15 Full-Day Trips in Cape Verde to Build a Day Around

1.Landscapes, Street Art, and Markets Day Trip

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

See Santiago Island in one day with Assomada Market, Serra Malagueta, Tarrafal Beach, coastal villages, plantations, and local food.

“This tour was hands down the best way to see all of Praia. We explored everything—from historic sites to hidden gems—and got a real feel for the island. What made it truly special was our guide. He didn’t just recite facts; he told the real story of the island, the good and the bad, with so much passion and honesty. It felt less like a tour and more like a deep dive into the island’s soul. If you want more than just pretty views and actually understand the place, this is the tour to take. Highly recommend—especially if you get this guide!”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Secrets of a Native Guide Day trip with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 139 reviews · 7 hours · from $65Best value

Explore Sal Island’s desert, Blue Eye, lemon sharks, fishing villages, and salt lakes with a local guide, lunch, and hotel pickup.

“The tour was perfect , the guid (Kiki) was perfect , kind and funny 🤩We had fantastic day!😎😍Thank you”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Full-Day Trip Around the Island with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 117 reviews · 8 hours · from $78

Explore Sal in one day, from the Blue Eye and shark bay to Pedra de Lume, with lunch, hotel transfers, and a local guide.

“Deze tour zou ik echt iedereen willen aanraden die naar Sal gaat. Je kijkt je ogen uit, vanaf het moment dat je opgehaald wordt totdat je weer terug bij je ophaalpunt bent. Complimenten aan onze tour guide Antonio D. want hij wist op alle vragen antwoord te geven en maakte zelfs grapjes als: kom we gaan nú zwemmen (bij Miragem/Fata Morgana). En dat in 4 verschillende talen! 👌🏼”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Santo Antão Day Trip with Local Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 101 reviews · from $147

Review of Santo Antão from São Vicente, covering ferry rides, Cova de Paúl, mountain roads, village stops, lunch, price, and practical tips.

“Très belle journée. Notre guide Riva parle très bien français et nous a donné toutes les explications sur le cap vert et son île Je recommande , très belle île luxuriante”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Santo Antão Highlights: Day Trip by Car with Ferry from SV

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 84 reviews · 11 hours · from $135

Explore Santo Antão from São Vicente by ferry, mountain road, coastal villages, Cova de Paúl, local lunch, and a grogue distillery.

“Adorei, o guia Madu espetacular explica super bem, simpatico, o senhor que nos veio buscar Paulo Jorge super simpatico. A visita espetacular a comida é de comer e chorar por mais...foi tudo espetacular um muito obrigada a Madu pelo seu profissionalismo e simpatia .”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Day Trip by Car or Trek

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 72 reviews · from $105Top rated

Review of Santo Antão from São Vicente, with ferry, mountain roads, village stops, local lunch, rum tasting, and practical booking advice.

“Santo Antao is a very beautiful island and the tour is perfect to visit it from Sao Vicente, if you don't have time for a longer stay. The tour is very well organized. Our guide was great. He told us so much about the island and Cabo Verde and stopped with us the best spots. SaRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Discover Santiago island in 1 day

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 39 reviews · from $93

See Santiago Island in one day, from Praia and Assomada to Serra Malagueta, Tarrafal, and coastal villages, with lunch time included.

“We had a wonderful tour with José! We learned a lot about Cabo Verde, he taught us some local words and all about the local food and customs. Our driver (I've forgotten his name) drove very well and safely. We saw some beautiful scenery and lovely towns.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Day trip by minibus for cruise passengers

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 38 reviews · 8 hours · from $82

Explore Santiago from Praia by minibus, with mountain views, markets, Tarrafal Beach, villages, plantations, and a ship-safe return.

“Interesting overview of Santiago Island. our Guide Ricardo was very friendly and informative, giving lots of background information, and we felt safe with our driver.”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Sal Island Private Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 18 reviews · 6 hours · from $106

Review of Sal Island’s private day trip from Santa Maria, with Buracona, Palmeira, Shark Bay, Espargos, and Pedra de Lume.

“Muito boa experiencia mas o carro era pequeno, um pequeno citadino nada adaptado para o percurso (Reserva visita privada com 2 adultos e um bebe) O guia e o motorista foram 5 estrelas !”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Whale Watching half day trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 15 reviews · 3 hours · from $76

Review of Boa Vista’s 3-hour Zodiac whale-watching tour, with a marine biologist, hotel pickup, seasonal tips, price, and practical advice.

“We hebben meerdere walvissen gezien en daarnaast het gezang van walvissen gehoord. Heel bijzonder. er werd veel informatie gegeven gedurende de tour.”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Sal island in one Day

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 9 reviews

Explore Sal in one day with local guides, beaches, salt pans, Buracona’s Blue Eye, Espargos, and a private vehicle for up to four.

“We went on a private Sal island tour with 4 persons with guide Jhon today. We had a great experience. We would like to thank Jhon again for the amazing day. If you’re going to Sal, I would absolutely recommend to book the island tour and ask especially for him 🙏. Also had amazing fish at our lunch stop. Thank you Jhon, and Ola tours for the amazing day 🫶🏼”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Natural Pools & Shark Bay Private Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 8 reviews · from $88

Review of Sal’s private day trip to Shark Bay, Pedra de Lume salt crater, and Buracona’s Blue Eye, with costs, tips, and honest advice.

“Excellent visit, attentive guide Djibril, cool and safe driver Eddy, sharks there! everything is truly magical in this island of Sal 😃👍🌞”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Cova–Paúl Valley Trek: Santo Antão Day Trip by Ferry

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · 11 hours · from $141

Review of Santo Antão’s Cova de Paúl trek from Mindelo, with ferry travel, crater views, village life, lunch, and a grogue distillery visit.

“Unser Guide Madù war wirklich überaus freundlich und zuvorkommend. Er konnte mit seinem Wissen überzeugen und wirklich alle Fragen zu Kultur, Flora & Fauna beantworten. Er ist voll und ganz auf unsere Bedürfnisse eingegangen und hat die Tour somit zu einem herausragenden Erlebnis gemacht.”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Coffee Plantation and Natural Pools Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 6 reviews · 7 hours · from $100

Review of Fogo’s 7-hour coffee, volcanic scenery, and Salinas natural pool tour from São Filipe, with honest tips on value and what to expect.

“The guide and driver were really nice and gave us a lot of interesting information about Fogo, Plants, agriculture, coffee, customs, social aspects and animals. We also tried cashew fruit which was very interesting. The swim in the saline was also fun. The water has a high visibility so I recommend a scuba mask if you wanna explore underwater. Definitely recommend this.”

Check availability →Read our full review

15.Ribeira Grande: Hiking Day Trip to Ribeira de Torre

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 4 reviews · 6 hours · from $100

Review of Santo Antão’s Ribeira de Torre hike, with mountain villages, waterfalls, a natural pool, terraces, and a local grogue distillery.

“Très belle randonnée avec beaucoup d'informations sur le pays, la faune et flore locale. Ne pas hésiter à poser des questions, le guide y répond volontiers !”

Check availability →Read our full review