São Tomé and Príncipe travel guide

Best time to visit São Tomé and Príncipe from the UK

Best value: Oct. Jun–Sep: dry season (gravana). Busiest and priciest: Jun–Sep.

Each bar is the average temperature in São Tomé 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: OctoberThe warmest of the best-value months (26°C), with fewer crowds than peak season.
• Peak season: Jun–SepUsually 25–26°C. The busiest time, so book flights and rooms early and expect higher prices.
• Quiet season: Nov–MayAround 26–28°C. The cheapest and least crowded time, though often because of rain or heat.
• Warmest: March (28°C) · coolest: July (25°C)Temperatures barely change through the year, so the season matters more than the weather.

Festivals and events

• Auto de Floripes Aug · Príncipe

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

Getting there from the UK

Flight time

About 7h 30m

Distance

5,726 km

Main airport

TMS

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

Add São Tomé and Príncipe to your bucket list Search flights to TMS

Practical info and travel guidance

• VisaNo visa neededUp to 15 days
• HealthcareNo free healthcareYou pay for treatment, so travel insurance with medical cover is essential.
• 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 São Tomé and Príncipe, checked October 2026. FCDO page last updated 10 December 2025. Rules change: read the official FCDO travel advice for São Tomé and Príncipe before you book and again before you go.