SOUTHEAST ASIA

Brunei travel guides

Brunei is a short, quiet stop on Borneo between Sabah and Sarawak. These guides cover the entry rules and the arrival form, the alcohol, dress and Ramadan rules a visitor must know, the mosques, museums and Kampong Ayer water village of Bandar Seri Begawan, a day in the Temburong rainforest, and how to fit two or three nights into a trip from Kota Kinabalu to Miri.

Bandar Seri Begawan Temburong

Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque and the replica royal barge on its lagoon

Destination guides

Each guide helps you decide whether a place fits your trip, how long to stay, where to sleep, what to eat and how to get there.

Bandar Seri Begawan

The capital, its water village and the river towards Temburong.

Brunei-Muara · 2 nights for the city, 3 with Ulu Temburong

Bandar Seri Begawan

Two or three nights in Brunei's capital: the golden mosques, Kampong Ayer by water taxi, the Royal Regalia Museum, Gadong night market and Ulu Temburong.

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Temburong

The rainforest district across Brunei Bay: Ulu Temburong National Park, Bangar and the Peradayan forest.

Temburong · One full day from Bandar Seri Begawan, or one night at a lodge on the Temburong River

Ulu Temburong

Ulu Temburong National Park from Bandar Seri Begawan: the longboat and canopy walk, licensed operators and prices, day trip or a lodge night, Bangar and Bukit Patoi.

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Make the important choices first

Entry, conduct rules, money, SIM and what a stay costs.

Walkway beside the lagoon leading to the gold-domed Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque in Bandar Seri Begawan

Brunei-Muara · 3 days / 2 nights in Bandar Seri Begawan, or 4 days / 3 nights with a Temburong rainforest day

First trip to Brunei

How many nights to give Brunei, the visa and E-Arrival card, the alcohol, Friday and Ramadan rules, money, SIM cards and what two nights in the capital cost.

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Golden domes and minarets of the Jame' 'Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque behind a fountain and lawns

Brunei-Muara · 4 days, 3 nights in Bandar Seri Begawan, with a city day and a Temburong rainforest day

Brunei trip cost

Four days and three nights in Brunei with a Temburong rainforest day: about BND 450 budget, BND 690 mid-range or BND 770 comfort per person, all in.

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A stadium crowd waving small Brunei flags during the National Day celebrations

Brunei-Muara · National Day and the Sultan's birthday are single days with wider programmes around them; Ramadan lasts 29 or 30 days, and the Diamond Jubilee programme runs from October to December 2027

Festivals and events in Brunei

Brunei's 2027 calendar: National Day on 23 February, Ramadan and Hari Raya, the Sultan's birthday on 15 July and the Diamond Jubilee from October, with what closes.

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Piles of fruit and vegetables on a market stall at Tamu Kianggeh

Brunei-Muara · Two or three days of meals in Bandar Seri Begawan, plus a snack stop on a Temburong day

Brunei food

What to eat in Brunei, from ambuyat, the sago national dish, to nasi katok and beef soto, with named places in Bandar Seri Begawan and what a day of meals costs.

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Uniformed scouts marching in rows across a stadium track at the National Day parade

Brunei · Two nights in Bandar Seri Begawan in any month, three with a Temburong day

Best Time Brunei

When to visit Brunei: rain and heat by month, the two monsoons, Ramadan and Hari Raya in 2027, National Day, the Sultan's birthday, Fridays and the haze season.

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A Royal Brunei Airlines Airbus at an air bridge at Brunei International Airport under a blue sky

Brunei-Muara · Up to 90 days without a visa on UK, EU, EFTA and US passports; up to 30 days on some Asian and Pacific passports

Entry Brunei

Brunei entry rules: visa-free days by passport, the E-Arrival card, passport validity, alcohol, tobacco and cash at customs, and the road and ferry crossings.

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The Empire Brunei's pavilion-roofed buildings beside a turquoise pool and palms at Jerudong

Brunei-Muara and Temburong · Two nights in Bandar Seri Begawan, plus one by the Temburong River for the rainforest

Where to stay in Brunei

Where to stay in Brunei: downtown Bandar Seri Begawan, Gadong, Kiulap and the airport road, The Empire at Jerudong and a lodge night in Temburong, with rates.

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Narrow steel walkway of the Ulu Temburong canopy walk above the rainforest

Brunei · Start at least 8 weeks before you fly: the travel clinic and the insurance; the rest applies throughout the trip

Health and safety in Brunei

Vaccines and dengue advice for Brunei, haze alerts, rainforest and crocodile rules, road risks, strict drug laws, emergency numbers, hospitals and insurance.

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Low-rise buildings of downtown Bandar Seri Begawan across a wide river under a blue sky

Brunei-Muara · Set up before you fly: the Dart app, saved numbers and a booked first night

Solo female travel in Brunei

Travelling alone as a woman in Brunei: what the UK, German and French advice says, getting back after dark, Dart and taxis, dress, the forest and 993.

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Routes with time to stay

Brunei as a two- or three-night stop between Sabah and Sarawak.

A Royal Brunei Airlines Airbus parked on the apron at Brunei International Airport under a blue sky

Brunei-Muara, Tutong and Belait districts · 3 days / 2 nights: Bandar Seri Begawan 2

Brunei from Sabah and Sarawak

Two nights in Bandar Seri Begawan between Kota Kinabalu and Miri: the flight in, a city and water-village day, the road out via Sungai Tujuh, the Labuan ferry and costs.

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