Visiting Paramaribo with kids is fun! For most families with kids, it is the first place they arrive when touring Suriname. Paramaribo is the capital of Suriname, but when you walk around it you feel like you are walking around in a village. We visited the city and in this blog we list the best children’s activities in Paramaribo.
Best travel time Paramaribo with kids
The best travel time to visit Paramaribo with kids is February through April and August through November. This is the dry season in Paramaribo. The other months of the year are considered the rainy season. By the way, even then it still does not have to rain all day, but then there may be a tropical downpour at the end of the day.
We visited the country in December and January and did not experience much rain. You have to have a little luck then, of course. You have almost no hurricanes in Paramaribo.
Transportation to and in Paramaribo
Public transportation is poorly regulated in Paramaribo. You do have vans that drive around, but they don’t really run at set times. And these vans take a very long time. We used the vans to the center a few times, but you are on the road for a very long time.
There are lots of stops and stops every few meters. Often the bus is completely full and extra seats are folded out. Then if someone needs to get off the back of the bus, several people have to get off first which takes a lot of time.
You can also be transported in Paramaribo by cab and then it is best to catch the city’s fixed cabs. As a final option, you can, of course, rent a car yourself. You can easily rent car at Paramaribo airport through Sunny Cars.
We are fans of Sunny Cars because there is always a good insurance package with the rental car and they have very good terms with cancellation and excess refunds. So look online for car rentals at the Paramaribo airport.
Children’s activities Paramaribo
#1 Bicycle tour Paramaribo
A fun activity to do in Paramaribo with kids is to explore the city by bike. You can book a daily bike tour through the organization Baja Bikes, where you will see the highlights of the city by bike. You will do this under the guidance of an English-speaking guide. This tour lasts 3 hours and a drink and snack are also included in the price.
We have done bike tours with Baja Bikes in several cities and always find these to be tremendously enjoyable tours. You see a lot of the city in a short time and have some background on the city right away. And for families with kids, these bike tours are also great to do, as the organization has children’s bikes and also bike seats, where kids can ride on the back of the bike with the parents.
If your kids can already cycle well, then we would recommend renting a children’s bike, and if they can’t cycle very well yet, then it’s best for them to ride on the back with you parents. For more information on this organized bike tour of Paramaribo, check out the Baja Bikes website. Bike tours of the city are also offered by other organizations to the Pepperpot plantation. You can book these just fine in the city itself.
#2 Center of the city
A visit to downtown Paramaribo is definitely recommended. You have several historic buildings here and it is also definitely fun to just take a tour and have a drink. Fort Zeelandia is perhaps the most famous building to visit in Paramaribo with kids. This is a former defensive stronghold of the Dutch and you also have a museum here that you can visit.
The fort, of course, also has quite a history with the December killings and that, of course, had a great impact on the country. This place is really an impressive place to visit because of its history. Besides Fort Zeelandia, you can take another tour of Saint Peter & Paul Cathedral-Basilica, which are the most beautiful churches, and past Paramaribo’s presidential palace.
A visit to the city’s Central Market is also fun with kids. All kinds of products are sold here and we always enjoy visiting these kinds of markets with our daughter. You can see all kinds of food items that are sold here. If you want to have a drink downtown, the waterfront is a good place for it.
By the way, you can also take a guided walking tour of the city center. Online you have several providers offering this throughout the city. Then at certain places you get just a little more explanation and get even more background of Suriname’s history.
#3 Brownsberg
From Paramaribo, you can also take several day trips with kids. One of the most popular day trips is this one to Brownsberg. In just over 2 hours you drive from Paramaribo to this nature park located on the Brokopondo reservoir. You can take beautiful walks with kids through nature here.
The park has several viewpoints and waterfalls to check out. You can also spot various wild animals here. We can suggest that it does take quite a drive to visit Brownsberg in 1 day with kids, so you may also want to spend a night in the area. You then spend the night on Ston Island.
If you book a tour for 2 days, the first day you will hike through the nature reserve and visit the Irene waterfall. The next day you will then take a boat ride on the Brokopondo Lake. Here you can then visit different islets. If you want more information about this organized tour from Paramaribo, check online for this tour to Brownsberg.
#4 Galibi Nature Reserve
Another day tour you can take from Paramaribo with kids is to the Galibi Nature Reserve. This is the only real beach destination in Suriname and thus a fine place to visit if you are visiting the country with kids. You have beautiful white beaches surrounded by jungle here. You can also spot giant turtles here if you are lucky in this area.
To get here you’re also a bit busy. The area is only 50 kilometers from Paramaribo, yet you are about half a day away by bus and boat to reach this area. Therefore, it is better to book a tour for a few days here and spend a few days relaxing with kids at the beach.
#5 Partying in Paramaribo
You have several parties in Paramaribo that are fun to attend. So you have Surfesta and this party is a month long. This festival is celebrated around New Year and we happened to be in town at the time. There are actually a lot of fireworks set off during these days, and especially on December 31 at noon, it is Pagara relay, where there is a huge amount of popping fireworks. Very impressive.
We ourselves are not used to celebrating New Year’s Eve in our shorts, but found it very cozy in downtown Paramaribo. Everywhere there was music and dancing by locals. So a fun time to visit the city with the family. Another holiday is Keti Kota. Then they celebrate the abolition of slavery and you have a whole colored parade of people as well. This falls on July 1.
The last festival to be celebrated lavishly in the capital of Paramaribo is Srefidensi. This is a celebration about Suriname becoming independent on November 25, 1975. Also on this date, there is plenty to do in the city and the entire country celebrates. Of course, these are not parties that you should specifically base your trip on, but it’s nice if you happen to visit the city during that time.
Other children’s activities Paramaribo
In addition to the children’s activities described above, you have a number of fun activities you can do with kids in Paramaribo. We list them briefly below.
#6 Paramaribo Zoo: You can also go to the zoo in Paramaribo with kids. By the way, don’t expect too much from this zoo because the zoo is not big and you only have a few animals to admire here such as monkeys, farm animals and sloths. However, many of the animals are in very small cages unfortunately.
For kids, the zoo has a playground and a swimming pool. So bring swimwear for the kids too when you visit this zoo in Paramaribo.
#7 Palmen Garden: another place where you can walk is the Palmen Garden in Paramaribo. Unfortunately, this place is also not super well maintained and there is a lot of trash in this garden. Still, it can be a place where it’s fun to take a photo.
#8 Suriname River: Paramaribo is on the Suriname River and you can do several things around the river. You can rent a kayak or SUP board at this river and explore the river that way with kids, but cruises are also offered on the river. It can also be a great place to cool off on a hot day. You can also look for dolphins swimming in this river.
Family-friendly restaurant Paramaribo
Paramaribo is the largest city in Suriname and you can eat at quite a few international restaurants. As a result, there is a wide variety of food. We list below some of these restaurants where you can have a great meal in Paramaribo with kids.
Garden of Eden: this restaurant offers Asian and Thai cuisine. You have a garden here, where you can eat with kids as young as 5. If you have younger kids, you can only eat on the restaurant’s front terrace. The garden is very attractive. However, the restaurant is quite pricey and you should keep in mind that certain amounts like taxes and fees are added. Please inquire about this first, so you won’t have any surprises afterwards.
Zus & Zo: You can eat on the terrace overlooking the Palm Garden at this family-friendly restaurant in Paramaribo. They have a varied menu here with several different options.
Family-friendly hotel Paramaribo
You can stay in Paramaribo with kids just fine. You have plenty of family-friendly hotels you can book with the family. We list the top rated family-friendly accommodations below. Click on the blue link for more information.
Budget accommodation: Guesthouse AlbergoAlberga
Mid-range accommodation: Ramada by Wyndham Princess Paramaribo
Luxury accommodation: Tucan Resort & Spa
Also check out the entire list of family-friendly accommodations in Paramaribo.
