Antigua and Barbuda travel guide

Getting there

V. C.

Best time to visit: Dec–Apr – dry and sunny, with Sailing Week in late April.

Tougher months: August to October – peak hurricane season, hotter and more humid, with some places closing.

Weather by month in St John's

• 28°J●
• 28°F
• 28°M
• 29°A
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• 30°J●
• 31°J●
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• 31°S●●
• 30°O●●
• 29°N●●
• 28°D●

Average daytime highs in °C; dots show how rainy the month is (one dot dry, three dots wet).

Time zone: America/Puerto_Rico. Compare with your local time.

Visas: in our passport dataset, 113 of 198 other passports can enter Antigua and Barbuda without arranging a visa first (visa-free or visa on arrival), 85 need an e-visa or electronic authorisation, and 0 need a visa in advance. Check your passport.

Background: Visa policy of Antigua and Barbuda (Wikipedia).

Official advisory: Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions (U.S. Department of State, updated 2026-05-20). Read the advisory.

Source and more: Antigua and Barbuda travel facts on RoamSun

Stay

Most trips to Antigua and Barbuda are based around English Harbour, Shirley Heights or St John's. Pick a base for your main interest, then add day trips rather than moving hotels every night.

Typical daily budget: about US$90–130 for a backpacker and US$200–350 mid-range, per person.

Source: RoamSun Antigua and Barbuda page · Browse hotel guides

Connect

Plug types: A, B. Voltage: 230 V (110 V in some hotels). Check your own devices on the plug and currency checker.

Calling code: +1268.

Mobile data: read the travel eSIM setup guide before you fly so the plan is installed and ready on landing.

Source: Advinne eSIM guide · RoamSun

Do

• English Harbour (South coast · history & sailing): Home to Nelson's Dockyard, superyachts and lively bars, it is the heart of Antigua's sailing scene.
• Shirley Heights (South coast · viewpoint): An old military lookout with a postcard view over English and Falmouth harbours.
• St John's (Capital · culture): The colourful capital has a twin-towered cathedral, a small national museum and busy waterfront markets.
• Dickenson Bay (Northwest coast · beaches): A long, calm stretch of white sand lined with beach bars and watersports.
• Half Moon Bay (East coast · beaches): A sweeping crescent of pale sand with clear water protected by an offshore reef.
• Barbuda (Sister island · wildlife & beaches): Flat, quiet and wild, with pink-sand beaches, caves and the famous frigate bird sanctuary.
• Fig Tree Drive (Southwest interior · rainforest): A winding road through the island's greenest hills, past banana groves and fruit stalls.
• Devil's Bridge (East coast · natural landmark): A dramatic sea arch where Atlantic waves blast through blowholes in the rock.

Things to do

• Beach-hop the 365. Locals claim there is a beach for every day of the year, from busy Dickenson Bay to empty coves on the east coast.
• Explore Nelson's Dockyard. Wander the restored Georgian stone warehouses and boatyards where the Royal Navy once careened its warships.
• Sunday at Shirley Heights. Watch the sun sink over English Harbour while a steel band and reggae DJs fire up the hilltop party.
• Swim with stingrays. Wade into the shallow sandbar of Stingray City and let gentle southern rays glide around your legs.
• Day trip to Barbuda. Hop across by ferry or small plane to walk miles of blush-pink sand with hardly another soul in sight.
• Visit the frigate bird colony. Take a boat through Codrington Lagoon to one of the largest magnificent frigatebird colonies in the region.
• Sail or snorkel Cades Reef. Join a catamaran along the south coast to snorkel a long barrier reef full of parrotfish and sea fans.
• Hike to Devil's Bridge. See Atlantic breakers explode through a natural limestone arch on the island's wild eastern tip.

Source: full Antigua and Barbuda guide on RoamSun

Eat and drink

• Fungie and pepperpot – cornmeal with a rich vegetable and meat stew, the national dish
• Ducana – sweet potato and coconut dumpling, often with saltfish
• Antigua black pineapple – a famously sweet local pineapple
• Conch water – a hearty conch soup

Source: RoamSun Antigua and Barbuda guide

Money and safety

Currency: Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD). Currency and plug checker.

Tipping: About 10%; a service charge is often added.

Emergency numbers: 911 or 999 police, fire & ambulance.

• The currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD), pegged to the US dollar, and US dollars are widely accepted though change is often given in local currency.
• Credit cards work in hotels, larger restaurants and shops, while ATMs are found in St John's, English Harbour and at the airport; carry cash for buses and small cookshops.
• Antigua is generally safe for visitors; use normal precautions in St John's after dark and avoid walking alone on isolated beaches at night.
• Do not leave valuables unattended on the beach or in hire cars.

Source: RoamSun Antigua and Barbuda facts