1
  • Duration

    3 Days (depart any day)

  • Destinations
    • Salvador Bahia
      • Pelourinho
      • Monserrat
      • Candomblé house
  • Price

    starting at $

In this unique historic city tour of Salvador Bahia, you’ll have the opportunity to experience the city’s colorful Afro-Brazilian culture. We’ll help you travel back in time in Salvador, stepping into colonial times in Pelourinho and discovering the ancient traditions of Afro-Brazilians in a Candomblé.


Highlights

  • Experience the unique and exciting culture of Salvador City
  • Visit Pelourinho, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Explore the Monserrat district and Mercado Modelo
  • Tour a traditional Candomblé house of worship
  • Learn the traditional religious and social values of African daily life.

Good to Know:

  • Salvador is the capital of Bahia, which is also the birthplace of Bahian music. Big names in Brazil’s music scene include Gilberto Gil, Maria Bethânia and Caetano Veloso.

  • Salvador is the capital of Afro-Brazilian culture and its historic center, Pelourinho, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  • Salvador is also one of the top cities to celebrate Carnival, so make sure to visit in February for a non-stop party.

  • The peak travel season in Brazil runs from December to March (the southern summer) and July, when school is off for the month. Since the weather is sunny and warm year-round, consider booking your trip in the off-season for more affordable rates.

Picture by: Nicolas Vollmer

Day 1: Arrive into Salvador, Bahia

Upon arrival in Salvador you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel located in the historic city center.

Day 2: Full-Day Salvador City Tour

This tour will introduce you to Salvador City, showing you how it has changed throughout the ages to become the Salvador of today. Starting out along the bay, the tour works its way through Salvador’s tree-lined streets up to Pelourinho, a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its spectacular and well-preserved colonial architecture. After reaching the Municipal Square, we will continue on foot to discover the splendid buildings that tell the story of the founding of Salvador City. A tour through the lower city will take you to Salvador’s more quiet districts on the Itapagipe Peninsula and Monserrat. Enjoy panoramic views and grab a bargain at Mercado Modelo.

The Lower City tour offers another perspective of the sprawling city, taking us to the quiet waters of the Itapagipe Peninsula where life moves at a slower pace than the bustling upper city. Fishermen fish from dugout canoes, locals collect shellfish at low tide, schooners lie at anchor, all protected by the famous Bonfim Church, one of the most important churches of pilgrimage in Brazil and deeply influenced by the Candomblé beliefs. We continue to the Monserrat district with its panoramic view of the city and then on to the Mercado Modelo, a thriving market for local goods and souvenirs. This is also where you can test your bargaining talents! This tour is a complement to the Historical city tour. Please note that the Church of Bonfim is closed on Mondays. Duration: approximately 8 hours. Lunch included.

Picture by: Leandro Neumann C.

Day 3: Half-Day Religious and Social Tour (Candomblé)

Today you will visit a traditional Candomblé house of worship established at the turn of the century. Despite the cosmopolitan development of Salvador Bahia, the temple has kept alive the traditional religious and social values of African daily life. Our visit will focus on the religious and social traditions of the temple. We visit the primary school where the curriculum includes Yorubá language studies and the study of the spiritual and medicinal properties of sacred plants, in addition to the standard academic studies.

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