Honest local detail, hand-picked tours and everything you need to plan your days — from the crater of La Soufrière to the turtles of the Tobago Cays.
St Vincent is a steep, green volcanic island of rainforest, waterfalls and black-sand bays. Strung out south of it, the Grenadines are the opposite: small, dry, sandy islands and reefs that sailors rank among the finest cruising grounds on earth.
There are no mega-resorts on the main island and few crowds anywhere. That makes planning a little harder — ferries, small planes, water taxis — and the reward a lot bigger. This guide untangles the logistics, tells you which tours are worth your money, and which island to sleep on.
Bookable, local-run experiences on GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting points — tap any tour for live availability.
Island tour from €45 The island’s most-booked tour and the easy choice for a cruise-ship day. A local driver-guide takes you up to Fort Charlotte, along the leeward coast to the surviving Pirates of the Caribbean set at Wallilabou and a small waterfall there, and finishes with beach time at Buccament.
Waterfall tour from €78 Half a day on the wild north-west coast: a drive through Kingstown and the fishing villages, the bamboo footbridge and the two falls at Dark View — stand under them for what the operator calls a “natural body massage” — then a black-sand beach to dry off.
Full-day tour from €78 A full day up the west coast, where the road clings to the cliffs above black-sand coves. Longer than the half-day options, so there is time to linger at Dark View Falls and to stop at Wallilabou and the villages the shorter tours drive through.
Island tour from €68 The best-rated way to tick off the island’s big four in five hours: the capital, the fort above it, the Pirates film location and Dark View Falls, with a beach at the end. Run by a small local taxi-tour outfit with consistently warm reviews.
Hike from €106 A guided climb of the volcano that erupted as recently as April 2021. The trail rises from farmland through rainforest and bamboo to bare ash slopes; on a clear day the rim looks straight into the steaming crater and out to St Lucia. Transport to the trailhead is included.
Boat trip from €112 The only bookable way on GetYourGuide to get a taste of the Grenadines in a day. You cruise to Bequia, swim or snorkel off Princess Margaret Beach, then have lunch or a drink by Admiralty Bay before sailing back — with photos of the day included.
Nature walk from €70 A guided morning in the forest reserve behind Buccament Bay. The Vermont trail is a gentle loop through tall rainforest to a parrot-watching platform; with a guide you will see and hear far more than on your own, and early starts give you the best chance of the parrots.
Private tour from €312 per group A private half-day for garden lovers: the lush Montreal Gardens high in the Mesopotamia valley, the historic Botanic Gardens in Kingstown, the view from Fort Charlotte and a last stop at Villa Beach. The price covers a group of up to six.
Real-time prices and availability straight from GetYourGuide. Free cancellation on most experiences.
St Vincent for waterfalls, hiking and history; the Grenadines for beaches, reefs and sailing. Most great trips include both.
The Southern Grenadines Turtles, reef and five empty islands
Five uninhabited cays inside a horseshoe of reef, protected as a marine park since 1997. Swim with green turtles over the seagrass off Baradal, snorkel Horseshoe Reef and eat grilled lobster on the beach — the single image most people have of the Grenadines.
The Northern Grenadines St Vincent island Climb an active volcano
At 1,234 metres the volcano that fills the north of St Vincent is the country’s highest point — and very much alive: it erupted in 1902, 1979 and, spectacularly, in April 2021. The climb from the windward side is a hard but walkable half-day through rainforest to the crater rim.
St Vincent island Twin waterfalls in the rainforest
Two cascades tumbling down a forested cliff near Chateaubelair, reached across a bamboo bridge. The pools at the base are cold, clear and perfect after the drive up the leeward coast — the most popular natural sight on St Vincent.
The Northern Grenadines 
The Southern Grenadines Beach hotels at Villa on St Vincent, harbour-side guesthouses on Bequia and a handful of legendary private-island resorts — compared, with live rates.
A restored hillside mansion above Kingstown with a pool, a well-regarded restaurant and the best guest score on the island.
A friendly, family-run hotel stepped down a garden to Villa Beach, with a spa and a beach bar looking across to Young Island.
A stylish small resort on Bequia’s south-west coast with villas, a big infinity pool and one of the best restaurants in the Grenadines.
Direct and connecting flights into Argyle, cruise calls and arriving by yacht.
Ferries, small planes, water taxis and yacht charters — how to get between the islands.
Dry season, hurricane season, regattas and carnival — month by month.
Waterfalls and rainforest on St Vincent, turtles and white sand in the Grenadines. Compare guided tours and shore excursions and book in a couple of taps.
Yes — especially if you want the Caribbean without the crowds. You get a real volcano, rainforest and waterfalls on St Vincent, and some of the most beautiful beaches and reefs in the region in the Grenadines. See our travel guide to plan it.
Fly into Argyle International Airport (SVD) on St Vincent — directly from North America on some routes, or via Barbados, St Lucia, Grenada or Trinidad on regional airlines. Many visitors also arrive by cruise ship or yacht. Our getting here guide has the details.
Ferries run from Kingstown to Bequia several times a day and to the southern Grenadines a few times a week; small planes connect Argyle with Bequia, Mustique, Canouan and Union Island; water taxis handle short hops. See the island-hopping guide.
The Eastern Caribbean dollar (EC$), pegged at about EC$2.70 to US$1. US dollars are widely accepted in tourist businesses, and cards work in larger hotels and restaurants, but carry cash for taxis, markets and the smaller islands.
Officially June to November. St Vincent lies towards the southern edge of the hurricane belt, but it is not immune — Hurricane Beryl hit the southern Grenadines hard in July 2024. Travel insurance is essential in these months. See when to visit.