How Much Does It Cost To Go To Kaieteur Falls?

So you have been drooling at pictures of the magnificent Kaieteur Falls in Guyana, and you start wondering if you could actually make Guyana the destination of your next trip? It’s true that it’s not every day you get to see one of the most powerful waterfalls on the planet, nested in such total wilderness. Kaieteur Falls has been at the very top of my bucket list for many years, and after finally seeing it with my own eyes, I can tell you it was totally justified! This place is simply astonishing and unforgettable.

But then comes the logical question, “how much does it cost to go to Kaieteur Falls?”. Don’t worry, on this page, I will go over the different options you have to visit the falls, and how much they cost. I have also included a detailed cost summary for in case you would like to follow the DIY overland itinerary to Kaieteur Falls I have followed.

3+1 Ways To Get To Kaieteur Falls

The Day Tours

If you do a quick search about how to get to visit Kaieteur Falls, you will quickly see that you basically have two options: a day trip by plane, or a 5-day overland trek.

The plane tour is a quick and easy way. For around 200 USD, they fly you to the falls; take you from viewpoint to viewpoint, and then you fly back.

It’s great if you don’t have much time and if you are not much of a hiker, but it can be a little frustrating. If the weather was bad, too bad for you. Also know that if you opt for this tour, you will not be allowed to go anywhere close to the falls. After a girl committed suicide there a few years ago, it became a restricted area for all visitors on plane tours.

The 5-Day Overland Trek

The second option is to go with a local tour operator for a 5-day Overland Trek to Kaieteur, with a return to Georgetown by plane. I would have gladly done that, but I didn’t have the budget. They ask between 650 to 900 USD per person for this tour (depending on the tour operator), with a minimum of 3 persons.

The DIY Overland Trek

This is the option I have chosen for my own trip to Kaieteur Falls, and it was a beautiful adventure! If you don’t mind some preparation work, a bit of negotiation with boatmen, and challenging jungle hiking, it is the option I recommend. It involves taking a minibus to the town of Mahdia, then taking a boat on the Potaro River to a place called Tukeit, and finally hiking up a hill in the jungle to reach Kaieteur Falls. I have written a complete guide and a very detailed itinerary for this route. The boat ride is by far the most expensive you can expect it to cost between 400 and 450 USD per person, for 2 persons (check the cost breakdown below for more details!).

Something To Try: DIY Plane Tour

There might be the 4th option of buying two plane tickets – Georgetown/Kaieteur Falls and Kaieteur Falls/Georgetown – on different dates and enjoying several days at the falls. This is something I might do for a second visit to Kaieteur, having already experienced the overland journey.

The drawback of this option is that if you use tourist flights, the company will most likely charge you for two return flights (40 000 GYD each), making you pay for your empty seat after they leave you at the falls and when they come back to pick you up.

If you have the budget, it is something you can consider, if not you can try calling airlines or directly take face to face with them at Ogle Airport to see if they have any cargo or shuttle flights scheduled around your dates, which should be cheaper – but of course, they won’t let you know so easily, they will want to sell you the tourist flights.

How Much Does it Cost to Go to Kaieteur Falls – In Details

Kaieteur Falls Tours with an Agency/Airline – Cost Summary

Here is a summary of the costs for the various options you have in order to visit Kaieteur Falls with a local travel agency or airline.

The price varies from one tour operator to another. The table below aims to give you an overview of what’s available, but I suggest taking a look at the tour operators’ websites directly to see what they offer. You can find a list of tour operators in Guyana here.

Tours	Cost per person	Minimum	Duration
Day Trip by Plane from Georgetown	40,000 to 54,610 GYD = 190 to 260 USD	9 to 12 persons	4 hours (2 hours at the falls)
Overland Trek to Kaieteur Falls	137,000 to 190,000 GYD = 650 to 900 USD	3 Persons	5 days
DIY Plane Trip to Kaieteur Falls	80,000 GYD = 380 USD + 5,000 GYD = 24 USD per night at the Kaieteur Guesthouse	Plane full	Up to you

DIY Overland Trip from Georgetown – Cost Breakdown Summary For 2 People

Here is a simple table listing all the costs associated with a DIY overland return trip to Kaieteur Falls from Georgetown. Some prices were slightly rounded to make things easier, exchange rates always vary a little anyway! This table follows my own experience: based on 2 persons traveling, spending 1 night in Tukeit, and 2 nights at Kaieteur Falls. Adjust it to your own situation.

Expenses	Cost for 2 persons	Cost per person
Minibus Georgetown to Mahdia	20,000 GYD = 96 USD	10,000 GYD = 48 USD
RH Hotel in Mahdia (1 night)	6000 GYD = 30 USD	3000 GYD = 15 USD
Taxi Mahdia to Pamela Landing	8000 GYD = 38 USD	4000 GYD = 19 USD
Boat Pamela Landing to Tukeit (return trip)	100,000 GYD = 480 USD	50,000 GYD = 240 USD
Kaieteur/Tukeit Guesthouse (3 nights)	30,000 GYD = 144 USD	15,000 GYD = 72 USD
Guide Fee	6000 GYD = 30 USD	3000 GYD = 15 USD
National Park Fee	10,000 GYD = 48 USD	5000 GYD = 24 USD
TOTAL	180,000 GYD = 866 USD	90,000 GYD = 433 USD

I suppose you can round it up to $450 per person if you include some groceries you need to pack with you for your meals at the Kaieteur Guesthouse. So basically, the independent overland trip costs double the quick plane trip, but half of the official Overland Trek with a travel agency.

If you are traveling alone, it may not be financially very interesting to do this trip on your own, it will just be as expensive as doing it with an agency. From two people traveling it becomes interesting as many costs are shared including the expensive boat ride, and of course, the more you are the cheaper it gets for each person.

For the adventure it represents, the fact of staying several nights at the falls, and the total freedom, I believe that the independent overland trip is the best compromise between cost and experience.

One last thing to note is that by preparing your trip and calling in advance you can be more in a position of negotiating the price for the boat. My friend and I were not really in the best position to negotiate and they were firm on their prices, but it might not necessarily be the case for you!

Final Thoughts

That’s it! You now have a good idea of how much it costs to visit Kaieteur Falls, depending on what option you choose. It is definitely not a wallet-friendly destination, especially if you are a backpacker traveling on a shoestring. But believe me, the privilege of experiencing this place is well worth the financial effort!