Cartagena on $25, $70 or $300 a day
Cartagena is the jewel of the Colombian Caribbean — a UNESCO-listed walled city of candy-coloured mansions, bougainvillea-draped balconies, and steamy Caribbean nights. Colonial grandeur meets Caribbean music, and the beaches of the Rosario Islands are a short boat ride away.
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Plan by budget
One city, three ways to travel it.
How much does Cartagena cost per day? Budget travellers get by on about $25 a day, mid-range trips run around $70, and luxury starts near $300 — accommodation, food, transport and activities included. That makes Cartagena the joint 8th cheapest of 110 cities for a mid-range trip (see all 110 ranked).
Daily budget · Budget
Cartagena is very affordable. Arepas cost $1, hostels in Getsemaní are $8, and the walled city is free to wander. The heat is intense — budget for cold beer and fresh coconut water. Avoid tourist restaurants on the main square.
Where your money goes
How to Get There
What to Do
The greatest fortress Spain built in the Americas — tunnels designed to swallow armies, and the hill that broke a British invasion.
Read guide → Map ↗ Get tickets on Tiqets →Eleven kilometres of colonial wall around the Caribbean's prettiest grid — bougainvillea balconies, and Getsemaní's street-art pulse next door.
Read guide → Map ↗ Get tickets on Tiqets →Located in Gethsemane, with beautiful views of the wall and Castillo de San Felipe, we deliver cooking experiences were people learn to cook, enjoy their own creations and most importantly live and share with others a wonderful experience. Discover the Chef inside you!
Map ↗ Get tickets on Tiqets →Where to Stay
Hostel accommodation with dorm beds and, usually, a few private rooms.
Map ↗ Check prices on Klook →Hostel accommodation with dorm beds and, usually, a few private rooms.
Map ↗ Check prices on Klook →Iconic Getsemaní hostel, social courtyard, incredible value
Map ↗ Check prices on Klook →Where to Eat
Street food staple — fried cornmeal stuffed with egg, $1 at markets
Coconut candy and tropical sweets sold by street vendors
Caribbean fruit women in the Walled City, fresh mango and coconut
No-frills local spot in Getsemaní, excellent fried fish and rice
Sample 3-Day Itinerary
Walled City on Foot
Walk the city walls and plazas (free); duck into the cathedral.
Cheap arepa de huevo and fresh fruit from a palenquera.
Sunset from the Café del Mar wall, then Getsemaní nightlife.
Getsemaní & Beach
Street-art wander and Plaza de la Trinidad.
A cheap local bus to Bocagrande beach.
Street food and live champeta music.
Castillo & Market
The Castillo San Felipe fortress (small fee).
A Bazurto market food adventure (with a guide if nervous).
Budget ceviche by the sea.
Stay in Getsemaní for half the price of the Walled City — it's become very safe and hip. Eat arepas and empanadas from street vendors. Walk the city walls at sunset — free and stunning. Playa Blanca day trip by shared boat is $15 return.
Daily budget · Mid-range
Mid-range Cartagena opens up boutique hotels inside the Walled City, excellent Caribbean seafood restaurants, island day trips, and evening salsa lessons in colonial courtyards.
Where your money goes
How to Get There
What to Do
The greatest fortress Spain built in the Americas — tunnels designed to swallow armies, and the hill that broke a British invasion.
Read guide → Map ↗ Get tickets on Tiqets →Eleven kilometres of colonial wall around the Caribbean's prettiest grid — bougainvillea balconies, and Getsemaní's street-art pulse next door.
Read guide → Map ↗ Get tickets on Tiqets →Guided walking tour of the best street food and restaurants
Get tickets on Tiqets →Where to Stay
Colonial mansion in the Walled City, rooftop terrace and pool
Check prices on Klook →Four-star chain hotel, reliably comfortable rooms and full service without luxury pricing.
Map ↗ Check prices on Klook →Restored 17th-century convent, stunning pool and gardens
Map ↗ Check prices on Klook →Where to Eat
Rooftop restaurant at Casa San Agustín, city walls views
Sample 3-Day Itinerary
History & Sunset
A guided Old Town walking tour.
Castillo San Felipe and the La Popa hill viewpoint.
Rooftop cocktails and a Centro dinner.
Rosario Islands
A boat day trip to the Rosario Islands.
Beach club, snorkelling and a seafood lunch.
Return for a Getsemaní dinner.
Culture & Mud
The Totumo mud-volcano excursion.
A San Basilio de Palenque cultural visit or a cooking class.
A fine-casual Caribbean dinner.
Stay inside the Walled City for the magic of waking up there. Book Rosario Islands in advance (especially weekends). El Bistro and Carmen are the best restaurants. Horse carriage rides around the walls are touristy but fun at $20.
Daily budget · Luxury
Luxury Cartagena is extraordinary — boutique hotels in restored 17th-century palaces, private boat trips to the Rosario Islands, and exclusive experiences in one of the most beautiful colonial cities in the Americas.
Where your money goes
How to Get There
What to Do
The greatest fortress Spain built in the Americas — tunnels designed to swallow armies, and the hill that broke a British invasion.
Read guide → Map ↗ Get tickets on Tiqets →Eleven kilometres of colonial wall around the Caribbean's prettiest grid — bougainvillea balconies, and Getsemaní's street-art pulse next door.
Read guide → Map ↗ Get tickets on Tiqets →"Un Momento De Fantasía" - A moment of Fantasy- is a non-profit institution, founded by Socorro Gómez de París, on July 26, 2019 in the city of Cartagena de Indias, which was declared Historical and Cultural Heritage of The humanity by UNESCO in 1984. This museum has more than 1,000 exhibition pieces between dolls and toy cars dating from the middle of the 19th century to the 21st.
Get tickets on Tiqets →Where to Stay
Former convent, Michelin-quality restaurant, stunning pool
Map ↗ Check prices on Klook →Five-star international hotel with a full spa, notable restaurants and the service standard the brand implies.
Map ↗ Check prices on Klook →Cartagena's finest boutique, three restored 17th-century houses
Map ↗ Check prices on Klook →Where to Eat
Fine dining in Cartagena's best hotel, excellent wine list
Rodrigo Castaño's tasting menu — Colombia's finest restaurant
Sample 3-Day Itinerary
Private Old City
A private historian-led walled-city tour.
Spa in a converted-convent hotel.
Tasting menu at Carmen or Celele.
Private Island Day
A private boat to a Rosario Islands beach club or private island.
Snorkelling, lunch and lounging.
A sunset sail with champagne.
Yacht & Gastronomy
A private yacht charter along the bay.
A private cooking class with a chef.
A farewell rooftop dinner over the walls.
Casa San Agustín and Sofitel Legend Santa Clara are the standout hotels. Book a private catamaran to the Rosario Islands. Restaurant Carmen needs 1-week advance booking. The Palenqueras (fruit women) in the Walled City are an iconic photo opportunity.
Sight guides
Cartagena Sight Guides
About Cartagena
When to go, and what it's like on the ground.
Best time to visit
December – April (dry season)
Hot, humid tropical Caribbean year-round (28–32°C). The dry season (Dec–Apr) is sunniest and busiest; rains come May–Nov, heaviest in October. Sea breezes take the edge off the evening heat.
- January: 28°C average high, 1 rain day, high season
- February: 28°C average high, 1 rain day, high season
- March: 28°C average high, 1 rain day, high season
- April: 29°C average high, 3 rain days, high season
- May: 29°C average high, 9 rain days, moderate crowds
- June: 29°C average high, 9 rain days, moderate crowds
- July: 29°C average high, 8 rain days, moderate crowds
- August: 29°C average high, 10 rain days, moderate crowds
- September: 29°C average high, 12 rain days, low crowds
- October: 28°C average high, 15 rain days, low crowds
- November: 28°C average high, 11 rain days, moderate crowds
- December: 28°C average high, 4 rain days, high season
Getting around
Getting around Cartagena
The walled Old Town and Getsemaní are compact and walkable. Taxis have no meters — agree the fare first — and apps cover the rest; the Rosario Islands are reached by boat. It's too hot to walk far at midday.
A travel eSIM gets you online the moment you land in Colombia — data plans start at $4.50 — no roaming bill, no queue for a local SIM, and nothing to swap in and out of your phone. Install it before you fly.
On foot
Walking routes in Cartagena.
The clock tower gate, the colonial squares and the ramparts, then the artisan quarter and the fortress.
The mural quarter outside the walls, the great Spanish fort above the city and the sunset from the ramparts.
Where to stay
Cartagena, neighbourhood by neighbourhood.
Old Town (Centro Histórico)
The walled colonial city: balconied mansions in candy colours, plazas, the cathedral and boutique hotels. The postcard Cartagena, and the priciest.
Best for luxuryGetsemaní
The former working-class barrio just outside the walls, now the city's coolest quarter: street art, Plaza de la Trinidad nightlife and hostels.
Best for budgetSan Diego
The calmer northern corner of the walled city: smaller plazas, local life and good-value guesthouses.
Best for mid-rangeBocagrande
The Miami-style strip of beach hotels and condos on the peninsula; convenient sands, less colonial charm.
Best for mid-rangeLa Boquilla
A fishing village north of the city with mangrove tours, beach shacks and Afro-Caribbean culture.
Best for budgetRosario Islands / Barú
White-sand islands an hour by boat: turquoise water, beach clubs and overwater stays.
Best for luxuryLocal etiquette
Dos & Don'ts
Do
- Agree taxi fares before getting in — there are no meters
- Carry small bills; vendors rarely have change for large notes
- Stay hydrated and seek shade at midday — the heat is intense
- Ask before photographing the palenqueras (fruit-sellers) — they expect a tip
- Bargain politely in markets, but not in fixed-price shops
- Carry cash for beach clubs and islands, where cards often fail
Don't
- Accept "free" bracelets, sweets or photos — they come with a demand for money
- Flash valuables or phones outside the walled city
- Buy emeralds or "deals" from street touts
- Walk lonely stretches of beach after dark
- Underestimate the sun — it burns fast at this latitude
- Expect punctuality — coastal "hora costeña" is even more relaxed
Useful phrases
Say it like a local.
Beyond the city
Day trips worth the journey.
Rosario Islands
An archipelago of white-sand islands and coral reefs an hour by boat — beach clubs and snorkelling.
Playa Blanca (Barú)
A long stretch of powder-white sand and turquoise sea on the Barú peninsula.
Totumo Mud Volcano
Bathe in a warm therapeutic mud crater, then rinse off in the lagoon.
San Basilio de Palenque
The first free Black town in the Americas — drumming, language and living Afro-Colombian heritage.
Mompox
A time-capsule colonial river town (UNESCO), famed for filigree silver (a long day or overnight).
Where to eat
Must-try dishes.
Arepa de Huevo
A fried corn arepa with a whole egg cooked inside — the coast's favourite street breakfast.
Ceviche
Caribbean-style shrimp or fish ceviche, often with a tomato-tinged sauce.
Posta Negra
Slow-braised beef in a sweet-dark panela-and-spice sauce — a Cartagena classic.
Cazuela de Mariscos
A rich coconut-milk seafood stew brimming with shrimp, fish and squid.
Arroz con Coco
Coconut rice, slightly sweet and caramelised — the essential coastal side.
Patacón
A flattened fried green plantain, topped or used as a base for seafood.
Limonada de Coco
A blended coconut-and-lime drink, creamy and refreshing in the heat.
Travel insurance
Do I need travel insurance for Colombia?
Travel insurance is strongly recommended for any trip to Cartagena. Safety is rated Generally safe in tourist areas — watch for pushy vendors and overcharging; take care outside the walled city at night. — even in safe destinations, unexpected medical emergencies or trip cancellations can be costly. Make sure your policy covers emergency medical treatment, hospitalisation, trip cancellation, and emergency evacuation.
Visa note: Visa-free for up to 90 days (extendable to 180) for most Western nationalities.. Some countries require proof of travel insurance as part of the visa application.
Good to know
FAQ: Cartagena travel questions
Is Cartagena safe to visit?
Generally safe in tourist areas — watch for pushy vendors and overcharging; take care outside the walled city at night.
When is the best time to visit Cartagena?
December – April (dry season) Hot, humid tropical Caribbean year-round (28–32°C). The dry season (Dec–Apr) is sunniest and busiest; rains come May–Nov, heaviest in October. Sea breezes take the edge off the evening heat.
How much does a trip to Cartagena cost per day?
- Budget $25–$55 / day
- Mid-range $70–$170 / day
- Luxury $300–$600 / day
Do I need a visa to visit Colombia?
Visa-free for up to 90 days (extendable to 180) for most Western nationalities.
How do I get around Cartagena?
The walled Old Town and Getsemaní are compact and walkable. Taxis have no meters — agree the fare first — and apps cover the rest; the Rosario Islands are reached by boat. It's too hot to walk far at midday. Taxi base fare ~$2. Day pass ~$2.
Is tipping expected in Cartagena?
A 10% "propina voluntaria" is usually added; extra is optional. Tip guides and boat crews.
What currency is used in Colombia?
The local currency is COP ($), and the official language is Spanish.
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