One week State of Bahia itinerary

A warm-toned illustrated travel map of the state of Bahia, Brazil, highlighting a round-trip bus route between Salvador on the coast—marked with an airplane icon—and Lençóis inland, marked with a mountain cave icon.

2 days in Salvador; and 3 days in Chapada; 2 days traveling

Bahia 7-day itinerary

Experience the best of the State of Bahia, Brazil, in just 7 days.

In the state of Bahia, we focused our time on two destinations: the capital, Salvador, and Chapada Diamantina. When looking at which state to visit in Brazil, the major consensus suggested Bahia. And if one searches for Bahia, the classic pictures from Chapada Diamantina are everywhere.

Day 1: Discover Salvador's Historic Center

Start your Bahia adventure in Pelourinho, Salvador's colorful historic center and one of the most vibrant neighborhoods in Brazil. Wander through its cobblestone streets, visit beautiful colonial churches, ride the Elevador Lacerda, browse Mercado Modelo, and end the day watching the sunset over Baía de Todos os Santos. We recommend using Uber after dark and between neighborhoods.

Want more details? Check out our complete 2-Day Salvador Itinerary, where we cover each stop, transportation, safety tips, and additional recommendations.

A row of brightly colored, historic colonial buildings in shades of pink, turquoise, blue, and yellow lining a curved cobblestone street in Salvador, Bahia.

A scenic view looking down a wide, sloped cobblestone square in Pelourinho, Salvador, flanked by colorful historic colonial buildings and featuring the iconic light blue Church of Our Lady of the Rosary of the Black People on the right under a cloudy sky.

Day 2 - Bus to Lençóis

We spent this day traveling to Lençóis. We recommend booking your bus ticket in advance (Rápido Federal or Real Expresso). There are three buses per day: at 9:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 11:00 pm.. The journey took us more than 7 hours, including a long stop for lunch before arriving in town.

We arrived in Lençóis in the late afternoon. After leaving our carry-on bags at the hotel, we started exploring the town and looking for tour options for the following day. We decided to spend 3 full days in Lençóis. One full-day tour around Lençóis (Day 3) and a two-day hike in Chapada Diamantina. For the hike, we arrived prepared since we booked a guide in advance.

Day 3 - Full-day tour around Lençóis

We booked this tour in person. The day before, we walked around the town (it is very small). We found Zentur to be a good option for us. This itinerary is called Route 01, which allows you to visit the Vale das Piscinas pools on the Mucugezinho River, the Fumaça cave, Fazenda Pratinha's natural swimming pool, the blue-lit Gruta Azul, and Morro do Pai Inácio's summit viewpoint. All these places are beautiful, but the highlight is the Morro do Pai, a big monolith that you need to climb, with a super view of the Chapada Diamantina. The tour was not rushed, and we were happy we did it.

A crystal-clear, turquoise natural pool situated beside a textured limestone cliff, with lush green foliage in the background and a succulent plant hanging down from the rocky overhang.

A high-angle scenic view from a rocky summit overlooking the dramatic flat-topped plateaus and green valleys of Chapada Diamantina, with a prominent wild succulent and cactus growing in the rocky foreground under a cloudy sky.

Day 4 and 5 - Hiking inside the Chapada Diamantina

Chapada Diamantina is becoming more and more popular thanks to the beauty of Pati Valley. In this 2 days / 1 night hike, we were able to see the major beauty of the valley.

In the first day, we walked for 6 hours, 15 km, with 500 m uphill and 600 m downhill. The best lookout of the day is the Mirante do Pati.

At the night, we slept in a local house, similar to an hostel, but we had a private simple and clean bedroom. The bathrooms are shared, with cold water.

In the second days, we walked for 8 hours, 18 km, with 450 m uphill and 350 m downhill. The best lookout of the day is the the canyon of the Cachoeirão valley, with the famous standing rock that one can easy in every post.

Click here for more details of the 2-day hike in Chapada Diamantina.

A dramatic view of a deep, narrow canyon with sheer, towering rocky cliffs covered in green vegetation, featuring a flat, pointed rock ledge protruding over the edge in the foreground.

Day 6 - Bus back to Salvador

Three buses are departing Lençóis. At 9:15 am, at 2 pm, and an overnight one at 11 pm. This one can be very useful if you are in rush with time. Some seats can recline up to 180 degrees.

Day 7: Bonfim, Barra, and Salvador's Coastline

Visit the iconic Bonfim Church before heading to the waterfront neighborhood of Ribeira for a more local side of Salvador. In the afternoon, relax at Porto da Barra Beach and walk to Farol da Barra for one of the city's best sunset views. Uber is the easiest and most affordable way to get around.

Want more details? Check out our complete 2-Day Salvador Itinerary, where we cover each stop, transportation, safety tips, and additional recommendations.

Image 1 (Acarajé) Alt text: A hand holding a freshly prepared acarajé—a traditional Afro-Brazilian deep-fried black-eyed pea fritter from Bahia—split open and generously stuffed with shrimp, vatapá, and a diced green tomato salad, wrapped in white paper.

A high-angle scenic view of a sandy beach cove in Salvador, Bahia, during the blue hour of twilight, showing people walking along the shoreline, calm water reflecting city lights, and illuminated coastal buildings under a deep blue evening sky.

Know before you go

Safety tips in Salvador

Pelourinho is generally busy during the day, and we felt comfortable walking around while taking normal precautions. Like in many large cities, avoid displaying expensive jewelry or walking around with your phone in your hand. After dark, we recommend taking an Uber back to your accommodation instead of walking long distances. Ubers are inexpensive in Salvador and are the easiest way to get around between neighborhoods.

We recommend using Uber between Bonfim, Ribeira, and Barra. While walking within each neighborhood is enjoyable during the day, the distances between them are too long, and Uber is both inexpensive and much more convenient. Barra is one of the areas where we felt most comfortable, especially around the waterfront, but we still followed the same precautions we used throughout Brazil.

Getting Around Salvador

For the two-day itinerary in Salvador, we recommend combining walking with Uber. The historic center is best explored on foot, but Salvador is spread across several neighborhoods, and walking between them usually isn't practical. Uber is affordable, easy to find, and saves a significant amount of time. We used it frequently and found it to be the simplest way to move around the city.

Book a guide for Chapada Diamantina

The best way to find a good guide for your budget is to search in advance. We used Google Maps and searched for hiking guides in Lençóis and read the reviews.
We went with Rodrigo as his tour was within our budget. He is very knowledgeable, and we are happy to recommend him. You can also walk around the town and ask at the travel agencies. We found that the prices were higher in this way.

Places to eat

Salvador

Recôncavo Culinária. We had the best experience in this restaurant. The moqueca is amazing. If you’re in Barra, try this place.

Places to stay

Salvador

Viver Bahia Pousada. The hotel is clean and well designed, with helpful staff. The location is perfect: an easy walk to the beach, shopping, restaurants, or transportation, located in a quiet and walkable neighborhood in the heart of the city. We had one of the best breakfasts ever.

Pousada e Hostel Chez Marianne. Private rooms with fantastic sea views. The airport shuttle bus has a stop within a few hundred metres of the hotel.

Lençóis

Pouso Da Trilha - Hospedagem. The rooms are clean and comfortable, breakfast is excellent, and the staff is very helpful. The guest house is two blocks away from the center. It is an easy walk but not noisy.

Pousada Solar Azul. The location is very close to the main square and relevant streets in the center. The staff is very friendly. The breakfast offers many options and is freshly prepared with different specialities every morning. Nice courtyard area.

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