Private City Tour of Cartagena

Tour was filled with a stops outside the walled city (in front of the famous Cartagena Reloj), a walk through Getsemani, La Popoa, the forts and the tour of the castle of San Felipe. Nico was our tour guide who drove us around the city explaining the history and background of these famous landmarks. Nico did a fine job of explaining each spot (in english) so we understood the importance of each landmark. Nico was great about letting us take pictures and of taking fun pictures at the castle of San Felipe. He concluded the tour at Plaza de Las Bóvedas. The only thing I did not appreciate about the tour was the forced connection of the shop in the bovedas. I would have preferred to make my own choice as where to shop for emeralds (being my family is colombian) and yet we were introduced to his nephew and the lady who was selling emeralds who most likely sold to us at a more higher price because we are americans.

Excellent tour, Niko was very knowledgeable about Cartagena. Highly recommend! It provided a good overview of the city.

My husband and I took this excursion through Viator. I have to say that the Viator salesperson was amazing in helping me set this up. I originally did it on line and later that day I realized I had entered the wrong day that our ship was arriving in Caragena. The salesperson was wonderful. He fixed it immediately and emailed me the confirmation with our correct arrival date for March 7, 2020. A big thank you to him. The excursion was everything we hoped for and more. Our tour started right outside the gate of the port with a delightful walk through a treed bird sanctuary with so many colourful birds and no cages, even monkeys in the trees. Our tour guide, Martha Cabarcas, Sion Tours, spoke perfect English and was so informative about the history of Cartagena. Our driver, Galarcio, patiently waited by the car at our first stop. We strolled along the cobble stone walkways of Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas with Martha. She regaled us with delightful stories of the history of the fort as we ventured from the outside turrets to the hidden cavernous hallways below. The next stop began with a tree-lined drive up the mountain to visit La Popa Monastery with a vista of ocean and cities from atop of the most beautiful monastery we had ever seen. We later drove down to the narrow streets of the walled city of Cartagena where Martha led us on a marvellous walking tour from Getsemani to the famous Clock tower, pointing out the charming, yet intriguing, highlights of this beautiful city. We even got a little shopping in for an emerald, which is what Cartagena is also famous for. We returned to the ship at 2:30 pm. We loved this tour and a huge thank you to Martha and Galarcio, we will never forget you and the amazing day we spent together.

Alvaro (Al) Ramirez was a fantastic tour guide! He has a wealth of knowledge about the city and its history and told me about daily life there. Our driver, Luis, drove us to many areas of the city, and being in a car meant that we didn’t get stuck in traffic as much as a tour bus might. I could get a feel for Cartagena’s various areas during the drive, then we went to the wonderful 17th century La Popa convent on top of a mountain - gorgeous chapel and views! We also went to the Castillo fort, and Al’s stories of its construction and battles brought that history to life. Finally, we had a shopping stop in a lovely historic area - lots of local items for sale, but no pressure to buy anything. Al went out of his way to tell me about interesting aspects of the city and ensure that my one day in Cartagena would be remembered for a lifetime! I can’t say enough good things about this tour 😃

My wife and I enjoyed the tour. It has a little something for everybody. It also takes you on the outskirts of the city to see places you probably would not see on your own. It’s a great way to get a feel for Cartagena. Obviously a private tour costs more than a group tour, but you get what you pay for. It’s nice to be able to hear, ask questions, and not have to keep up with a group. Also easier to skip things that don’t interest you and linger when something does. We certainly thought the tour was worth doing.

It was just my wife & myself & we had a great driver, Issac & Guide, Francia. Very knowledgeable & did a great job explaining things.

We visited Cartagena on January 3, 2020. Sion Tours and our tour guide K-I-K-E (pronounced "KeeKay") was the best. After booking, they sent us a detailed email with a map as to where to meet their designated representative. The representative met us at the exact location without any difficulty.She walked us through the area right to where K-i-k-e picked us up in his air-conditioned car. He provided us with a wonderful and informative tour but was flexible enough to take us to a couple of places we wanted to go such as the umbrella street and a local hotel lobby that we wanted to see. K-i-k-e took many wonderful photos for us and even carried my wife's backpack for part of the time. K-i-k-e is a very friendly, pleasant and caring tour guide. His smile is infectious. THANK YOU K-I-K-E FOR AN AMAZING DAY TOUR IN CARTAGENA. You made our vacation great!

Richard was our wonderful tour guide of Cartagena (Dec. 21, 2019). He took us to all the top locations and then guided us to each spot we specifically asked for - including the wonderful Lucy Jewelry in the historic portion of the city. Go there if you get the chance! We took as long as we liked at each spot, not at all like the rushed group tours. Cost was reasonable and we especially appreciated fitting it all in during the short time our Emerald Princess cruise docked (8am-2:30pm). We never felt rushed and returned to the ship with a full appreciation of the history, culture and shopping in this historic city. Thanks Richard and our driver. Both exceptional gentlemen who helped us up and down the many stairs and curbs in the old portion of the city!

Our guide Akike literally gave us a 360 degree tour of Cartegena that culminated with the view of the entire city from the top of El Popa. We learned about the proud history of the indigenous people, the mix of cultures from the all-too-familiar colonial practice of importing slaves, the triumphant day of independence, the development of the city into the tourism capital of the country and the hopes of the people in their newly elected mayor to enact rational policy that creates opportunity for more people to lift themselves out of poverty (through opportunity not redistribution). Hours after the tour, Akike and his girlfriend spotted my wife and walking the wrong way to dinner and they gave us a ride to the restaurant. Genuine. Studied. A pleasure to be around. That’s what you’ll find with Akike.

Nico was amazing individual with a touching family history. One of the best tour guides ever. Learned a lot about the history and sights of Cartagena. Highly recommend them