Place · Independence Square, Fort Zeelandia & the Waterkant
Palmentuin (palm garden)Palmentuin
Go in the morning for shade and tall palms behind the palace; a good rest after the fort.
- Source checked
- A source and a date are on record: we read it from an official or published page. Not yet confirmed on the ground.
- Field checked
- Someone checked it on the ground, with the date shown.
- Plan calculated
- Worked out by Voykit from its own data (times, distances, budgets). A calculation, not a measurement.
Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify
Key facts
- Time on site
- 30–45 min
- p95 60 min
- Price
- free
- adult, 2026 estimate
- Hours
- unknown
- see note below
- Best time
- morning
- quietest window
- 28″ bags
- Painful
- Independence Square, Fort Zeelandia & the Waterkant: painful
- Getting there
- Walk or short taxi ride
- Shade
- Free
- Go morning
- Free entry
- Queue: switch at 15 min
- Works with kids
- Mostly indoors
Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.
Rules in force · 9Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the fir…Most visitors pay the online entry fee (about US$50 plus …Uneven pavements, open drains and heat
- South America ↗Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the first day light; sleep lower where you can (Sacred Valley before Cusco) and descend if headache comes with vomiting or confusion.
- South America ↗A yellow fever certificate is required on arrival in French Guiana, and asked for on some routes into Bolivia, Paraguay, Suriname and Guyana, or when arriving from Amazon areas — vaccinate at least 10 days before travel and carry the card.
- South America ↗Overnight buses are the norm in Argentina, Chile and Peru, but pick top-tier companies and keep valuables on your body; on-board thefts from overhead racks are the common loss.
- Suriname ↗Most visitors pay the online entry fee (about US$50 plus processing) before travel, and everyone fills in the ICF immigration and customs form within 3 days of arriving; some passports need an e-visa instead. Check the official portals for your passport.
- Suriname ↗Interior trips should be booked with an established operator that includes transport, as river and road access depend on the weather.
- Paramaribo and Commewijne ↗In the long rainy season (late Apr–Aug) boat and road trips can be cancelled: keep a spare day.
- Paramaribo ↗Uneven pavements, open drains and heat: bags go from the car to the door, never on a walk.
- Paramaribo ↗After dark, take a taxi door to door; do not walk between clusters.
- Paramaribo ↗The airport is 45 km away on an unlit road: pre-book the pickup and leave for departures three to four hours before the flight.
Map & directions
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Plan
Open now, what it costs, what to know, how long it takes
Go now?
hours and prices: check on the day- Open
- Hours unknown
- Crowds
Quietest around 07:00 or 16:00 · go morning
MonTueWedThuFriSatSunQuietest Mon–Fri · busiest Sat, Sun · desk estimate
- Tickets
- Adult: free
- Time to spend
- 30–45 min · up to 60 min if you linger
Know before you go
- Free and open.
- Tall royal palms line the paths.
- Mosquitoes at dusk: repellent.
Best time of day
Go morning. Plan 30–45 min inside.
quietlightbusyheavypacked· desk estimate for an ordinary weekday; add one level on weekends and holidays
Weather here, next 7 days
Loading forecast…
Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.
Time on site
Minimum
20min
Worthwhile
30min
Typical
45min
p95
60min
Opening hours are not printed until verified.
How much time do you have?
Enough for a typical visit (45 min).
Nothing else in our notes is a short enough walk from here for the time that is left.
Visit times are typical figures, not promises; queues and closing times can change them.
Tickets & entry
- Where to buy
- No ticket needed.
- Free.
- Dress code
- Shoes: Shoes on.
- Photos
- Allowed.
- Ask locally.
- What's closed
- DailyOpen access in daylight.
| Ticket | Price | Where to buy | Skip-the-line reality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | free | — | No line. |
Inside, in order
Palm avenues
20 minTall palms and shade.
Bird watching
15 minLook for birds in the trees.
Plan this visit
- Crowd on arrival
- quiet
- Worst while inside
- quiet
- Leave by
- 08:458:45 AM
- Closing buffer
- 555′
Good window: go.
- Closing buffer is measured against a planning close of 18:00. Best in the morning.
- Crowd levels are a desk estimate by hour, not live data.
In the park
- Opening hours
- Open in daylight.
- Daily: Open access in daylight.
- Free and open.
- Toilets and water
- Toilets (check) — Not reported.
- Shade and benches
- Seating — Benches.
- Come in the morning for shade; walk the palm avenues.
- Take a bench in the shade.
- Palm avenues: Tall palms and shade.
- Kids and playgrounds
- Shade and space; watch the heat.
- After dark
- Mosquitoes at dusk: repellent.
- Rules
- Allowed; take rubbish.
- Independence Square and the Presidential Palace · about 3 min on foot
- Fort Zeelandia · about 7 min on foot
- Palmentuin palm shade (field-verify) · about 5 min on foot
- Fort courtyard bench (field-verify) · about 6 min on foot
- Café, AC (field-verify) · about 9 min on foot
- Waterkant riverside bench (field-verify) · about 1 min on foot
- Waterkant restaurant (field-verify) · about 4 min on foot
- Square kiosk (field-verify) · about 8 min on foot
How to do it well
- 1Come in the morning for shade; walk the palm avenues.
- 2Bring water; there is little shop nearby.
- 3Take a bench in the shade.
- 4Leave before noon.
On the ground
Getting in, crowds, and where to go if it does not work
Getting in
- Stop
- Walk or short taxi ride
- Exit
- —
- Ticket
- free · official site
- Stairs
- unknown
- Shoes
- Shoes on.
Crowds and switching
- Crowd clock
- Quiet mornings; families on weekends.
- Sensory load
- 2/5
- Exposure
- low
- Queue rule
- Switch if the queue passes 15 min; come back when under 5.
Which month is quietest
- Janquiet
- Febquiet
- Marquiet
- Aprquiet
- Mayquiet
- Junquiet
- Julquiet
- Augquiet
- Sepquiet
- Octquiet
- Novquiet
- Decquiet
Crowds barely change through the year here; pick the month for the weather, not the queue.
Estimate: desk reasoning from weekday, season and holiday patterns; not counted. Holidays and events move these weeks.
Bailouts
heat
Café with air conditioning nearby
Nearest rescue anchor: A — Palmentuin palm shade (field-verify)
Step-free check
- Step-free entrance: yes · yesNone.
- Lifts: no · no
- Accessible toilet: check · check
- Wheelchair: yes · yesFlat paths.
- Stroller: yes · yesFine.
- Places to sit: yes · yesBenches.
Paved paths.
Step-free route
- 1Paved paths; flat.
Combine with
- 5 minIndependence Square — The square.
- 12 minFort Zeelandia — The fort.
Walk the Independence Square, Fort Zeelandia & the Waterkant area · the cluster page has the walking order, rescue stops and after-dark notes
Best photo time today
Sun times for today load in your browser.
| Spot | When | Rule on the spot |
|---|---|---|
| Palm avenue | Morning | Wide-angle. |
Red lines
- Do not photograph government staff.
- Take rubbish with you.
More on the groundFacilities · Seasons · Who it suits · Skip it if · Rules on site · With kids
Rules on site
- food
- Allowed; take rubbish.
With kids
- with kids
- Shade and space; watch the heat.
- child price
- free
Facilities on site
| What | Status | Where / note |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | check | Not reported. |
| Seating | yes | Benches. |
| Card or IC payment | no | Not applicable. |
Seasons, festivals and night openings
| When | What happens | Effect on your visit | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| May – Jul | Rainy season | Muddy patches. | check |
“Check” rows move every year; confirm dates on the official calendar before you plan around them.
Who it suits
| Traveler | Fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Families | good | Shade. |
| Wheelchair users | good | Flat paths. |
| Bird lovers | ok | Some birds. |
Skip it if
- You are short on time.
Deep dive
Questions, what is nearby, photos and sources
Questions and answers
Is there shade?
Yes, palms and trees.
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
How long?
20–45 minutes.
Is it free?
Yes.
Is it safe?
By day, yes.
Nearby
Straight-line distance; walk time adds 30% for streets.
- ClusterIndependence Square, Fort Zeelandia & the Waterkant60 m · 1 min walk
- PlaceIndependence Square and the Presidential Palace170 m · 3 min walk
- Sleep areaHistoric centre220 m · 4 min walk
- EatWaterkant evening warungs280 m · 4 min walk
- EatBroodje bakkeljauw snack280 m · 5 min walk
- PlaceSt Peter and Paul Cathedral300 m · 5 min walk
Sources
- secondarySuriname tourism information
- secondaryWikivoyage — Paramaribo