Cidade Velha: The 13 Best Tours from Praia

1.Praia & Cidade Velha: Guided City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 80 reviews · 4 hours · from $53Our pick

Spend four hours with a local guide in Praia and Cidade Velha. Visit the Plateau, a food market, Banana Street, Pelourinho Square, church ruins, and Fortaleza Real de São Filipe. Hotel and harbor pickup are included, with guiding in five languages.

“Amerigo nous a fait partager sa connaissance de l'histoire de son pays avec beaucoup de professionnalisme dans un français plus que correct. si vous en avez la possibilité demandez à faire le circuit "à l'envers"( comme nous avons dû le faire du fait des embouteillages du lundi matin): vous commencerez alors par Santiago "historique" et terminerez par Praia "contemporaine". J'airais même préféré commencer par la citadelle de Cidade Velha avant la ville de Cidade Velha. Attention, l'entrée à la citadelle coute 500escudos (5€) par personne.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Highlights of Cidade Velha with Local Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 67 reviews · 3 hours · from $57

Travel from Praia to UNESCO-listed Cidade Velha with a local guide such as Yvonne, Ricardo, or Ailton. Walk from São Filipe Fortress to the old slave market, cathedral ruins, Banana Street, and São Francisco Convent, with time for a black-sand beach and fishing bay views.

“very interesting tour. Ricardo was a great guide. Recommended!”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Calabaceira Valley Trek & Visit to Cidade Velha

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 49 reviews · 4 hours · from $82

Walk downhill through Calabaceira Valley with a local guide, spot tropical plants and wildlife, visit a small rum distillery, then explore Cidade Velha’s slave market, churches, cathedral ruins, and São Filipe Fortress. Guides speak English, French, Portuguese, or Spanish.

“Mario notre guide était vraiment sympa et un puits de sciences quant à la connaissance des lieux visités et de son pays en règle générale. La randonnée et les visites étaient très intéressantes et instructives. Valérie et Christophe.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Cidade Velha, Tarrafal & East Side Island Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 23 reviews · 10 hours · from $141

Spend 10 hours crossing Santiago from Praia or Cidade Velha. A local guide leads you through Cidade Velha, then takes you to a family cuscuz workshop, Serra Malagueta, Tarrafal Beach, and the east coast. Guides may include Elisandro, Alex, or Djibril, with English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish available.

“The tour itself was good but the tour operator was disorganized and tried changing the date and the itinerary at the last minute.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Like Locals: Praia and Cidade Velha Tour + Local Pontxi Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 19 reviews · from $63Top rated

Spend four to five hours with a local guide exploring Praia and Cidade Velha. Visit markets, the Presidential Palace area, São Felipe Fortress, Sé Cathedral ruins, Banana Street, and more. Hotel pickup, drop-off, public transport, and a Pontxi tasting are included.

“Ricardo is a very good and funny guide, with a lot of interesting details and stories to tell. Very good tour to know the city and its history! The company is very flexible and helpful.”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.4-Hour Calabaceira Valley Hike & Guided Tour to Cidade Velha

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews · from $81

Join Bu Country Tours for an easy 5-kilometer walk through Calabaceira Valley, with guides such as Ailton or Maria, then visit Cidade Velha’s churches, ruins, slave-market pillory, and São Filipe Fortress. Hotel pickup, transport, and drop-off are included.

“Our guide Ailton was exceptional. He had so much knowledge of the area and nature we saw on our hike. This excursion was our favourite part of our entire holiday. I cannot recommend Ailton highly enough!”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Best of Praia & Cidade Velha Tour, a World Heritage Site

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 15 reviews · from $68

See Praia’s Plateau, Sucupira Market, and UNESCO-listed Cidade Velha in about four hours. Your guide, possibly including Alex, Ivana, Elton, or Elisandro, explains Cape Verdean history and culture, with hotel pickup, transport, and drop-off included.

“Everything was perfect, two experienced guides, Very well prepared in the history of Cabo Verde, very pleased with everything”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Guided City tour Praia with Cidade Velha (World Heritage)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · from $58

Spend 3 to 4 hours touring Praia and Cidade Velha with a guide such as Edson, Orlando, José, or another Kapverden Tours host. Visit two markets, the main church, Praia’s central square, and the former colonial capital, with pickup and groups limited to six.

“Edson was a great guide, very knowledgeable and perfect English. The tour took us to the main historical parts of the city and it was very helpful to learn about the history of Cabo Verde”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Shore Excursion: 3-Hour Guided Historic Tour of Praia & Cidade Velha

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · from $64

Travel by private, climate-controlled minivan from Praia Harbor to Praia and Cidade Velha. Your guide covers the Sucupira market, colonial squares, Fortaleza Real de San Felipe, the first European cathedral in Sub-Saharan Africa, and Banana Street. Guides may include Elzo, Garcia, or Elisandro.

“Garcia was a fantastic guide. He was knowledgeable, personable and flexible. We had an amazing time and wonderful memories of the island!”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Highlights of Cidade Velha with local guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 7 reviews · from $64

Travel from Praia to UNESCO listed Cidade Velha with a local guide such as Alex or Dana. Visit Rua Banana, the convent, churches, Pelourinho, cathedral ruins, and São Felipe Fortress. Transport and most admission are covered, but lunch and the €5 fortress fee are extra.

“Our tour of Cidade Velha with our guide Alex was fantastic! He taught us a lot about the city's rich history, from Rua Banana, the oldest street in Cape Verde to the impressive fortress and convent, he also shared incredible stories about Cape Verde’s connection with the PoRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Private Tour Cidade Velha/Discover OLD CITY

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $35Best value

Travel privately from Praia or Cidade Velha with an English- or Portuguese-speaking driver-guide such as Leonardo. Walk through the former capital, see its historic streets and Royal Fortress of St. Philip, and learn why this UNESCO site matters. Transport is included; fortress entry costs €5 in cash.

“It was great. Leonardo was on time. He showed us lots of points of interest, even more than described. There were two of us in the car. It was very good 👍”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Plateau and Cidade Velha Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 4 hours · from $70

Spend four hours with a local guide in Praia and Cidade Velha. Walk the Plateau, visit the Municipal and Sucupira markets, see the Royal Fortress and old cathedral, then enjoy optional local lunch by the sea. Guides speak English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.

“Superbe visite en compagnie de Edney : cette visite entre le plateau et la vieille ville vous permettra de prendre le temps de saisir l'essence de Santiago, du Cap-Vert, ses dates historiques, lieux, traditions du passé et du présent, et flore. Edney est très agréable, parle parfaitement le français, sait s'adapter, se montrer disponible et vous aider à rencontrer la population. Il regorge d'anecdotes et répondra à toutes vos questions !”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Best of Santiago Island: Cidade Velha, Workshop & Tarrafal Beach Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3 reviews · from $140

Spend 10 hours seeing Santiago Island with a private guide, from Cidade Velha’s fortress and former slave market to mountain villages and Tarrafal Beach. You’ll cook cuscuz and fidjós with a local family, meet fishermen, and return to Praia or Cidade Velha by vehicle.

“Tour de l'ile très enrichissant, de très beaux paysages et de belles rencontres au programme. Coup de coeur pour le site de Cidade Velha.”

Check availability →Read our full review