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Major city · Haiti

Cap-HaïtienKap 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.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
HTG
Best months
Dec–Apr (dry season)
avoid Jun–Nov (hurricane season); Sep–Oct wettest
Airport
CAP
Nights
2–3
Not field-verifiedbasic guideadvisory country
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 6Several islands (Turks and Caicos above all, also the Bah…Check your own government travel advice for Haiti before …
  • Caribbean ↗Several islands (Turks and Caicos above all, also the Bahamas and Jamaica) jail visitors for a single stray bullet or cartridge in their luggage; empty every bag and pocket before you pack.
  • Caribbean ↗From August to October keep a free last day before your flight home and check the national hurricane centre daily; airports close when a named storm approaches.
  • Caribbean ↗Wearing camouflage clothing is illegal for civilians in several islands, including Barbados, Antigua, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Grenada, Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica; leave it at home, children's clothes included.
  • Haiti ↗Check your own government travel advice for Haiti before any booking; advice depends on your passport and changes without notice.
  • Haiti ↗There are no regular international flights into Port-au-Prince; confirm any route, including Cap-Haïtien, is operating before relying on it.
  • Haiti ↗Confirm that your travel insurance and medical evacuation cover apply to Haiti before you rely on it.

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.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Cap-Haïtien, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • BeerPrestige beera few dollars
  • Taxi, about 5 kmWater taxi to Paradis beachBargain before boarding.G1,000 and up
  • Budget bedGuesthouse or budget room, a night, per roomHTG 40
  • Mid-range bedGuesthouse or budget room, a night, per roomHTG 60
  • High-end bedGuesthouse or budget room, a night, per roomHTG 90

A day, not counting the bed: Budget HTG 45 · Mid HTG 100 · High HTG 220

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Citadelle Laferrière (UNESCO)Sans-Souci Palace ruins at MilotBoulevard du Carénage waterfrontLabadee and Cormier Plage beachesHaitian seafood, pikliz and Barbancourt rum
Airports
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.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Cap-Haïtien: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

29°C

21°C

6 rd

Feb

29°C

21°C

5 rd

Mar

30°C

22°C

6 rd

Apr

31°C

23°C

8 rd

May

31°C

24°C

11 rd

Jun

32°C

24°C

10 rd

Jul

32°C

24°C

9 rd

Aug

32°C

24°C

10 rd

Sep

32°C

24°C

12 rd

Oct

31°C

24°C

13 rd

Nov

30°C

23°C

11 rd

Dec

29°C

22°C

8 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting 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 & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Milot — Citadelle Laferrière and Sans-Souci Palace

go

Door to door: Full day

Taxi or tap-tap to Milot, then hike or donkey up to the Citadelle

Hire a guide at the trailhead; the climb is steep. Tap-tap is cheapest, a taxi is calmer.

Labadee

go

Door to door: Half day

Taxi on the paved mountain road northwest, about 10 km

Cruise-ship beach compound; non-cruise visitors pay a small entry fee. Water taxis run to Paradis cove from just outside.

Tortuga (Île de la Tortue)

caution

Door to door: Half to full day

Road to the coast, then a boat crossing

Crossings depend on sea and boat schedules — confirm before you set out.

Fort Liberté

caution

Door to door: Half day each way

Road east along the north coast

Colonial fort and bay; go with a driver who knows the route.

Ouanaminthe / Dajabón border (Dominican Republic)

overnight

Door to door: 3–5 h

Hotel-arranged driver, or an Agedetour van to the border with a bus onward

Habitation des Lauriers quotes about US$120 for a driver; Caribe Tours runs from the far side.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

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.

Hills above the bay

Boutique hotels with bay views; you will need a taxi for every trip into town.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
US$40–70 excl. bed
Mid
US$70–150 excl. bed
High
US$150+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Mid-range hotel double1 × 3 nights × HTG 100HTG 300
Food, local transport, entries2 × 3 days × HTG 100HTG 600
Airport taxi into town1 × HTG 10 · Drivers open high; US$5–10 is the usual settle.HTG 10
Departure tax at CAP2 × HTG 28 · Cash only, no ATM at the airport.HTG 56
Driver to the Dominican border1 × HTG 120 · Hotel-arranged.HTG 120
eSIM, about a week of data2 × HTG 15HTG 30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeHTG 112
Trip total≈ HTG 205 per person per day, bed includedHTG 1,228

2026 estimate in US dollars, which are widely accepted alongside the gourde; flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Plate of barbecue chicken with plantains and piklizG100–150 (about US$1–2)
Seafood main (conch or lobster) at a waterfront restaurantUS$8–15
Prestige beera few dollars
Rum sour (Barbancourt)a few dollars
Water taxi to Paradis beachBargain before boarding.G1,000 and up
Tap-tap to Milotabout G15
Taxi to the airport from townabout G100

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

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.
  • 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.

Emergency numbers

Police
114
Ambulance
115
Fire
116

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Cap-HaïtienKap Ayisyen

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Ale nan adrès sa a, tanpriTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police114
  • Ambulance115
  • Fire116

Embassy

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.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • 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

Say or show

  • Bonjou — Hello (bon-zhoo)
  • Mèsi — Thank you (meh-see)
  • Konbyen li ye? — How much is it? (kon-byen lee yeh)
  • Kote twalèt la? — Where is the toilet? (ko-tay twa-let la)
  • Mwen pa konprann — I don't understand (mwen pa kon-pran)
  • Anmwe — Help (an-mweh)

Carry cash: ATMs are scarce and the airport has none.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Cap-Haïtien. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Dec–Apr (dry season) · avoid Jun–Nov (hurricane season); Sep–Oct wettest
  2. 1 airport and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 6 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. An airport-to-bed path that says whether a late landing still works
  2. Walking clusters with bag rules
  3. Day plans checked against opening hours
  4. Field-verified times and fares

Meanwhile

Back to Haiti

Sources