Cartagena Hop on Hop off Bus Tours
Cartagena de Indias has many of its attractions in the city centre, making it an ideal destination to visit on a tourist bus. Here are the alternatives you can choose from to make the most of your visit to the city.
Ride on a Chiva Rumbera | ©Louis Vest
Besides the Fort of San Felipe de Baraja and the Walled City, which is flanked by the Torre del Reloj Monument, Cartagena de Indias has many more attractions, so sightseeing bus tours will allow you to get to know this destination at your own pace with an orderly itinerary, which will save you time. Whether you're looking for hop-on-hop-off or closed-circuit options, you can find interesting alternatives.
The free city bus, which you can hire for one or two days and hop on and off as often as you like, is a popular way to get around the city, but you can also opt for a more local experience on the night bus, where you can listen to music and it even includes disco tickets. Whichever option you choose, you'll be able to discover some of the best activities in Cartagena de Indias.
The best tour buses in Cartagena de Indias
As I mentioned, the tourist bus offer in Cartagena de Indias consists of the traditional option, which consists of a hop on-hop off tour with 14 free stops, which you can hire for one or two days, and the local alternative, in which you can tour the city in a chiva, the local name for the buses, which includes music and will also allow you to discover some of the main nightclubs in the city.
Hop on-hop off tourist bus, the traditional option
- You can hire it for one or two days
- Includes a tour of 14 free-use stops throughout the length and breadth of the city.
- Audio-guided assistance in several languages
- Offers daytime tours
- Includes a 1.5 hour walking tour of the Walled City.
Nighttime Chiva with closed tour and music, the local alternative
- Offers a closed circuit around the main points of the city.
- It lasts approximately 3 hours.
- Includes tickets to some of the city's nightclubs.
- Includes music and drinks on board.
- Includes transfer to and from the hotel and pick up at the hotel.
1. Hop on-hop off sightseeing bus ride through Cartagena de Indias
The hop on-hop off tourist bus in Cartagena de Indias is the typical free service that is available in other cities around the world. In this case you can choose to hire one or two full day tours, which will start counting from the activation with the first trip, which can start at any of the 14 stops that the itinerary establishes.
The bus runs from 9.00 am to 6.00 pm each day and during the tour you can visit some of the most popular sites in Cartagena de Indias, such as the Fort of San Felipe de Barajas, the Bodeguita Wharf, the Torre del Reloj Monument and the Emerald Museum, which pays homage to Colombian geology.
The complete route of this bus, if you want to use it as a tourist service from end to end, has a total duration of 1 hour and a half and the frequency between each one of the buses is 45 minutes during all seasons of the year. Also, along with the ticket you will have access to a guided walk through the Walled City, an activity that is usually included among the best tours of Cartagena de Indias.
During the bus ride you will have the opportunity to access an audio guide in several languages, which will allow you to discover not only the secrets of the tour, but also the history and the most curious facts about the nearby buildings and monuments.
Stops included in this tour
- Muelle de la Bodeguita, the entrance to the port and Bocagrande Beach.
- Convention Centre, venue of the most important events in Cartagena de Indias.
- San Sebastián del Pastelillo, the ideal stop to visit the fort and the Roman Bridge.
- Clock Tower Monument, symbol of Cartagena and entrance to the Walled City
- Fort of San Felipe de Barajas, the city's main attraction at the mouth of the bay
- Museo Rafael Núñez, one of the most visited museums in Cartagena de Indias
- San Francisco, site of the esplanade to discover the scenery from the Walled City
- Boquetillo, one of the most famous entrances of the Walled City
- Plaza Bocagrande, the entrance to the hotel zone of the peninsula
- Avenida San Martin, the epicentre of entertainment in Cartagena de Indias
- Casino Rio, one of the most visited attractions of the city
- Hotel Caribe, one of the destination's traditional lodgings
- Hilton Hotel, the southernmost point of Bocagrande
- Castillo Grande Church, a final stop near the Naval Club
Details of interest
- Price: from 16 euros per person, for free day tours.
- Duration: the complete bus tour lasts approximately 1 hour and a half.
- Advantages of these alternatives: You will be able to tour the main sites of Cartagena de Indias freely and at your own pace.
- Disadvantages of these alternatives: It does not include too many sites on the outskirts of the city, but is oriented towards the outskirts of the Walled City.
2. Chiva rumbera night tour with discotheque tickets
If you want to complement the hop on-hop off tourist bus tour, which is a daytime service, with a night-time ride, you can opt for the alternative of the chiva rumbera, which is a typical means of transport of the Colombian Caribbean and will allow you to live a local experience. During the fixed route, which does not include stops and lasts approximately 3 hours, you can discover the main sites of the city and end the night in a discotheque.
From the chiva rumbera you will be able to see the Fort of San Felipe de Barajas, the different entrances to the Walled City and several famous sites along the Vía Perimetral, the main artery that crosses Cartagena de Indias along the waterfront and offers sweeping views of La Boquilla and the Caribbean Sea.
These night tours usually include round-trip hotel pick-up and drop-off, if you don't want to stay at the designated nightclub after the tour ends. Also, as these tours start around 8pm, you'll have the whole day free to join some of the excursions from Cartagena de Indias, which are very popular for visiting the most beautiful beaches in the area, such as Baru and Playa Blanca.
Details of interest
- Price: approximately 26 euros per person, including disco tickets.
- Duration: about 3 hours.
- Advantages of these alternatives: you will be able to get to know the main sites of Cartagena de Indias during the night in a local experience.
- Disadvantages of these alternatives: although you will be able to listen to local music during the tour, you will not be able to choose the bar or discotheque as it is designated beforehand and changes with each itinerary.
What are the different routes of the Cartagena de Indias tourist bus?
Both the hop on-hop off tourist bus and the chiva rumbera go through the main points of the city and do not visit too much of the outskirts of Cartagena de Indias. Therefore, these tours will take you to the places that are usually part of the city's best excursions, but if you want to visit places further afield, such as Baru or a trip to San Basilio del Palenque, you should opt for the full-day tours that depart from this destination.
Also, keep in mind that although the routes are similar, the hop on-hop off bus will offer you a daytime tour, while the chiva rumbera starts once the sunset ends, so they are two perfectly combinable experiences that will give you, each of them, a different postcard of the city.
Advantages of using the tourist bus in Cartagena de Indias
Cartagena de Indias is a very large city, with different tourist attractions that go far beyond the Walled City and the Fort of San Felipe de Barajas, so using the services of the tourist buses will not only allow you to organise an itinerary, but will also save you time and money, as otherwise you will have to use taxis or public transport. In addition, you will also have access to audio guides.
On the other hand, the tourist bus services combine other activities, as in the case of the hop-on-hop-off tour, which includes a one-and-a-half hour walk around the Walled City. For its part, the chiva rumbera will take you to one of the city's famous nightclubs with the cost of admission included in the price of the excursion.
How long does the full tour of Cartagena de Indias Tourist Bus last?
The hop on-hop off tourist bus tour will give you the advantage of being free for the duration of the ticket, so you can hop on and off at any of the established stops and explore the city at your own pace. However, if you choose to do the tour from end to end, the itinerary will take you approximately 1 hour and a half, a much shorter time than if you visit the same sites on your own.
Likewise, the chiva rumbera tour has a total duration of 3 hours, in which you can visit the main sites of the city, listen to music, have the assistance of an expert local guide as an entertainer, have drinks and finish the night in one of the typical discos of Cartagena de Indias.
Note that these experiences are compatible with the best full-day excursions from Cartagena de Indias, as they end relatively early, given that the custom in this destination is that the tours that go to the outskirts of the city start with the pick-up at the hotel in the early morning, especially in the tours to the most remote sites as in the case of visits to the Totumo volcano.
What will I see from the tourist bus in Cartagena de Indias?
From the tourist bus ride you can immerse yourself in the history and culture of the city. As you walk through the cobblestone streets of the old town, you'll see colonial architecture that has stood the test of time. During the walking tour, the flowered balconies and colourful facades will give you an insight into why Cartagena de Indias was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In addition, you will be treated to panoramic views of the Caribbean Sea as the audio guide takes you through the centuries, revealing stories of pirates, corsairs, conquistadors and local heroes who have left an indelible mark on this historic port that once pitted Blas de Lezo against English naval officer Edward Vernon.
The itinerary will also take you through the modern neighbourhoods, where you can admire the fusion of old and new. You will discover the freshness of local daily life as you explore the lively markets full of colours and typical aromas.
How much does a ticket for the Cartagena de Indias sightseeing bus cost?
The answer depends on which option you choose. The hop on-hop off tourist bus offers tickets from 16 euros for a full day tour and from 25 euros for a two-day tour. During this period you can hop on and off as many times as you like at each of the stops previously indicated on the itinerary. These two options also give you access to a free guided walking tour of the Walled City.
If you opt for the chiva rumbera tour, which takes place during the night, you will have to pay around 26 euros for a 3-hour ride that will take you around the main points of the city while you listen to local musical rhythms. This price also includes entry to a disco which changes depending on the day and the itinerary.
In any case, either of these two alternatives will save you money compared to the tours you can do on your own, especially if you have to use taxis or public transport. In addition, the frequency of the tourist buses in Cartagena de Indias will allow you to save time during your visit.
Cartagena de Indias Tourist Bus Timetable
The Cartagena de Indias hop on-hop off tourist bus provides a daytime service, which is available from 9.00 am to 6.00 pm. During this period of time you can hop on and off the bus as many times as you like and tour the city at your own pace, as well as visit some of the most famous museums along the way, such as the Museo Histórico de Cartagena de Indias.
On the other hand, the chiva rumbera tour service is available every day from 20.00 hours and ends at around 23.00 hours. This tourist bus includes a return transfer with hotel pick-up in case you don't want to stay at the discotheque included in the tour.
Note that both bus schedules can be combined with the best excursions from Cartagena de Indias, which are very popular in the city due to the fact that the most famous beaches and resorts are located just outside the city and on the nearby islands, such as Islas del Rosario, an archipelago with more than 20 islets.
How the Cartagena de Indias tourist bus works
The operation of the hop on-hop off tourist bus of Cartagena de Indias is very simple, because the first thing you have to do is to choose to hire the service for one or two days. During the validity of this ticket, which will be enabled once you get on for the first time at some of the stops of the circuit, you will be able to get on and off as many times as you want, which will allow you to tour the city at your own pace, using any of the 14 stops.
On the other hand, the chiva rumbero ride consists of a closed itinerary, meaning that you won't have any intermediate stops, but only one final stop where you can visit a discotheque. With advance notice you can tour the city on a 3-hour tour that will take you to the main sites, in a similar route to the hop on-hop off bus, but with the particularity that you can visit Cartagena de Indias during the night.