What does a day in Cartagena cost for tours, food and port fees?
3 min read
For a low-cost day, the Historic Center and Getsemaní walking tour is enough: €12.72 per person for 2.5 hours, 4.9 stars from 3,641 reviews. A full excursion day costs €65.30 plus a port tax of 31,500 COP paid on the day (card or cash) with the five-stop Rosario Islands tour with lunch, and an evening on the water costs €36 with the two-hour sunset cruise. The tour descriptions give no figures for food or getting around, so we don’t estimate them.
The island tour lists a port tax of 31,500 COP, paid in person on the day by card or cash; the sunset cruise lists boarding fees, but whether they are included shows on its booking page. For the walking tour, check the booking page before you pay; we won’t invent a number.
Three tours, three prices
| Tour | Duration | From | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Historic Center and Getsemaní shared walking tour | 2.5 hours | €12.72 | 4.9 (3,641) | A low-cost city day |
| 5-Stop Rosario Islands tour with lunch and beach clubs | 6.5–7 hours | €65.30 | 4.6 (6,635) | A full excursion day |
| Two-hour sunset cruise | 2 hours | €36 | 4.7 (1,270) | An evening on the bay |
As day building blocks (tour prices only, per person): the walking tour at €12.72, the walking tour plus the sunset cruise at €12.72 and €36, the island day at €65.30 plus the 31,500 COP port tax, or the island day plus the sunset cruise at €65.30 and €36 plus the port tax.
The low-cost city day
The walk is a shared tour, not a private one. Over 2.5 hours, according to its description, it covers the history of enslavement, pirates, battles, conquest and independence.
Check availability for the old town walking tour
The island day
The tour takes the whole day, makes five stops and names lunch and beach clubs in its title; the description mentions swimming and lounging. It is sold as VIP, Eco and Party tickets with different boats and islands; the optional Oceanarium stop on the Eco ticket costs 40,000 COP extra. You get to the meeting point on your own, and the operator lists it as not suitable for pregnant women, people prone to seasickness, people with recent surgeries or people over 70. With 6,635 reviews it is the most-reviewed of the three. If you only want to lie on one beach, you pay here for five stops.
See prices and dates for the five-stop tour
The evening on the water
The cruise lasts two hours and, according to its description, shows Cartagena’s skyline at sunset; it is described as romantic. It leaves at 5:00 PM from Muelle de la Bodeguita, and extras on board can only be paid by card. It pays off if that exact view from the water is worth the money to you.
See the two-hour sunset cruise
Our recommendation
Start with the Historic Center and Getsemaní walking tour: €12.72, 4.9 stars and 3,641 reviews make it the lowest-risk first purchase. If you plan only one bigger expense after that, the island day at €65.30 plus the 31,500 COP port tax is the choice with the most reviews.
