New Kingston
Hostels, transportThe modern centre.
City guide
Things to do in Kingston
Jamaica's capital and the heart of its music: the Bob Marley Museum, Trench Town, weekly sound-system nights, Devon House ice cream, fried fish at Hellshire, and the Blue Mountains rising straight behind the city.
8
Hostels in the city
8.2
Average, from 604 reviews
56
Hope Road, the Marley museum
2–3
Days
Where the music lives
Kingston is Jamaica's capital and largest city, spread along one of the world's largest natural harbours, with the Blue Mountains rising behind it. It is a busy, sometimes intense city, and the one most resort visitors never see, but it is where Jamaican culture is made.
Reggae, ska, dub and dancehall all came out of Kingston's studios and sound systems. The Bob Marley Museum is in his former home and studio on Hope Road, Trench Town Culture Yard tells the story of the yard where he grew up, and weekly street dances and sound-system nights show the scene still alive.
The city also has the National Gallery's collection of Jamaican art, Devon House, a colonial mansion famous for its ice cream, and Emancipation Park. Across the harbour is Port Royal, once the 'wickedest city on earth', and Hellshire Beach for fried fish. Give Kingston two or three days, then head up into the mountains.
Where to base yourself
New Kingston for hostels and transport, or the quieter uptown areas near Hope Road for the museum and restaurants.
Hope Road
Museum, restaurantsUptown, by the Marley museum.
Downtown Kingston
History, by dayThe waterfront and gallery.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 8 top-rated hostels. Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Kingston
Tour the Bob Marley Museum at 56 Hope Road, his home and recording studio, and visit Trench Town Culture Yard with a guide from the community. Spend an evening at a sound-system night such as Dub Club, in the hills above the city on Sundays.
See Jamaican art at the National Gallery in Downtown Kingston, have an ice cream at Devon House, and walk through Emancipation Park.
Take a trip to Port Royal, the old pirate port at the end of the Palisadoes, and eat fried fish and festival at Hellshire Beach. Head up to the Blue Mountains for coffee farms and hiking.
Free things
And what it costs nothing to do
Emancipation Park and the Devon House grounds are free, and so is the view over the city from the hills.
Some street dances are free or cheap to enter.
The Bob Marley Museum, the National Gallery and Trench Town tours charge.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking
Jerk chicken and pork from roadside drum grills cost €5 to €9, and patties, spiced pastries, are the cheap snack at about €1. Ackee and saltfish is the national breakfast.
Eat fried fish and festival at Hellshire Beach, and try the ice cream at Devon House.
A 10 to 15 per cent tip is usual in restaurants; check the bill, as service is sometimes already added.
Nightlife
Going out
Kingston has Jamaica's real nightlife. Weekly sound-system nights and street dances run on a fixed calendar, from roots reggae at Dub Club on Sundays to dancehall nights during the week, and there are bars and clubs in New Kingston.
Go with people who know the scene, and take a booked taxi home.
Red Stripe costs €2 to €4.
Getting around
Getting around
Norman Manley International Airport is about 30 minutes from New Kingston by taxi. Knutsford Express coaches run to Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Negril and Port Antonio.
Use booked taxis or ride-hailing apps in the city, rather than walking long distances or flagging cars.
Route taxis and buses go to the Blue Mountains, but a driver is easier.
Costs
What Kingston costs
Dorm beds start at around €20 to €30 a night. Jerk plates cost €5 to €9, and patties about €1.
The Bob Marley Museum costs about €25, Trench Town tours about €15 to €25, and Knutsford Express coaches €18 to €32 a leg.
Pay in Jamaican dollars for better rates, and carry cash for street food.
Safety
Safety and scams
Kingston has high levels of violent crime, concentrated in neighbourhoods visitors have no reason to enter. Ask your accommodation which areas to avoid, do not walk at night, and use booked taxis.
Visit Trench Town and Downtown Kingston with a local guide. Keep valuables out of sight.
Tap water is generally safe in towns, but drink bottled water in rural areas and anywhere supply has been disrupted. In an emergency, call 119 for the police, or 110 for an ambulance or the fire service.
What's on
What is on while you are there
Music, carnival and anniversaries.
6 February
Bob Marley's birthday
Bob Marley Museum
Celebrations and concerts.
Usually April
Carnival in Jamaica
Kingston
Soca road march and parties.
6 August
Independence Day
Kingston
Parades and celebrations.
Hostels
Where to stay
The highest-rated hostels in Kingston, live from Hostelworld. Prices and availability are live on each property page.
Gordon Town Kotch
Dorms from €23 a night
See dates and book
Kingsworth Bed and Breakfast
Rooms from €10 a night
See dates and book
Belleh 23
Dorms from €18 a night
See dates and book
Ragamuffin Hostel
Dorms from €18 a night
See dates and book
Captain Morgan House
Rooms from €41 a night
See dates and book
Labrish
Dorms from €18 a night
See dates and book
Dancehall Hostel
Dorms from €20 a night
See dates and book
Kingston Reggae Garden
Dorms from €23 a night
See dates and book
When to go
December to April is the dry season. May and October bring the heaviest rain, and hurricane season runs from June to November. Kingston is hotter and drier than the north coast.
Jan
Dry, busy
Feb
Marley's birthday
Mar
Dry
Apr
Carnival
May
Rain
Jun
Hurricane season opens
Jul
Hot
Aug
Independence Day
Sep
Peak hurricane risk
Oct
Rain
Nov
Drying
Dec
Dry season returns
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs, rounded. Hot all year.
What your trip will cost
Per night, for one person, based on Kingston prices.
Treat these as a guide. Tours cost extra.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Kingston questions
The ones we get asked most.
Is Kingston worth visiting?
Yes, for the music, the Bob Marley Museum, Trench Town and the Blue Mountains.
Is Kingston safe?
Crime is high in some areas. Ask locally which to avoid, use booked taxis and do not walk at night.
What is Dub Club?
A weekly roots reggae night on Sundays in the hills above Kingston.
How much is the Bob Marley Museum?
About €25.
How do I get around Kingston?
By booked taxi or ride-hailing app.
How do I get from Kingston to Montego Bay?
By Knutsford Express coach.
When is the best time to visit?
December to April.
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