Wiki menu

Places to visit: the interior

From the GuyanaHub Wiki. Last updated 24 Oct 2026.

Kaieteur and Orinduik Falls, the Iwokrama rainforest, the Rupununi savannahs, Indigenous community lodges, Lethem and Mount Roraima.

Kaieteur Falls in the rainy season
Kaieteur Falls in May 2004, in the rainy season. Photo: Sorenriise, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. "GuyanaKaieteurFalls2004.jpg" by Sorenriise at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), via Wikimedia Commons

Most of Guyana is forest, mountain and savannah with very few roads. Many trips are by small plane or boat, so book with a licensed operator.[1][2]

Before you go: the US government advises using only Guyana Tourism Authority approved tour operators, and warns that medical care is very limited outside Georgetown. Canada and the UK recommend travel insurance that covers medical evacuation.[2][3][4]

Kaieteur Falls and National Park

Kaieteur Falls drops 226 m (741 ft) over a sandstone cliff on the Potaro River. Few waterfalls combine such height with so much water, making it one of the most powerful in the world.[5] The park was enlarged to about 630 square km in 1999.[6] It is home to rare species such as the tiny golden rocket frog, which breeds only in one kind of giant bromeliad.[6] Most visitors arrive by small plane at Kaieteur airport.[7]

Kaieteur Falls
Kaieteur Falls. Photo: Bill Cameron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. "Kaieteur Falls Guyana (2) 2007.jpg" by Bill Cameron, CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/), via Wikimedia Commons
Kaieteur Falls in 1950
Kaieteur Falls in 1950. Photo: Jonathan Wilkins, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. "Kaieteur Falls in 1950.jpg" by Jonathan Wilkins, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
1898 stamp showing Kaieteur Falls
A British Guiana 2 cent stamp of 1898 showing the falls. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. "1898 2c Br Guiana Kaieteur Falls Yv89 SG217-218.jpg" by Recess by De la Rue, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (no attribution legally required; credited as good practice)

Orinduik Falls

On the Ireng River in the Pakaraima Mountains, on the border with Brazil. The falls are about 25 m tall and more than 150 m wide. Trips are often combined with Kaieteur.[8]

Orinduik Falls
Orinduik Falls from the Guyanese side, with Brazil on the far bank. Photo: Merlinthewizard, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. "Orinduik Falls Sept 2007.JPG" by Merlinthewizard at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/), via Wikimedia Commons

Iwokrama Forest

A 3,716 square km rainforest reserve in the Guiana Shield, crossed by the Georgetown to Lethem road.[9] Its canopy walkway, about 154 m long near Atta Rainforest Lodge, lets visitors walk among the treetops.[10]

Iwokrama rainforest
Iwokrama rainforest. Photo: M M, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. "Iwokrama Rainforest, Guyana (12179003713).jpg" by M M from Switzerland, CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Iwokrama canopy walkway
The Iwokrama canopy walkway. Photo: David Stanley, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. "Iwokrama Canopy Walkway (13929717907).jpg" by David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada, CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Iwokrama
Iwokrama. Photo: M M, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. "Iwokrama (12180362166).jpg" by M M from Switzerland, CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0), via Wikimedia Commons

The Rupununi

Southern Guyana's Rupununi region mixes savannah, wetlands, forest and low mountains around the Rupununi River, a main tributary of the Essequibo.[11]

Rupununi savannah
The Rupununi savannah. Photo: Treez44est, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. "Rupununi Savannah.jpg" by Treez44est, CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Vegetation map of Guyana, 1973
Vegetation map of Guyana (1973) showing forest and savannah. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. "Guyana veg 1973.jpg" by Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (no attribution legally required; credited as good practice)

Community lodges

  • Surama: a mainly Makushi village that welcomed its first tourists in 1996. Their payments funded the village's first guest lodge, and Surama Eco-Lodge later won a Caribbean Tourism Organisation sustainable tourism award (2011).[12]
  • Rewa: a village where the Rewa River meets the Rupununi, with an eco lodge that opened in 2005. Villagers have helped relocate endangered arapaima.[13]
  • Annai: a paved airstrip next to Rock View Lodge serves this part of the Rupununi.[14]
Surama Eco-Lodge
Surama Eco-Lodge. Photo: Lorelei, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. "Surama Eco Lodge.jpg" by User:Lorelei, CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Annai airstrip
The airstrip at Annai. Photo: David Stanley, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. "Annai Airstrip (14082147152).jpg" by David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada, CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), via Wikimedia Commons

Kanuku Mountains

Declared a National Protected Area in 2011. The lowland forests support about 53% of Guyana's known bird species and about 70% of its mammals, including giant otters, harpy eagles and arapaima.[15]

Kanuku Mountains from Lethem
The Kanuku Mountains seen from Lethem. Photo: Kevin Gabbert, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. "Lethem Guyana Kunuku Mountains.jpg" by Kevin Gabbert - User: (WT-shared) Kevin James at wts wikivoyage, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (no attribution legally required; credited as good practice)

Wildlife to look for

Giant otter
Giant otter (photographed in Brazil). Photo: Giles Laurent, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. "018 Giant otter eating a fish in Encontro das Águas State Park Photo by Giles Laurent.jpg" by Giles Laurent, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Harpy eagle
Harpy eagle (photographed in Panama). Photo: Mdf, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. "Harpia-harpyja-001.jpg" by Mdf, CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/), via Wikimedia Commons
Arapaima
Arapaima in captivity. Image: Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. "Arapaima gigas captivity.jpg" by This illustration was made by Citron You must credit this : Citron / CC-BY-SA-3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), via Wikimedia Commons

Lethem

The capital of the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo region, named after Governor Sir Gordon Lethem. Its Easter weekend rodeo is the town's main event.[16] The Takutu River Bridge, opened in 2009, links Lethem with Bonfim in Brazil. It is the only land border in the Americas where drivers switch from the left side of the road to the right.[17]

Lethem
The main shopping area of Lethem. Photo: Kevin Gabbert, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. "Lethem Guyana.JPG" by Kevin Gabbert - User: (WT-shared) Kevin James at wts wikivoyage, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (no attribution legally required; credited as good practice)
Takutu bridge under construction
The Takutu River Bridge under construction in 2008. Photo: JodyB, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. "LethemBridge.jpg" by JodyB, CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), via Wikimedia Commons

Mount Roraima

A table top mountain (tepui) where Guyana, Brazil and Venezuela meet. A point at 2,772 m on the tripoint is the highest in Guyana.[18] Most climbs start from the Venezuelan side. The UK advises against all but essential travel to most of Venezuela (advice updated 14 Oct 2026), so check your government's advice before planning.[19]

Kukenan and Roraima tepuis
Kukenan and Roraima tepuis. Photo: Paolo Costa Baldi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. "Kukenan Roraima GS.jpg" by Paolo Costa Baldi, CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Mount Roraima
Mount Roraima at dawn. Photo: Paolo Costa Baldi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. "Roraima3 (79).JPG" by Paolo Costa Baldi, CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), via Wikimedia Commons

References

  1. "Guyana". Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guyana Open source
  2. "Guyana: Travel Advisory". US Department of State. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Guyana.html (checked 24 Oct 2026) Open source Checked 24 Oct 2026.
  3. "Guyana travel advice". Government of Canada. https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/guyana (checked 24 Oct 2026) Open source Checked 24 Oct 2026.
  4. "Foreign travel advice: Guyana". UK FCDO. https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/guyana (checked 24 Oct 2026) Open source Checked 24 Oct 2026.
  5. "Kaieteur Falls". Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaieteur_Falls Open source
  6. "Kaieteur National Park". Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaieteur_National_Park Open source
  7. "Kaieteur International Airport". Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaieteur_International_Airport Open source
  8. "Orinduik Falls". Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orinduik_Falls Open source
  9. "Iwokrama Forest". Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iwokrama_Forest Open source
  10. David Stanley, "Iwokrama Canopy Walkway", Wikimedia Commons file description. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Iwokrama_Canopy_Walkway_(13929717907).jpg Open source
  11. "Rupununi". Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupununi Open source
  12. "Surama". Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surama Open source
  13. "Rewa, Guyana". Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rewa,_Guyana Open source
  14. David Stanley, "Annai airstrip", Wikimedia Commons file description. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Annai_Airstrip_(14082147152).jpg Open source
  15. "Kanuku Mountains". Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanuku_Mountains Open source
  16. "Lethem, Guyana". Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lethem,_Guyana Open source
  17. "Takutu River Bridge". Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takutu_River_Bridge Open source
  18. "Mount Roraima". Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Roraima Open source
  19. "Foreign travel advice: Venezuela". UK FCDO. https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/venezuela (checked 24 Oct 2026) Open source Checked 24 Oct 2026.

Categories: Travel guide | Places to visit | Nature

Text CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted in part from the Wikipedia articles listed under References (CC BY-SA 4.0). Images are credited under their own licences. Site contact: service@computingcore.net.