Cape Verde · SANTIAGO ISLAND TOURS

The 15 Best Santiago Island Tours from Praia

26 tours  ·  from $53

Santiago is the biggest island and the least like a resort. These 15 cover Cidade Velha and its fort, the mountain road to Tarrafal, the markets in Praia and the valley walks that end at somebody’s lunch table, each priced and timed.

Praia: Santiago Island Tour with Tastings and Tarrafal Beach - The family kitchen in São Lourenço dos Órgãos
Santiago Island Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Praia: Santiago Island Tour with Tastings and Tarrafal Beach

1.Santiago Island Tour with Tastings and Tarrafal Beach

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 416 reviews · 7 - 8 hours · from $76Our pick

Travel from Praia across Santiago with a multilingual guide such as Ricardo, Ivana, Alex, or Elton. Meet a local family for cuscuz and fidjós, visit Assomada Market on Wednesdays or Saturdays, cross Serra Malagueta, swim at Tarrafal Beach, and return along the coast.

“Osvaldo and Ivana especially were amazing. Took time to explain absolutely everything and I learned a lot. The tour is very well thought, and takes you to all the highlights of Santiago island. Recommend 100%!”

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Santiago: Landscapes, Street Art, and Markets Day Trip - Leaving Praia for Picos and Mount N’gulilansa
1-Day Tours, Santiago Island Tours, Street Art, Tour Reviews

Santiago: Landscapes, Street Art, and Markets Day Trip

2.Landscapes, Street Art, and Markets Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 316 reviews · 8 hours · from $70

See Santiago’s farming villages, Assomada Market, Serra Malagueta, Tarrafal Beach, and the east coast in one small-group day. Guides such as Alex, José, Bravo, and Antonio add local history, music, food tips, and plenty of photo stops. Lunch and drinks cost extra.

“Excellent day out with a knowledgeable guide and a very friendly driver”

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From Port of Praia: Island Tour for Cruise Ship passengers - Starting at the Port of Praia
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From Port of Praia: Island Tour for Cruise Ship passengers

Santiago Island Tour: Meet with a Local Family & Tarrafal Beach - Assomada Market on Wednesday or Saturday
Cape Verde Local Family Lunches, Cape Verde Local Family Lunches in Santiago Island, Santiago Island Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Santiago Island Tour: Meet with a Local Family & Tarrafal Beach

4.Santiago Island Tour: Meet with a Local Family & Tarrafal Beach

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 127 reviews · from $103Top rated

Spend about eight hours touring Santiago with a guide such as Alex, Maria, or Ricardo. Visit Mama Luisa for cuscuz and fidjós, browse Assomada Market, see Serra de Malagueta, swim at Tarrafal Beach, and return by the scenic east coast.

“Our guide gave us a comprehensive tour of the island, with a visit to a small nursery and farm, views of the dramatic landscapes, and market experiences in the mountaintop town. After that we had a beach visit and tasty lunch with time tRead more”

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Island tour with German-speaking guide for cruise guests - Meeting Luisa at Praia Port
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Island tour with German-speaking guide for cruise guests

Praia & Cidade Velha: Guided City Tour - Starting in Praia’s Plateau district
Cidade Velha Heritage Tours, City Tours, Guided, Santiago Island Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Praia & Cidade Velha: Guided City Tour

6.Praia & Cidade Velha: Guided City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 80 reviews · 4 hours · from $53Best value

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.”

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From Praia: Banana Plantation Tour and Cuscuz Workshop - Walking through the plantation near Santa Cruz
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From Praia: Banana Plantation Tour and Cuscuz Workshop

7.Banana Plantation Tour and Cuscuz Workshop

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 75 reviews · 4 hours · from $88

Travel from Praia to Santa Cruz and Orgãos with a local guide such as Bamba or Carlos. Walk through Cape Verde’s largest banana and coconut plantation, then cook cuscuz and fidjós with a local family. The four-hour trip includes transport, hotel pickup, and a scenic mountain drive.

“Une activité très intéressante et enrichissante. Bamba et Ericson ont répondu à toutes nos questions, sont pleins d’anecdotes qui nous ont fait découvrir cette île magnifique,et ont toujours beaucoup d’humour. Mama Luisa est extrêmement gentille et chaleureuse. La découverte de la plantation de banane a été riche de connaissance”

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Santiago Island: Highlights of Cidade Velha with Local Guide - São Filipe Fortress and the view over town
Cidade Velha Heritage Tours, Guided, Santiago Island Tours, Tour Reviews

Santiago Island: Highlights of Cidade Velha with Local Guide

8.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!”

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Serra Malagueta: Principal Valley Hike & Lunch with Locals - The first hour: hillside homes, streams, and early settlements
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Serra Malagueta: Principal Valley Hike & Lunch with Locals

9.Serra Malagueta: Principal Valley Hike & Lunch with Locals

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 64 reviews · 7 hours · from $111

This seven-hour trip takes you from Serra Malagueta National Park down to Principal Valley on a moderate 4.5-kilometer trail, followed by lunch with a local family. Guides may speak English, French, Portuguese, or Spanish. Expect a steep descent, plantations, village life, and an east-coast drive.

“I really enjoyed this tour if you want to see the locals life closer and enjoy the very tasty meal of a local family and the beautiful nature and animals and plantations you get to book this hike plus Peter the Guide was the cherry on top making everything so smooth, helping in every detail and gave so much information about the whole country and history and fauna and Flora, it was overall perfect!! Thank you :)”

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Santiago Island: Serra Malagueta & Tarrafal Beach Trek Tour - Walking a high loop at 800 to 1,075 metres
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Santiago Island: Serra Malagueta & Tarrafal Beach Trek Tour

10.Serra Malagueta & Tarrafal Beach Trek Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 61 reviews · 8 hours · from $106

Travel from Praia into Serra Malagueta Natural Park for a 3-hour, 8.5-kilometre loop with a local guide, picnic, mountain views, and native wildlife. Afterward, unwind at Tarrafal Beach. Guides may include Carlos, Elton, Americano, Elisanto, Elisandro, or Nail.

“Elisanto was an awesome guide and I will rate it a 10/10”

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Praia: Baobab Mysterious Tree, Green Valley & Old City Hike - The opening descent needs proper footwear
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Praia: Baobab Mysterious Tree, Green Valley & Old City Hike

11.Baobab Mysterious Tree, Green Valley & Old City Hike

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 53 reviews · 4 hours · from $53

Travel from Praia into Santiago’s farming valleys, then walk 4 km downhill through fruit trees, sugar cane and rocky paths to Cidade Velha. Guides such as Antonio, Alex and Americio share local stories, plants, grogue production and island culture. Expect about two hours of walking in a small group.

“It was a beautiful route. The car was very small and the guide could have told us a little more or waited for the last ones in the group, who often missed out on things. We had to wait a very long time for the bus to take us back!”

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Santiago: Calabaceira Valley Trek & Visit to Cidade Velha - From Praia to the top of Calabaceira Valley
Cidade Velha Heritage Tours, Hiking & Trekking, Santiago Island Tours, Tour Reviews

Santiago: Calabaceira Valley Trek & Visit to Cidade Velha

12.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.”

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From Praia: Boat Trip, Snorkeling, Cave & BBQ on the Beach - A traditional boat and a volcanic coast
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From Praia: Boat Trip, Snorkeling, Cave & BBQ on the Beach

13.Boat Trip, Snorkeling, Cave & BBQ on the Beach

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 45 reviews · 7 hours · from $129

From Praia, ride to Ribeira da Barca, then take a traditional fishing boat past volcanic rock and Pilon de Achada Leite to Águas Belas cave. Swim and snorkel if sea conditions allow, then eat fish barbecue on a black-sand beach. Guides speak English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.

“Our driver and guide were great. Activity said snorkeling but there were 6 people and 3 snorkels. The swimming and snorkeling were over the side of the boat in the cave we only stayed for about 15 mins. The current was a bit rough and it was only large rocks to see. BBQ was tasty but beach is very rocky (recommend water shoes) and dirty with no good place to sit. Does seem typical. Overall trip was great but felt expensive.”

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Santiago: Monte Tchota Natural Park to Pico d'Antónia Hike - The climb toward Santiago’s highest point
Hiking & Trekking, Santiago Island Tours, Tour Reviews

Santiago: Monte Tchota Natural Park to Pico d’Antónia Hike

14.Monte Tchota Natural Park to Pico d’Antónia Hike

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 43 reviews · 6 hours · from $100

You’ll walk from Rui Vaz through cool, biodiverse Monte Txota Natural Park to Pico d’Antónia, Santiago’s 1,394-meter summit. A guide such as Elder leads the 9 km route, with a picnic, hotel pickup, transport, and possible views of Maio and Fogo. Expect narrow paths and a hard finish.

“Great tour and guide went mostly in our pace and was well informed and helpful”

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From Tarrafal: Serra to Principal Hike & Lunch with locals - The trail is beautiful, but it is not soft underfoot
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From Tarrafal: Serra to Principal Hike & Lunch with locals

15.Serra to Principal Hike & Lunch with locals

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 41 reviews · 5 hours · from $70

You’ll hike downhill from Serra Malagueta Natural Park to Principal Valley with a guide such as Alex, Ivana, Luis, or another multilingual local expert. Expect mountain views, plant and wildlife notes, a Cape Verdean lunch with a family, and a scenic drive back to Tarrafal.

“Luìs est un super guide !! Il nous a permis d'en apprendre beaucoup sur l'histoire de son magnifique pays et particulièrement de Santiago. Grâce à lui nous avons pu faire la rencontre d'habitants très chaleureux et généreux. La randonnée est incroyable. Et le petit plus de Luìs au-delà de sa gentillesse et son authenticité est son niveau de français ! Mille mercis Luìs !”

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New in Santiago Island Tours

★ 5.0Shore Excursion: 3-Hour Guided Historic Tour of Praia & Cidade VelhaFrom $649 reviews
★ 3.8Guided Historic Walking Tour & Lunch with LocalsFrom $889 reviews
★ 5.0Guided City tour Praia with Cidade Velha (World Heritage)From $5810 reviews
★ 5.0Best of Praia & Cidade Velha Tour, a World Heritage SiteFrom $6815 reviews
★ 4.9Verdant Valley Hike & Lunch With LocalsFrom $8217 reviews

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