This is the budget way to cross between Paramaribo and Georgetown, in either direction, on a shared public taxi. We want to be completely clear about what this is: a public transport service operated by independent local taxi drivers. It is not a Travel The Guianas vehicle and we do not run it. What we do is connect you to it, we book your seat on the shared taxi, coordinate your pickup and arrange border crossing assistance, so a service that is otherwise hard to arrange becomes simple to book. The vehicle, the driver, the condition of the car and the exact timings are in the hands of the local operator, not us. If you want a service we can stand behind, comfort, air conditioning, a clean private vehicle and your own schedule, book our private transfer instead, which we lead with for exactly that reason.
This is a full-day journey on a shared public service, so please book it knowing the following:
It is an early start. Pickup is between 4:00 AM and 5:00 AM, and you reach your destination around 4:00 PM local time.
The vehicle depends on how many passengers are travelling, and is provided by the local taxi operator. Some vehicles in Guyana may not have seatbelts.
Air conditioning is usually available, but on a shared public service the driver may choose not to run it.
Pickup times can shift, since several passengers are collected along the way.
Because this is not our vehicle, we cannot guarantee the condition of the car, the comfort of the ride or the driver's timing. We choose reputable operators and help where we can, but the service itself is theirs, not ours.
Booking of your seat on the shared public taxi, in either direction
Coordination of your pickup
Border crossing assistance
A Travel The Guianas vehicle or driver. This is independent public transport that we book on your behalf.
The Canawaima ferry ticket across the Corantijn River, bought in person at the terminal with your passport and vaccination card (one way USD 20, return USD 30)
A second suitcase (a fee may apply depending on size, tell us during check out)
Pickup between 4:00 AM and 5:00 AM at your address
Arrival at the Canawaima ferry terminal between 8:00 AM and 8:30 AM
Ferry departs 10:00 AM local time, crossing about 45 minutes
Arrival in Georgetown or Paramaribo around 4:00 PM local time
If a full day on the road and the early start do not appeal, you can fly between Suriname and Guyana instead, about 45 minutes door to airport rather than a full travel day. See our scheduled flight, Paramaribo to Georgetown, on the 19-seat Caravan. The flight is a real Travel The Guianas booking with a comfortable, reliable operator, and many travelers find it well worth the difference.
Valid passport
Yellow fever vaccination certificate
For Guyana, a visa if your nationality requires one. For Suriname, an entry voucher. Depending on your direction of travel.
Travel The Guianas is a Destination Management Company and tour operator based in Paramaribo, Suriname. For over two decades we have been the on-the-ground operator for travelers seeking real access to Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana, the three Guianas. We work across three countries, three languages and three currencies, handling everything in-house, from multi-country guided journeys to single day excursions and cruise ship shore programs.
We reach places most operators cannot, fly-in rainforest lodges 240 kilometers from the nearest road, overnight stays in working Maroon communities and Kaieteur Falls by scenic flight. We are also the leading ground handler for expedition cruise lines calling at Suriname. Book a single day out or a full three country expedition, you deal directly with the people who run the operation.