15 Full-Day Tours in Colombia Worth Booking

1.Full-Day Rosario Islands Including Barú, Bocachica & Playa Blanca

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 1,729 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $88Our pick

Review the Rosario Islands day trip from Cartagena, with snorkeling, Cholón, Playa Blanca, lunch, boat tips, costs, and who should book.

“The boat was CRAMMED with people. You’re thrown in with random groups of families and partners. And it was not a nice boat. The first island could have been skipped. Snorkeling was great, as was the party island and the lunch. But I would definitely try to find a more private boat for a better time.”

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2.Bora Bora Cartagena Beach Club Full Day Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 606 reviews · 8 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $116

Spend a full Caribbean day at Bora Bora Beach Club, with a speedboat ride, lunch, beach bed, clear water, and optional VIP upgrades.

“Everything went smoothly. The lines at the port to get our arm bands for entry were somewhat long. All the staff was great. The water was clear and pretty. We could see baby fish! The food was just okay but it was included in the ticket price so no big deal. All the waiters were friendly and catered to us. The bathrooms at the beach club were surprisingly clean. We got a very warm welcome. All was good. I’d definitely go back.”

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3.Baru and Playa Blanca Full Day

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 371 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $39Best value

Review of Cartagena’s Playa Blanca day trip: clear Caribbean water, lunch, transport, beach chairs, vendors, rustic facilities, and real value.

“Awful company. Stay away from them if possible. Their advertisement features a “comfortable air-conditioned transportation ” and it is actually an old van very unsafe. The expected pickup time was 6:30 am and they only showed up at 7:15am (45 minutes waiting for them). On the way we had to stop in the middle of the road to change to another van to go to the final destination. On the way back, we supposed to be back in Cartagena by 2:30 and we got back around 6pm. Other than the traffic, the reason for the delay was because our old-unsafe van, crashed against a tree and broke the windshield. Please…”

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4.Full Day Tour of Five Premium Islands in Cartagena

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 337 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $110

Review of Cartagena’s five-island boat tour, with snorkeling, lunch, Cholon, beach time, and optional bioluminescent plankton.

“Overall, this trip was pretty fun and a good opportunity to meet solo travelers who were all friendly; and our host Alex was as well. However, there were just a couple of cons that dampened the value of this trip for me. The snorkeling activity was completed without snorkels, making it pretty difficult to get a really good look since you had to get up for air every few seconds. Other reviews for this tour made the party island seem crazy and filled with music but the music was actually very quiet, there was no dancing, I was under the impression from other reviews you could bring your own alcohol…”

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5.Full Day 5 Best Rosario Islands Spots Make Friends & do Snorkel

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 240 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $79

Review of Cartagena’s Rosario Islands boat tour, with snorkeling, Bocachica history, island beaches, lunch, Cholón, costs, and practical tips.

“I want to start by saying José was super sweet and paid attention to our needs. However, we are very disappointed by the tour. The itinerary description is very misleading. 1) We never stopped to walk into the Fuerte de San Fernando as described, we simply stayed in the boat and listened to the guide for a few minutes talk about the history of the fortress. We were supposed to go and visit the tunnels. Did not happen. 2) Snorkeling was average. If you have snorkeled before in other parts of the Carabbeans, you’ll probably won’t be impressed. 3) Isla Grande was fine. It was pretty quiet and had two…”

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6.Medellin: Full Day Guided City Highlights Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 204 reviews · 7h 30m · from $57

See Medellín in one day with downtown history, Pueblito Paisa, Comuna 13 street art, a Paisa lunch, Metro Cable views, and local ice cream.

“Covered so much in a single day. And our guide, Cesar, was amazing. Highly recommended.”

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7.Full Day Barú island: Mangrove +Snorkel + Sunset + Plankton

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 139 reviews · 11 hours · from $69

Review of Barú’s full-day beach, mangrove, snorkeling, sunset, and plankton tour, with honest advice on comfort, value, and organization.

“tutto organizzatissimo, beach club bellissimo e praticamente esclusivo (forse solo fortuna) ottimo il pranzo e il cocktail d benvenuto (alcolico). spiaggia da sogno, personale del freedom disponibilissimo! giornata intera di relax al mare più tre incredibili esperienze Mangrove+snorkel addirittura con foto subacquee incluse e plankton non fotografabile ma indimenticabile! Dopo una settimana di tour posso dire sia stato il più bello e completo in assoluto, lo consiglio assolutamente! lo rifarei subito!”

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8.Santa Marta: Minca Coffee, Cocoa, & Waterfall Full-Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 102 reviews · from $78

Explore Minca from Santa Marta with coffee, cocoa, waterfalls, lunch, jungle hikes, bilingual guides, and a refreshing river swim.

“Well worth it. Our guide was informative and did a great job. A lot of walking, some steep inclines and declines but worth it. Met some nice fellow travelers.”

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9.Adventure full day Isla Barú + Mangroves + Snorkel + bioluminescent plankton

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 95 reviews · 15 hours (approx.) · from $65

Review of Cartagena’s Barú beach, mangroves, snorkeling, and bioluminescent plankton tour, with honest advice on value, timing, and safety.

“The beach is ok but the mangroves and snorkelling was awful You get on a crowded boat and are given life jackets. My husband's didn't close properly and no one cared after he mentioned it. Then we took the boat up and down the beach for half an hour picking up other people. I was so excited for the mangroves but you only go in 500 meters and they let you get off the boat to feed the lemurs which is so gross. You're supposed to look but not touch. And that's all you do in the mangroves! Then they to us to feed minnows. The snorkeling experience doesn't even…”

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10.Full Day Tour from Cartagena through Barranquilla and Santa Marta

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 94 reviews · 13 hours 15 minutes (approx.) · from $85

A long but useful Cartagena day trip to Barranquilla and Santa Marta, with landmark stops, coastal food, beach time, and plenty of bus travel.

“This tour picked us up early at our hotel at around 4:45am, not knowing much of the details of the transportation we find that it’s a large charter bus with about 50 other people joining the tour. We rode to get breakfast which was an arepa and small cup of coffee, tasted good. Then headed over to Barranquilla where we passed through to see the landmarks. We did not go inside the city and explore. Then we made it to Santa Marta and where we had another tour guide which whom was terrific, in Santa Marta we were taken to a hotel to get served lunch which was delicious! Then…”

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11.Magical Full-Day Tour Through The Mangroves And The Beach In Isla de Barú

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 90 reviews · 7 to 9 hours (approx.) · from $45

Review of Cartagena’s Barú mangrove and beach tour, with snorkeling, lunch voucher, transport details, costs, safety concerns, and booking advice.

“Although a bit undeveloped and certainly on the touristy side, Baru beach is a beautiful piece of the Cartagena landscape. However, I'd recommend saving yourself a few dollars and hiring a private car to take you here and simply walk into any of the plentiful beach clubs to spend your day. This tour was advertised as a bilingual tour, but my family was the only English speakers of the 20 or so guests. Most to the tour we were left confused on what was happening. Worst yet, when we were taken on the mangroves tour, we were with a few teenage kids running the tour. These kids didn't sanitize snorkel…”

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12.Cartagena and Murcia – full day shore excursion for cruise guests

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 79 reviews · 6 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $131

Explore Cartagena and Murcia from the cruise port with a small-group guide, Roman ruins, local history, free time, and air-conditioned transport.

“Site seeing tour on way to first stop. Did some walking with guide and back on the bus close to cruise port. Did another walking guided tour. We saw a lot of different things and learned about the area. Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. Spoke very good English”

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13.Best Full Day Private Medellin City Tour and Botero´s Plaza

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 76 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $118Top rated

Review of Medellín’s private city tour, from Botero Plaza and Comuna 13 to Metrocable views and Parque Arví.

“We really enjoyed this tour is a must, thanks to our tour guide Julian he was great he went above and beyond I highly recommend him.”

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14.Cartagena’s Legendary Boat Party : Full Day in Cholón

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 73 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $120

Review of Cartagena’s Cholón boat party, with island stops, lunch, music, costs, safety tips, vendors, and advice on who should book.

“Food was really good. Water was nice despite a lot of people. They do charge for the bathroom and the locals who are selling things can be misleading on pricing. Overall a good experience.”

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15.Full day At Beach Club in Playa Blanca Baru cartagena

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 67 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $40

Review of Cartagena’s Playa Blanca Beach Club Mambo day trip, covering transport, lunch, facilities, beach conditions, costs, crowds, and practical tips.

“My family and I really enjoyed the water, however, please be aware that people selling items on the beach can be very persistent if you entertain them. The food was okay, nothing to really rave about. The walk heading down to the beach can be a bit much for those who have issues going up and down steps and the ride to and from the beach is about 1hr30min more or less depending on traffic. I suggest planning accordingly if you plan on doing something afterwards.”

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