Region
Saint Helena
Sleep in Jamestown; use a car or taxi for one island loop; plan around the flight.
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Key facts · Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
- Best months
- Sep–May
- Currency
- Saint Helena pound at par with sterling
- Language
- English, with a distinctive Saint Helenian dialect
- Plugs
- G · 240 V
- Time zone
- UTC+0 all year
Rules in force · 8Nine African countries on this site have no trip line bec…
- Africa ↗When a route touches a yellow-fever country — even a transit of 12 hours or more — keep the original yellow card (ICVP) in your hand luggage; health desks and airlines can refuse boarding or entry without it.
- Africa ↗Nine African countries on this site have no trip line because governments advise against travel; several others have no-go regions. Read your government's advice for every country on the route before paying deposits.
- African islands ↗Sleep on the island you fly home from the night before your long-haul departure; inter-island flights and ferries in this region are cancelled or rescheduled often enough to break a same-day connection.
- African islands ↗In the Indian Ocean islands book flexible rates for December to March: a cyclone warning can shut airports, ferries and roads for two or three days.
- Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha ↗Entry rules are set by each island's government, not the UK: Saint Helena issues a short-term entry permit on arrival (about £20, cash) to visitors with a return ticket, booked accommodation and medical-evacuation insurance of at least £175,000 (check).
- Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha ↗Ascension has no right of abode; visitors need a visa arranged before travel through the Ascension Island Government, with a return ticket, accommodation and at least £500,000 of medical insurance (check).
- Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha ↗Tristan da Cunha requires prior approval from the Island Council, and berths on the few ships from Cape Town are limited.
- Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha ↗Carry travel insurance that includes medical evacuation; hospital facilities are limited and evacuation is long and expensive.
Saint Helena is small but steep. Jamestown is the base; the interior (Longwood, Diana's Peak) needs a car or taxi. The flight decides the length of the stay, so keep spare days.
Where to sleep
Plan the nights
How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags
Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags
Night sequences
- 5 nights
- Jamestown 5, one island loop by car
- 7 nights
- Jamestown 3 + island loop + a boat trip + spare day
- Flights and shipping are the risk: keep insurance with medical evacuation.
Day-trips door to door
| To | From | Door-to-door p50 | Last return | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longwood (Napoleon's house and the interior) | Jamestown | 30 min | unknown | Steep road by car or taxi; book the ride in advance. |
| Diana's Peak | Jamestown | 40 min | unknown | Car to the trailhead, then a walk on wet trails. |
Bags between cities
No luggage forwarding culture: keep your Jamestown bed for the stay and take a day pack.
When to go
Months and weather
Open When to goClose When to go1 partSeasons
Seasons at a glance
Pick a month to see where to go.
Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table
| Country | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamestown | go | go | go | go | go | ok | ok | ok | go | go | go | go |
| Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (country-wide) | go | go | go | go | go | ok | ok | ok | ok | go | go | go |
Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.
Eat and move on
Regional food and where to go next
Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on1 partGo next
Go next
Ascension Island
planned5–10 nights
Georgetown, Green Mountain, turtle nesting beaches
Tristan da Cunha
planned7–21 nights
Edinburgh of the Seven Seas; reached only by ship
Saint Helena: what we know, and what is coming
1 of 1 places open
On this page
- 1 places with their role: where to sleep, what to do as a day trip
- How to split 5 or 7 nights
- 2 day trips with door-to-door time
- Seasons month by month, from the cities’ own tables
- What to do with the big bag between beds
Coming as the guide grows
- Climate strip by zone, with the storm and haze months
- Get in: airports and stations with door-to-door times
- Regional passes and cards, with a buy / skip verdict
- Regional food: what, where and when it works
Planning aids
Built from this guide's own data
Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids3 partsIn numbers · Trips here · Local time
Region in numbers
- Where to sleep
- 1 base
- Day trips
- 2, 30 min to 40 min
- Nights suggested
- 5–7 nights
Trips that stop here
One week on Saint Helena
7 days · 4 nights here
Jamestown → Longwood or Blue Hill cottage
Saint Helena slowly (peak season only)
10 days · 4 nights here
Jamestown → Longwood → Blue Hill or Sandy Bay cottage
Saint Helena and Ascension
14 days · 4 nights here
Jamestown → Longwood → Georgetown
Local time
What time it is there now, compared with the clock on your device.
Jamestown
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Checking your clock…Atlantic/St Helena
Ask about Saint Helena
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