Inside Jonestown: The Chilling Guyana Tours Exploring the Site of the 1978 Cult Tragedy
While some believe that the introduction of tourism to Jonestown is in bad taste, others argue that it’s important to remember what happened there. They believe that Jonestown stands as a powerful reminder of the destructive power of cults and as a notable part of Guyana’s history.
The Site Of The 1978 Jonestown Massacre Is Opened Up For Tourism
Wanderlust AdventuresPeople stand in front of the “Welcome to Jonestown” sign, a replica of the original from the late 1970s.
Tours of Jonestown began at the start of 2025 and are run by a Guyanese company called Wanderlust Adventures GY, which also offers nature and food-themed tours across the country. Individual tours at Jonestown are $750, and include a flight from Georgetown to Port Kaitum, meals, and a chance to speak with an eyewitness to the Jonestown Massacre.
“The Jonestown Memorial Tour is an overnight reflective journey into Guyana’s Northwest District, exploring the history and culture surrounding Jonestown,” the travel agency explains. “A highlight of the experience is hearing firsthand from someone who lived in the area during Jonestown’s existence, offering unique insights into this pivotal moment in history.”
The Jonestown tour thus joins the ranks of other sites of tragedies, disasters, and violence that draw tourists, including Auschwitz, Ground Zero in New York City, and Chernobyl. But many people in Guyana aren’t happy about it.
“It clearly appeared as if there was a lot of illegal activity going on there, human rights violations, food/sleep deprivation, forced imprisonment, and the images were pretty gory, reprehensible,” Neville Bissember, a senior law lecturer at the University of Guyana told NBC News shortly before the Jonestown tours began. “People would prefer not to remember.”
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