Timetable en Jamaïque: time difference and opening hours

Time difference en Jamaïque

Time zone: UTC-5 (Universal Time minus 5 hours). No daylight saving time. There is a 6-hour time difference with France in winter, 7 hours in summer. When it's noon in Paris in January, it's only 6 a.m. in Kingston.

Opening hours en Jamaïque

To see / To do en Jamaïque

In Kingston, where the majority of museums are located, opening times vary from place to place (check before you go), but few are open on Saturdays and even fewer on Sundays. They close early, between 4pm and 6pm.

For natural sites, generally located in the island's mountainous foothills, in the jungle, such as rivers, waterfalls (like Dunn's River Falls, YS Falls, etc.), or the Blue Hole, bear in mind that it gets dark suddenly at 6pm - you're in the tropics! So if you want to see the clear blue water of the waterfalls and the river under the sun, arrive between 10am and 2pm, even if the sites are often open until 4pm.

Enjoying yourself en Jamaïque

Restaurants may be closed on certain days, or they may be open every day, depending on the address (so be sure to check beforehand). Hotel restaurants are open every day for lunch and dinner with certainty.

Some local restaurants open between 6 and 7 am for breakfast, and often close at 6 pm. Other Jamaican and international restaurants close their kitchens between 9:30 and 10 p.m., but on the whole, Jamaicans eat a hearty breakfast, nibble at lunchtime and dine early.

Take a break en Jamaïque

Coffee shops are generally open early in the morning and close around 5 or 6pm, so you're more likely to come for a good Blue Mountains coffee in the morning or a gourmet break in the afternoon, with a good exotic fruit ice cream. Bars are open until late at night, depending on the location and atmosphere! Many American-style bars offer happy hours. In tourist areas, cafés and bars are open every day, while in the city they are generally closed on Sundays.

(To) please yourself en Jamaïque

Jamaican cities are laid out in the American style, with stores located in shopping malls. Stores are generally open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and shopping malls are open later, as they also include restaurants. Sundays are generally closed. Duty-free stores and craft markets are open every day.

Get out en Jamaïque

Bars and clubs are open very late at night, especially in Kingston, the kingdom of reggae and dancehall. Sound systems in the open countryside also stay open late. Jamaica is a party country! Negril, on the other hand, is a tourist area where a few neon nightclubs stay open late, but most of the concerts end early, as they are aimed at a tourist audience.