Guernsey Travel Guide | Tourist4Tourist

Local time: 09:00
Currency: British Pound (GBP)
Capital: Saint Peter Port
Calling code: +44
Drive on the: left

Overview

Guernsey, in the Channel Islands, has the harbour town of St Peter Port with Castle Cornet and Victor Hugo's house, sandy bays and clifftop walks, German occupation bunkers, and the car-free islands of Sark and Herm a short boat ride away.

The Bailiwick of Guernsey is a Crown Dependency in the English Channel: it shares the British monarch but is not part of the United Kingdom and was never in the EU. It includes the main island of Guernsey, with the capital St Peter Port, and the smaller islands of Alderney, Sark and Herm. Guernsey grew up as a fishing port, then grew rich on smuggling and privateering, and was fortified against the French and later by the German occupiers in the Second World War, whose bunkers are now among the main sights.

The island is small and built up in places, but has an attractive rural landscape, more than two dozen beaches and fine clifftop walks along the south and east coasts. English is spoken everywhere. Visitors must have travel health insurance, as there is no reciprocal healthcare.

Castle Cornet: A 13th-century castle on the harbour of St Peter Port, home of the Guernsey Tapestry.
Hauteville House: Where Victor Hugo lived in exile and wrote Les Misérables.
Jerbourg Point: Perhaps the best of many clifftop walks, at the south-east tip.
Beaches: Sandy bays in the north and west, coves below the cliffs in the south.
Occupation sites: Bunkers, tunnels and the German Underground Hospital.
Sark and Herm: Small islands nearby: Sark has no car traffic.

Places to visit

City
Coast
Island
Historic site

Cities

St Peter Port: The capital and largest town, and the arrival point for all ferries.
St Sampson: In the north, where the built-up area of St Peter Port extends.

Beyond the cities

Castle Cornet (site): A 13th-century castle at the end of the harbour breakwater.
Hauteville House (site): Victor Hugo's house from 1856 to 1870, managed by the City of Paris.
Sausmarez Manor (site): A manor in St Martin with subtropical gardens and a sculpture park.
Jerbourg Point (coast): A headland with clifftop walks and remains from the Neolithic to the Second World War.
Lihou (island): A tidal island with a ruined priory, reached by a causeway at low tide.
Sark (island): An island with no car traffic, its two parts joined by a narrow walkway.
Herm (island): A small, charming island close to Guernsey, reached from St Peter Port.
Alderney (island): An island ringed with Victorian forts, with a lot of open countryside.

Things to do

See

Castle Cornet St Peter Port: Centuries of sieges and garrisons, and the Guernsey Tapestry of island history.
Hauteville House Hauteville House: Victor Hugo's home in exile, on four floors with a garden.
Occupation history: The German Underground Hospital, the Naval Signals HQ bunker and the Occupation Museum.
The Little Chapel: A tiny chapel covered in shells, pebbles and broken china.

Do

Clifftop walks Jerbourg Point: Scenic strolls along the south and east coasts.
Lihou at low tide Lihou: Walk the 400 m causeway to the priory ruins; check the tides.
Beaches and surfing: Sandy bays in the west and north; surfing at Vazon Bay and windsurfing at L'Ancresse.

Eat

Cream tea: A Guernsey tradition, eaten on the beach or in a café.

Drink

Local gin and beer St Peter Port: Wheadon's gin and the Randalls and White Rock breweries.

Tours and tickets in Guernsey PartnerGuided tours, day trips and attraction ticketsSee activities

Itineraries

Guernsey, Sark and Herm in 5 days (5 days)

St Peter Port (3 nights): Castle Cornet, Hauteville House, Jerbourg Point and a day trip to Herm.
Sark (1 night): An island without car traffic.
St Peter Port (1 night): Beaches on the west coast and Lihou at low tide.

Holidays and events

1 January 2026 · New Year's Day
3 April 2026 · Good Friday
6 April 2026 · Easter Monday
1 May 2026 · Early May Bank Holiday
9 May 2026 · Liberation Day
25 May 2026 · Spring Bank Holiday
31 August 2026 · Summer Bank Holiday
25 December 2026 · Christmas Day
26 December 2026 · Boxing Day

Getting around

Main airports	GCI

Buses cover most of the island and all meet in St Peter Port, at a flat fare paid by contactless card; a day pass is useful for touring the island. Car hire is available at the airport but fleets are small, so book ahead in peak periods. Bikes can be hired. Herm is reached from Guernsey, and Sark and Alderney usually are too.

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Where to stay

Hotels in St Peter Port: From about £150 for a double room with breakfast, up to £300 at the top end.
Out-of-town hotels: Mostly along the west coast.
Self-catering cottages: For example at Camps du Moulin in St Martin.

Most hotels are in and around St Peter Port. Car hire fleets are small, so book a car early for peak periods.

Eat and drink

Dishes to try

Cream tea: A Guernsey tradition, taken to the beach or eaten in.
Seafood: Served in harbourside restaurants in St Peter Port.
British-style food: Much the same as in Britain and Ireland, now with more variety and quality.

Drinks

Wheadon's Gin: A London-style dry gin from a micro-distillery, with tours and tastings.
Local beer: From the Randalls and White Rock breweries in St Peter Port.

The St Peter Port waterfront is the main strip of pubs. Restaurants in town include seafood, Italian and Thai places; on the west coast, Cobo and Vazon bays are good for dinner at sunset.

Entry requirements and visas

Passport	Entry	Max stay	Notes
United Kingdom	Freedom of movement		Common Travel Area with the UK, Ireland and the Isle of Man.

Other nationalities: check the official source below.

Guernsey is outside the EU and the Schengen area but in the Common Travel Area with the UK, Ireland and the Isle of Man. If you are allowed to enter the UK, with or without a visa, you can also visit Guernsey for up to 90 days, but you may not work without registration or take up residence. Entry rules are the same as for Jersey. Rules depend on your passport: check the official link before you book.

Money and payments

Currency	British Pound (GBP)

The Guernsey pound is on a par with the British pound. Notes from Jersey, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man are accepted, but Guernsey notes are not accepted in the UK: change them before you leave, although British banks will take them over the counter. Cash machines may let you choose local or sterling notes. Buses take contactless payment.

Health

Recommended vaccines	Routine vaccines, including measles (MMR), Hepatitis A: consider it, Hepatitis B, for unvaccinated travellers under 60
Malaria	None

The CDC covers Guernsey in its advice for the United Kingdom: rabid dogs are not commonly found. You must have travel health insurance, because the Bailiwick of Guernsey has no reciprocal agreement with the UK's National Health Service, the European EHIC scheme or any other country: all treatment must be paid in full.

This is general information, not medical advice: check with a travel health professional before you go.

Safety

There are no official travel advisory levels for Guernsey. Crime is uncommon, but look after your belongings and keep away from the occasional drunk. The main dangers are natural: slippery rocks and the sea. Some beaches have strong currents, for example Port Soif, and the causeway to Lihou can only be crossed at low tide.

Customs and etiquette

Do not call the UK "the mainland" when you are in Guernsey: it is not Guernsey's mainland. The island is a Crown Dependency, not part of the UK, and is separate from Jersey too: there is no political entity called the Channel Islands. From May to September dogs are not allowed on several popular beaches.

Language

Official languages	English, French
English	Widespread

What to pack

Travel health insurance: There is no reciprocal healthcare: all treatment is paid in full.
Contactless card: It pays the flat bus fare.
Tide times: You need low tide to reach Lihou.
Good shoes: Clifftop paths and slippery rocks.

Quick reference

Country facts

Capital	Saint Peter Port
Population	67,787 (2024)
Area	78 km²
Time zone	Europe/Guernsey (UTC+0)
Calling code	+44
Driving side	left

Staying connected

SIM and eSIM	All of Guernsey has 4G from three carriers, Airtel-Vodafone, JT and Sure, apart from a few dead spots; there was no 5G as of September 2024. Visitors from the UK or Europe should check roaming charges with their provider. The dialling code is +44, as in the UK.
Wi-Fi	There is Wi-Fi in many public places.

Frequently asked questions

Is Guernsey part of the UK?

No. It is a Crown Dependency with the same monarch, outside the UK and the EU, but in the Common Travel Area with the UK and Ireland.

Do I need a visa?

If you can enter the UK, you can visit Guernsey for up to 90 days. Check the official link before you book.

Is healthcare free for visitors?

No. There are no reciprocal agreements, so you need travel health insurance.

Can I use Guernsey pounds in the UK?

Not in shops. Change them before you leave, or pay them in at a British bank.

Will my UK phone roam for free?

Not necessarily: check roaming charges with your provider before you travel.

How do I get to Sark and Herm?

By boat from Guernsey: Herm is always reached from Guernsey, and Sark usually is.

Suggest an update

Travel rules, prices and timetables change. If something in this guide is out of date, tell us: we check every suggestion against an official source before changing the page.

Guernsey