Plenty of trips leave room for only one day in Salvador: a cruise call, a stop between flights, or a short break before the beaches further north. This guide is for you if that is your plan. It covers whether to take the day in one go or in two halves, how the hours work, what to eat and which dates to avoid.
One full day, or two half days?
We run the city three ways. The full day covers Bonfim, the lower city, the Pelourinho, lunch, then Barra and Rio Vermelho in the afternoon. The Pelourinho half day and the coast half day split the same ground into two shorter outings, and the coast half day goes further, to Itapuã and the lagoon at Abaeté.
Choose the full day if you have one day only, or if you want the afternoon free for the pool after a morning of walking. You are back at your hotel in the middle of the afternoon.
Choose the two half days if you are in Salvador for longer, if the heat tires you, or if Itapuã and Abaeté are on your list. You can also add those two to the full day with an extra hour or two; message us and we will price it.
How the hours fall
The day starts at 07:00, and the reason is the sun. The old town is seen on foot, on cobbles, and the morning is the cooler part of the day. The coast comes after lunch, when you are mostly in the car or by the sea.
Around three hours of the morning go to the Pelourinho, with the Terreiro de Jesus, the São Francisco church and the Largo do Pelourinho. This is the heart of what UNESCO listed in 1985: Salvador was Brazil's first capital, from 1549 to 1763, and the old town keeps its sixteenth-century street plan, with the churches and convents of São Francisco, São Domingos and the Carmo among its monuments.
Two timings are worth knowing before you set off.
- The Mercado Modelo opens at 9:00. The official tourism site gives its hours as 9:00 to 18:00 from Monday to Saturday and 9:00 to 14:00 on Sunday. The tour reaches it at around 08:30, so many stalls may still be shut. If shopping there matters to you, tell your driver; the order can change on the day.
- The Third Order church closes for lunch. The church of the Third Order of São Francisco, beside São Francisco, is listed as open daily from 8:00 to 12:00 and from 13:00 to 17:00. On this tour you are in the Pelourinho from 09:00, so it fits, but do not leave it until after your meal. Churches set their own hours; check the official site before you go.
The lower city and the lift
The Mercado Modelo is housed in Salvador's third customs house, a neoclassical building from 1861 listed by IPHAN, Brazil's national heritage body. The market moved there in 1971 after a fire destroyed its old building, and reopened in 1984 after another fire and a long renovation.
From there you ride the Elevador Lacerda, 72 metres up the cliff to the old town. It opened in 1873 and carries around 28,000 people on an average day, so it is city transport as much as a sight. Keep a little local cash for the fare, which is not included.
Lunch
Lunch is at around 12:00, in the Pelourinho or Santo Antônio, and you pay for it yourselves. The dish to try is moqueca. You choose where to eat. A lunch of an hour or so keeps the afternoon on time. If you linger, the car is yours, and the coast simply gets a little less time.
The afternoon on the coast
After lunch the driver takes you to Barra, at the mouth of the bay. The fort there, the Forte de Santo Antônio da Barra, holds a lighthouse whose first tower dates from 1697, and the beach below, Porto da Barra, is where the Portuguese fleet that founded the city anchored in March 1549. Then Rio Vermelho, the old fishing quarter, and the Casa de Iemanjá. You are back at your hotel at about 15:00.
The Barra fort also houses a nautical museum, and restoration work can close parts of it. If the museum is the reason you are going, check it is open before you go.
Dates to check before you book
A full day crosses most of the city, so it meets more of Salvador's festivals than a half day does.
- Carnival. Two of the main circuits are on this route: the Batatinha in the Pelourinho and the Dodô along the seafront from Barra to Ondina. In the days before Lent, choose another day.
- The Lavagem do Bonfim. A procession walks 8 km from the lower city to the Bonfim church on the second Thursday after 6 January. On that day Bonfim is the end of the procession.
- 2 February. The festival of Iemanjá fills Rio Vermelho, with heavy crowds and traffic.
- The rainy months. April, May and June are the wettest in Salvador, and May averages around 22 days of rain. The morning on the cobbles is the part rain affects most.
On a cruise call
We can collect you at the cruise terminal. The day runs eight hours from 07:00, so check your all-aboard time first; if it is early in the afternoon, the Pelourinho half day may suit you better. Either way, the car is private and waits for you, so you set the pace through the old town.
What to bring
- Flat shoes with grip for the cobbles. Most of the morning is on foot.
- Sun cream, a hat and water.
- Local cash in small notes for the lift, church and museum entrances, the market and lunch, none of which is included.
- Swimwear, if you want a dip at Porto da Barra in the afternoon.
Questions people ask
Is eight hours tiring?
The morning is the walking part. The afternoon is mostly by car with short stops, and you are back by the middle of the afternoon.
Can we cancel?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up and you get a full refund. See our cancellation page.
Booking the day
Check your date against Carnival, the Lavagem and 2 February, and decide early if you want Itapuã and Abaeté added. The price depends on the size of your group; see it on the Salvador in a day page. To compare it with our other outings, read our guide to day trips from Salvador.
