GuidedRated moderateMinimum age 8Fits a cruise day
St Kitts Rainforest Hike
A four hour guided walk into the rainforest from Wingfield Estate, on the Peter Manning Trail, taking in the Carib petroglyphs cut into the rock by the people who were here before Columbus. US$89 an adult, US$55 a child, with pickup and an open-air safari truck out to the trailhead. It is rated moderate, and it fits inside a cruise day with hours to spare.
Registered guides
We book guides who put their names on the St Kitts Tourism Authority registry.
Rain does not cancel it
A shower in the canopy barely reaches you. If heavy rain stops it, you pay nothing.
Your pickup moves with the ship
We book against the actual arrival, and a four hour hike absorbs an hour of delay.
What do you see on the St Kitts rainforest tour?
Every hike goes out with a guide. The trail starts at the estate and climbs into the forest, and underfoot it is root and wet clay.
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Romney Manor gardens. Photo Edgar El, CC BY 3.0. Wingfield Estate
Free to walk into and worth half an hour on its own. The stone bones of a seventeenth century sugar mill are still standing there, and the rum distillery on the site dates to 1681.
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A path through dense forest. Stock photo. Into the forest
From the estate the Peter Manning Trail climbs into the forest. The canopy closes over you within a few minutes and the temperature drops with it.
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Light through the forest. Stock photo. The older trees
Higher up the trees get older and the trunks get wide enough that two people cannot reach around them. That stretch is in the longer valley version, priced on request.
How long is the St Kitts rainforest hike, and does it fit a cruise day?
Most ships in Basseterre are alongside from about 8am to 5pm or 6pm. An 8:30am start has you back at Port Zante in the early afternoon with three or four hours in hand, which is why this is the hike we sell to cruise passengers. The volcano hike is six hours plus transfers and it does not fit that window.
- 8:30amCollected at your hotel or Port Zante
- StartOpen-air safari truck out to Wingfield Estate
- On the trailThe Peter Manning Trail and the petroglyphs, with local drinks and light snacks
- +4 hoursBack at Port Zante or your hotel in the early afternoon
How much does the St Kitts rainforest hike cost?
US$89 an adult and US$55 a child aged 8 to 12. The longer valley version is priced on request. An online agency sells a rainforest hike at US$60, US$29 under ours. That US$29 buys the pickup, the safari truck to the trailhead, a guide, local drinks and light snacks, and an 8:30am start.
Included
- Hotel or Port Zante pickup and return
- Open-air safari truck to the trailhead
- A guide
- Local drinks
- Light snacks
Not included
- Lunch
- Insect repellent
- Anything you buy at Caribelle Batik if you add Romney Manor to the day
- Tips, which are appreciated and not required
| Ticket | Price | What is in it |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | US$89 | Hotel or Port Zante pickup and return, open-air safari truck to the trailhead, a guide, local drinks, light snacks |
| Child, 8 to 12 | US$55 | The same |
| Longer valley version | Priced on request | A bigger loop through a valley of older, taller trees. Ask us and we will quote it |
What to bring
- Trainers with grip, or light boots. The trail is muddy for most of the year and sandals will come off in it.
- Insect repellent. Put it on before you get in the truck. The mosquitoes find bare ankles within the first ten minutes.
- A light layer. The rainforest side of the island gets a passing shower most afternoons and it stops as quickly as it starts.
- A dry shirt in a bag. If you are going back to a ship afterwards. You will sweat through the one you are wearing even on a cool morning.
Is it right for you?
- It does not suit anyone who cannot manage four hours on their feet, on uneven ground, with some climbing.
- Anyone with a knee or ankle problem should skip it. The surface is wet clay over tree roots and there is nothing to hold on to.
- It does not suit children under eight. They can do the distance on a good day and most of them do not enjoy the mud.
- There is no flat, level footing on this trail.
Questions people ask
What would it cost me to go to Wingfield Estate on my own?
How old are the petroglyphs?
Is this the same thing as the volcano hike?
Can we add Romney Manor or Brimstone Hill to the day?
Will we see monkeys?
Do we tip the guide?
More St Kitts excursions
Send a request. Pay only once it is confirmed.
Your date, how many adults and children, where to collect you, and your ship name if you are on one. Say if you want the longer valley version. We confirm the slot with the guide and reply within one working day, and only then do we send a payment link.