Cartagena itinerary: 1, 2 and 3 days

Match the plan to your nights, not to a wish list. Cartagena rewards slow walking in the old town and punishes over-scheduling in the midday heat. If you are arriving from Bogotá or Medellín on a short flight, you lose half a day to transfers either side.

Start at 07:00–08:00 while the streets are cool and quiet. Walk the top of the walls from Baluarte de Santo Domingo toward Las Bóvedas, then drop into the Plaza de Santo Domingo for coffee. This is the only part of the day that is genuinely pleasant on foot in the heat.

Midday, move indoors: the Museo de la Inquisición or the Museo del Oro Zenú on Plaza Bolívar, or a long lunch under fans. After 15:30, cross into Getsemaní for murals on Calle del Guerrero and Plaza de la Trinidad, where locals play football and street food vendors set up. Finish with sunset from Café del Mar on the wall, then dinner in the old town.

If you have only one day, skip the islands entirely. A Rosario Islands tour leaves around 08:00 and returns 16:00–17:00, which leaves no time for the city.

Day 1: the walk above, at an easier pace, with a proper lunch and a rest at the hotel between 13:00 and 16:00. Heatstroke is the most common way a Cartagena trip goes wrong.

Day 2: morning at Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, best reached by taxi or a 20–25 minute walk from Getsemaní. Go at opening to beat tour groups and the sun. Then walk or ride to Manga for a quiet lunch, or back to the old town for the afternoon.

Use the late afternoon for anything you missed: the Cathedral, the Plaza de la Aduana, or a horse carriage ride if that appeals. Book dinner ahead for Friday and Saturday nights, when good places in the old town fill up.

Day 3 is the boat day. Tours leave from the Muelle de la Bodeguita, about 1 hour each way to the Rosario Islands, and typically run 08:00–16:00 or 17:00. Expect a beach club stop, lunch, and time in the water. Port tax and island entry fees are usually extra, so carry cash.

Two cautions. First, touts on the islands and at the dock sell add-ons; agree the price and inclusions before you board. Second, if you get seasick, take medication before departure, as the crossing can be choppy. If boats are not for you, swap Day 3 for a beach at Bocagrande or a day trip to Barranquilla.

Cartagena is the most expensive city on most Colombia routes, mostly because of the old town. The figures below are 2026 estimates for one person, excluding accommodation.

Walk early and late. Between 11:00 and 15:00 the walled city is hot and shade is limited; plan indoor stops or a hotel break. Carry water, and note that tap water on the coast is not for drinking, so buy bottled or filtered.

Use apps or hotel-called taxis at night. Street hailing after dark is linked to robberies in Colombian cities, and the old town's narrow streets make it easy to lose your bearings. Keep bags in front of you in crowds around the clock tower and Plaza de los Coches.

Book the Rosario Islands through a hotel or a well-reviewed operator rather than a street tout, and confirm what the price includes. For everything else, cash in small notes helps; not every stall or small café takes cards.