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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.

Not yet checkedSourcesWhat these labels mean

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.

basic guide: no trip line yet

advisory country

3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
More ways in
Print / PDF guide
Local time, weather, currency, airports
Weather
see forecast
Currency
HTG
Best months
Dec–Apr (dry season)
avoid Jun–Nov (hurricane season); Sep–Oct wettest
Airport
CAP
Nights
2–3
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.
What is in this basic guide9 covered · 4 not yet ▾

Not in this guide yet

  • Walking areas with bag rules
  • Day plans checked against opening hours
  • Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
  • Field-checked times and prices
Emergency numbers for Cap-Haïtien114 ▾

Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.

EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost

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 km (3 mi)Water 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 →

DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works

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 (3.1 mi) southeast of the centre on RN 6; small terminal, no ATM — bring cash for the departure tax.)

Best months at a glance

From the guide's best and avoid lists

  1. Jan

    Best

    29°C (84°F)

  2. Feb

    Best

    29°C (84°F)

  3. Mar

    Best

    30°C (86°F)

  4. Apr

    Best

    31°C (88°F)

  5. May

    not flagged

    31°C (88°F)

  6. Jun

    Avoid

    32°C (90°F)

  7. Jul

    Avoid

    32°C (90°F)

  8. Aug

    Avoid

    32°C (90°F)

  9. Sep

    Avoid

    32°C (90°F)

  10. Oct

    Avoid

    31°C (88°F)

  11. Nov

    Avoid

    30°C (86°F)

  12. Dec

    Best

    29°C (84°F)

Best: Dec–Apr. Avoid: Jun–Nov. Month by month →

Warmest Jun (32°C (90°F)), coolest Jan (21°C (70°F) low), wettest Oct (13 rain days), driest Feb (5). Averages, not a forecast.

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 (84°F)

21°C (70°F)

6 rd

Feb

29°C (84°F)

21°C (70°F)

5 rd

Mar

30°C (86°F)

22°C (72°F)

6 rd

Apr

31°C (88°F)

23°C (73°F)

8 rd

May

31°C (88°F)

24°C (75°F)

11 rd

Jun

32°C (90°F)

24°C (75°F)

10 rd

Jul

32°C (90°F)

24°C (75°F)

9 rd

Aug

32°C (90°F)

24°C (75°F)

10 rd

Sep

32°C (90°F)

24°C (75°F)

12 rd

Oct

31°C (88°F)

24°C (75°F)

13 rd

Nov

30°C (86°F)

23°C (73°F)

11 rd

Dec

29°C (84°F)

22°C (72°F)

8 rd

High / low, both scales · rd = rain days

Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

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.

Nearest full guides

Straight-line distance, not travel time

See & doDay-trips, door to door

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 (6.2 mi)

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 & sleepWhich area to sleep in

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 (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.

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

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 diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources

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