Santa Marta City Tour with Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino (Private)

From $102 USD per person

Santa Marta was founded in 1525, which makes it the oldest city in Colombia and the second oldest in Latin America. It is also a working Caribbean port at the foot of the Sierra Nevada, which means the history is not kept in a preserved quarter for visitors: it sits in among the traffic, the heat and the harbour. Five hours with a private guide is what turns that from a confusing walk into a sequence you can follow.

The tour splits cleanly in two. The first half is the Old Town on foot. The second half is Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino, the seventeenth-century hacienda on the edge of the city where Simón Bolívar spent his final days, which is far enough out that walking there is not the plan. Your driver covers that leg, and the day ends back at your hotel.

Check live availability and prices — or read on for how the morning unfolds.

How the tour works

• Old Town and the Cathedral (about 2 hours 30). Your guide collects you from your hotel and takes you into the historic centre on foot: Parque de Los Novios, Simón Bolívar Park, and the Cathedral, where the tomb of the city’s founder, Rodrigo de Bastidas, still rests. Five centuries in a handful of blocks.
• Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino (about 90 minutes). The hacienda where Bolívar died, with its gardens, shaded patios and historic rooms. Entry is included.
• Back to your hotel (about 30 minutes). Private transport, door to door.

What’s included

• Private English-speaking guide
• Private hotel pickup and drop-off in Santa Marta
• Entry to Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino
• All-risk insurance

Not included

• Breakfast and lunch
• Extra purchases

Good to know

• Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino is closed on 1 January. If your date falls on it, tell us and we will arrange an alternative rather than let you find out at the gate.
• It is mostly walking. Comfortable shoes, and carry water.
• It is a warm Caribbean city. Lightweight, breathable clothing, sunscreen and a hat. A light rain jacket is worth having, since the tour runs in all conditions.
• Pickup is from your hotel in Santa Marta, so there is no separate transport to arrange at either end.

Frequently asked questions

How is this different from the shorter old city walk?

This one is five hours and its second half is Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino, which needs a vehicle. Our three-hour old city and Gold Museum walk stays inside the historic centre and is built around the museum instead. Same city, different anchor.

Why does Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino matter?

Because Simón Bolívar, who dismantled Spanish rule across the north of the continent, died there in 1830. The estate is preserved with its gardens and rooms, and it is the reason a Santa Marta itinerary reaches past the old town.

Is the walking hard?

No, but it is warm and the paving in the historic centre is uneven in places. The pace is relaxed and there are stops. If mobility is a concern, message us before booking.

What is actually in the Old Town?

Parque de Los Novios, Simón Bolívar Park, the monument to Rodrigo de Bastidas who founded the city, and the Cathedral that holds his tomb, plus the colonial streets between them.

Is lunch included?

No. The tour runs about five hours and you will want to eat after it; your guide will tell you where.

Just need the ride, not the tour?

Our private Santa Marta airport transfer and city transfers give you the same vetted driver with no itinerary attached.

Ready? Check your date and lock it in