• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Curious to know more about Cartagena’s history? Join a local history expert on an insightful tour that will show you a side of the city that can’t be found in any book. This experience will open your eyes to the past and origins of Cartagena from a local perspective as you learn about a Colonial Exploration.

Destination

Cartagena, Colombia

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

3 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Español

Included

• Private guide
• Entrance to the Museum Cartagena de Indias
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

Excluded

• Entrance to other attractions than mentioned
• on Sundays the starting times of the tour are from 10.00-13.30

What you can expect

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at At the Monument of Simon Bolivar - Cartagena to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. a Colonial Exploration

   Your history tour in Cartagena will focus on a Colonial Exploration. Learn the impacts, insights and hear stories related to this historic event from your knowledgeable host. Discover the city as you retrace history and go in-depth on the effects this part of history has on Cartagena

4. Historical Highlights

   Check out main landmarks related to the theme of your history tour and connect their relevance through fantastic stories and facts from your expert local host

5. Hidden Treasures

   During your tour, you’ll also uncover hidden gems that will show you a different perspective of history as you know it, something you can’t easily find in a history book!

6. Storytelling Journey

   As you discover the historical side of Cartagena, you’ll be able to go back in time thanks to the amazing stories and storytelling skills of your local host. Feel free to ask any questions and feel as if you are relieving history in the present time

7. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Eveln🇺🇸 United States

(About local Andrea )

2 March 2025

Andrea gave us a great logistical overview of Cartagena. She knows all the in’s and out’s and was very communicative and helpful before and after our tour. She expanded our sense of the old city, gave us restaurant suggestions that turned out to be great and helped us find a driver for a trip to the National Aviary. Our group all felt she was an asset to our time in the city. Andrea is a wonderful resource!!

Pantelis🇺🇸 United States

(About local Rosmy)

7 February 2024

Rosmy is an amazing guide. She grew up in Cartagena and has so much knowledge about the cities history, people, and culture. Her tour is so well curated and is perfect for anyone who wants to dig deeper into the details of the city.An amazing historical tour of the city

Darcy🇺🇸 United States

(About local Wendy)

26 February 2025

Wendy is amazing tour guide that we would highly recommend. She is a Cartagena local and is very passionate about her city and country. We learned many things and discovered places we would not have found on our own which made our visit so much more enjoyable. If you have the chance, do not hesitate to take a tour with Wendy!Fabulous Tour

Bridgett

(About local Andrea )

25 February 2025

She took us to several street vendors, food was excellent. Very hot outside though, so I wasn’t able to walk everywhere she wanted to go. Excellent tour guide -meshes a native of Colombia!Great tour with Andrea

Shawn

(About local Andrea )

24 February 2025

I had a fantastic time on the Evening in Cartagena City Tour with Andrea! She reached out ahead of time to understand what I was interested in, which made the experience feel really personalized. Throughout the tour, she shared a ton of great information and adjusted the itinerary along the way based on what caught my interest. Her knowledge of the city’s history and culture really added to the experience. If you’re looking for a guide who is informative and easy to explore with, Andrea is a great choice. Highly recommend!Great Tour with a Knowledgeable Guide!

Al🇺🇸 United States

(About local Wendy)

22 February 2025

Wendy is a native of Cartagena and is very enthusiastic about her city. She communicated very well prior to our tour and let us know what she would be wearing the day we were meeting her. She is flexible and gladly accommodated our special requests. She was very knowledgeable about the meaning of the different murals around Getsemani and everything else in the city. We enjoyed our time with Wendy and would highly recommend her as a guide. The only thing we didn’t care for was being taken to an emerald store without any prior discussion. It’s awkward to get a presentation about something when you’re not interested in purchasing. We realize that many tourists may be interested in buying emeralds in Colombia, but it would have be preferable to have the chance to say no thank you! We had the same experience in a rug store in Turkey. Great Tour With Wendy

debhughan🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Wendy)

22 February 2025

Wonderful communication with Wendy pre tour which helped us tremendously. Wendy even changed her usual meeting point to collect us in a taxi at the port . I needed a sewing alteration and she was able to sort this out during the tour . What great service !!! A thoughtful enthusiastic person who kept us engaged all through the tour . The food and drink were really good too . Would recommend Wendy highly . Wonderful day wonderful Wendy

Leann

(About local Wendy)

22 February 2025

We highly recommend Wendy for the 10 tastes in Cartegna! Our tour was highly personalized and we felt confident in all the stops we made to try local foods. She was very educated on the country's history's, spoke excellent English and seemed to know many people in the community. Wendy gave us a warm welcome and made us feel safe in our first time in this foreign country.Cruise traveler

Bill

(About local Andrea )

19 February 2025

A wonderful evening walking around the walled city and the lovely plazas. Andrea gave us views and insights that we would have never have seen without her. We recommended her to our hotel and hopefully they will also use her.Cartagena revealed

Alexandra

(About local Wendy)

18 February 2025

Wendy was absolutely amazing! My group and I loved how knowledgeable she was about not only the food, but the history of the city as well. She was so open to questions and took us to amazing places! I highly recommend Wendy! I feel like a Cartagenera now! Wonderful host!

Lawrence🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Wendy)

6 February 2025

We had a great tour with Wendy. From first making contact and adjusting the tour to our needs, it was a really simple process - great comms with Wendy. When we met, it was obvious she has a great love and pride for her city - as well as being really knowledgeable. The tour was taken in really hot and humid weather, yet Wendy managed to find us plenty of shade while we walked! All in all 3 hours spent in the company of a charming young woman in a very special city.Wonderful few hours in Cartagena

Jessica🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Wendy)

27 January 2025

We booked a food tour of Cartagena with Wendy for our family of 5 while on a holiday to the city and it was a highlight of our trip! The evening of our tour we happened to have a torrential downpour with flooding through the streets and Wendy was amazing thinking on her feet to make sure we still had the best time. The variety of food we tried and the history of Cartagena we learned along the way were unmatched. We would recommend this to anyone visiting Cartagena and will book another tour with Wendy if we return! Fantastic guide and experience!

Christina🇺🇸 United States

(About local Wendy)

26 January 2025

We had a great time walking around Cartagena with Wendy - she gave us insight into the history and culture of the beautiful city. She also took us to a high quality coffee shop for a rest, a snack at a food stand, and through the Getsemani neighborhood. I told her I wanted to buy something with emeralds and she took us to a reputable shop. We really enjoyed our tour with Wendy and would highly recommend you book her for your trip to Caratagena!Great walking tour

Nicole🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Andrea )

24 January 2025

Andrea put up with 6 crazy aussies and our constant questions. She was flexible and very knowledgeable and accommodating. She even booked lunch for us after giving us a selection to choose from. Highly recommend Andrea to anyone wanting to explore Cartagena by foot. Andrea was amzingly and a great guide

Robert

(About local Andrea )

21 January 2025

The tour Andrea showed us was perfect. She answered our many questions with both knowledge and kindness. Her English was excellent and she was flexible to show us many interesting sights. We were quite pleased. Knowledgeable and Enjoyable time - perfect

laurie🇺🇸 United States

(About local Wendy)

21 January 2025

the tour with wendy was great. her english was easy to understand. she gave us good introduction to the local foods and the history of where the foods came from!wendy food tour

Debby🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Wendy)

17 January 2025

We were taken on a food tour in Cartegena. Our tour guide Wendy was simply wonderful. We were shown the sights and tastes and were excellently informed. A highlight of our cruise. Wonderful Tour

Allesandra🇺🇸 United States

(About local Wendy)

17 January 2025

This tour was a great way to discover Cartagena. We walked around the city and made various stops to eat something local. We discovered fruits that we had never heard about and stopped for a beer in a small, local bar. Wendy is knowledgeable and passionate about the food and culture of her hometown.Fun Food Tour of Cartagena

Karina🇱🇹 Lithuania

(About local Wendy)

16 January 2025

Wendy was an incredible guide during our visit to Cartagena, Colombia. From the moment we met her, it was clear that she is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the history and culture of the city. She took us to the best spots, showing us hidden gems that we would have never found on our own. Wendy’s attention to detail and her genuine care for our experience made the tour unforgettable. She went above and beyond to ensure we were comfortable and had everything we needed. Her energy, enthusiasm, and warmth made the entire experience even more special. If you’re looking for a guide who truly cares and knows Cartagena inside and out, Wendy is THE BEST! Highly recommend her to anyone visiting the city!Wendy: The Best Guide in Cartagena

Karina🇱🇹 Lithuania

(About local Wendy)

16 January 2025

Wendy was an incredible guide during our visit to Cartagena, Colombia. From the moment we met her, it was clear that she is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the history and culture of the city. She took us to the best spots, showing us hidden gems that we would have never found on our own. Wendy’s attention to detail and her genuine care for our experience made the tour unforgettable. She went above and beyond to ensure we were comfortable and had everything we needed. Her energy, enthusiasm, and warmth made the entire experience even more special. If you’re looking for a guide who truly cares and knows Cartagena inside and out, Wendy is THE BEST! Highly recommend her to anyone visiting the city!Wendy: The Best Guide in Cartagena

julie🇺🇸 United States

(About local Wendy)

7 January 2025

We spent the afternoon with Wendy on a fun and informative tour. Her energy was great for our group which included our 4 adult children. Would recommend Wendy! Great afternoon with Wendy

Martha🇺🇸 United States

(About local Wendy)

4 January 2025

Wendy was professional and kind in all of our conversations. She helped answer my numerous questions. She found solutions to problems that I faced. Our cruise ship was delayed and she was quick to pivot and help. Wendy speaks English with ease. Her tour was fun with loads of information. Great food choices even handling my egg allergy. I highly recommend Wendy while visiting Columbia. Great Communication and knowledge of city

peyton🇺🇸 United States

(About local Andrea )

3 January 2025

We really enjoyed our food tour with Andrea. Communication was smooth beforehand. She arrived early to plan the trip, showed us some excellent places, and made sure the trip was customized the way we wanted it. Highly recommended. Great way to taste Cartagena

Jessica🇺🇸 United States

(About local Wendy)

3 January 2025

My family loved our tour with Wendy! She was so kind and patient with our kids (6 and 8)-- always encouraging them to try new foods but never being pushy. Wendy is warm, knowledgeable, and just a fun person to spend a few hours with. Our only regret is that we didn't take the tour our very first day as it would have been a great way to get situated. Highly recommend this tour with Wendy!!Delicious tour, great guide

peyton🇺🇸 United States

(About local Wendy)

3 January 2025

We thoroughly enjoyed our experience with Wendy. She was on time and showed us so much of the beauty and history of Cartagena in an entertaining and digestible format. Excellent guide to beautiful city

David🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Wendy)

30 December 2024

Wendy was delightful and took us to a variety of food options. All close together, so not much walking, maybe 1 mile? We enjoyed the different tastes and it appears that Colombians like many different foods with added cheese. Wendy spoke good clear English and was good company. She can sometimes arrange local transport which means you are not at the mercy of local taxi drivers? We did perhaps expect a little bit of history or architecture as we walked around, but she just talked about food. We would recommend Wendy to anyone wanting an interesting food tour.Lots of cheese!

Carlos🇧🇷 Brazil

(About local Andrea )

29 December 2024

Andrea is a great guide! I truly recommend touring the Old City with her. Andrea is always keen to provide not only the historical information, but also to provide context about the contemporary life in Cartagena. Great time in Cartagena!

Matthew🇺🇸 United States

(About local Gabriel )

3 December 2024

If the guide is looking to cancel you should probably take them up on it. My family and I were excited about our first evening in Cartagena and the weather didn't look too bad so we opted to go forward with the tour. The weather ended up being great and Gabo took us to a wonderful rooftop bar and we had drinks. From that point forward Gabo seemed pretty distracted and I'm not sure if it was a language barrier or just not "clicking", but after a quick walk over to Getsemani and being pointed to a restaurant our time together was over. Gabriel is a fun, personable guy.. I just don't think this was the right sort of experience for the day and he clearly wanted to be off doing something else instead. Given all the other positive reviews I think our experience must have been an outlier. Mixed feelings

John🇺🇸 United States

(About local Andrea )

2 December 2024

We did a two hour walking tour with Andrea the day after we arrived in Cartagena. She took us around the old city (el centro historico) and pointed out good restaurants, historical places, shops, and gave us insights into what to expect. He english was great, and she customized the walk in real time based on our interests. She also gave us pointers on negotiating in the streetside markets to avoid paying too much "tourist tax". We highly recommend Andrea. Andrea is Fabulous

Linda🇺🇸 United States

(About local Gabriel )

2 December 2024

Gabo was a fantastic local guide - knowledgeable, fun and worked to make everything convenient for us. Great local tour

Matthew🇺🇸 United States

(About local Wendy)

26 November 2024

My family and a had a great time exploring the tastes and treats of Cartagena. We learned some history and info about the country along the way. Wendy was really enthusiastic and great with my 10 year old son. We tried lots of different things in both the Old Town and Getsemani. Even better Wendy sent us some great pictures after our time together as well. I strongly recommend this tour with Wendy!Wonderful

Jorge🇺🇸 United States

(About local Gabriel )

21 November 2024

The walking tour with Gabriel (3 hours) was very nice! He is very knowledgeable and explains about the architecture and the buildings along the way. Also got some very nice tips on rooftops and restaurants to visit, mochas gracias Gabriel! Very nice Walking tour!

Russell🇺🇸 United States

(About local Wendy)

20 November 2024

We had a terrific morning with Wendy, learning the history of Cartagena and even got to try one of the local beers. It was a hot, steamy day, so she found us a nice place to stop for cold drinks and pastry, which we really appreciated! We would certainly recommend Wendy to others.Great experience!

Katherine🇨🇴 Colombia

(About local Gabriel )

27 October 2024

My cousin and I booked a private street food walking tour with Gabriel and had a great experience. We enjoyed several local food and drink tastings and got a thorough explanation of the history of the city. We would highly recommend the tour for anyone who wants an authentic experience of Cartagena.Private street food tour of Cartagena

Randall🇺🇸 United States

(About local Wendy)

27 October 2024

We loved our time with Wendy. She was very accommodating to some special needs we had. She was very informative and personable. We always felt safe and comfortable. The next time we are back, we will definitely contact Wendy.Outstanding

Mark🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Gabriel )

26 October 2024

We had a really fun night with Gabo. His high energy enthusiasm for his home town is infectious. From the sunset cocktails to the fantastic tour of Getsemani we really enjoyed the tour. He was on time, brought a us a kind welcome gift and courteous throughout. Great fun in Cartagena

Lynne🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Gabriel )

21 October 2024

The Cartagena you wouldn’t discover without an insider. Gabriel provided us with a brilliant insight into his city which we would never have found on our own. A wonderful personalised tour which saw him hunt out Sloths for us and arrange transport to the city. The insiders Cartegana

Alvaro🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Andrea )

20 October 2024

Very nice guided walk in Cartagena historical town and surroundings. Andrea’s took really good care of everything and showed me the best spots of aCartagena.Very nice walk in Cartagena

Al🇺🇸 United States

(About local Andrea )

11 October 2024

Andrea is a very pleasant and knowledgeable guide. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour and the many food options available.Hidden Food Stops & City Tips

Wes🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Gabriel )

9 October 2024

This walking tour of the old town in Cartegena with Gabo was excellent. Gabo is very passionate about his hometown. I would highly recommend him to anyone visiting Cartagena.Great tour - Highlights of Catagena

Carol🇺🇸 United States

(About local Gabriel )

29 September 2024

If you’d like to have a fascinating, fun-filled, tasty walking tour of Cartagena Gabriel is your guy! We spent three hours walking, talking (Gabriel know a great deal of history, culture and current facts about his hometown), and tasting amazing street food. He knows all of the best spots for local snacks, and all of the interesting streets to wander for beauty and history. We highly recommend Gabriel!Gabriel - the jewel of Cartagena

Chris🇺🇸 United States

(About local Gabriel )

23 September 2024

Gabriel was super helpful and gave us great recommendations. Highly recommend him to anyone visiting Cartagena!Excellent tour

Adam

(About local Gabriel )

14 September 2024

Gabriel was very nice and friendly. He knew a lot about the city and a lot of people when walking around. He paced the walk nicely, taking us into AC when we got hot and slowed down when we got full. He took us to some amazing sites of the walled city. Got an amazing view of the sunset over the Caribbean. Food Tour with Gabriel in Cartagena

Brittany🇺🇸 United States

(About local Gabriel )

14 September 2024

Gabriel was very friendly, genuine, and a great tour guide. My husband and I enjoyed our tour through the city with him and would definitely recommend it for anyone’s first day in Cartegena. We have checked out a few of his suggestions he made during the tour and we were very happy with them. Thank you Gabriel!A wonderful introduction to Cartegena

MIGUEL ALONSO🇲🇽 Mexico

(About local Gabriel )

13 September 2024

Gabi nos mostró las mejores zonas de Cartagena caminando y probando cosas típicas y tomando cervezas y tragos locales. La experiencia fue muy buena y recomiendo la hagan con él siempre. Pasamos un rato muy chevere como saliendo con un nuevo amigo de la ciudad!Buena tarde de tastings con Gabo

Kelsey🇺🇸 United States

(About local Gabriel )

28 August 2024

My father and I had a great time getting introduced to Cartagena with Gabriel. He was very flexible and showed us around the entire main area (walled city & Getsemani). We got to try delicious juices, empanadas, arepas, chorizo, and more! We were hoping to get a bit more interesting stories about the current or historical past of the city, and perhaps less recommendations on restaurants or hotels, but we really enjoyed the time nonetheless. Highly recommend spending an afternoon with him as your guide!Friendly and fun guide to Cartagena

Kati🇺🇸 United States

(About local Wendy)

23 August 2024

I met Wendy outside of the Clock Tower at exactly 9:30, Wed, Aug 28. Wendy was very knowledgeable on the history of Cartagena with some very interesting facts which were fascinating. I had so much fun wandering around with Wendy and hearing all the juicy details of the city! After the tour I invited Wendy to lunch and we had a fabulous meal at a restaurant Wendy recommended (can't remember the name). Parted ways with my promise to Wendy, that I will be back in a few months with my cousin. Would not use anyone else for a tour!!!!!!!!! Don't do it!!!!!!Love this Girl Guide!

Katarina

(About local Gabriel )

20 August 2024

We decided to do this tour because we wanted an intro to the city (normally we do a walking tour) and decided to add some food to it. Gabo was great, he showed us around and gave us some good pieces of info about Cartegena. He also gave us a lot of nice restaurant recommendations for the rest of our stay. Thanks Gabo!Walking tour but with good food

Lody🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Andrea )

18 August 2024

Andrea clearly loves her town Cartagena and likes to share her knowledge and listens and answers any questions you might have.Friendly and engaged

Adina🇺🇸 United States

(About local Gabriel )

15 August 2024

We had a wonderful tour of Cartagena with Gabriel! We had so much fun and learned so much about this beautiful city. Gabo taught us a nice amount of history of the locations of interest, the architecture, the local culture, and the meanings behind symbols. He also taught us how to navigate the city on our own and gave great recommendations for dining. He is positive, friendly, and helpful. He worked with our pace and took photos of our family along the way. He is great with kids. My two girls loved him!