Colombia · HISTORICAL TOURS IN CARTAGENA
This is the shortlist to send a friend: 15 historical tours in Cartagena worth the money, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the one thing to know before you commit.
A 150-minute shared walking tour through Cartagena’s Walled City and Getsemaní, mixing conquest history with music, dance, and local tips.
“Dani, our guide, was fun and informative. You can tell she is very proud of her city’s heritage and history. Lots of information about the formation of Cartagena, events, and people that shaped it. Highly recommend!!!”
Walk Cartagena’s Historic Center and Getsemaní with a small shared group, mixing fortifications, slavery history, and street life for $11.70.
“It was very hot. Bring water and a hat. Camilo, the guide, made it fun and interactive. It was easy walking and slow paced. His English was excellent! Bravo!”
A small-group private history tour to San Basilio de Palenque from Cartagena, with music, drumming, language, and a full regional lunch.
“Sophia was excellent! She gave us an authentic insight into her culture starting with an impressive historical overview. I have had many guides throughout the world and she was one of the top professionals I have encountered. When Victor first said 3 hours in the community for the tour I thought I would get bored, but far from the case, enjoyable day. The lunch (fish) was very good. Wait to buy your souvenirs here. The town has everything.”
Private Bazurto Market tour in Cartagena with Champeta music, herbal tastings, artisan demos, and optional Cecilia’s lunch.
“Alvaro was a wonderful tour guide. Really immersed us into the real culture of Cartagena! His knowledge and professionalism was outstanding. Thank you!”
A small-group Cartagena bike tour with local storytelling, movie locations, and major historic plazas, priced at $45 for about 2 to 3 hours.
“The Best tour in Cartahena. Geraldo grew up here. His dad waa a great influence on the arts and movie industries. The stories are amazing inv and perfectly blend with the tour. Hands down a highlight”
A private 6.5-hour visit to San Basilio de Palenque with local guides, interactive culture, ancestral medicine, murals, boxing, and lunch.
“I had a great time. My guide and my interpreter Gabriel made the experience unforgettable. On the drive to Palenque they shared some history of the nearby towns and I got to listen to local music. We visited a traditional house, visited a local boxing gym, a medicine man, a local artist and had delicious food. Make sure you wear sneakers and bring water because it’s very hot and you will be waking a lot and there’s basically no ac in any building. My favorite part was learning some Palenque words and hearing about the rich history from our very knowledgeable guide. Highly recommend!!”
Boat through Cartagena mangroves, meet La Boquilla’s Afro-Caribbean fishing culture, then enjoy a coconut and seafood lunch for $49 in 3 hours.
“Everything was just as described, our guide was knowledgeable and easy to talk to about anything. 10/10”
A 3-hour photo and history walk in Cartagena with expert local guidance, Afro-Colombian stories, secret photo angles, and an included drink.
“Billy was an amazing tour guide. My wife and I were on our honeymoon to Cartagena. We were kept entertained the whole time and got to see everything from international sites to local neighborhood art. We could tell how much pride Billy had in his city. Would highly recommend!”
A 2.5-hour guided walk through Cartagena’s key plazas, monuments, and Getsemaní street art, led by an English-speaking guide for $45.
“This was a great tour. Alvarito is a great guide. His English is good and his knowledge of the history and things to see was great. We saw many interesting and historic places. I highly recommend this guide and tour.”
Walk Cartagena from Torre del Reloj to Getsemaní, mixing colonial squares, Pedro Claver, defense walls, and real neighborhood stories.
“Our guide was a native and shared history with us, quick answer questions and very pleasant.”
Private 8-hour trip from Cartagena to UNESCO-listed Palenque de San Basilio, with lunch, cultural show, and flexible guide-led history.
“It’s a bonus when you combine travel and history.Jenny from Vivamos Columbia Travel was excellent. Alberto the tour guide from Palenque was also excellent. The tour was worth it. See my more on my IG: travelbyanymeans”
Private 2-hour Cartagena photo walk through Getsemaní and the old city, with 10 professionally edited digital photos included.
“We have a lot of fun on the history photography tour with Charlie. We learned a bit about the history of Cartagena & Getsemani, saw some beautiful places and Charlie took a bunch of great photos. Thanks for everything Charlie”
A 2.5-hour guided stroll through Cartagena’s Historic Center and Getsemaní, linking plazas, the Clock Tower, and an emerald stop for $25.
“Wonderful and amazing tour. Roland was fun and amazing and full of great memories and information. Loved the city and the tour.”
Cartagena food and Colombian coffee walking tour in the Walled City and Getsemaní. Over eight tastings plus a hands-on coffee cup.
“We had an amazing food tour in Cartagena and can’t recommend it enough! Yeimy and her colleague were absolutely fantastic—so bubbly, funny, and full of energy. They made the entire experience fun, engaging, and incredibly informative. We tasted so many delicious local foods—fresh local fruits, coconut water, cheese snacks, coffee, arepas, plantains with fresh cheese, tajadas, and more. Every stop felt authentic and thoughtfully chosen, and we loved learning about the culture and history behind the food. Beyond the food, the tour also took us through the walled city, local shopping areas, and Getsemaní, giving us a wonderful feel for the city’s vibe and history. Overall, this tour was the…”
Private walking tour of Cartagena’s UNESCO walled old city with local guidance, from San Diego to the clock tower entrance.
“If you decide to go on this tour, make sure you contact the tour guide well in advance. In my experience, I never got a response from the tour guide and when I got in contact with Viator, they tried there best to help me out, but with no success. I didn't get a set location nor a start time. So I ended up touring the city of Cartagena on my own. The city is beautiful. I just wish I could have had a tour guide. The reason for the 1 star is because I had to give one, otherwise I would have not given a star at all”
Pick a base, pick a kind of day, read the reviews.
