December in a Guyanese home has its own excitement. The curtains come down for washing, the soaked fruit finally goes into the black cake, and the whole family is counting down to who arrives when. If you are coming home for Christmas in Guyana this year, or visiting for the first time with Guyanese friends, here is a short guide to the traditions worth slowing down for and two easy day trips to add to your holiday.
The Guyanese Christmas table
Food is the centre of the season. Three dishes come up in almost every conversation about a Guyanese Christmas:
- Pepperpot. A dark, slow-cooked meat stew flavoured with cassareep, traditionally eaten on Christmas morning with plait bread.
- Black cake. A rich, dark fruit cake, and the standard welcome for anyone who visits.
- Ginger beer and sorrel. Homemade drinks brewed for the season, usually served cold.
Garlic pork, a vinegar-and-garlic cured pork with Portuguese roots, often joins the breakfast table too.
Sounds and sights of the season
Christmas music plays on the radio from early December, and masquerade bands may turn up on the streets with flutes, drums and dancers in bright costumes. Georgetown’s Christmas Village has become a popular stop for local crafts, food and holiday lights. Christmas Day and Boxing Day are both public holidays, so many shops and offices close, and Old Year’s Night on December 31 ends the season with parties across the country.
Tip: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day are usually family days, so plan tours for the days around them.
Day trip 1: Kaieteur Falls
Our Kaieteur Falls day tour is a half-day trip: a light-aircraft flight over the rainforest from Georgetown and up to 2 hours on the ground to walk between the lookouts above the 741-foot drop.
- Price: GYD 80,000 per person (kids pay the same as adults).
- Included: return flight, Kaieteur National Park fee, tour guide, a snack and a non-alcoholic drink.
- Flies: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
- Booking: a 50% deposit sets up your reservation, and full payment is due at least 4 weeks before your tour date. That means December trips need to be settled early.
Read our full guide to visiting Kaieteur Falls before you pick a date.
Day trip 2: Essequibo River island hopping
For a family day out, the Essequibo River island hopping tour is an easy choice. We travel by bus to Parika, then by speedboat to Fort Island, Bartica, Fort Kyk-Over-Al (when the tide allows) and Baracara Falls, with lunch at Aruwai White H2O Resort.
- All-Inclusive price: GYD 20,000 per person, 20% off the regular GYD 25,000, until December 31. Everyone aged 4 and up pays the same price.
- Included: bus from Georgetown to Parika and back, the speedboat tour, island day passes, water, juice, snacks and lunch.
- Check-in: 5:45 am to 6:30 am at Popeyes on Vlissengen Road, next to Survival Supermarket. We leave at 6:30 am.
- Booking: a 50% deposit sets up your reservation, and the balance is due at least 2 weeks before the tour.
Message us for the December departure dates. You can also learn more about the region in our Essequibo River guide.
Book before the rush
Deposits are due within 48 hours of your reservation being set up, and unpaid reservations are released after that so the seats can go to other guests. See every option on our tours page.
Book on WhatsApp +592-676-4117
Sources
- Department of Public Information, Guyana: “Govt promotes new ‘Christmas in Guyana’ tour” (October 26, 2025)
- Guyana Chronicle: “Celebrating Christmas ‘Guyanese Style'” (December 18, 2022)
- Department of Public Information, Guyana: “I’ll be home for Christmas!” (December 23, 2019)
- Explore Guyana: “A Guyanese Christmas”
