Tour De Palenque, Road to Emancipation.
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Cartagena, Colombia
- 5 to 6 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Why travelers loved this
·
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Ditch the guidebooks and learn about Cartagena's Afro-Colombian heritage at the source on this group tour of San Basilio de Palenque. Relax in an air-conditioned vehicle with hotel pickup as you drive to the UNESCO-listed village. Participate in traditional dancing and drumming, and learn about local history as you visit a museum, traditional medicine house, and more.
- Go beyond the guidebooks and gain insights directly from your guide
- Keep comfortable as you travel in an air-conditioned vehicle
- Relax with stress-free hotel pickup from select locations
- A great excursion option for cruisers
What's Included
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Native guide.
- Dance Show.
- Almuerzo.
- Botella de Agua.
- Transportación
- Tips - Propinas
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Itinerary
1
San Basilio De Palenque
5 hours • Admission Ticket Free
2
Palenquito
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Turbaco (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- Children from 1 to 4 years old do not pay but must sit on their parents' laps.
- After booking please contact me to confirm pick up details. +573188202888
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers
Supplied by
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 2,329 reviews
Review summary
Last 12 months
130 reviews
Select a theme to learn more
Travelers appreciate Palenque’s rich cultural and historical significance, enhanced by knowledgeable guides and engaging traditional performances that showcase local heritage. The community’s warmth and authentic cuisine, especially homemade meals, are frequently praised. However, many flag poor value for money due to high costs, perceived overpricing, and pressure to purchase extras, which detracts from the overall experience despite its cultural depth.
Was this helpful?
Traveler reviews summarised by AI
Sort by: Most insightful
This was a great introduction to the people and culture of Palenque. I was happy to see the young men and women leading the tours and showing us the cultural dances and music of their community and people. I look forward to coming back.
The Palenque tour was a great opportunity to learn more about the town, its history, and its culture directly from the local people. The dance school was a highlight, and it was wonderful to see the students share their talent and traditions. The included lunch was also incredibly delicious and definitely a standout part of the experience!
One aspect of the tour that I found off-putting was how the main tour guide (Romeo) started the trip by asking everyone where they were from and then asking about the (negative) stereotypes he'd had heard about each of our hometowns. I understand the intention may have been to break the ice, but the approach felt awkward and borderline unprofessional. Overall, I enjoyed learning from the local residents and would recommend the experience, though I think the tour could benefit from a more thoughtful and welcoming opening.
Rom'eo, best tour guide ever!!! Everything was great only critique is, 1 Doctor is enough especially in Rainy weather.(I prefer the gentleman who worked with Dr. Sebi. I felt the conviction in everything he said)
Overall, the tour was a good experience. The stops were enjoyable, and the food and drinks were good. However, I was surprised by how often tips were requested throughout the tour. At nearly every stop, there was an expectation to leave a tip. Although the requests were made politely, they felt pushy. It created a sense of obligation rather than allowing tipping to be a personal choice. I understand that tips are appreciated, but I did not expect to be reminded so frequently. This took away from some of the enjoyment of the experience. I would have preferred to tip based on my own judgment without feeling pressured. Overall, the tour was enjoyable, but the repeated tipping requests were disappointing and affected my overall impression.
Where to start? Our guide Roméo was engaging from the start and continued to be entertaining. He was very well informed and considerate. Palenque was as I imagined, we enjoyed local dancers, vendors, got to view beautiful murals and really gained history not taught in the States. I would love to go on another tour to learn even more.
We had an incredible tour of San Basilio de Palenque with Romeo, who was a fantastic guide! He and the local community welcomed us with open arms, everyone was super friendly (amable) and made us feel completely safe and right at home throughout the entire visit.
The tour is available in both English and Spanish, making it easy and engaging for everyone. A major highlight was the food, we had the most amazing fish stewed in coconut milk! Beyond the history and culture, it was also a great opportunity to connect with interesting people along the way.
I highly encourage both national and international travelers to book this tour. It’s not only a rich cultural experience, but also a meaningful way to directly support the local community. Don't miss it when visiting Colombia!
Best tour ever! The food was amazing !! The town is very friendly. Everything was on time and organized!
Romero and Juan our guide and driver were amazing, informed, and nice! They took care of us from start to finish. Do this excursion!
Visiting Palenque was one of the most meaningful parts of our Cartagena trip. Learning about the community’s history and seeing its culture firsthand made this so much more than a sightseeing stop. I’m grateful we made time for it, and I’d recommend the experience to anyone visiting Cartagena. 🇨🇴 Our tour guide was amazing and the people there are so welcoming and friendly.
Great tour but HORRIBLE travel to and from. They say hotel pickup but don’t (you get notified that morning of a meeting point) and then ride almost 2 hours in an old van that is super rough ride. Almost 2 hours each way jumping and being knocked around your seat. So uncomfortable.
Tour was really good. We learned a lot.
This tour is nothing more than a money‑grab and a full tourist trap. For the price they charge, you get almost no history, no depth, and barely any meaningful explanation of Palenque. I genuinely learned more about how “tipping is optional” than I did about the actual culture or community.
While the guide and dancers were talented, the itinerary itself is empty.
The entire experience boils down to a short dance performance, taking photos with the local women, and constant tipping is optional.
I left wondering what people are actually paying for. Charging these prices for an experience with zero substance is shameful. Save your money and skip this completely.
This was a wonderful experience it has alot of history the tour guides were fun funny and hade great energy Roméo, John, Thomas, Maria and another guy i apologize for forgetting his name but it was amazing i felt the connection to the people and ancestors of the land. The food was Amazing too!
Great tour. Experiencing the dance school and popular dances known to the area was fun and eye opening. Exploring the town and hearing the history was interesting. Our tour guide was fun, very knowledgeable, and bilingual.
An absolute must-do experience in Cartagena! The Tour De Palenque, Road to Emancipation was without a doubt the highlight of our trip.
Our host, Romeo, was absolutely amazing. He brought the powerful history of San Basilio de Palenque to life with so much passion, pride, and deep knowledge. His assistants were just as wonderful, ensuring everything ran smoothly and making us feel incredibly welcome from start to finish.
Beyond the eye-opening history and beautiful cultural traditions, the food was spectacular—easily some of the best and most authentic flavors we tasted. If you want a meaningful, deep dive into living history, do yourself a favor and book this tour!
Roméo was a great guide, we had a fun group, and the Palenque town and people did NOT disappoint! Highly recommend.
This experience was amazing, we got to explore the Palenque with an extremely well-informed guide. I loved everything I learned about the culture, and everyone was so welcoming. I would 1000% recommend this tour
It took us almost three hours from the time we met at the designated location to finally be on the way out of Cartagena. It was a poorly coordinated pickup which could have been avoided if everyone met in one location and headed out from there. We were later delayed even more when there was an unexpected roadblock which held up traffic longer. We had no air conditioning in a small van with 17 people crammed in. The actual content of the tour was minimal and honestly not enough to justify such a long time getting there and back. I expected a lot more from this tour to learn more history and culture. All four of us in our group became sick the next day we believe from the lunch on the tour. Not a good experience and I really wish I didn’t spend the time and money. We are all still feeling sick days later.
Excellent experience! Be prepared to walk in the heat. You'll learn a lot of history and wrap up with an authentic, delicious meal.
I cant urge you enough to take the time and go on this tour if you are in Cartagena. A lot of people come for the beaches and surface history, but you really should do a political tour of the walled city and Gethsemane while here, and definitely a tour of Palenque.
Our guide was Romeo, and he was HILARIOUS and informative. Loved him!
I do wish that they had air-conditioning inside like a room where they can go over things instead of the van, but it was overall a good experience. I would go again
I learned so much about the history of Palenque! The traditional fish was also amazing! I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a fun time but still want to learn about this great community of people.
The perfect trip for those who are interested in history or culture. Palenque is the living heart of Afro-Colombian culture, preserving the best of the past while moving forward with the times. A fascinating and informative experience.
The tour company communicated with me on the morning of the tour and kept me posted on my pickup time. The trip to Palenque was smooth and our guide, Romeo, was knowledgeable and funny. We met local guides in Palenque who were also were kind with their time and sharing of information. The dance show with the kids was really cool and learning about the traditional medicine approaches. The food was delicious too. Overall, a great trip and worth supporting the local community!
Had a great time in palenque… the dancers are amazing and the food was good… host was fun and engaging… great way to learn about the culture and history… definitely a good experience
Romero was an outstanding tour guide—funny, engaging, and incredibly knowledgeable. He made the history and culture of Palenque come alive and kept the group entertained throughout the day. Although it was extremely hot, this was one of the most educational and rewarding experiences of my trip.
The lunch was hands down the best meal of my vacation. Absolutely delicious and tasted like it was cooked with love. It was authentic, homemade, and was a highlight of the entire experience. I also loved browsing the local vendors, who had beautiful souvenirs and plenty of unique items to choose from.
The only minor downside was that the air conditioning in the van wasn't working very well because the air wasn't coming through the vents. Even so, it didn't take away from the overall experience. I would absolutely AND highly recommend it to anyone visiting Cartagena.
I had an amazing experience visiting San Basilio de Palenque. This tour gave me a much deeper understanding of the town’s incredible history, culture, and significance.
Our guide, Romeo, was outstanding. He was knowledgeable, engaging, and passionate about sharing the history and traditions of Palenque. We even learned some words from the Palenquero language, which made the experience even more special.
The tour also included the opportunity to try delicious local cuisine, explore the town, and meet members of the community. It was authentic, educational, and inspiring from start to finish.
I would highly recommend this excursion to anyone visiting Cartagena who wants to experience something beyond the city’s main attractions. Thank you, Romeo, for making it such a memorable day!
This was such an amazing experience to book! We had a GREAT time with everyone we encountered! They all were so nice and professional! From Romero our guide to our driver Gustavo, including everyone else in between! 10/10! The laughs were nonstop! I loved it all!
If you’re visiting Cartagena, do yourself a favor and book the Tour de Palenque: Road to Emancipation with La Perla Viajes y Turismo. It was, without question, one of the most meaningful travel experiences I’ve ever had.
Our guide, Romeo, was outstanding. He didn’t just give us facts, he brought history to life with passion, knowledge, and deep respect for the people and culture of San Basilio de Palenque. You could feel his pride, and it made every stop more impactful.
We experienced traditional music and dances, learned about ancestral medicine and healing practices, walked through the town while hearing the powerful story of resistance, emancipation, and the community’s ongoing commitment to preserving its language, culture, and freedom. This wasn’t just sightseeing, it was an invitation to understand a living history.
I intentionally chose this tour on July 4th, and I honestly couldn’t have picked a better way to spend the day. While many Independence Day celebrations overlook the Black experience, spending the holiday in Palenque, surrounded by a community that proudly celebrates its own history of freedom, resilience, and cultural survival, was incredibly moving. The unapologetic Black pride, joy, and sense of identity throughout the community made the day unforgettable.
Thank you to La Perla Viajes y Turismo and especially Romeo for creating an experience that was educational, inspiring, and deeply personal. I left with a greater appreciation for the history of Palenque and a renewed sense of the enduring power of freedom, culture, and community.
This is much more than a tour, it is an experience that will stay with me for a lifetime.
I loved everything about this tour. From the history to
the food, everything was amazing. If you’re thinking about booking this tour, do it !
What an amazing day learning about this amazing place and it's history. I would tell anyone that if time is short do this trip. It's also an opportunity to have your picture taken with the Palenquera women without the stress of haggling in the walled city. The lunch was amazing too. Thanks to Romero for a great day.
Member Pricing
From
$95.00
per personWas $100.00(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Member Pricing
Tour De Palenque, Road to Emancipation.
2,329
5 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$100.00
$95.00
5% savings
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Attractions in Cartagena, Colombia
- Rosario Islands (Islas del Rosario) Tours & Tickets
- National Aviary of Colombia (Aviario Nacional de Colombia) Tours & Tickets
- Isla Grande Tours & Tickets
- Convento de la Popa de la Galera Tours & Tickets
- Bolivar Square (Plaza Bolivar) Tours & Tickets
- Totumo Mud Volcano (El Totumo) Tours & Tickets
- Cartagena Cathedral (St. Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral) Tours & Tickets
- Old Shoes Monument (Los Zapatos Viejos) Tours & Tickets
- Cartagena Museum of Modern Art (Museo de Arte Moderno de Cartagena) Tours & Tickets
- Las Bovedas Tours & Tickets
- Naval Museum of the Caribbean Tours & Tickets
- Old Town Cartagena Tours & Tickets
- Cathedral of San Pedro Claver (Iglesia de San Pedro Claver) Tours & Tickets
- Plaza de San Diego Tours & Tickets
- San Felipe de Barajas Castle (Castillo San Felipe de Barajas) Tours & Tickets
- Teatro Adolfo Mejia (Teatro Heredia) Tours & Tickets
More attractions near Cartagena, Colombia
- Rosario Islands (Islas del Rosario) Tours & Tickets
- Old Town Cartagena Tours & Tickets
- Totumo Mud Volcano (El Totumo) Tours & Tickets
- San Felipe de Barajas Castle (Castillo San Felipe de Barajas) Tours & Tickets
- Bolivar Square (Plaza Bolivar) Tours & Tickets
- Santo Domingo Church (Iglesia de Santo Domingo) Tours & Tickets
- Convento de la Popa de la Galera Tours & Tickets