Visiting Haiti in 2025: Possible? Dangerous?

If the first words you read about Haiti are “do not travel… due to kidnapping, crime… including robbery, carjackings, sexual assault, and kidnappings for ransom” (state.gov), I understand why you wouldn’t want to travel there.

And if you heard about the April kidnapping of Youtuber ‘Arab’, or the shooting of multiple aircraft at PAP airport, it doesn’t make things look pretty in Haiti.

However, when you research the specific areas controlled by gangs where this activity is focused, you will find that they are all situated around Port-au-Prince, located in the south of the country. That’s not to say that there’s zero crime around Cap Hatien in the north, but there certainly is much less – not anything I can find at least.

Why you need to visit Haiti at least once in your lifetime

The reward for visiting Haiti right now, however, is immense. Did you know that Haiti offers the largest citadel on the American continent, and the 8th largest in the world? Did you know it was built by the first liberated Africans in the New World right after Haiti gained independence from France?

There’s of course, amazing palaces, jaw-dropping beaches (such as Labadee), distinct and delicious food, friendly and welcoming people, and a fascinating culture that goes way beyond just vodou.

I truly believe it’s unique in the Caribbean, as the country with the longest independence, the worst struggles, the toughest battles, but the most powerful and distinct culture that has resulted from its multifaceted history. There is absolutely no other country in the Caribbean like Haiti – particularly if you are as fascinated by history as I am.

Trip Report: visiting Haiti in 2025

After doing some research, we decided to stick to visiting only the north of Haiti – around Cap Haitien. Although we could readily find cases of kidnappings in the south around Port au Prince, we couldn’t find a single one in the north.

It honestly seemed like the north and the south were two different countries, the south being gang-controlled and crime-ridden while the north was its calm, collected, usual self.

Flying to Haiti

At the moment, Spirit Airlines flies from Fort Lauderdale to Cap-Haitien. There’s also InterCaribbean, Caicos Express, and occasionally World Atlantic Airways.

We flew on Spirit to CAP, packing just our backpacks for a short trip. The flight departs around 7AM from FLL. Spirit now offers a variety of seating options, so they’re actually much more pleasant to fly on than they used to be.

TSA security was very busy at FLL Terminal 4 from 6AM onwards. I recommend going a bit early.

Boarding was interesting. Once inside the jetbridge area, there were US immigrations agents asking everyone how much money they were bringing, their purpose of travel, etc. In visiting over 150 countries, I never encountered that departing the US before.

Arrival into Cap-Haitien and Immigrations & Customs in Haiti: a Breeze

The flight was uneventful, and on arrival we were greeted by absolutely lovely Creole music live on the tarmac! That was a nice surprise, and quite welcoming.

Once inside, you first pay a $10 tourism fee per person, then go through immigrations. All in all it took 20 minutes. At customs, they check bags, but it’s really just a cursory check (at least it was for us). This can take long if you have checked baggage.

There was a lady offering SIM cards for an outrageous $15-30. My T-Mobile Plan worked quite poorly here, so I do recommend going somewhere in town for a SIM card if you want to stay connected.

Once outside, there are tons of taxis and people waiting, mainly for family and friends.

From the airport straight to visiting Haiti’s charming sights!

We had arranged a local guide to take us directly to Milot, the sight of Haiti’s famous Citadelle La Ferrière and Sans Souci Palace! It wasn’t too much of a mess exiting the airport, and since we hadn’t checked bags (one of my best pro tips when traveling) we were the first ones out.

Cap-Haitien looks as similar to towns in West Africa as it gets in the Caribbean, with colorful concrete-laden buildings, tin roofs, umbrella-filled markets, dirt roads, and lots of trash on the sides of the road. Once outside the town, the roads are good and nature reclaims its territory. Yes, there are (a lot) of trees in Haiti!

Milot: home to Haiti’s best-known treasures

We were stunned by the beauty of the town of Milot, particularly around the Sacre-Coeur Cathedral. It was clean, quiet, colorful, vibrant, and beautiful! There is a nice hotel here too – Lakou Lakay Villa & Guesthouse, as well as the charming B&B, La Belle Maison.

From Milot you’ll pass the Sans Souci Palace towards the Citadelle, and you could walk between the two. It’s about a 4-5 hour hike up a steep hill on a cobblestone road, most of which can be done with a (sufficiently powerful) car. Ours kept overheating, so we had a few pitstops needed to add some water!

The last 1 hour of the hike starting at the parking lot must be done by foot, moto, or horse (which costs about $15-20 per person to ride). If you’re athletic, you can make it up in 30 minutes or less – but it is quite hot and humid!

The stunning road to the Citadelle

From the parking lot and at several spots along the way, artisans offer products. “Remember my name – Louise!”, they say, so they can claim you on the way back. There’s not a lot of traffic these days, so they are quite desperate.

But it’s more than worth the hassle. As you make your way up, an absolutely mind-blowing citadelle slowly reveals itself as you navigate sweepback after sweepback. And the views on the mountains surrounding, the lush green jungle vegetation, and the sight of the Caribbean sea all gang up to provide you with a sensory overload of beauty.

La Ferrière Citadelle & San Souci Palace: The most historic area in the Caribbean?

Once at the Citadelle, your guide will explain you its rich, yet twisted and fascinating story. You’ll visit the different sections, from housing quarters to cannon ports to water tanks and more. The views never disappoint. If anything, they just keep getting better.

At the bottom, you’ll make your way to the Sans Souci palace down the road. It’s named after Jean-Baptiste Sans Souci, a rival of Henri I, the first King of Haiti, who is said to have been murdered at the site before it was built. It was once described as the ‘Versailles of the Caribbean’, hosting lavish parties and celebrations. Though it was mostly destroyed after an earthquake in the mid 1800s, its beauty remains mystical and events (such as concerts) are still held here. It’s another example of gems you can only see in Haiti.

We had lunch at Lakou Lakay, which translates to “our home” in Creole. The food was fresh from the garden, spiced to perfection, healthy and delicious. It was better and tastier than any food we had in Jamaica, for example.

From Milot to the gorgeous beaches on the north coast of Haiti

Next, we drove a little over an hour, crossing back through Cap-Haitien up to the gorgeous north shore – well, at least as far as you can go before the road disappears from erosion!

If you have the time, don’t miss Cormier Beach, one of the finest beaches in Haiti. It even has a lovely resort! Just beyond that is the Royal Caribbean Labadee Beach, one of the most famous in the entire Caribbean.

Downtown Cap-Haitien is fun to visit as well. It has the same feel as downtown New Orleans, but a bit more rustic. There are various historic sights still intact, but I feel you can see the highlights in an hour or two.

Where to stay in Cap-Haitien, Haiti

We stayed at the Satama Hotel, a gem of a place on top of a hill overlooking the entire Cape as well as the bay! Waking up to the sunrise and watching the fisherman sail away in their old-fashioned wooden sailboats felt reminiscent of another era, like taking a time machine. Just with cappuccino at your disposal.

Departing Cap Haitien: more straightforward than you’d think!

We made our way to the airport for a 10AM departure, arriving about 1.45 before departure. You are required to check in at the Spirit counter, but we found it was very quick. The ticket counter agent spoke French, Creole, English, Spanish, and even some German! Talk about impressive. The service was excellent.

In total, it took about 25 minutes to get to the gate. Upstairs, there’s a restaurant and a cafe, along with quite a few duty free shops. Believe or not, we found fresh (and cold) coconuts for sale there!

It was a fantastic way to end our Haiti adventure, and I would love to go back and visit the south when the situation stabilizes a bit!

Safety Precautions

Though our trip to Cap-Haitien did not feel any riskier than most of the travels we do, it's always wise to remind yourself of these common-sense safety precautions when traveling (copied from state.gov):

• Avoid demonstrations and crowds. Do not attempt to drive through roadblocks. 
• Arrange airport transfers and hotels in advance, or have your host meet you upon arrival. 
• Do not give personal information to unauthorized people to include those without uniforms or credentials. Individuals with bad intent may frequent areas at the airport, including near immigration and customs. 
• If you are being followed as you leave the airport, drive to the nearest police station immediately. 
• Travel by vehicle to reduce walking in public. 
• Travel in groups or at least do not travel alone. 
• Always keep vehicle doors locked and windows closed when driving. 
• Be cautious and alert. This is especially important when driving through markets and other crowded areas. 
• Do not fight back during a robbery. It increases the risk of violence and injury to you. 
• Purchase travel insurance with medical evacuation coverage ahead of time. 
• Review information on Travel to High-Risk Areas. 
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency. 

We do this almost anywhere we travel, and we avoid sharing our plans online or with strangers.