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, 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.
Inclusions
- 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 checkout)
Schedule
- Pickup between 4:00 AM and 5:00 AM at your address
- Arrival at the South Drain ferry terminal between 8:00 AM and 8:30 AM
- Ferry departs 10:00 AM local time, crossing about 30 minutes
- Arrival in Georgetown or Paramaribo around 4:00 PM local time
Good to know
- 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 traveling 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.
Requirements
- 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.
Plan around this
- Faster alternative: 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, a real Travel The Guianas booking with a comfortable, reliable operator.
- The Canawaima ferry does not operate on January 1, May 1, December 25 and December 26. We plan transfers around those dates.
- Suriname is one hour ahead of Guyana, which matters for any onward connection.