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.
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.
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.
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