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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 southeast of the centre on RN 6; small terminal, no ATM — bring cash for the departure tax.About 3.1 mi 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
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 kmTaxi on the paved mountain road northwest, about 6.2 mi | 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 north of town; beach resort with restaurant, best if you want the sea at the door.About 5 mi 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
- Haiti Ministry of Tourism (official): www.haititourisme.gouv.ht/
- 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.