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Voykit pocket guide · Trinidad and Tobago
Port of Spain
Port of Spain is a morning-and-evening city: do downtown and the Savannah before the heat, rest indoors at midday, eat on Ariapita Avenue by taxi after dark — and check the Carnival calendar before you book.
Port of Spain is a working capital, not a resort: downtown is busy by day and empty at night, traffic is heavy, and crime means evenings are by taxi. The sights are compact but spread across four areas: the downtown square, Queen's Park Savannah, the botanic gardens and zoo, and the Woodbrook restaurant strip. Carnival (February or March, moving each year) reshapes the calendar and prices.
- Country
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Best months
- Jan · Apr · May · Dec
- Time zone
- America/Port_of_Spain
- Stay
- 2 days: Downtown and the Savannah, one evening in Woodbrook
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- TTD
- Money
- Cards work in hotels, malls and larger restaurants; carry TT$ cash for doubles, roti, maxi-taxis and markets. US dollars are taken in some tourist places at a poor rate: pay in TT$.
- Daily spend
- Budget TT$200–400 excl. bed · Mid TT$400–900 excl. bed · High TT$900+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Install an eSIM before you fly, or buy a prepaid SIM at a TSTT or Digicel store or mall counter (passport needed). Airport kiosks charge more.
- Emergency
- Police 999 · Fire 990 · Ambulance 811
- Plugs
- 115 V, 60 Hz; US-style two-pin sockets (types A and B). Most North American chargers work as they are.
- Tipping
- Many restaurants add a 10% service charge: check the bill, otherwise 10–15%. Round up for taxi drivers and porters.
- Water
- Tap water is treated and many locals drink it, but visitors usually stick to bottled or filtered water; supplies can be interrupted (check with your hotel).
- Toilets
- Hotels, malls, larger restaurants and the Botanic Gardens and zoo; few public toilets downtown. Carry tissues and hand gel.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Doubles | TT$6–15 |
| Roti (curry filling) | TT$45–90 |
| Local beer, bar | TT$20–35 |
| Coconut water | TT$10–20 |
| Taxi across the centre | TT$30–70 |
| Maxi-taxi or route taxi ride | TT$4–10 |
| Prepaid SIM with data, about a week | TT$100–200 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- Piarco International Airport (POS)
- POS to downtown: one licensed airport taxi or pre-booked car, 45–90 minutes depending on traffic — the risk is a late landing with no ride arranged, not the distance.
By rail and road
| Station | Serves | To the centre |
|---|---|---|
| Port of Spain ferry terminal (Ferry terminal, Wrightson Road) | Scarborough, Tobago | Taxi 5–10 min, TT$20–40 |
| City Gate (City Gate bus and maxi hub) | PTSC buses and maxi-taxis to the east, north and south | Taxi 5 min or a short walk in daylight |
| South Quay terminal (South Quay) | Route taxis and maxis to the south and west | Taxi 5 min |
| Route taxi stands | Shared cars on set routes (Belmont, St James, Diego Martin, Arima) | Already there |
Typical fares
- Piarco airport to downtown, taxi
- About TT$220–350 (fixed rates; check), 30–60 min
- Downtown to Savannah, taxi
- TT$30–50
- Maxi-taxi in town
- TT$4–10
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; a taxi or ride-hail car between clusters and after dark. Maxis and route taxis are cheap but confusing for a first visit.
| How | Fare | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | Free | Inside downtown and the Savannah by day |
| Taxi (hotel-booked or dispatched) | TT$30–70 across the centre | Between clusters, bags, night |
| Ride-hailing app | Similar to taxis (check) | When available |
| Route taxi (shared car) | TT$4–8 | Locals' routes, short hops |
| Maxi-taxi (minibus) | TT$4–10 | Cross-town and to the suburbs |
| PTSC bus | Low fares by zone (check) | Longer routes |
| Hired car with driver | TT$800–1,500 a day (check) | Day trips and a Carnival day |
| Rented car | TT$300–500 a day | Independent trips outside the city |
Fares are estimates; check before you ride.
- Passes
- No pass. Use ride-hailing or a trusted taxi; agree the fare before you get in. Route taxis and maxis are cheap but confusing for a first visit.
- Late at night
- No rail. Maxi-taxis thin out after dark: ask the hotel to book the ride back before you go out.
See and do
01Dawn at Queen's Park SavannahThe Savannah
260 acres of open park with joggers, coconut vendors and the Magnificent Seven along the west edge.
Hours: best 06:30–08:00 · Price: Free; coconut water TT$10–20 · Time: 1–1.5 hHours: best 6:30 AM–8:00 AM · Price: Free; coconut water TT$10–20 · Time: 1–1.5 h · 10.6690, -61.5165
02Independence Square and the cathedral
The long downtown square and the twin-towered cathedral; busy on weekdays.
Hours: best 08:00–10:00 · Price: Free · Time: 1 hHours: best 8:00 AM–10:00 AM · Price: Free · Time: 1 h · 10.6525, -61.5100
03Royal Botanic Gardens
Shaded lawns and mature trees, laid out in 1818.
Hours: best 08:00–10:00 · Price: Free or small fee (check) · Time: 1–1.5 hHours: best 8:00 AM–10:00 AM · Price: Free or small fee (check) · Time: 1–1.5 h · 10.6770, -61.5165
04Emperor Valley Zoo
A small shaded zoo of local species; good with children.
Hours: best 09:00–11:00 · Price: About TT$20–40 (check) · Time: 1.5 hHours: best 9:00 AM–11:00 AM · Price: About TT$20–40 (check) · Time: 1.5 h · 10.6785, -61.5150
05Dinner on Ariapita AvenueAriapita Avenue
The restaurant and bar strip; roti, seafood and cocktails by taxi.
Hours: best 18:00–21:00 · Price: TT$140–300 · Time: 2 hHours: best 6:00 PM–9:00 PM · Price: TT$140–300 · Time: 2 h · 10.6610, -61.5230
06Doubles for breakfastDoubles vendors
The national breakfast, made fresh at roadside stalls; cheap and quick.
Hours: best 06:00–09:00 · Price: TT$6–15 · Time: 20 minHours: best 6:00 AM–9:00 AM · Price: TT$6–15 · Time: 20 min · 10.6510, -61.5090
07The Magnificent SevenStollmeyer's Castle
Seven grand houses along the Savannah, including Stollmeyer's Castle.
Hours: best Morning · Price: Free from the road · Time: 45 min · 10.6695, -61.5185
08Maracas Bay and bake and shark
The classic beach day, 45–60 min by car.
Hours: best Weekday morning · Price: TT$45–80 for a bake and shark plus the taxi · Time: Half day
09Caroni Bird Sanctuary at dusk
Scarlet ibis fly in to roost; a boat tour through the mangroves.
Hours: best Late afternoon · Price: TT$150–250 (check) · Time: 3 h
10Carnival week
The reason many visitors come: pan, soca and the parade of bands.
Hours: best Feb or Mar · Price: Bands from US$400 (check) · Time: Week
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Maracas Bay | Taxi or hired car over the Saddle, about 45–60 min | Half day, leave by 09:00Half day, leave by 9:00 AM |
| Caroni Bird Sanctuary | Tour with pick-up, about 30–40 min | Late afternoon to dusk, about 3 h |
| Chaguaramas and Gaspar Grande | Car or taxi 30–40 min, then a boat | Half day |
| Asa Wright Nature Centre (Arima Valley) | Hired car or tour, about 1.5 h each way | Full day |
| Pitch Lake, La Brea | Car or tour, about 1.5–2 h each way | Full day, usually combined with the south |
| Tobago | Flight 20–25 min or ferry about 3–4 h (check) | Two nights minimum |
Eat
| Where | What · area | Price | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doubles stalls | Doubles · Downtown | TT$6–15 | Budget |
| Roti shops | Roti with curry filling · Woodbrook and downtown | TT$45–90 | Budget |
| Savannah vendors | Corn soup and coconut water · Savannah | TT$10–40 | Budget |
| Pholourie and aloo pie | Fried snacks · Roadside vendors | TT$5–15 | Budget |
| Breakfast Shed | Local lunch plate · Waterfront | TT$50–100 | Mid-range |
| Ariapita Avenue restaurants | Restaurant dinner · Ariapita Avenue | TT$140–300 | Mid-range |
| Bake and shark | Fried shark in a fried bake with toppings · Maracas Bay (or city stalls) | TT$45–80 | Mid-range |
| Upmarket hotel and Woodbrook restaurants | Modern Caribbean tasting menus and grills · Woodbrook and St Clair | TT$300–700 | Splurge |
Per person, one dish or one meal, 2026 estimate in TT$. Addresses change: check the day before.
Sleep
| Band | Price a night | Where | What |
|---|---|---|---|
| budget | TT$450–700 double | Woodbrook and Belmont | Guesthouses, B&Bs |
| mid | TT$700–1,400 | Downtown and Woodbrook | Business hotels, boutique hotels |
| splurge | TT$1,800–3,500+ | Downtown and St Clair | International chains and boutique villas |
Per room per night in TT$, 2026 estimate; Carnival adds 50–150% or more.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Good morning / afternoon (say it first) | Good morningAlways greet before you ask anything: it is expected |
| How are you? | Yuh good?yuh good |
| Doubles with slight pepper | Doubles, slight pepperdub-belz, slite pep-per |
| No pepper, please | No pepper, pleaseOr ask for 'mild' |
| Roti with no meat | Aloo and channa rotia-loo an chun-na roh-tee |
| Driver, stop here | Next stop, driverCall it out or tap the roof once |
| Hanging out | A limelyme |
| Fuss, trouble or a scene | Bacchanalbak-a-nal |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greetings: Say good morning or good afternoon before asking anything: skipping it is rude.
- Dress: Casual and light; beachwear only at the beach. Camouflage-pattern clothing is illegal for civilians.
- Temples, mosques and churches: Shoulders and knees covered; remove shoes at temples and mosques; ask before photographing worshippers.
- Photos: Ask before photographing people and at religious sites; do not photograph police or military.
- Tipping: 10–15% in restaurants without a service charge; round up for drivers.
- Pace: Things run on 'Trinidad time': allow slack and stay friendly.
- Carnival: Costumes and colours belong to the bands: do not grab or wear another band's gear; ask before joining a group.
Red lines
- Camouflage clothing is illegal for civilians.
- Dress respectfully at mosques, temples and churches.
- Ask before photographing people.
Scams and watch-outs
- Unlicensed taxis at the airport and downtown: use the airport taxi desk, a hotel-booked car or an app, and agree the fare before you get in.
- Fake 'guides' or 'friends' at Carnival and in the Savannah who walk you to a bar or a shop: choose your own place.
- Card skimming at some ATMs and shops: use ATMs inside banks or malls and keep the card in sight.
- Mobile phones and jewellery snatched from hands and necks: keep them out of sight in the street.
One and two days
1 day
A stopover or a day before Tobago. Skip: Fort George and the museum: only if you have a car and daylight.
- 06:306:30 AMSavannah at dawn, coconut water
- 08:308:30 AMBotanic Gardens
- 10:3010:30 AMIndependence Square and the cathedral
- 12:3012:30 PMLunch at the Breakfast Shed
- 14:002:00 PMHotel rest
- 18:306:30 PMDinner on Ariapita Avenue by taxi
2 days
The usual stay for the city. Skip: Late walks: the evening is by taxi.
Day 1 — downtown
- 08:008:00 AMIndependence Square and Woodford Square
- 10:0010:00 AMCathedral, then National Museum
- 12:3012:30 PMLunch at the Breakfast Shed
- 18:306:30 PMDinner in Woodbrook
Day 2 — Savannah and gardens
- 06:306:30 AMSavannah at dawn
- 08:308:30 AMBotanic Gardens and zoo
- 12:0012:00 PMRoti 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.
- Trinidad and Tobago tourism (official): www.gotrinidadandtobago.com/
- UK FCDO travel advice: Trinidad and Tobago: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/trinidad-and-tobago
- Wikivoyage — Port of Spain: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Port_of_Spain
- Wikivoyage — Trinidad and Tobago: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Trinidad_and_Tobago
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Port of Spain
Take me to this address, please
Please take me to this address
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Take me to
- The SavannahQueen's Park Savannah
- Ariapita AvenueAriapita Avenue restaurants
- Doubles vendorsDoubles stalls
- Stollmeyer's CastleStollmeyer's Castle (Killarney) and the Magnificent Seven
Most embassies are in St Clair and the Savannah area (US: Queen's Park West). Write your own embassy's 24-hour line below.
Give the taxi a street name and a landmark; drivers know landmarks better than house numbers.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/port-of-spain). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.