Areas at a glance
- Central Tumon (Pleasure Island): the most convenient base — big resorts on the sand, shops and restaurants across the road.
- North Tumon (Gun Beach): cliff-top towers, a quieter cove and the beach show venue; handy for Two Lovers Point.
- South Tumon (Ypao and Hilton Point): the big beach park, calmer snorkelling and a more local feel at weekends.
- Tamuning and Agana Bay: outlet shopping, supermarkets, business hotels and resorts on a second, quieter bay towards Hagåtña.
Eating and drinking
Try Chamorro food at least once: red rice coloured with achote seed, barbecued chicken and ribs, kelaguen (chopped chicken, shrimp or beef “cooked” in lemon and coconut), and finadene, the soy, vinegar and chilli sauce that goes on everything. Tumon also has excellent Korean and Japanese restaurants, American steak and burger places, and hotel buffets. Portions are large and tipping follows US custom.
Money and shopping
The currency is the US dollar, cards are accepted almost everywhere and ATMs are easy to find. Guam does not add a sales tax at the till, and it is a duty-free port, which is why luxury goods and American brands draw shoppers from Asia. Check your home country’s customs allowance before buying big.
Safety in and out of the water
Tumon is a low-crime resort area, but do not leave valuables on the sand or visible in a hire car. In the sea, the danger is the reef edge: stay inside the lagoon, never swim out through a channel, and wear reef shoes — coral cuts and sea urchins are the commonest injuries. Use reef-safe sunscreen and do not stand on or touch the coral.
Good to know
Electricity is 120 V with US-style plugs. Tap water is treated. Mobile roaming from US carriers usually works as at home; other visitors can buy a local SIM or eSIM. For region-wide practicalities, see the Mariana Islands travel guide.
Sample plans
One day
Morning swim and snorkel at Ypao Beach, lunch on Pale San Vitores Road, a lazy afternoon by the pool or in the shops, then sunset at Gun Beach and a beachfront dinner show.
Two days
Day one as above. Day two: drive to Piti for a dolphin cruise or guided snorkelling in the morning, stop in Hagåtña for the Plaza de España and Latte Stone Park, and finish with a sunset dinner cruise.
Three days
Add a full-day loop of southern Guam by hire car — Cetti Bay, Umatac, Merizo and the Inarajan pools — returning by the east coast, with Two Lovers Point at dusk on your way back into Tumon.
