San Basilio de Palenque History Tour
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Cartagena, Colombia
- 6 to 7 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Discover the fascinating and often-overlooked history of Palenque on a private tour from Cartagena. You'll learn about the Palenqueros' fight for freedom and the cultural traditions that have been passed down through generations. Highlights include the museum dedicated to the town's Afro-Colombian heritage, seeing the traditional houses, and witnessing the vibrant music and dance that are an integral part of daily life in the village.
- Get the personalized experience of a private tour in Colombia
- Visit a destination in Colombia that most tourists miss
- Travel comfortably in air-conditioned transportation
- Enjoy a traditional regional lunch during the tour
What's Included
- Native trilingual tour guide
- Music show
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- LunchPlato de libro de cocina ganador de premio Confucio organizado por la UNESCO en 2014
- BreakfastEnsalada de frutas
- Alcoholic BeveragesRon ñeke, the moonshine from Palenque
- Bottled water
- Cooking class and sweet tasting wiht a native cook
- WiFi on board
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
We offer pickup service throughout Cartagena. If your location isn't listed, please contact us; we'd be happy to assist you.
Start time.8:00 am
Itinerary
1
Cartagena
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
San Basilio De Palenque
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
3
Monumento a Benkos Bioho
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
San Basilio De Palenque
40 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
San Basilio De Palenque
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
San Basilio De Palenque
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
San Basilio De Palenque
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
8
San Basilio De Palenque
40 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
9
Paletur
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
10
San Basilio de Palenque
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 40 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 346 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Jessica_M, Aug 2026
The tour was memorable! Victor and his family were warm and welcoming! He was very informative and engaging for both adults and children. We learned so much about Palenque and its history. While it was very hot, we were able to sit and travel for portions of the tour on the air conditioned bus. The activities we engaged in during the tour were both exciting and inclusive. Highly recommend!
Leslie_F, Aug 2026
I highly recommend this family-run tour! We learned so much about Palenque culture and history, and the tour was filled with unforgettable experiences.
We had the opportunity to observe and participate in traditional cultural dancing, make native coconut and papaya candy, and learn about Benkos Biohó and the history of the first free African town in the Americas. We also visited a museum and gained a deeper understanding of how the community continues to preserve its traditions, including making medicine out of plants and preparing food by grinding corn and rice with a mallet.
The highlight of the tour was enjoying a freshly cooked, authentic Colombian meal prepared by the tour guides sister at their grandmother’s home. We sat together and ate on grandma's porch and truly felt like part of the family.
This was much more than a tour—it was an authentic and meaningful immersion into Palenque culture, history, traditions, and community. I highly recommend this tour, run by Victor and his family. Their warmth and hospitality made the experience truly unforgettable!
Shirley_C, Aug 2026
Our family trip to **Palenque, Colombia 🇨🇴🖤** was an experience we will never forget!
From the moment Dani picked us up, everything was well organized and punctual. He started by giving us a great introduction and made the entire experience feel personal and meaningful. Dani is extremely professional, welcoming, and so knowledgeable about **Black history, culture, and the powerful story of Palenque**.
As a parent, this experience meant so much to me. My kids barely get the opportunity in school to truly learn about their roots and Black history. Bringing them to Palenque and allowing them to **see, hear, interact, ask questions, and learn from someone who truly knows and understands the history** was TOP TIER for me. 🙌🏾❤️
This wasn’t just another excursion—it was an opportunity for my family to connect with history, culture, and our roots in a way a classroom simply cannot provide.
If you’re visiting Cartagena, **please don’t hesitate to book with Dani! Take the time to interact with him, ask questions, and soak in the knowledge. You will leave with so much more than pictures—you’ll leave with a story, a connection, and a deeper appreciation for the history of Palenque 🇨🇴
Response from Host, Aug 2026
We are very honored to read your words, thank you very much.
Daniel_L, Aug 2026
We loved the tour!!! Everything about it was amazing. The food, town, history, and culture were great, but the best part about it were the people. It is a community filled with talented and down to earth individuals that work hard to perserve their traditions and improve their towns conditions. We enjoyed every second of it. Our tour guides Victor and Martin were the best. We definetely recommend everyone to come visit San Basilio de Palenque if they want to enjoy and learn about Black Pride and History in Colombia.
Glen_K, Jul 2026
The process was extremely well organized. We received communication from Victor about our pickup and preferences for lunch. When we arrived e we were greeted with music and dance and ate a delicious lunch before going the village and learning about Palenque culture. This was a daily immersive tour and very heartfelt. You can feel the pride, the history, and the resilience in every beat. I’m humbled and honored to have been able to be here and I highly recommend this as a must do experience.
ruthcampos14, Jul 2026
It was a beautiful experience filled with History and culture. Our whole group enjoyed the tour. Our tour guide Sofia was amazing and very attentive and knowledgeable.
Erika_S, Jul 2026
It was a very thorough educational experience, my guide was Victor, and he maintained the experience interactive and an actual discussion from the beginning of the tour till the end, where we learned from each other. I do believe anyone visiting Cartagena should experience this tour at least once.
Takisha_B, Jul 2026
Sofia was our tour guide and she did an excellent job of explaining the history, and showing us the richness of the culture there. I would recommend to everyone who visits Columbia to RUN and book this tour. It is a must!
Latoya_T, Jul 2026
I can’t rant and rave enough about Victor our tour guide. He was so informed, we didn’t feel rushed. We got to cook, eat and dance with the people there. Everyone was so welcoming. I would do this tour again and again. 10 stars!
David_B, Jun 2026
Great food, great history, great communication, very interactive tour. I would absolutely recommend this tour!
Tamera_H, Jun 2026
Our tour guide Victor was amazing! I really enjoyed learning about the culture from the music show to the food and walking the streets connecting with locals and admiring the street murals. I highly recommend this tour if you identify as Black or of African descent. Everyone made me feel like I was right at home.
Alexis_F, May 2026
This was an amazing experience. Victoria was very kind and knowledgeable. His family was very hospitable and the food was delicious. I highly recommend.
Donald_R, May 2026
The tour itself was great -- it was the tour operator who was dishonest, telling us his car was stuck when I was finally able to track him down an hour after he was supposed to arrive to pick us up. As it turns out he had a bigger group to accommodate and was basically going to leave us out in the cold if I hadn't contacted Viator and told them what he was up to. As a result we missed several stops in the tour that we were promised. A horrible experience.
Alberto_D, Apr 2026
The tour guide should have talked about the history of Palenque and hwo it was founded during the 1.5 hour van ride instead of havign us sit for another hour under a hut to talk about Palenque. The dance perofrmance was deifnitely great. The tour of the old historical house was also very informative. The herbal medicine chat with the barrio doctor was also good. The preparation of the sweets was very informative. The lunch was deifnitely great but the guide could have bene more informative by showing us how that was prepared at the back of the house. It would ahve been good to see the schools and the local houses and for the guide to explain how the houses were painted. It would also have nice to tour us to the different murals/graffiti art and get us to take more pictures .... I managed a few of those. It woudl have been godo to also talk about a day in the life of a typical Palenquero, whet they do to earn a living, how the donkey/burro is important ... i have a pic of the donkey but no explanation of it's significance. It's alsoa little pricey compared to other activities liek Rosario Islands, Aviary, Aquarium, etc.
Akeem_B, Apr 2026
I had an amazing experience! I felt very comfortable and safe. The tour was extremely informative. Victor was an excellent and knowledgeable host. The food was flavorful and fresh. Totally worth the money. 11/10 experience!
Jaxon_w, Apr 2026
The experience was amazing! The community is super welcoming, the food was great and the tour is more interactive than any I’ve ever done.
Deitrick_F, Apr 2026
I was so grateful that friends of mine who visited Colombia mentioned this tour and encouraged me to learn more about the Afro-Latino culture of Colombia. While Colombia is rich with vibrancy & life, there's so much more to their history and how they've become who they are. Even though the tour pick up started so early in the morning, it was completely worth the lack of sleep. To see how African roots have impacted such a resilient community within this country, was astonishing. Learning about how they became the first free African settlement in the Americas left me with such pride for my people. In addition to the food at the end of the tour being soooo delicious! I highly recommend anyone who wants to learn about African culture and it's influence on Latino/Caribbean culture to go on this tour.
Dominique_K, Apr 2026
I took this tour of San Basilio de Palenque from Cartagena, which was a unique, semi-immersive experience, but it fell short of expectations based on the “what’s included” portion of the tour description.
The Highlights:
* Cultural Connection: Meeting a local Palenque chef/candy maker and watching the community’s youth perform traditional dances were standout moments.
* Medicine, Language and Food: Learning about herbal medicine from local doctors and picking up dialect phrases was fascinating. The fresh-caught fish for lunch was excellent.
* Logistics: The hotel pickup/drop-off was only a few extra dollars and made the day stress-free.
Expectation vs. Reality (The Callouts):
While the people are incredibly friendly, the tour didn’t fully deliver on the advertised activities:
* Historical Depth: I expected a deep dive into the struggle for freedom and the formation of Palenque, but I left without a real understanding of its history.
* Missed Hands-on Activities: At the "House of Knowledge," I watched a performance but never actually learned to play the drums. Similarly, I tasted candy but didn't learn about gastronomy or prepare a recipe as described.
* Monument vs. Activity: The "Kid Pambele" Boxing Gym was just a quick stop at a monument, not a visit to an active training session.
Final Verdict:
This tour is owned/operated by a local family but be prepared for frequent solicitation from local vendors. I understand the need to make a living, but it felt off-putting to be pressured to buy the same souvenirs found elsewhere in Cartagena, especially since the tour itself is already a way of supporting the local community. Ultimately, I’m 'middle of the road' on this one—it’s a 6.5/10 experience that (in my opinion) is really only worth it if the operators follow through providing what they’ve outlined in their tour description.
Xiomara_L, Apr 2026
I will say that this tour was the highlight of our trip to Cartagena. It was authentic, engaging, and very informative. Our tour guide, Victor, was extremely knowledgeable and clearly very proud of his culture. It showed in the way he shared the historical facts, the town, the people, and their way of life.
The tour was about six hours long, but it went by very quickly, even in the blazing heat. We were really happy that we booked a tour with an actual resident of the town who was so respected by everyone. It made us feel welcomed and almost like we were part of the community for the day.
The food was amazing as well. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone traveling to Cartagena who wants to learn more about the Afro-Colombian community there.
Stephanie_T, Apr 2026
This experience was absolutely amazing! Victor and Carlos were the best tour guides, the food was delicious and the whole community was so welcoming. I met some of the most inspirational and kind women I’ve ever met in my life. A definite must for anyone visiting Cartagena!!
Sophia_O, Apr 2026
This was honestly one of the best tours I’ve ever taken in my life.
Visiting San Basilio de Palenque was such a powerful, moving experience. Known as the first free Black town in the Americas, its history is deeply rooted in resistance, strength, and the fight for freedom led by Benko Biohó. Being there and learning about this legacy felt incredibly grounding and emotional, like returning home in a way I can’t fully put into words.
The culture, the people, the spirit of the town… everything about it is rich, alive, and unforgettable. Not to mention the incredible food, the warmth of the locals, learning from a herbal medicinal practitioner, and experiencing a beautiful, vibrant dance performance. I left feeling so full in every sense of the word.
My guide, Sofia, was absolutely amazing. Her passion, knowledge, and storytelling brought everything to life. I could have listened to her speak for hours. She made the entire experience feel personal, meaningful, and unforgettable.
If you’re visiting Colombia, this is a tour you have to take. Truly a beautiful experience, and I already know I’ll be back🤎
Arlene_H, Mar 2026
Great tour. I did this during black history so it just felt so appropriate. Learned some different historical facts on the slave trade. Food served was good. Be prepared to be out the entire day. It’s very hot , some walking is involved. They provide you with water , fruit and lunch.
SuiteLyfe_T, Mar 2026
Such a rich experience! Victor gave a very intimate cultural experience for all interested in learning the story of the Palenque people. The authentic food, historical dances, up close candy and sweets tutorial, and introduction to homeopathic medicines felt very familiar and like home! I would take this tour again!
Damian_B, Feb 2026
This was my introduction to Cartegena. Victor and his family and everyone associated with the tour to Palenque are absolutely amazing. I left with a deep appreciation and feeling of great acceptance. Please book this tour, please tap in and please allow yourself the opportunity to have an appreciation for something so uniquely historical.
Sharlee_H, Feb 2026
If you are visiting Colombia and don’t take the Palenque tour with Sophia and Victoria… what are you even doing?!
This experience was hands down one of the most powerful, eye-opening, and inspiring parts of my trip. I had no idea that San Basilio de Palenque was the first free Black town in the Americas. Learning how the people there fought for and secured their freedom from slavery completely shifted my perspective. The resilience, pride, and strength of the Afro-Colombian community is something you feel the moment you arrive.
Sophia and Victoria were phenomenal guides — knowledgeable, warm, and deeply passionate about their heritage. They didn’t just give a tour; they told a living story. Hearing about the shared cultural roots between Afro-Colombians and African Americans was especially meaningful. It felt like discovering family you didn’t know you had.
And the FOOD. Whew. It wasn’t just delicious — it felt like Sunday dinner at grandma’s house. Every bite was made with love, tradition, and generations of history.
This tour is more than sightseeing. It’s culture, education, connection, and heart. I would recommend it to anyone coming to Colombia — don’t miss the opportunity to experience something this authentic and powerful. It will stay with you long after you leave. 💛
Melissa_J, Feb 2026
Highly recommend! Authentic experience from a family business that is one of the main providers of the tour. I actually went twice two years in a row and realized it was the same company. If you're on the fence. Choose them.
sharon_b, Feb 2026
Sophia was excellent! She gave us an authentic insight into her culture starting with an impressive historical overview. I have had many guides throughout the world and she was one of the top professionals I have encountered.
When Victor first said 3 hours in the community for the tour I thought I would get bored, but far from the case, enjoyable day.
The lunch (fish) was very good.
Wait to buy your souvenirs here. The town has everything.
Naija_R, Feb 2026
10/10!!! This is a must see! Victor was so amazing and attentive. He gave us the history of Palenque on the ride there, and we even met some of his family members! His cousin Victor was amazing as well!!! Book the tour, you won’t regret it!
Nathalie_R, Jan 2026
Wonderful experience learning about the culture and being able to participate. Our tour guide Victor was amazing! Very knowledgeable, intentional and patient with all the questions we asked. I highly recommend.
Sharon_C, Jan 2026
The Palenque tour experience exceeded my expectations. From the moment we arrived at the meeting point, we were warmly welcomed by our guide, who delved deeply into the rich history and story of the Palenque people. Learning about the language, experiencing the strong sense of community, and enjoying the food was truly enlightening.
From $120.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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