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Barbados travel guide

Best time to visit from the UK, weather, festivals, flights from London and FCDO travel advice.

Bathsheba, Barbados
Bathsheba, Barbados. Photo: Postdlf, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
8h 45mflight from London
Barbadian dollarcurrency
No visafor UK passports
Type A, Bplugs

Rum, cricket and turquoise west-coast beaches

Don't miss

  1. West coast beaches
  2. Harrison's Cave
  3. Rum distilleries
Good forBeachesFood lovers

Best time to visit Barbados from the UK

Best value: May, Nov. Dec–Apr. Busiest and priciest: Dec–Apr, Jul–Aug.

26.4 C26°J26.2 C26°F26.3 C26°M26.9 C27°A27.6 C28°M27.8 C28°J27.9 C28°J28.2 C28°A28.4 C28°S28.3 C28°O27.8 C28°N27.2 C27°D
Best valueBusy and pricierQuietAverage temperature in Bridgetown, °C, 2001–2025 (NASA POWER).

Each bar is the average temperature in Bridgetown for that month, and its colour shows the season for visitors: best value (good weather, fewer crowds and lower prices), busiest and priciest, or quiet (off-peak, sometimes because the weather is poorer).

  • Our pick: May and NovemberThe warmest of the best-value months (28°C), with fewer crowds than peak season.
  • Peak season: Dec–Apr, Jul–AugUsually 26–28°C. The busiest time, so book flights and rooms early and expect higher prices.
  • Quiet season: Jun, Sep–OctAround 28°C. The cheapest and least crowded time, though often because of rain or heat.
  • Warmest: September (28°C) · coolest: February (26°C)Temperatures barely change through the year, so the season matters more than the weather.
Temperatures as a table
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
26.426.226.326.927.627.827.928.228.428.327.827.2

Festivals and events

  • Crop Over Jul–Aug · Bridgetown
  • Holetown Festival Feb · Holetown

Festival dates move from year to year: check before you book.

Getting there from the UK

Flight time
About 8h 45m
Distance
6,758 km
Main airport
BGI

Flight times are straight-line estimates for a direct flight from Heathrow; journeys with a change take longer.

Add Barbados to your bucket list Search flights to BGI

Practical info and travel guidance

Barbadian dollarCapital: Bridgetown
Type A, B · 115VBring a UK adapter; check chargers say 100-240V
Drive on the leftSame as the UK
211
EmergencyAmbulance 511
Tap water safeAcross the country
  • VisaNo visa neededNo visa for short visits
  • HealthcareSome free urgent careA UK reciprocal agreement covers some urgent state care. Still take travel insurance.
  • LGBT+ travellersLegal, but attitudes can be conservativePublic affection may draw attention.
  • Women travellersNo specific FCDO warningTake the usual precautions.

For British passport holders, summarised from the FCDO's advice for Barbados, checked October 2026. FCDO page last updated 23 January 2026. Rules change: read the official FCDO travel advice for Barbados before you book and again before you go.

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