How much it costs to visit Príncipe Island: prices for the domestic flight, hotels, food and excursions, three sample budgets for three nights and the organised trip with flights from Lisbon.
How much does a trip to Príncipe Island cost? If you are already in São Tomé, three nights on Príncipe cost per person from about €550 for a simple version (a guesthouse in Santo António) to €1,200 for comfort and €2,000 or more for luxury, including the return domestic flight. From Europe, a 9-day organised trip to both islands, with TAP flights from Lisbon, the domestic flight, half board and a guide, costs from €2,950 per person.
Would you rather have everything arranged? Our Príncipe Island and São Tomé trip includes flights from Lisbon and between the islands, the Bom Bom Resort, half board and a guide, in 9 days from €2,950.
Príncipe Island is the most expensive part of a trip to São Tomé and Príncipe: a domestic flight is added to the international one, and accommodation is scarce and almost all mid to upper range. In this guide we show you the real prices of each item, three sample budgets and where you can save without spoiling the trip.
Beaches like this are free: what weighs on a Príncipe budget is the flight and the accommodation. Photo: Príncipe Collection
▶ Video: Príncipe beyond the beaches, with its cocoa plantations and Santo António. Watch the video on YouTube. Footage: Príncipe Collection
How much Príncipe Island costs: summary
- Lisbon–São Tomé return flight: from about €600 in economy, more in high season.
- São Tomé–Príncipe return domestic flight: about €250 to €300.
- Accommodation: €45 to €80 per room at a guesthouse in Santo António; €400 to €500 or more per room at Belo Monte or Bom Bom; over €1,000 per villa at Sundy Praia.
- Conservation contribution: €25 per person per night at Príncipe Collection hotels.
- Meals: €10 to €15 per dish at a local restaurant; much more at the hotels.
- Tourist tax: €2.10 per person per night, paid on arrival at São Tomé airport.
All figures are indicative, collected during 2026, and vary with the season and occupancy. They are for planning; the final price is always confirmed at booking.
Flights: Lisbon–São Tomé and the domestic flight
The international flight is the biggest fixed cost. TAP and STP Airways fly from Lisbon to São Tomé in about 6h30, with return fares from about €600 outside peak seasons; at Christmas, Easter and in August they rise considerably. We explain days and prices in flights to São Tomé and Príncipe.
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Sao Tome and Principe Island Holiday: 9 Days with Flights9 days / 8 nightsfrom 2,950 €
Then comes the domestic flight to Príncipe, about 40 minutes, with STP Airways or Afrijet, which costs as a guide €250 to €300 return. There are no flights on Tuesdays and the baggage allowance is 15 kg. All the details in how to get to Príncipe Island.
Accommodation on Príncipe Island: prices per night
Príncipe has few rooms and two very different worlds. On one side, the simple, inexpensive guesthouses of Santo António. On the other, the Príncipe Collection hotels in the north of the island, between the forest and the sea.
- Guesthouses in Santo António: €45 to €80 per double room, often without breakfast. Clean and basic, fine if you spend the day out.
- Roça Belo Monte: a manor house on the hill overlooking Praia Banana; from about €400 per double room.
- Bom Bom: bungalows by the sea, between two beaches; from about €500 per double room.
- Sundy Praia: tented villas in the forest by the beach; over €1,000 per villa.
- Roça Sundy: closed for restoration, with no confirmed reopening date.
At Príncipe Collection hotels there is also a conservation contribution of €25 per person per night (from age 13), which funds projects on the island. We compare the hotels in hotels on Príncipe Island: where to stay.
In Santo António and the fishing villages you eat the catch of the day for far less than at the hotels. Photo: Príncipe Collection
Food and drink on Príncipe
At the hotels, meals are good quality and European-priced, and many work on half board. In Santo António there are half a dozen restaurants and eateries where a plate of grilled fish, octopus or calulu costs €10 to €15. A local beer costs just over €1 at local places and more than €3 at the hotels. Drinks are generally not included in half board.
A tip from someone who lives there: in Santo António, let the restaurant know in the morning that you will be coming for lunch or dinner. Many cook to order, with the catch of the day.
Excursions, guide and boat
Excursions are done with a local guide and, for the west coast, by boat. Prices vary a lot with the number of people: a boat trip to Baía das Agulhas, the best experience on the island, is much cheaper split between four than between two. As a guide, allow €100 to €200 per person for two or three guided excursions over three days.
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Sao Tome and Principe Island Holiday: 9 Days with Flights
Both islands in one trip: São Tomé plus an extension to Principe Island, with the inter-island flight, five guided excursions and a 4x4 with driver included.
- A boat trip around Baía das Agulhas, with a swimming stop.
- A visit to Roça Belo Monte and the walk down to Praia Banana.
- A hike in the forest of Príncipe Natural Park.
- Between November and March, a night outing to see turtles with the conservation projects.
Baía das Agulhas is best seen from the sea: the excursion that gives the best value on Príncipe. Photo: Príncipe Collection
Three sample budgets for 3 nights on Príncipe
| Simple | Comfort | Luxury | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return domestic flight | €270 | €270 | €270 |
| Accommodation, 3 nights | €90 (guesthouse in Santo António) | €600 to €750 (Belo Monte or Bom Bom) | from €1,500 (Sundy Praia) |
| Conservation contribution | — | €75 | €75 |
| Meals at local restaurants | €90 | — | — |
| Excursions | €100 | €150 | €200 or more |
| Total | about €550 | about €1,200 | €2,000 or more |
In a double room, for travellers already in São Tomé. Does not include the flight from Lisbon.
Prices per person, in a double room, for travellers already in São Tomé. They do not include the flight from Lisbon.
Simple: about €550
- Return domestic flight: €270
- 3 nights at a guesthouse in Santo António: €90
- Meals at local restaurants: €90
- One or two excursions with a local guide: €100
Comfort: about €1,200
- Return domestic flight: €270
- 3 nights at Roça Belo Monte or Bom Bom: €600 to €750
- Conservation contribution: €75
- Boat trip and guided visits: €150
Luxury: €2,000 or more
- Return domestic flight: €270
- 3 nights at Sundy Praia: from €1,500
- Conservation contribution: €75
- Private boat and forest excursions: €200 or more
Organised trip including Príncipe Island
If you are starting from Europe, the simplest and often cheapest option is an organised trip. Our 9-day trip Holidays in São Tomé and Príncipe Island costs from €2,950 per person and includes TAP flights from Lisbon, the domestic flight to Príncipe, nights at Bom Bom and in São Tomé, half board, a local guide, a 4x4 with driver and the crossing to Rolas Islet. We compare it with all the other options in how much a trip to São Tomé and Príncipe costs.
Between November and March, turtles nest on Príncipe's beaches. Photo: Príncipe Collection
How to save on a trip to Príncipe
- Travel outside peak seasons. March to May and October to November have cheaper flights and rooms, and the island is green.
- Mix a guesthouse and a hotel. Two nights in Santo António and one at Belo Monte or Bom Bom show you both sides of the island for half the price.
- Share boat trips. The price is per boat, not per person.
- Book early. Domestic flight seats and rooms sell out months ahead.
- Bring cash. Paying in cash avoids fees; there are very few ATMs. See how much money to take.
Frequently asked questions about the cost of Príncipe Island
How much does a trip to Príncipe Island cost from Europe?
A 9-day organised trip to both islands, with TAP flights from Lisbon, the domestic flight, half board and a guide, costs from €2,950 per person.
How much is the flight from São Tomé to Príncipe?
As a guide, €250 to €300 return per person.
What is the cheapest hotel on Príncipe Island?
The guesthouses of Santo António, with double rooms from €45 to €80 a night. They are simple but clean.
How much does a night at Bom Bom cost?
From about €500 per double room, plus the conservation contribution of €25 per person per night.
Is Príncipe Island expensive?
It is the most expensive part of the country, because of the domestic flight and the limited accommodation. But eating out and touring with local guides still cost far less than in Europe.
Is there a fee to enter Príncipe?
There is no separate fee for Príncipe. You pay the São Tomé and Príncipe tourist tax, €2.10 per person per night, on arrival at São Tomé airport.
How many days make the flight worthwhile?
At least three nights. With fewer, the domestic flight costs too much for the time you get. Read how many days to spend on Príncipe Island.
Plan Príncipe with us
We design the trip around your budget, with flights, the domestic flight, accommodation and local guides. See the trip Holidays in São Tomé and Príncipe Island or read our complete guide Príncipe Island: things to do.
