Best time to visit
When is the best time to visit Suriname?
Suriname has four seasons, not two, and Surinamese people use all four names. The long dry season runs from early August to early December, the short rainy season from early December to early February, the short dry season from early February to late April, and the long rainy season from late April to early August. Those boundaries shift by a couple of weeks each year.
What is often missed is that temperature barely matters. It sits between 30 and 33 °C all year. What changes is the rain and, just as decisive for your trip, the crowds, which follow the Dutch school holidays and the Surinamese public holidays rather than the weather.
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Suriname in January
A good month for the city, less ideal for the interior: January falls in the short rainy season, with showers most days that are brief and usually arrive in the afternoon.
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Suriname in February
One of the better months to come: February starts the short dry season, with less rain, none of the summer crowds, and Holi Phagwa often falling late in the month.
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Suriname in March
With February and October one of the best months to come: March sits in the short dry season, dry enough for the interior and quiet enough to get in anywhere.
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Suriname in April
Dry in the first half, turning to the long rainy season in the second. Book interior trips early in the month.
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Suriname in May
Fine for a city trip built around food, and the cheapest and quietest time of year: May sits in the middle of the long rainy season and is the wettest month.
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Suriname in June
Quiet and cheap, with Hindustani Immigration Day on 5 June: still the rainy season, but drying out towards the end of the month.
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Suriname in July
The busiest month: Dutch summer holidays plus Keti Koti on 1 July. The rainy season is ending. Book everything well ahead.
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Suriname in August
The long dry season begins, which is the best travel window of the year. Also the busiest: Dutch summer holidays plus Javanese Immigration Day on 9 August.
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Suriname in September
With October the driest month of the year, and quiet once the Dutch schools go back. The best combination of weather and price.
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Suriname in October
The best single month if you have to choose: dry, clear, and Divali often falls in October. Only the Dutch autumn half-term causes a brief spike.
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Suriname in November
Still dry, and the liveliest month of the year thanks to Independence Day on 25 November. The diaspora travels en masse, so book early.
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Suriname in December
The short rainy season begins, but December is mostly about the crowds: Christmas, New Year and Owru Yari. For atmosphere it is the best month of the year.
Rainfall figures are long-run averages for the Paramaribo area. A single week in a wet month can be entirely dry, and the reverse.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time to visit Suriname?
The long dry season runs from early August to early December and the short dry season from early February to late April. September and October are the driest months, averaging around 80 mm of rain, and outside the Dutch school holidays they are also the quietest, the best combination of weather and price.
When is the rainy season in Suriname?
Suriname has four seasons: the long rainy season from late April to early August, the short rainy season from early December to early February, and the long and short dry seasons between them. May and June average around 300 mm a month, September and October around 80 mm. The boundaries shift by a couple of weeks each year.
Can you visit Suriname in the rainy season?
Yes. Showers are usually short and heavy and often fall in the afternoon rather than all day. For a city trip built around food and culture the rainy season works well and is considerably cheaper. For the interior, particularly the unpaved road to Brownsberg, the dry season is clearly better.
How hot is Suriname?
Around 30 to 33 °C by day and about 23 °C at night, all year. Suriname sits close to the equator, so temperature barely changes; rainfall and humidity define the seasons.