Brunei Travel Guide

The small sultanate of Brunei is certainly not a must-see destination, but I recommend that anyone spend a few days there if they’re planning to visit the island of Borneo. In fact, if you decide to travel overland, it’s a pretty much unavoidable stop to get from one part of Malaysian Borneo to the other.

The capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, has some mosques that are impressive to say the least and a few other noteworthy sights where you can discover the history of this small country, which many people don’t even know exists. The cost of living is high, especially when it comes to accommodation, but a couple of days in the city shouldn’t put too much of a dent in your budget.

In this guide you’ll find lots of tips and useful information to plan your trip as best you can.

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Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque.

When to visit Brunei

The best time to visit Brunei is the dry season, which runs from March to October. During this period the climate is more pleasant, with less rainfall and lower humidity. Temperatures are also relatively mild, ranging from 23°C to 31°C.

Here’s how the seasons break down in Brunei:

Dry season (March to October): the best time to visit Brunei, with pleasant weather and less rainfall.

Transitional season (November): the weather is still generally good, but there’s a chance of more rain.

Rainy season (December to February): the rainiest time of the year, with frequent showers and high humidity.

Kampong Ayer.

Documents and vaccinations to enter Brunei

Holders of an Italian passport with at least six months of remaining validity get a free 90-day tourist visa (the rules change depending on your nationality, so check yours). However, you need to fill out an online form to get the so-called “E-arrival Card”.

Brunei doesn’t require any mandatory vaccinations, but Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B are always recommended.

For up-to-date information on visas and everything else, I recommend checking your own government’s official travel advice (for example, the UK’s Foreign travel advice).

Al-Muhtadee Billah Mosque.

What to do and see in Brunei

In this guide prices are often given in the local currency. Brunei’s official currency is called the “Brunei dollar”, abbreviated as “BND”. The exchange rate is about 1€ = 1.43 BND. For the current rate, I recommend taking a look at this page.

I’d also like to point out that the exchange rate with the Singapore dollar is fixed at 1 to 1. It didn’t happen to me, but apparently you may get your change in Singapore dollars, and in any case they’re generally accepted.

Bandar Seri Begawan

Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei, is a fairly compact city that can be easily explored on foot.

Mosques

Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque (Google Maps) is the city’s main mosque. It’s an impressive building, to say the least, and particularly striking in the evening when it’s lit up. The mosque is open to visitors only at certain times: Sunday to Thursday 8:30 – 12:00, 13:30 – 15:00 and 16:30 – 17:30, Saturday 16:30 – 17:30, closed on Friday. I recommend confirming the opening hours once you’re there. In any case, the visit is free, but unfortunately non-Muslims only have access to a small area at the entrance, from where you can peek inside.

Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque.

Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque (Google Maps) is just as impressive, if not even more so. I was there on a Thursday, so I wasn’t allowed in, and as a result I don’t know how much of the interior you can visit as a non-Muslim. In any case, it’s open to the public every day except Friday, 8:00 – 11:30 and 14:00 – 15:00 (updated October 2026). When I was there, though, you couldn’t go in on Thursdays, so I recommend checking the hours before you go.

The ones I just mentioned are by far the most impressive mosques in the country, but Ash Shaliheen Mosque (Google Maps) is also often recommended. I didn’t go there, so I couldn’t say whether it’s worth it or not. If you pass through the airport, you can also visit the Brunei International Airport Mosque (Google Maps).

I’d also like to remind you that when you visit a mosque, you need to wear appropriate clothing: men must wear long pants, while women must cover all their skin and avoid tight clothing. You also have to take off your shoes before going in. It’s important to respect the worshippers’ privacy and not photograph people without their consent.

Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque.

Kampong Ayer

Kampong Ayer (Google Maps) is the largest stilt settlement in the world and has existed for more than a thousand years, with plenty of accounts from the Chinese, who arrived in the 10th century AD and were followed by the Europeans at the beginning of the 16th century AD. The nicknames “Venice of the East” and “Floating City” reflect how unique and important Kampong Ayer was in that period.

With that brief introduction out of the way, I can assure you that the village has absolutely none of the charm or architecture of Venice, but I still recommend a visit. The boats along the river (Google Maps) ask only 1 BND to take you to the village. Once you get to the village, I recommend starting your visit at the small visitor center/museum (Google Maps); admission is free. Then I recommend following the route marked by white arrows on a black background, which winds through the village all the way to the Al-Muhtadee Billah Mosque (Google Maps). Walking through the village you get great views of the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha Bridge (Google Maps), which is the second-longest single-pylon cable-stayed bridge in the world and has a total length of 622 meters. If possible, visit the village early in the morning, because walking under the sun in the middle of the day can be real torture around here.

Just so you know: a couple of boats stopped me asking if I wanted to see the monkeys. I imagine they take you just outside the city along the river, but honestly I don’t think it’s worth it unless you’ve never seen monkeys before!

Kampong Ayer.

Museums

Royal Regalia Museum (Google Maps) showcases the history and wealth of the monarchy. It houses a vast collection of royal artifacts, including the regalia used during the coronation of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, as well as gifts from foreign dignitaries, ceremonial objects and exhibits highlighting Brunei’s royal heritage and cultural traditions. All in all, I found the visit interesting, and if nothing else it’s a great way to escape the heat and humidity during the day. Admission costs 5 BND (cash only); if you have an internet connection, you can scan the QR codes for the audio guide. Open every day except Friday from 9:00 to 17:00.

I didn’t go to any other museums, but I’d point out: Malay Technology Museum (Google Maps), Brunei Maritime Museum (Google Maps), where there’s also a small archaeological park nearby (Google Maps), and finally Brunei History Center (Google Maps).

Kampong Ayer.

Tasek Lama Recreational Park

Tasek Lama Recreational Park (Google Maps) is the city park, just a stone’s throw from downtown. The locals love it, but honestly I didn’t find anything exceptional about it. There’s a small waterfall, a series of trails and quite a few monkeys. That said, the park is well maintained, so if you want to spend a few hours surrounded by nature right next to the city, it’s not that bad.

Tasek Lama Recreational Park.

Gadong Night Market

Gadong Night Market (Google Maps) is considered the most famous night market in the city. Here too, if you’ve been to other night markets in Southeast Asia, I doubt you’ll find anything special there, but if you want to try some traditional food, it can definitely be an option for dinner without spending much, and a way to pass a couple of hours. Next to it is the fish market (Google Maps), but given its opening hours, it’s a bit hard to fit in a visit. If you want to visit a more accessible local market in the morning, I recommend Kianggeh Market (Google Maps), and while you’re at it, pop over to the Chinese temple “Tokong Cina” on the other side of the street (Google Maps).

Gadong Night Market.

Planning your trip? If you still need travel insurance, you can find my guide to the best travel insurance here. Purchasing through the links in the guide supports this site at no additional cost to you.

Where to stay in Bandar Seri Begawan?

I stayed at CoLiving Hostel Bandar, one of the cheapest options around, and all in all I recommend it. The atmosphere is nice and the location is excellent. However, there’s only one bathroom, which can be a real inconvenience, especially when the hostel is full.

How to get to Bandar Seri Begawan?

From Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia, Sipitang Express Bus runs buses three times a week (only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays), which you can book on www.easybook.com. The same bus travels in the opposite direction on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

To and from Miri in Malaysia there used to be direct buses before Covid, but during my visit they still hadn’t resumed service. Here you’ll find an article that’s updated frequently with the various options. I made the trip with Pauline, a really kind person and great company who, on top of that, speaks excellent English. The trip went way beyond my expectations: it took us 5 hours, but we stopped for breakfast and lunch (she paid!!), visited a luxury hotel and the area where the refineries are.

Finally, Bandar Seri Begawan airport has connections to lots of destinations in Southeast Asia and beyond.

Tokong Cina Temple.

Other destinations in the country

I decided to skip any other kind of activity outside the capital altogether. For a “comparable” experience, Malaysia is simply cheaper; I’m talking in particular about visiting Ulu Temburong National Park.

A couple of German friends did the two-day tour and told me the experience wasn’t bad at all, but as I just said, the forest on the other side of the border isn’t all that different, and you could visit Mulu National Park, which offers lots of other activities.

Ulu Temburong National Park

At the hostel in Bandar Seri Begawan they offered a whole range of packages, from a day trip for about 100-200 BND (depending on the number of participants) to 150 – 250 BND for the two-day tour with a stay inside the park. Here you’ll find an excellent article about it.

To wrap up, north of the city there are a number of beaches that aren’t particularly impressive, but if, for example, you decide to rent a car and explore the country a bit more in depth, you might consider: Pantai Berakas (Google Maps), Pantai Jerudong (Google Maps), Pantai Meragang (Google Maps) and Pantai Muara (Google Maps).

Someone recommended a dive center to me (Oceanic Quest Sdn Bhd); the period with the best visibility is from April to August.

Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque.

Suggested itineraries in Brunei

If, like me, you only visit the capital, a couple of days in Brunei are more than enough, and I recommend following the itinerary below.

Two-day itinerary in Brunei

Bandar Seri Begawan

Day 1:

Kampong Ayer in the morning, Royal Regalia Museum in the afternoon, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque in the evening.

Day 2:

Kianggeh Market, Tokong Cina and Tasek Lama Recreational Park in the morning. Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque in the afternoon and Gadong Night Market in the evening.

If you plan to visit Ulu Temburong Park as well, add one or two days depending on the tour you choose to take.

Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha Bridge.

How to get around Brunei

Fuel and private cars are really cheap, so, given the low demand, public transport isn’t exactly great. Ride-sharing apps like Grab and Gojek, extremely popular in the rest of the region, don’t even operate in the country at the time of writing this guide. That said, urban transport in the capital isn’t that bad: the hostel where I stayed had a well-made map with schedules and so on, which you can also find on this page. As for taxis, the local alternative to Grab is called Dart.

Traveling to Brunei: costs

Brunei, together with Singapore, is without a doubt the most expensive country in Southeast Asia, but all in all it’s not that expensive, and besides, for the average traveler it’s a short visit that shouldn’t put too much of a dent in the budget. If, like me, you only visit the capital without joining any kind of tour, 30-40€ a day should be absolutely more than enough.

Friendly locals at the fish market.

Other costs (ATM withdrawals and SIM cards)

Let’s start with the cost of ATM withdrawals, which, if you use the best travel cards, can be brought down to zero. Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD) actually lets you withdraw for free. I went to their branch right in the city center, but it should be the biggest bank in Brunei, so I imagine they have ATMs and branches pretty much everywhere.

As for SIM cards, DST and Progresif are the two main companies in the country. The first should have better coverage outside the capital, while the second should offer cheaper plans. Given my short stay, I didn’t buy a SIM card myself.

If you have a phone that supports eSIMs and you want the convenience of getting online right away without having to buy a local SIM, then I recommend using a service like the ones offered by Airalo and Ubigi. If you go for this option, though, there are at least a couple of things to consider. First of all, with rare exceptions, data costs a lot more than it would with a local SIM; secondly, their local partner isn’t always the one with the best coverage in the area.

Basically, I think most travelers would be better off buying a local SIM (or maybe trying to buy the eSIM of a local provider), but think it over for yourself, since there’s no shortage of exceptions. For example, when I visited Japan, the plan offered by Ubigi was cheaper than any local SIM I could buy without proving I was a resident.

Tokong Cina Temple.

Traveling to Brunei: safety

Brunei literally has one of the lowest crime rates in the world, and violent crime is very rare. Obviously you need to use common sense like anywhere else in the world, but if you follow my tips, I doubt you’ll have any problems.

That said, this is a very conservative country, and women would do well to cover their legs and shoulders. Also, the sale of alcohol is banned in Brunei; non-Muslim visitors can bring limited quantities with them for personal use, but drinking alcohol in public is still illegal. Muslims can’t buy or drink alcohol.

Are you planning a trip to Brunei? Check out these posts:

Which travel backpack to choose

What to bring on your trip

Do you have any questions? Updated information? Feel free to leave a comment or message me on Instagram!

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