Taste the flavors the locals eat and immerse yourself in the city's culture!
Savor the Authentic Cartagena
This tour will take you to taste what the locals eat daily. It’s an immersion into the city’s culture and history through its most authentic and vibrant flavors. We’ll start with an incredible view from La Popa Monastery to give you context, then dive into the bustling Bazurto Market, a place full of colors, exotic fruits, and a unique energy that even captivated the iconic Anthony Bourdain.
🌟 An Itinerary Full of Flavor and History
A perfect blend of sights, culture, and, of course, delicious food!
Historical Context at La Popa
Our first stop is La Popa Monastery. From the highest point in the city, you'll have an incredible view that will give you great context for what Cartagena represents.
Cultural Immersion at Bazurto Market
Next, we dive into the heart of local culture: Bazurto Market. This chaotic and vibrant place is filled with colors, seasonal fruits, and an incredible variety of smells and flavors.
Fried Food Tasting in Manga
On "Manga Island," we will visit a traditional "mesa de fritos" (fried food stand) for you to taste local delicacies like arepa con huevo, carimañola, or buñuelos, paired with a typical drink.
What's included in your food experience?
Everything is set for you to focus on enjoying every bite.
Professional tour guide
Private transportation with A/C
Local food and seasonal fruit tasting
One bottle of water per person
Flexible start time
Free cancellation (24h)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is included in the Cartagena food tour?
The tour includes a certified local guide, private transportation, tastings of authentic local street food (like arepas con huevo, ceviche, and local sweets), and bottled water.
Is the food tour safe for people with sensitive stomachs?
Yes, our guides only take you to trusted, hygienic vendors that we have partnered with for years, ensuring the food is safe and delicious.
Can vegetarians or vegans take the Cartagena food tour?
Yes, we can customize the food tour to accommodate vegetarian diets by focusing on exotic fruits, coconut rice, and meatless local snacks. Please notify us in advance.
What is the Bazurto Market?
Bazurto Market is the bustling, chaotic, and incredibly authentic central market of Cartagena. It's a sensory overload of fresh fish, exotic fruits, and local culture, famously visited by Anthony Bourdain.
Do we visit Bazurto Market on the food tour?
Yes, our comprehensive food tour includes a guided walkthrough of Bazurto Market, offering a real glimpse into the everyday lives of Cartagenians.
What is an 'Arepa con Huevo'?
It is a staple of Colombian Caribbean street food: a deep-fried cornmeal patty filled with a whole egg (and sometimes ground meat), crispy on the outside and soft inside.
How long does the food tour last?
The food tour generally lasts around 3 to 4 hours, combining walking, eating, and riding between neighborhoods.
Will I need to buy lunch after the food tour?
Most likely not! The tour includes several generous tastings that usually add up to a very fulfilling meal.
Do you explore the Walled City on the food tour?
While we do explore parts of the historic center and Getsemani, we also venture out into authentic local neighborhoods like Manga to find the best local food stands.
What should I wear for a food tour in Cartagena?
Wear comfortable walking shoes, light clothing, and bring sun protection, as we will be walking outdoors and through bustling markets.
Inquire about Cartagena Food Tour
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What Travelers Say About Us
Real reviews from real travelers — updated every 15 days from TripAdvisor.
★★★★★ February 2026
"Sightseeing tour of Cartagena by car"
I am grateful to Martin and our guide Margarita for organizing a wonderful private sightseeing tour of Cartagena by car. Martin was the only organizer who provided a very clear description of the service, a transparent p…
My husband and I took a cruise to Cartagena and contacted Martin to be our tour guide. Neither one of us can walk far — we use scooters. Martin and his staff got the scooters into his car and off we went for four wonderf…
Our family of four had a very interesting private tour of most of Cartagena's touristic sites, very well organized by Mildred. A comfortable car, a great driver and Jaime — the perfect guide for such a tour. We had a lot…
Initial contact was with Mildred who was very helpful. Her husband Martin was the guide — very knowledgeable, and the driver was very good. We were able to visit the aviary and even got in a few minutes before it opened,…
Perfect Cruise Excursion in Cartagena. Wonderful, Informative Tour from Start to Finish. Great Way to See Cartagena in One Day. Outstanding Service and Knowledgeable Guide. Stress-Free and Well Organized Experience. A Mu…
Martin was so easy to contact and gave us a wonderful experience. Saw some amazing sights and we were looked after very well. Our group were travelling on a world cruise and were very happy to get such a reasonable rate.…
Martin was a very knowledgeable and friendly tour guide! We really enjoyed the walking tour — and it was 45 degrees outside! I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting Cartagena.
This was the second time in 3 months that we took this tour with Señor Martin — first in Dec. 2024 with my wife, and now in March 2025 with my son. Señor Martin is very knowledgeable, very kind, his English is very good.…
Martin was fantastic! He customized a tour for our 2 families. We only had 4 hours to see the city and he picked us up from the airport, gave us a 3-hour tour of the city and transported us an hour to our hotel in Baru. …
Highly recommend Martin and Cartagena Tour Guides. Martin was easy to communicate with via email. For the day of the tour, we were set up with JJ (Jacinto) and he was terrific! He knew so much about Cartagena and was ver…
Don Martín tiene un gran conocimiento de la ciudad y de su historia. Nos dio un tour sumamente completo, lleno de explicaciones sobre la historia de Cartagena y sobre su vida actual. Sin duda es una forma muy completa de…
"Fantastic, incredibly accommodating and great atmosphere"
Martin is amazing. We booked a private tour of Cartagena with only ten hours' notice, after midnight, via WhatsApp. He picked up our party of 7 (3 generations of family) in a luxurious, air-conditioned van, holding up a …
I cannot recommend Martin highly enough! I am in a wheelchair due to a spinal cord injury. Martin secured a vehicle I could get in and out of with assistance. The elevator at the monastery had been knocked out by lightni…
En los 10 días de estadía en Cartagena hemos compartido muchas excursiones las cuales fueron acompañadas por distintos guías de los cuales sólo puedo decir que son personas con mucho carisma, muy amables y serviciales. T…
Martin was a great guide. The entire family enjoyed our two-hour walking tour of the old city. Highly recommend it if you are planning a visit to Cartagena.
We had an outstanding tour with Martin. He showed us the best of Cartagena as well as some unique areas. We highly recommend Martin — we had a nice time. Driving in an air-conditioned vehicle was also a comfort. Thank yo…
Eduardo did an amazing job during our touring around Cartagena. We have 2 kids and he really took them into consideration during the tour regarding content, stamina and the heat! Highly recommend.
We had a great guide called David — really interesting facts and took us to a tasty ice cream shop! Great city, would recommend a visit. We were on a cruise and ended with a walk through a wonderful bird sanctuary with l…
Great Tour around and through the beautiful Old City of Cartagena, with one of the greatest guides — Captain Kirk! Very good explanations about the city and visit of some special places away from the typical tourist spot…
Excellent tour with much consideration for elderly guests, such as not walking to the top of the fort. He kept a great pace to see as much as we could in the time the cruise ship allowed, yet provided needed breaks at so…
El día de hoy tuvimos el placer de tomar un tour en la ciudad de Cartagena de Indias con Cartagena Tour Guides y fue de lo mejor. Martin Rosales nos recibió en el puerto de cruceros e iniciamos nuestro tour en un auto pr…
I booked this tour through Martin Rosales and received prompt replies to all correspondence. We were 17 people from a cruise ship wanting a private tour. David was our guide and William our driver. We had a lovely tour o…
We returned this past November and did a tour again with Martin. It was a very nice day spent with Martin and his driver. We were not rushed in any way — we avoided the crowds and had a very nice day. As we will be retur…
My husband and I opted for the private Taste & Eat Cartagena food tour and it was well worth it. I definitely recommend going on an empty stomach as you are eating throughout the tour. The first thing we ate were arepas …
My only regret about our tour with Martin is that we didn't book it for the first day of our trip! Martin is a local and he knows so much about Cartagena. He responded to my request within an hour, and we scheduled a tou…
I must praise Martin Rosales on how quickly he responded to my frantic email trying to arrange a private tour with a walker only 4 days before we needed it. Martin came through with a wonderful guide JZ and driver Oscar.…
Martin Rosales is a 'Cartagenero' — he has lived here all his life as has his family. He is extremely knowledgeable and speaks very good English. My wife and I booked a private tour and he and his driver picked us up at …
