Two days is Pelourinho’s UNESCO core on day one and Porto da Barra’s calmer bay water on day two, the same honest split we’d give anyone with under 72 hours here. Skip the Bay of All Saints schooner and Morro de Sao Paulo entirely; neither fits a 2-day trip without a rush that undercuts the point of going. Longer versions of this same route live in our 3-day and 7-day plans.

Three days is our 2-day plan , Pelourinho and Porto da Barra, plus a full day out on the Bay of All Saints. It’s still not enough for Morro de Sao Paulo, which needs an overnight to be worth the ferry; that stays in the 6-day and 7-day versions instead. Book these before you go: A Barra or Rio Vermelho hotel : beachfront over Pelourinho every time A guided Pelourinho heritage walk for day 1 The Bay of All Saints schooner tour to Itaparica and Ilha dos Frades, book a day ahead Day Focus Travel time Rough daily cost 1 Pelourinho, Elevador Lacerda, Bonfim Walkable core R$150-250 2 Porto da Barra, Farol da Barra 15-20 min Uber from Pelourinho R$150-250 3 Bay of All Saints schooner Half-day boat from Terminal Nautico R$180-260 Day 1: Pelourinho, the Elevador Lacerda, and Bonfim Walk Pelourinho’s core in the morning: Terreiro de Jesus, Largo do Pelourinho, the colonial blocks in mustard and blue.

Four days is our 3-day plan , Pelourinho, Porto da Barra, and the Bay of All Saints schooner, plus a day trip north to Praia do Forte. It still skips Morro de Sao Paulo, which wants two days of its own and belongs in the 6-day version instead of a rushed add-on here. Book these before you go: A Barra or Rio Vermelho hotel A guided Pelourinho heritage walk for day 1 The Bay of All Saints schooner tour for day 3 The Praia do Forte and TAMAR day trip for day 4 Day Focus Travel time Rough daily cost 1 Pelourinho, Elevador Lacerda, Bonfim Walkable core R$150-250 2 Porto da Barra, Farol da Barra 15-20 min Uber from Pelourinho R$150-250 3 Bay of All Saints schooner Half-day boat from Terminal Nautico R$180-260 4 Praia do Forte, Projeto TAMAR 90 min north on the Linha Verde R$200-300 Day 1: Pelourinho, the Elevador Lacerda, and Bonfim Spend the morning in Pelourinho: Terreiro de Jesus, Largo do Pelourinho, the colonial core in mustard and blue.

Five days is our 4-day plan , Pelourinho, Barra, the Bay of All Saints, and Praia do Forte, plus a slower day for capoeira and the Afro-Brazilian museum. It deliberately still skips Morro de Sao Paulo; five days spent partly on the road to that island is a worse trip than five days spent properly in the city, and the full overnight sits in our 6-day plan instead. Book these before you go:

Six days is our 5-day plan , Pelourinho, Barra, the schooner, Praia do Forte, and the capoeira/museum day, plus the first half of a Morro de Sao Paulo overnight. This is the shortest trip length where Morro genuinely earns its ferry and its tax; the full round trip, with the return catamaran, finishes in our 7-day version. Book these before you go: A Barra or Rio Vermelho hotel for nights 1-5 A guided Pelourinho heritage walk for day 1 The Praia do Forte and TAMAR day trip for day 4 The Morro de Sao Paulo catamaran , book both directions ahead in December-February Day Focus Travel time Rough daily cost 1 Pelourinho, Elevador Lacerda, Bonfim Walkable core R$150-250 2 Porto da Barra, Farol da Barra 15-20 min Uber from Pelourinho R$150-250 3 Bay of All Saints schooner Half-day boat from Terminal Nautico R$180-260 4 Praia do Forte, Projeto TAMAR 90 min north on the Linha Verde R$200-300 5 Capoeira, Museu Afro-Brasileiro, Itapua 20-30 min Uber to Itapua R$150-250 6 Morro de Sao Paulo, arrival 2h15-2h30 catamaran R$300-450 (incl.

Seven days is our 6-day plan , Pelourinho, Barra, the schooner, Praia do Forte, capoeira, and the crossing to Morro de Sao Paulo, plus the full second island day and the catamaran home. This is the version that gives Morro de Sao Paulo the two days it actually needs instead of the rushed single-day trip most guides quietly recommend. Book these before you go: A Barra or Rio Vermelho hotel for the city nights A guided Pelourinho heritage walk for day 1 The Praia do Forte and TAMAR day trip for day 4 The Morro de Sao Paulo catamaran , book both directions ahead in December-February Day Focus Travel time Rough daily cost 1 Pelourinho, Elevador Lacerda, Bonfim Walkable core R$150-250 2 Porto da Barra, Farol da Barra 15-20 min Uber from Pelourinho R$150-250 3 Bay of All Saints schooner Half-day boat from Terminal Nautico R$180-260 4 Praia do Forte, Projeto TAMAR 90 min north on the Linha Verde R$200-300 5 Capoeira, Museu Afro-Brasileiro, Itapua 20-30 min Uber to Itapua R$150-250 6 Morro de Sao Paulo, arrival 2h15-2h30 catamaran R$300-450 (incl.

Salvador da Bahia was Brazil’s first capital, 1549 to 1763, not Rio, not Brasilia, and it is still the country’s most African city: Candomble houses, capoeira circles, and Olodum drums are everyday street life here, not a stage show. Prices run in the Brazilian real (R$, roughly 5.09 to the US dollar in 2026, moving with a new US tariff that landed 22 July). The Pelourinho is genuinely stunning by day and genuinely risky on its fringes at night, and the church every old guide still sends you to, Igreja de Sao Francisco’s gold interior, has been closed since a fatal 2025 ceiling collapse.