The 15 Best Tours on Santiago Island

Praia: Santiago Island Tour with Tastings and Tarrafal Beach - Breakfast With Mrs. Luisa

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

Explore Santiago Island from Praia with local food, Assomada Market, mountain views, Tarrafal Beach, and coastal photo stops.

“I strongly recomend this tour for all tourists. our tour guide Ricard is absolutely amazing, he is really proffetionl and friendly guy. Our group has 7 members, and each member is of a different country, although we have a common thing which we all adore travelling around the world!! This travel addicts visited some iconic places in Praia such as Sucupira Market Cpires that is opend only Wed and Sat, Tarrafal beach that is the most beautiful beach, Banana plantation that is funtastic view, and spectacular views. Cooking class of traditional sweets is memorable time. Unfortunately it was really foggy condition today, it turned some sernic view points into dull…”

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1-Day Tours, Santiago Tours, Street Art, Tour Reviews

Santiago: Landscapes, Street Art, and Markets Day Trip

2.Santiago: Landscapes, Street Art, and Markets Day Trip

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

Review of Santiago’s 8-hour Cape Verde day trip, with Assomada Market, Serra Malagueta, Tarrafal Beach, villages, and local food.

“Alex is a wonderful guide. He is very attentive and fluent in Portuguese, English, French and Spanish. I learned a lot about this country. I also saw various great views and felt the authentic local vibes. Thank you, Alex!!”

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Boat Trips in Santiago, Cruises & Boat Tours, Santiago Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

From Port of Praia: Island Tour for Cruise Ship passengers

3.From Port of Praia: Island Tour for Cruise Ship passengers

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 190 reviews · 7 hours · from $82

Explore Santiago from Praia with mountain views, local music, Tarrafal beach, and easy cruise-port transfers on a seven-hour small-group tour.

“gut , länger als geplant ,hätte es für uns nicht gebraucht”

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Santiago Tours, Tarrafal 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

Explore Santiago Island from Praia with a local cooking lesson, Assomada Market, mountain views, Tarrafal Beach, and coastal stops.

“Journée top! Guide au top Nous avons passé une excellente journée riche en découvertes Merci beaucoup”

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Boat Trips in Santiago, Cruises & Boat Tours, Guided, Santiago Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Island tour with German-speaking guide for cruise guests

5.Island tour with German-speaking guide for cruise guests

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 91 reviews · 5 hours · from $88

Explore Santiago Island from Praia Port with a German-speaking guide, Batuque music, mountain views, villages, and easy cruise-day transport.

“Hervorragende Insel-Tourguide Louisa (deutsch) - informativ, lustig, offener Umgang”

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Cidade Velha Tours, City Tours, City Tours in Santiago, Guided, Santiago 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

Explore Praia markets and Cidade Velha landmarks on a 4-hour Cape Verde tour with hotel pickup, local guides, and historic ocean views.

“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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Santiago Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Workshops

From Praia: Banana Plantation Tour and Cuscuz Workshop

7.Banana Plantation Tour and Cuscuz Workshop

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

Explore Santiago’s largest banana plantation, cook Cuscuz with a local family, and enjoy Monte Txota scenery on this four-hour tour from Praia.

“Carlos war als Guide wirklich super: Egal ob Klopause / Getränk / Restaurantempfehlungen < alles wurde abgedeckt! Wir hatten das Glück die Tour zu zweit zu machen, sozusagen als "private Tour" & uns wurde viel über Land und Leute erklärt. Wir konnten Zuckerrohr probieren, Grogue und haben gehalten um Früchte zu kaufen (Soursup konnten wir vorher nicht mal). Mama Luisa hat uns in ihre Kochkünste eingeweiht, absolute Empfehlung diese Tour zu buchen!”

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Cidade Velha Tours, Guided, Santiago Tours, Tour Reviews

Santiago Island: Highlights of Cidade Velha with Local Guide

8.Santiago Island: Highlights of Cidade Velha with Local Guide

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

Explore UNESCO-listed Cidade Velha, its fortress, slave market, cathedral ruins, and Cape Verdean culture on a 3-hour guided tour.

“Our tour was great! Ricardo was super friendly and extremely well informed. He clearly has a lot of commitment to his work. We learned a lot and enjoyed ourselves”

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Hiking & Trekking, Hiking Tours in Santiago, Local Life & Culture, Local Life Tours in Santiago, Lunch Experiences, Santiago Tours, Serra Malagueta Tours, Tour Reviews

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

Hike Serra Malagueta to Principal Valley, share lunch with a local family, and enjoy Cape Verdean mountain and sea views from Praia.

“Why you send me always mail about this trip. I didn’t do this trip, because I wasn’t picked up. I’m still waiting for an answer!!!!!”

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Hiking & Trekking, Hiking Tours in Santiago, Santiago Tours, Serra Malagueta Tours, Tarrafal Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Santiago Island: Serra Malagueta & Tarrafal Beach Trek Tour

10.Santiago Island: Serra Malagueta & Tarrafal Beach Trek Tour

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

Hike Serra Malagueta, spot rare Cape Verde birds, enjoy a picnic, and relax at Tarrafal Beach on this full-day Santiago Island tour.

“I ended up being the only one attending the hike. So it was me, the guide and 2 trainees. The guide was very knowledgeable and all of the guys were very nice to spend time with. I booked the hike during the rainy season, so no views for me, but it was still a nicely spent day.”

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City Tours, City Tours in Santiago, Hiking & Trekking, Hiking Tours in Santiago, Santiago Tours, Tour Reviews

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

Hike from Praia through Santiago’s green valley to a 400-year-old baobab and Cidade Velha, with local guides and hotel transfers.

“Leuke tour met geduldige en goed geïnformeerde gids”

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Cidade Velha Tours, Hiking & Trekking, Hiking Tours in Santiago, Santiago Tours, Tour Reviews

Santiago: Calabaceira Valley Trek & Visit to Cidade Velha

12.Santiago: Calabaceira Valley Trek & Visit to Cidade Velha

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

Trek lush Calabaceira Valley, visit a local rum distillery, and explore UNESCO-listed Cidade Velha from Praia for $82.

“petite randonnée avec explications puis visite de la ville. nature, culture parfait”

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BBQ, Boat Trips in Santiago, Cruises & Boat Tours, Santiago Tours, Snorkeling, Tour Reviews

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

Explore Santiago by fishing boat, swim in Águas Belas cave, snorkel, and enjoy a beach BBQ from Praia, with practical cost and comfort tips.

“Experiência espetacular, “wild and free”. Tour incrível e recomendo 200%. Guia Cátia e Dany foram incríveis e super prestáveis 🇨🇻❤️”

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Hiking & Trekking, Hiking Tours in Santiago, Santiago Tours, Tour Reviews

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

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

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

Hike from Monte Tchota to Pico d’Antónia, Santiago’s highest summit, with mountain views, a picnic, transport, and a guide.

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

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Hiking & Trekking, Hiking Tours in Santiago, Local Life & Culture, Local Life Tours in Santiago, Lunch Experiences, Santiago Tours, Tarrafal Tours, Tour Reviews

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

Hike from Serra Malagueta to Principal, enjoy mountain views, local culture, and a home-cooked Cape Verdean lunch for $70.

“De tour was mooi! Vanaf Tarrafal met een Hi-Lux een klein half uur naar de entree van het park. Vanaf de start werd veel uitgelegd over de natuur, en de tour is 1 lange afdaling van honderden meters. De paden zijn redelijk goed begaanbaar met sommige uitdagingen onderweg. Logisch, je loopt op een berg in de natuur. Er was een stop met een toilet, waar ook drinken werd verkocht. Erg klein dus er is ook niet veel en soms is het gewoon uitverkocht. De terugweg naar Tarrafal via de kunstroute was prachtig.”

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