Colombia · PALENQUE CULTURAL TOURS

The 15 Palenque Cultural Tours from Cartagena to Clear a Day For

16 tours  ·  from $49

Here are 15 palenque cultural tours you can hold a place on today, with the price, the running time and who each one actually suits. The first is first for a reason.

Cartagena: Palenque´s tour, dance show, lunch, pick-Up inclu - The ride from Cartagena to San Basilio de Palenque
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Cartagena: Palenque´s tour, dance show, lunch, pick-Up inclu

1.Palenque´s tour, dance show, lunch, pick-Up inclu

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 182 reviews · 6 hours · from $112Our pick

Travel from Cartagena to San Basilio de Palenque with a local guide such as Roiman or Royman. Visit the museum, murals, ancestral sites, music studio, and Kid Pambele monument, then join a traditional dance show and eat a local lunch of fish, chicken, or pork.

“Roiman was an excellent tour guided! He provided an amazing immersive experience in culture, community, and tradition. Such an outstanding wealth of knowledge. Palenque tour was a beautiful experience!!! Highly recommend book this tour you’ll love it . The food was freshly prepared full of flavor and love 🖤💙💚”

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Tour a san Basilio de Palenque desde cartagena - Casa de Tambores and Casa del Arte
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Tour a san Basilio de Palenque desde cartagena

2.Tour a san Basilio de Palenque desde cartagena

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 123 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $110Top rated

Travel from Cartagena to San Basilio de Palenque with a bilingual guide such as Ramon or Jovanni. Visit Casa de Tambores, Casa del Arte, a traditional village display, sweet and ñeque demonstrations, Kid Pambelé’s statue, a local restaurant, and a music-filled dance show. Lunch, water, and hotel transport are included.

“The Palenque Native Dancers were outstanding. The tour company was poor. They picked us up 30 minutes late. The van had no air conditioning with 90 degree temperature. Go see the dancers with a different company.”

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Cartagena: Palenque Tour and Road to Emancipation - The road out of Cartagena
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Cartagena: Palenque Tour and Road to Emancipation

3.Palenque Tour and Road to Emancipation

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 83 reviews · 6 hours · from $108

Travel from Cartagena to San Basilio de Palenque with a bilingual guide such as Romeo or Damaso. Meet local dancers, learn Palenquero words, visit the museum house and traditional healer, play drums, and eat a typical lunch. Allow six to seven hours, including hotel pickups and the drive.

“This is possibly the best tour I've ever taken. I think everyone who is part of the Black diaspora should go here to really feel how connected we all still are. It was just so affirming and honestly felt like home. I cannot wait to go back and spend time with the people again. Ata uto begá.”

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Mud Volcano and Palenque Cultural Experience - Floating in the warm volcanic mud
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Mud Volcano and Palenque Cultural Experience

4.Mud Volcano and Palenque Cultural Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 61 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $225

Start early with guide Miguel or another bilingual host at El Totumo mud volcano, then visit San Basilio de Palenque with a local guide. Expect mud bathing, coconut water, fried snacks, lunch, music, dance, natural medicine, sweets, and stories of freedom.

“The day starts early, you do a lot, and are back with enough time left in the day. Manuel and our driver were excellent. I would strongly recommend this experience .”

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Visit Palenque with natives : history, culture and ancestral legacy - Benkos Bioho and the Story of Resistance
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Visit Palenque with natives : history, culture and ancestral legacy

5.Visit Palenque with natives : history, culture and ancestral legacy

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 53 reviews · 6 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $102

Spend about 6.5 hours in San Basilio de Palenque on a private cultural tour from Cartagena. Native guides such as Neudis, Romeo, Royman, and Victor introduce you to Palenque language, music, medicine, murals, boxing, religion, and food. Transport, water, and lunch are included, with translation available when arranged.

“The enhanced knowledge that I have gained as a result of this tour has changed my entire life. Learning about The Palenque Natives has been enlightening and inspiring. Our private tour guide, Neudis was pleasantly intelligent along with our translator, Liliana who is a jewel and a joy to know made the tour an unforgettable experience. This tour is a must while in Cartagena”

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From Cartagena: San Basilio de Palenque Tour - The drive from Cartagena to the town
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From Cartagena: San Basilio de Palenque Tour

6.San Basilio de Palenque Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 49 reviews · 6 hours · from $78

Travel about 50 kilometers from Cartagena to San Basilio de Palenque with an English or Spanish-speaking local guide. Walk through the town, visit its cultural center and Benkos Biohó plaza, learn Palenquero phrases, see African-inspired traditions, and enjoy a local lunch. Guides such as Alberto bring the community’s story to life. An optional drum show may be available.

“The Trip was amazing. The history of Palenque needs to be shared and I strongly suggest any and everyone to visit if they are in the area.”

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Tour cultural to san Basilio de Palenque from cartagena - Casa de Tambores and Casa del Arte
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Tour cultural to san Basilio de Palenque from cartagena

7.Tour cultural to san Basilio de Palenque from cartagena

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 45 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $99

Travel from Cartagena to San Basilio de Palenque with a local guide such as Moises, Royman, or Romeo. Visit Casa de Tambores, Casa del Arte, a replica village, artisan workshops, Kid Pambele’s statue, and a central restaurant. Lunch, transport, bottled water, music, and a traditional dance show are included.

“A small village of friendly people. It is safe. You will feel welcome and learn about the culture. Blue and Rayman were good hosts.”

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Private Tour with Certified Guide of San Basilio De Palenque - Walking through San Basilio de Palenque
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Private Tour with Certified Guide of San Basilio De Palenque

8.Private Tour with Certified Guide of San Basilio De Palenque

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 37 reviews · 4 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $130

Travel from Cartagena in a private air-conditioned car to San Basilio de Palenque with a local guide such as Sofia or Vincent. Visit the Benkos Bioho monument, hear live drums, make coconut sweets, cook a traditional lunch, see an herbal medicine garden, and try a beginner boxing class. Plan for 4 to 6 hours.

“My husband and I loved EVERYTHING about this tour! Tour guide was awesome and the package is unbeatable. It will not disappoint!”

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Visit San Basilio de Palenque with a Native - Meeting Victor and hearing Palenque’s story
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Visit San Basilio de Palenque with a Native

9.Visit San Basilio de Palenque with a Native

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 35 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $115

Travel from Cartagena to San Basilio de Palenque with local guides such as Victor, Pedro, and Edwin. Over about eight hours, you’ll learn about Palenque’s African roots, visit a sweets maker, herbalist, dance and music spaces, see boxing traditions, and share a fish lunch. The group is capped at 10.

“Viktor and his family were awesome. I could not ask for more than we got. I just hope the business and community continues to grow.”

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Palenque African Roots Day Tour - Walking through San Basilio de Palenque
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Palenque African Roots Day Tour

10.Palenque African Roots Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 33 reviews · 6 hours 5 minutes (approx.) · from $105

Travel from Cartagena to San Basilio de Palenque with a native guide and learn about its African roots, Palenquero language, music, food, medicine, and founder Benkos Biohó. This six-hour tour includes private air-conditioned transport, lunch, water, and a tropical raspado. Groups are limited to 10 people.

“This was such an amazing experience and absolutely my favorite tour in Cartagena. We learned so much about Palenque, and it was so inspiring. Can't wait to go again!”

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Tour to San Basilio de Palenque - African village - The native house and Palenque’s first lesson
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Tour to San Basilio de Palenque – African village

11.Tour to San Basilio de Palenque – African village

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 32 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $127

Travel from Cartagena to San Basilio de Palenque in an air-conditioned vehicle with a professional guide and local host. Visit the native house, Benkos Bioho monument, village streets, local homes, murals, and a community lunch of fish with coconut rice. The day may also include boxing, candy making, and traditional dancing.

“This was one of THE BEST parts of my trip to Cartegena. It was probably the highlight. Victor was an amazing guide and brought knowledge and humor to us. Thank you to EVERYONE who shared their culture with us from the boxing, candy making, to the dancing! I would HIGHLY recommend this tour.”

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Cartagena: San Basilio de Palenque Guided Day Trip - The 80-minute ride from Cartagena
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Cartagena: San Basilio de Palenque Guided Day Trip

12.San Basilio de Palenque Guided Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 11 reviews · 6 hours · from $92

Travel from Cartagena to San Basilio de Palenque in a small group of up to 15 people. Local guides such as Moises, Abraham, or Thierry introduce you to Palenque language, music, dance, food, medicinal traditions, and boxing, with hotel pickup, lunch, water, and a raspado included.

“Malheureusement le guide ne nous a pas expliqué l’histoire de la libération, ni relaté les faits de Bihio, à peine a-t-il effleuré le sujet. Bref, rien de bien intéressant.”

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Cartagena: PALENQUE Tour AFRICAN TRADITIONS with Lunch - The one-hour ride from Cartagena
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Cartagena: PALENQUE Tour AFRICAN TRADITIONS with Lunch

13.PALENQUE Tour AFRICAN TRADITIONS with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 10 reviews · 7 hours · from $49Best value

Travel by air-conditioned vehicle from Cartagena to San Basilio de Palenque, the first free town in America. A bilingual local guide leads you through music, language, traditional medicine, murals, boxing history, a house museum, lunch, and a tasting of Ñeque. Plan for four hours in town and a one-hour drive each way.

“The tour was rushed and didn't get to do all the activities advertised. The experience was average. Other tour guides we so explained the history of Palenque better”

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Mud Volcano and Palenque Cultural Experience - Floating in the warm volcanic mud
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Mud Volcano and Palenque Cultural Experience

14.Mud Volcano and Palenque Cultural Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · 8 hours · from $225

Travel from Cartagena to El Totumo Mud Volcano, then continue to San Basilio de Palenque with a guide such as Miguel and a local host. Float in warm volcanic mud, rinse in fresh water, enjoy regional food, and meet musicians, dancers, medicine keepers, and sweet makers in Colombia’s African heritage town.

“I absolutely LOVEDDDDD this tour !! And our tour guide Miguel was EVERYTHING. This was the highlight of our entire cartegena experience. 1000/10 recommend. I would personally come back and do it all over again.”

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San Basilio de Palenque Private Day Tour - The 90-minute road from Cartagena
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San Basilio de Palenque Private Day Tour

15.San Basilio de Palenque Private Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 4 reviews · 7 hours · from $164

Travel 90 minutes from Cartagena to San Basilio de Palenque with a private English- or Spanish-speaking guide. A local guide leads you through colorful streets, monuments, music, dance, food, medicine, beliefs, and Palenquero culture, followed by fish, coconut rice, plantains, and traditional sweets.

“Amazing experience. Our guide Escarli and driver Rafael were great. Escarli was very knowledgeable”

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