Ouest · Haiti
Port-au-Prince travel guide
Port-au-Prince is a city in Ouest, Haiti, home to about 987,000 people.
- Best months
- January
- Nearest airport
- PAP6 km · Toussaint Louverture International Airport
- Currency
- HTGgourde
- Time zone
- America/Port-au-Prince
- Language
- French, Haitian Creole
About
About Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince is the capital and most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 1,200,000 in 2022 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894.
The city's recent history has been dominated by the aftermath of a devastating earthquake in 2010, which leveled many buildings and left hundreds of thousands dead. Reconstruction efforts are ongoing but many historic sites were lost.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Port-au-Prince
See
- National Palace
- Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption
- Musée du Panthéon National Haïtien
Do
- Audel Marseille
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Port-au-Prince
1 hotel within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel Oloffson Richard Auguste Morse | 1935 | 2.0 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Port-au-Prince
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Port-au-Prince are January. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 33 °C; May is the wettest, with about 237 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Port-au-Prince: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Toussaint Louverture International Airport (PAP), about 6.2 km from the city centre in a straight line; Cap Haitien International Airport (CAP, 132 km) and Maria Montez International Airport (BRX, 133 km) are also within reach.
Getting around
Tap-taps run along prescribed routes throughout the city. Most routes cost G15-25 (US$0.25-0.50), although to get across the city you may need to utilize multiple routes, each of which charges separately. Street taxis are typically about G500 and should be used only during daylight. After dark, prices rise substantially, and you are at substantially greater risk of being mugged. Street taxis downtown are signified with a red ribbon hanging from their rear-view mirror. Premium Rapid taxi has an app can be downloaded from iTunes and Google Play stores.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
PAP · Toussaint Louverture International Airport
CAP · Cap Haitien International Airport
BRX · Maria Montez International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Port-au-Prince
Eat
Eating out in Port-au-Prince is surprisingly expensive. Even at modest restaurants a full plate of food will usually cost around G200. A good amount of food from street vendors will even cost up to G100.
Stay safe
See the warning on the Haiti article for information on the security situation. You should not be outside on the streets after dark unless you are wandering around the busy Champs-de-Mars area.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Port-au-Prince: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Port-au-Prince?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Port-au-Prince are January. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 33 °C; May is the wettest, with about 237 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Port-au-Prince?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Toussaint Louverture International Airport (PAP), about 6.2 km from the city centre in a straight line; Cap Haitien International Airport (CAP, 132 km) and Maria Montez International Airport (BRX, 133 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Port-au-Prince?
gourde (HTG).
Nearby
Destinations near Port-au-Prince
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.