airport is 45 km away, so every arrival and departure is a full hour on the road.
- Country
- Suriname
- Best months
- Feb · Mar · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov
- Time zone
- America/Paramaribo
- Stay
- 2 days: The river and Fort Zeelandia, Keizerstraat and the market
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- SRD
- Money
- Cards work in larger hotels and some restaurants; cash (SRD, and often US dollars or euros) for the market, small restaurants, warungs and taxis. Change for large notes is hard to find.
- Daily spend
- Budget SRD 900–1,700 excl. bed · Mid SRD 1,700–3,800 excl. bed · High SRD 3,800+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Buy a prepaid SIM in the city (passport needed) or install an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police 115 · Hotel front desk Ask for ambulance and fire numbers
- Plugs
- 127 V, 60 Hz; two-pin sockets (types C and F). Bring an adapter.
- Tipping
- A service charge is sometimes added; otherwise about 10% in restaurants. Round up for drivers.
- Water
- Use bottled or filtered water; ice in restaurants is usually factory-made.
- Toilets
- Hotels, restaurants, malls.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | SRD 30–70 |
| Roti meal | SRD 120–260 |
| Warung plate | SRD 100–250 |
| Parbo beer | SRD 50–120 |
| Taxi across the centre | SRD 100–250 |
| Bottled water | SRD 15–35 |
| Fort or museum entry | SRD 50–200 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport (PBM)
- PBM to the historic centre: one pre-booked hotel transfer or airport taxi, 60–90 minutes — the risk is a late landing with no pickup arranged, not the distance.
By rail and road
| Station | Serves | To the centre |
|---|---|---|
| Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport (PBM) (Zanderij) | Flights from Amsterdam, Miami, Curaçao, Aruba, Port of Spain and Georgetown (check current routes) | Taxi or hotel car 45–60 min; pre-book, especially at night |
| Zorg en Hoop Airport (ORG) (Zorg en Hoop) | Small planes to the interior and the coast | Taxi 15–25 min |
| Bridge and river crossings (Jules Wijdenbosch bridge) | Commewijne and the east | Car 15–30 min |
| Bus terminals (Minibuses and buses) | City and country routes | Walk or taxi |
Typical fares
- Airport to the centre, taxi
- About US$40–60, 45–60 min (check)
- Taxi across the centre
- SRD 100–250, agree first
Show 8 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Eat, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk inside a cluster by day; take a taxi between clusters and after dark. There is no metro or tram.
| How | Fare | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | Free | Inside the historic centre by day |
| Taxi | SRD 100–250 across town | Between clusters, after dark |
| Hotel or tour car | By arrangement | Airport and day trips |
| Public buses | A few SRD | Locals' routes |
| Rental car or driver | From about US$50 a day (check) | Day trips |
| Bicycle | Rental varies | Short rides in the centre |
Fares are estimates; check before you ride.
- Passes
- No pass. Taxis rarely have working meters: agree the fare before you get in.
- Late at night
- No rail. Buses stop early and are not a visitor plan: ask the hotel to book the taxi back before you go out.
See and do
01Fort Zeelandia
The old river fort and museum, and the city's clearest history lesson.
Hours: best 08:30–10:30 · Price: SRD 50–150 (check) · Time: 1–1.5 hHours: best 8:30 AM–10:30 AM · Price: SRD 50–150 (check) · Time: 1–1.5 h · 5.8235, -55.1495
02Mosque and synagogue on KeizerstraatMoskee en Synagoge
Two places of worship side by side: the city in one image.
Hours: best Morning · Price: Free · Time: 20–30 min · 5.8278, -55.1595
03Independence SquareOnafhankelijkheidsplein
The palace, the ministries and the wooden buildings around a green square.
Hours: best 07:00–09:00 · Price: Free · Time: 20–30 minHours: best 7:00 AM–9:00 AM · Price: Free · Time: 20–30 min · 5.8250, -55.1520
04The PalmentuinPalmentuin
A shaded garden of tall palms behind the palace.
Hours: best Morning · Price: Free · Time: 30–45 min · 5.8245, -55.1535
05The Central MarketCentrale Markt
The city's food and daily life in one hall.
Hours: best 07:00–09:30 · Price: Free · Time: 45–60 minHours: best 7:00 AM–9:30 AM · Price: Free · Time: 45–60 min · 5.8235, -55.1585
06The wooden cathedralSint-Petrus-en-Paulusbasiliek
One of the largest wooden churches in the Americas; check opening.
Hours: best Morning · Price: Free (check) · Time: 20 min · 5.8270, -55.1525
07Warung dinner on the WaterkantWaterkant warungs
Javanese and Creole plates by the river at dusk.
Hours: best 18:00–21:00 · Price: SRD 100–250 · Time: 1–1.5 hHours: best 6:00 PM–9:00 PM · Price: SRD 100–250 · Time: 1–1.5 h · 5.8245, -55.1510
08Commewijne plantations
Old plantation houses and the river.
Hours: best Dry season · Price: SRD 900–1,800 (check) · Time: Full day
09Jodensavanne
A 17th-century Jewish settlement site.
Hours: best Dry season · Price: SRD 1,100–2,200 (check) · Time: Full day with river
10Peperpot nature park
Birds and monkeys on a former plantation.
Hours: best Early morning · Price: SRD 50–100 (check) · Time: Half day
Hours and prices are desk estimates (checked 2026-09); anything marked (check) is not confirmed. Coordinates open in any map app.
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Commewijne plantations | Bridge and road or boat, 1–1.5 h each way | Full day — leave 08:00Full day — leave 8:00 AM |
| Jodensavanne | Car or tour, 1.5–2 h each way | Full day |
| Peperpot nature park | Taxi and boat, about 45 min | Half day |
| Bigi Pan | Car or tour, about 2 h each way | Full day |
| Brownsberg | Tour, 3+ h | Overnight recommended |
Eat
| Where | What · area | Price | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broodje bakkeljauw snack | Broodje bakkeljauw · Centre | SRD 50–100 | Budget |
| Hindustani roti shop | Roti with chicken · Market district | SRD 120–200 | Budget |
| Waterkant evening warungs | Bami, nasi or pom · Waterkant | SRD 100–250 | Mid |
| Creole pom lunch | Pom · Keizerstraat | SRD 150–300 | Mid |
| Chinese-Surinamese dinner | Bami and foe yong hai · Centre | SRD 180–350 | Mid |
| Hotel restaurant on the river | Seafood or steak · Torarica | SRD 400–800 | Treat |
Per person, one dish or one meal, 2026 estimate in SRD. Addresses change; check locally.
Sleep
| Band | Price a night | Where | What |
|---|---|---|---|
| budget | US$25–50 | Historic centre guesthouses | Guesthouses and hostels in wooden houses |
| mid | US$60–120 | Historic centre, riverside | Boutique wooden hotels, city hotels |
| high | US$130+ | Torarica and Rainville | Riverside resorts |
Per room per night, 2026 estimate; many hotels quote in US dollars.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | OdiOH-dee |
| Good day (Sranan) | Bun deiboon day |
| Thank you | TangiTAHN-gee |
| Thank you (Dutch) | Dank u weldahnk oo vel |
| Please (Dutch) | AlstublieftAHL-stoo-bleeft |
| Do you speak English? | Spreekt u Engels?sprayt oo ENG-els |
| How much is it? | Hoeveel kost het?hoo-VAYL kost het |
| Not too spicy, please | Niet te pittig, alstublieftneet tuh PIT-ikh, AHL-stoo-bleeft |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Mosques and temples: Cover shoulders and knees, take shoes off where asked, and ask before photographing.
- Greetings: Greet people with a hello when you enter a shop; a short Dutch or Sranan greeting helps.
- Photography: Ask before photographing people; do not photograph police, military or government buildings.
- Religious spaces: The mosque and synagogue on Keizerstraat are active places of worship: keep voices low.
- Left-hand driving: Traffic drives on the left; look right first when you cross.
- Tipping: A service charge is sometimes added; otherwise about 10% in restaurants.
- Dress: Casual, light clothing is fine; beachwear is for the pool.
Red lines
- Mosques, temples and churches: cover shoulders and knees and take shoes off where asked.
- Do not photograph police, military or government buildings.
- Ask before photographing people.
Scams and watch-outs
- Taxi drivers who say there is no meter and name a high price: agree the fare before you get in, or use a hotel car.
- Street money changers: use banks and licensed cambios only.
- Bag and phone snatching in the market and on empty streets: keep valuables out of sight.
- Unlicensed tour touts near the Waterkant: book through your hotel or a licensed operator.
One and two days
1 day
A stopover or a day before the interior. Skip: Plantation trips and the interior.
- 07:307:30 AMIndependence Square and Palmentuin
- 09:009:00 AMFort Zeelandia
- 11:0011:00 AMAir-conditioned café rest
- 12:3012:30 PMLunch at a roti shop
- 16:304:30 PMKeizerstraat mosque and synagogue
- 18:306:30 PMWarung dinner by taxi
2 days
Two nights. Skip: A plantation day.
Day 1
- 07:307:30 AMIndependence Square
- 09:009:00 AMFort Zeelandia
- 18:306:30 PMWarung dinner
Day 2
- 07:307:30 AMCentral Market
- 09:309:30 AMKeizerstraat
- 12:3012:30 PMPom lunch
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Government of Suriname (official portal): www.gov.sr/
- Suriname tourism information: www.suriname.nu/
- UK FCDO travel advice: Suriname: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/suriname
- Wikivoyage — Paramaribo: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Paramaribo
- UNESCO — Historic Inner City of Paramaribo: whc.unesco.org/en/list/940
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Paramaribo
Brengt u mij naar dit adres, alstublieft
Please take me to this address
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Take me to
- Moskee en SynagogeMosque and synagogue on Keizerstraat
- OnafhankelijkheidspleinIndependence Square and the Presidential Palace
- PalmentuinPalmentuin (palm garden)
- Centrale MarktCentral Market
- Sint-Petrus-en-PaulusbasiliekSt Peter and Paul Cathedral
- Waterkant warungsWaterkant evening warungs
- Police115
- Hotel front deskAsk for ambulance and fire numbers
The US embassy is on Kristalstraat and the Netherlands embassy on Van Roseveltkade (check).
Show the street name and number in Dutch; many taxis also use WhatsApp.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/paramaribo). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.