La Popa Monastery

Discover the magic of Cartagena — declared a World Heritage Site for its architectural distinction and its history — on this 4-hour, small-group tour. Visit the main sites around the city and learn the rich stories behind its culture. Head to the La Popa monastery, located on the tallest hill in the city, to get amazing views and take the best pictures from above. From there, explore the Fort San Felipe de Barajas, a 16th-century hilltop fortress built by the Spanish to protect against pirates and the English navy. Your guide will accompany you to tell the stories within the fort and explain more of its importance to Cartagena. Make a quick stop at an emblematic symbol of Cartagena — the Old Shoes Monument — and continue into the Walled City. Take a guided walk around the historic center and gain a deep understanding of its culture and architecture before returning to your hotel.

Whether you are short on time or you are wanting a complete Cartagena experience with no corners unturned, this private full-day tour is made so you can experience the city in the most complete way possible. Enjoy a local meal and visit sights such as San Felipe Castle and the Gold Museum. Start the day by meeting your local guide, who will pick you directly up from your hotel or address. Then, head first to the historic San Felipe Castle, the city’s old fortress built by Spaniards. Walk through the castle and let your guide bring back to life adventure stories of conquerors, treasures, and pirates, while you learn more about how Colombia became so mixed due to African, indigenous, and Spanish roots. Visit afterward the Walled City of Cartagena and stroll around the colonial and colorful houses as you get to know more about the main squares and bastions that traced the city’s path to independence. Visit Santo Domingo’s square and church, the Cathedral of Santa Catalina de Alejandría, and the Gold Museum. It wouldn’t be the perfect tour of Cartagena without tasting Colombia’s flavors, so you’ll have typical coconut sweets, fried arepa with egg, a traditional snack famous in the Caribbean Coast, and the raspao, a snow cone with a sugary, flavored syrup on top. If choosing the longer 8-hour tour option, you will finish your tour by going to the Convent of La Popa (Convent of the Stern), a viewpoint located at the top of a hill where the city, its sea, and one of its islands can be seen and photographed. Cartagena is not only the touristic capital of Colombia but one of the most memorable cities that holds Colombia’s history, making it a place for culture, tradition, and diversity, with many historic places and unique corners to discover.

Make the most of this private tour to visit the principal sites of interest in the old city of Cartagena — all while traveling in comfort, on board a luxury air-conditioned vehicle. Starting in the downtown area, you will head to the Manga neighborhood, where you can appreciate the beautiful mansions built at the beginning if the 20th century. Continue on to the highest part of the city where there is a convent dating from the beginning of the 17th century. Visit the San Felipe de Barajas Fortress, considered the most important fortification in South America. From here, you will head to the walled city with a stop for some shopping. Following a little retail therapy, visit the different squares of the city and admire the old colonial houses. After a journey of historical discovery, fast forward to the present day and explore the modern part of Cartagena, including the Bohemian neighborhood of Gethsemani. This neighborhood is so authentically charming and on the cusp of commercial explosion. Immerse yourself in Spanish colonial architecture, dance halls, graffiti art, boutique hotels, food vendors and stunning public plazas.