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Draft data. Times, fares and step counts are desk estimates awaiting field checks. Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

country

SurinameSuriname

First trip: Paramaribo 3 nights for the old wooden centre and Commewijne plantations by boat, then 2–4 nights at a jungle lodge on the Upper Suriname River or in Brownsberg; book the interior as a package.

Not field-verified

Suriname is small, Dutch-speaking and mostly rainforest; nearly all visitors base in Paramaribo, whose wooden inner city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Trips break on interior access (river boats, small planes and rough roads) and on changing entry procedures. Book lodge trips as packages with transport included, and remember that driving is on the left.

All regions, cities and parks in Suriname (Atlas) →

Regions

Paramaribo and Commewijneplanned

Historic inner city; plantations and dolphin boat trips across the river

2–4 nights

Interior (Upper Suriname River, Brownsberg)planned

Maroon villages and jungle lodges by road and river boat

2–4 nights

Arrive

PBM

Johan Adolf Pengel International (Zanderij)

About 45 km south of Paramaribo, typically about an hour by road

Time math

4 days
Paramaribo 4 with a Commewijne plantation day and a Brownsberg day trip
7 days
Paramaribo 3 + Upper Suriname River lodge 3 + 1 buffer

Country rules

Inherited by every page below
  • Entry procedures (visa, e-visa or tourist card and entry fee) have changed several times; check the official Suriname government portal or a Surinamese embassy for your passport.
  • Interior trips should be booked with an established operator that includes transport, as river and road access depend on the weather.

Etiquette

  • Suriname mixes Hindustani, Creole, Javanese, Maroon, Indigenous and Chinese communities: dress modestly at mosques, temples and churches.
  • Ask before photographing people, especially in Maroon and Indigenous villages.
  • Dutch is the official language; Sranan Tongo is the common street language, and English is widely understood.
New Year's Eve (Owru Yari)
Big street celebrations with firecrackers in Paramaribo.
Keti Koti (July 1)
Emancipation Day holiday and celebrations.
Main rainy season (roughly late April–August)
Some interior roads and rivers become hard to travel.

Money & passes

Cash necessity: 4/5

  • Currency is the Surinamese dollar (SRD). Exchange rates have been volatile; check the current rate and exchange at banks or official cambios.
  • Cards work in larger hotels and some restaurants in Paramaribo; cash elsewhere.
  • US dollars and euros are widely exchanged.

Before you fly: eSIM before you fly · Visas and entry

Safety

  • Petty crime and bag snatching happen in Paramaribo, especially after dark; take taxis at night.
  • Malaria risk exists in some interior areas; get advice from a travel clinic.
  • Driving is on the left; roads outside Paramaribo are narrow and unlit.

Suriname links by land and river to Guyana and French Guiana; flights connect via the Caribbean, Brazil and Amsterdam.

Open Americas

Sources