
Santa Marta City Tour + Gold Museum
Traveler rating
4.7/5
Based on 16 traveler reviews. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Quick answer
Is Santa Marta City Tour + Gold Museum worth booking?
Santa Marta City Tour + Gold Museum is a 3-hour experience in Santa Marta, Colombia, from $63 per person. It scores 65 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Solid Choice”, based on a 4.7/5 rating across 16 reviews. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Same-day spots are currently showing.
- Outty Ranking
- 65 / 100
- Rating
- 4.7/5 (16)
- Duration
- 3 hours
- From
- $63 per person
Santa Marta is a magical city known for its diversity and for making all its visitors feel at home. In this walking tour, you will explore its history and traditions among its streets and houses. Visit the Tayrona Gold Museum, Parque de los Novios, the Malecon, the Cathedral, and many other places. This experience includes more fun people to walk with, and a very knowledgeable local guide. • Historical landmarks about Santa Marta City • A walk through Tayrona Gold Museum • Visiting Santa Marta’s bay or Malecon, and the main parks and squares • A brief lesson about Colombian diversity through its history and guide’s recommendations
What you get
About this experience
Santa Marta is a magical city known for its diversity and for making all its visitors feel at home. In this walking tour, you will explore its history and traditions among its streets and houses. Visit the Tayrona Gold Museum, Parque de los Novios, the Malecon, the Cathedral, and many other places. This experience includes more fun people to walk with, and a very knowledgeable local guide. • Historical landmarks about Santa Marta City • A walk through Tayrona Gold Museum • Visiting Santa Marta’s bay or Malecon, and the main parks and squares • A brief lesson about Colombian diversity through its history and guide’s recommendations
What's included
Included
- All Risk Insurance
- Tour Guide
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off
Not included
- Lunch
What you'll see and do
Centro Historico de Santa Marta
Learn the fascinating history of Santa Marta and its rich diversity of places and understand why people protect, promote and show their cultural legacy, besides making a living out of it. We know you will feel touched by Colombian joyful and friendly spirit.
180 minutes here · Admission included
Museo del Oro Tairona - Casa de la Aduana
You will head to Tayrona Gold Museum, where you will have a quick tour inside it. This is the first place to be built in the city by Spaniards and it is now a cultural site with the aim of rescuing and showing the indigenous ancestral heritage through their metalwork.
45 minutes here · Admission included
Catedral de Santa Marta
Walk to Bolivar Square Park and then to Rodrigo Bastidas’ monument. The first dedicated to the leader of South American independence, and the second honoring the Spanish founder of the city. Keep walking along the bay and get to “El parque de los novios” (the lovers’ park), the main park of Santa Marta’s downtown that comes alive every night when young samarios meet to dance and have fun. Keep strolling around and discover the main churches, parks, museums and colonial architecture houses as we get to the main Cathedral.
30 minutes here
Where it starts and ends
Hotel pickup
Pickup is included for all travelers.
Options you can book
Tour from Lodging
Pickup included
Tour from Cruise Terminal
Pickup included
Before you book
- Cancellation
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- Languages
- en, es
- Ticket
- Mobile Only
- Runs on
- Every day
- Group size
- Up to 15 travelers per booking
- Operated by
- Gran Colombia Tours
Know before you go
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The Tour Guide will contact you the day before in case you have any questions or assist you with any requirements
Photos






What travelers are saying
Outty’s summary of the themes that recur across 16 traveler reviews. Written by us, not quoted from reviewers.
The guide
8 mentionsTravelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works.
Knowledge and storytelling
6 mentionsReviewers describe the commentary as informative rather than scripted.
Food and drink
2 mentionsThe tastings and food stops are a highlight for most reviewers.
Small groups
2 mentionsThe group size is repeatedly described as intimate rather than packed.
Traveler reviews
16 verified traveler reviews for Santa Marta City Tour + Gold Museum. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Interesting Tour
Great tour . Our guide was very informative. Pleasant to listen to and did a thorough explanation of the settling of Santa Marta. The important players & how the indigenous were taken into the culture & the struggles inhabitants had to survive.
Response from the operator: Thank you so much for this review. We love hearing that you enjoyed learning more about the history and culture of Santa Marta. It’s great to know the guide’s knowledge and storytelling helped bring the city’s past to life. Thanks for spending part of your trip with us!
via Viator
Very good city tour, walking and ride are good balance
We booked a private tour but was asked to share due to guide shortage. The van is 11 seater so we are good with 5 of us plus a couple. Gold museum was closed on Monday so our guide Andres gave us fruit tasting and chilled mango juice. So it was good even with sharing.
Response from the operator: Thank you for your feedback! We're glad to hear that, despite the unexpected change to a shared tour and the Gold Museum closure, Andrés was able to adapt the experience and offer you enjoyable alternatives like the fruit tasting and fresh mango juice. It’s great to know you still had a good overall experience with your group. We truly appreciate your understanding and hope to welcome you back to Colombia with Gran Colombia Tours soon!
via Viator
Our guide Heberth Was extremely knowledgeable and friendly.
Our guide Heberth was very proactive in communicating with us prior to our meeting time. he was right outside the Cruse gate at tour time. His knowledge of the history of the area and especially of the four indigenous tribes was extensive. He did a great job was very personable and we thought the tour was great.
Response from the operator: Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We’re very happy to hear that you had such a great experience and that Heberth made everything smooth from the start with clear communication and punctuality. It’s great to know you enjoyed his knowledge about the region and the indigenous communities, as well as his friendly and personable approach. Thank you for choosing Gran Colombia Tours—we hope to welcome you again on another experience in Colombia!
via Viator
Great tour with Andreas!
Even before the tour Andreas was helpful texting details about meeting at the cruise terminal and he also spoke to our taxi driver! We enjoyed sampling coffee and fruit and then headed to the museum and cultural sights. We felt safe and well taken care of!!
Response from the operator: Thank you for your wonderful review! We're so happy to hear that Andres made your experience even better with his helpful communication and assistance. We're thrilled that you felt safe and well taken care of throughout the tour. We truly appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you again in Colombia with Gran Colombia Tours!
via Viator
Potentially dangerous side trip to Taganga??
BEWARE! We were extremely scared by what happened to us and we did not feel safe. The tour is described as a "walking tour". The location was only a few blocks from our hotel. Here is what happened to us. We started asking Viator for details on meeting point a few days before. We received a message from Guillermo the night before saying he would pick us up. This is not what happened. In the morning we were met by a nice elderly man who had a tour vest on but no name tag that said Viator. He said we would be taking a taxi. When we got in the taxi we were told we were going to Taganga. I just happened to know that this is a small fishing village 20 minutes away and it's a rough place. We started saying why? They had no answers. I stepped out of the cab and contacted Viator. All they said was we were to ask them why? We got back in the cab and they started driving to Taganga! I said NO! We are not going to Taganga. The driver stopped by the warf and we got out and so did Manuel the tour guide. The tour guide had no knowledge about what the tour was supposed to be. We pulled up the tour description and showed it to him. He was very confused also. He pointed out that we were only a block from the Gold Museum so we went there. I do not blame Manuel for this. He was a nice man and had excellent knowledge about the history. The other thing that happened is we did not receive the "Caribbean" cuisine and drinks advertised. This was supposed to be included. It was 90 degrees and humid so we really needed this. I do blame Viator and their choice of tour operators. I believe we were in some kind of danger because on one side of the cab where we sat there was no handle on the inside to get out. Where were they taking us and why? We felt that maybe this could be a robbery at best? We would still like to get answers from Viator. This was not like any experience I've had in the past with Viator.
Response from the operator: Dear Kristy, We sincerely apologize for the miscommunication and any distress this experience may have caused you. Please know that we have already processed a full refund for your booking, as our priority is ensuring that our guests feel comfortable and secure. To clarify for future readers, we offer two different City Tours in Santa Marta: A short walking tour, which focuses on the historical center. A longer city tour, which includes a visit to Taganga Bay, located 20 minutes from the historical center. The tour you booked was the short version, but due to a misunderstanding in communication, the guide mistakenly believed you were on the longer version, which explains the confusion about going to Taganga. We completely understand how this unexpected change could have made you feel uneasy, and we regret that this happened. Once again, we are truly sorry for the inconvenience, and we appreciate your feedback as it helps us improve our services. If you have any further concerns, please feel free to reach out. Best regards, Juan
via Viator
Good to know
- Duration
- 3 hours
- Free cancellation
- Up to 24h before
- Minimum age to book
- All ages
- Availability
- Bookable today
- Runs on
- Every day
- Price range
- $63 to $140
- Hotel pickup
- Included for all travelers
- Booked in 30 days
- 6
- Verdict
- Solid Choice
Who runs this experience
Operated by Gran Colombia Tours, who run 78 experiences we rank across 5 cities, with an average Outty Ranking of 62.0 and 2 in the 90+ Club.
See everything Gran Colombia Tours runsWhy this scores 65
The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.
Santa Marta City Tour + Gold Museum: questions travelers ask
Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Santa Marta.
How much does Santa Marta City Tour + Gold Museum cost?
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Prices start at $63 per person. The final price depends on the date, the time slot and the number of travelers, and peak weekends in Santa Marta usually price higher than midweek mornings. Live pricing and remaining availability are confirmed on the booking screen before you pay.
How long does Santa Marta City Tour + Gold Museum take?
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Plan for about 3 hours from start to finish, not counting travel to the meeting point. Most travelers leave another 30 minutes on either side so the rest of the day in Santa Marta is not rushed.
Is Santa Marta City Tour + Gold Museum worth it?
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It holds an Outty Ranking of 65 out of 100, which we label "Solid Choice". That score blends traveler sentiment (4.7/5 across 16 reviews), the depth of that review evidence, recent booking momentum, value for money against comparable last minute in Santa Marta, and how flexible the cancellation terms are.
Can I cancel or reschedule Santa Marta City Tour + Gold Museum?
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Yes. Cancel free up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Inside that window the booking is non-refundable, and no-shows are not refunded.
Is Santa Marta City Tour + Gold Museum suitable for kids and families?
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Yes, all ages are welcome. Families should still weigh the 3-hour running time, and strollers are easier on the earlier, quieter departures.
How far in advance should I book Santa Marta City Tour + Gold Museum?
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Around 6 people booked this in the last 30 days, so popular slots go early. Two to three weeks ahead is comfortable in shoulder season, while summer weekends and holidays in Santa Marta can sell out a month out. Same-day spots do open up when other travelers cancel, so it is worth checking if you are already in town.
What should I bring or wear?
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Bring photo ID, your booking confirmation on your phone, a refillable water bottle and comfortable shoes. Dress for the weather in Santa Marta and add a light layer if any part of the 3-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.
Where does Santa Marta City Tour + Gold Museum start and how do I get there?
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The exact meeting point and directions are on your voucher once you book, and they sit in central Santa Marta within reach of public transport. Arrive 15 minutes early: late arrivals are treated as no-shows by most operators.
What are the best things to do in Santa Marta?
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On Outty we rank every Santa Marta experience on the same 0 to 100 scale, and alongside this one the highest scorers right now include Hike for 4 days to the Lost City, Santa Marta, 4-Day Lost City Small-Group Tour in Santa Marta, 4-Day Walking Tour to Lost City of Sierra Nevada. The city page groups everything into most popular, highest reviewed, last minute and family-friendly so you can build a day around what actually delivers.
When is the best time to visit Santa Marta?
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Booking patterns follow the same curve: prices and queues climb in peak weeks, while shoulder season gives you better availability on the top-ranked experiences and more room to change plans.
How many days do you need in Santa Marta?
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Three full days covers the headline sights without sprinting. A workable rhythm is one anchor experience each morning, such as this one, an unhurried afternoon in a single neighborhood, then a food or nightlife booking in the evening. Five days lets you add a day trip outside the city.
Do I book through Outty or through the operator?
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Outty ranks and explains the experiences, then hands you to Viator to complete the booking with the operator directly. The price is the same as booking on Viator yourself, and Outty earns an affiliate commission on the referral, which is how the rankings stay free to read.
What is included in Santa Marta City Tour + Gold Museum?
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Included: All Risk Insurance; Tour Guide; and Hotel pick-up and drop-off. Not included: Lunch. Always check the voucher for the final list before you travel.
Does Santa Marta City Tour + Gold Museum include hotel pickup?
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Yes, pickup is offered for every traveler from 38 listed pickup locations in and around Santa Marta.
What languages is Santa Marta City Tour + Gold Museum offered in?
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It is offered in English and Spanish. Pick your language when choosing a date and time, as not every departure runs in every language.
Will I get instant confirmation and a mobile ticket for Santa Marta City Tour + Gold Museum?
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Confirmation is sent by the operator after booking, usually within 48 hours; if it is not confirmed you are not charged. Mobile tickets are accepted, so you can show the voucher on your phone.
Is Santa Marta City Tour + Gold Museum wheelchair or stroller accessible?
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The operator notes: Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap; Specialized infant seats are available; and Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller. If accessibility is critical, contact the operator after booking to confirm arrangements for your date.
What happens to Santa Marta City Tour + Gold Museum if the weather is bad?
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It generally runs rain or shine, so dress for the forecast in Santa Marta. Standard cancellation terms apply: free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start.
What do travelers say about Santa Marta City Tour + Gold Museum?
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Across 16 reviews averaging 4.7 out of 5, recurring themes include the guide, knowledge and storytelling, food and drink. Travelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works.
What booking options are available for Santa Marta City Tour + Gold Museum?
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There are 2 options to choose from, including Tour from Lodging, Tour from Cruise Terminal. Prices and start times differ by option, so compare them on the booking screen.
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