Route to Palenque America's first free village

Cartagena, Colombia

7 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

What's Included

Lunch

Alcoholic Beverages

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

We pick up in Bocagrande, laguito, Getsemani, Centro, San Diego, Cabrero, Marbella, Crespo, Zona Norte, Manzanillo

Operating hours
.8:00 am

Itinerary

San Basilio De Palenque

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Infants must sit on laps

Not recommended for travelers with back problems
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 80 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.0

based on 32 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Great experience learing...

Fatimah_O, Jun 2025

Great experience learing the history of Palenque. We learned about their culture, music, way of life, their language, medicinal practices, and spirtual practices. Amazing food vendors and a delicious lunch preppared by locals. I had the fried fish with coconut rice, lentals, and salads. And sugar cane drink was so refreshing

Response from Host, Aug 2025

Thank you, on behalf of our communities we appreciate your opinion, we are glad that you enjoyed the experience

Palenque tour reasonable price-a must pick

Janessa_R, Feb 2025

It was an amazing experience. The people were friendly and great storytellers. The lunch was good and homemade and fresh. Best prices tour and I didn’t feel like we missed any experiences

Experience could have been better.

Rufina_B, Feb 2024

This was the most economical tour for Palenque that we found. We was disappointed at the poor bathroom facility and we felt Palenque was very dirty. We were not offered water or bathroom facilities after a long ride. The lunch was good. Upon reading other reviews we felt this tour was lacking. We wondered was it because it was a Sunday.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Hello, sorry for all the inconvenience, we are working to improve

Palenque

Karen_W, Dec 2023

Our tour guides were knowledgeable, friendly and made us feel right at home. We learned alot and had a great time experiencing the culture of Palenque.

Awesome tour!

zalikab91, Aug 2023

Loved walking the streets of Palenque. The history was so enriching. Meeting the locals was amazing. Lunch was very good. We randomly met a local rapper and his beautiful daughter. All around just great!

A great place

kait062099, Jul 2023

Let me start off with the ride. Not so great..van wasn't too comfy. AC wasnt great. Tour guide wasn't the best. Probably a nice guy but not super friendly or talkative. His english wasn't that great. The tour guide in palenque only spoke spanish so the original tour guide had to interpet what he was saying. As for the Palenque experience it was great. The lunch was great as well. Tour has potential but needs work.

Response from Host, Jul 2023

pedimos mil disculpas y estamos trabajando para mejorar

I 💜 Palenque

Alexis_W, Jun 2023

Learning the Palenque culture was beyond amazing!! Although it was hot outside I was engaged in the rich culture and way of life of the Palenque. It’s truly like a piece of Africa and took me back to my roots!

Well-organized. Great...

Karina_S, Mar 2023

Well-organized. Great experience. I would recommend this tour to friends and family. Victor is very knowledgeable

Palenque. Important site. Hit or miss guide.

Maureen_S, Feb 2023

Received protection blessings. Nice lunch. A few murals. Didn't see the drums which was a disapointment. Important historical site. Wish our guide had more information.

Response from Host, Feb 2023

Good morning, we apologize for not entering the music museum but it was occupied by the natives. Thank you

An amazing way to connect with history in progress!

ADayIndieLife, Jan 2023

I had a wonderful time on this tour! An air-conditioned shuttle/van picked my party up from our hotel, along with the rest of the people attending the tour. The ride was about an hour long, after picking up the rest of the passengers. We began by taking a photo at a "Palenque" sign, then drove a little bit further to enter the town. Our tour guide greeted us once we arrived. Something to note - the tour guide does not speak English, but uses a translator and speaker to communicate. A lovely translator, who stays with you throughout the tour, provides some assistance when necessary. We saw some of the town's landmarks and were given the opportunity to shop at some local food vendor stands. We stopped at a music school, where the tour guide teaches, and learned about some of the traditional instruments (and got an impromptu performance as well)! We then toured a traditional Palenque home (where we helped crush traditional rice), followed by a traditional medicinal hut. In the hut we were given a traditional alcoholic beverage, information about homeopathic remedies, and the opportunity to buy herbs and other things to bring home. We ran quite a bit late for lunch which was a bit rough in the heat, but it was delicious! PROS - Air Conditioned Shuttle - Tons of photo opportunities - A delicious lunch - You'll learn so much! CONS - Palenque tour guide speaks no English, making asking questions a bit tedious - A bit rushed - the timing of our tour was a bit rushed because of how late we ran, but this may not be true for all tours! :) TIPS!! - By all means - BRING AN UMBRELLA AND LARGE HAT!!!! It is HOT, and you'll overheat standing in the sun for hours without them. These truly saved us! - Bring small bills for food vendors and souvenirs - Bring small things to snack on Overall we had an amazing time, and would 100% recommend it!

Palenque tour

ACQUINITA_S, Jan 2023

This was an incredible experience! It was educational and eye-opening to say the least. Victor was our tour guide and he not only taught the history of the area but the native language also. Lunch was included and was delicious. Bring sunscreen and wear a hat.

Response from Host, Jan 2023

thank you for your comment

Definitely take this tour

Andrea_B, Jan 2023

I am very glad that I had this experience and would be happy to go again but I do recommend that everyone bring with them lots of small bills in Colombian pesos. It is necessary to tip to use the toilets, to tip at the museum, to tip or buy at the music centre, to buy water or beer in the lunch restaurant, to buy souvenirs and homemade snacks, and to tip the local guide. Also, bring an umbrella to shade yourself as most of the tour is outdoors in the midday sun.

Response from Host, Jan 2023

thank you for your comment

A must see

SiobhanRadixKeane, Aug 2022

The history of this little town and how sad it is that racism is still quite evident. The unemployment is obviously quite high as there are a lot of men siting around in groups.

Response from Host, Aug 2022

Thank you

Our guide couldn’t speak English

Therese_S, Jul 2022

There were many interesting parts to this tour but the biggest drawback was that it said it had an English speaking guide but in fact our local guide could only talk to us with a google translate of each phrase. This is ok for simple conversations but not for trying to convey a powerful history. Often the translation just didn’t make sense and the guide was totally unaware of this. There was no real space for dialogue. For a 7 hour tour it felt like it was over by lunchtime and ready to drive home again. I had previously read the reviews and had high expectations for the day and so found it disappointing.

Response from Host, Jul 2022

We are very sorry we had a momentary guide change

Great tour bus was horrible and hot

Erica_S, Jun 2022

The tour was amazing learning about the history of the people. I felt like I was home. Worst part the bus

Response from Host, Jun 2022

Thank you for your comment, we will try to improve :)

Palenque

Nicole_A, May 2022

Great history. People were super nice and very informative. Make sure you tip and support the economy instead of just going to stare. Bring a towel. Food was yummy especially the sancocho

Response from Host, May 2022

Thank you :)

Family, Friends, and our History

Atalaysha_C, May 2022

Met new friends and got a great history lesson that has been untold. Loved it♥️ The tour is a must and I recommend it to everyone.

Response from Host, May 2022

Thank you for giving your opinion. We will work very hard to improve :)

Will come back

demara_k, Apr 2022

Great cultural experience Victor the guide is very informative and nice Made sure everyone was comfortable and safe

Response from Host, May 2022

Thank you for giving your opinion. We will work very hard to improve :)

Great knowledge

Nellie_B, Apr 2022

Loved learning about the African cultural influence in Colombia. Our tour guide was funny and knowledgeable. We learned a lot and the food was delicious at lunch. Just make sure to wear a hat and sunscreen, it is super hot!

Response from Host, May 2022

Thank you for giving your opinion. We will work very hard to improve :)

Amazing experience!!!

Taneal_C, Feb 2022

This tour was so cool!!! I absolutely loved it. It was veryyyy hot, but the info on the tour was worth baking in the sun, lol. Also, the lunch provided was amazingggg! I would recommend ordering the fish for lunch. Also, make sure you have Colombian pesos during the tour as the Palenque locals/shop do not take other forms of payment. Great experience for anyone, but especially people of color!

Response from Host, May 2022

Thank you for giving your opinion. We will work very hard to improve :)

I HEART PALENGE!!!

Ej_J, Oct 2021

This experience was a very good eye-opening look into the portion of Afro-Latino history that most cultures work very hard to erase from the history books. It's a glimpse of what has happened in the US to indigenous and imported African-Americans. I want to see how well this city thrives in the coming years.

Response from Host, Oct 2021

thanks :)

Excellent

Samantha_T, Aug 2021

Our guide, Albert, was very good. He explained everything. He provided us with a fantastic tour. Truly a highlight on our trip. Thank you!

Response from Host, May 2022

Thank you for giving your opinion. We will work very hard to improve :)

Pas fiable

Marie_D, Mar 2024

L'organisateur a annulé quelques heures avant l'excursion sans aucune explication... Nous attendions déjà au point de rendez-vous. Nous sommes toujours en attente d'un remboursement...