Cartagena: Food Tour, Mud Volcano & Sunset Boat Party Combo

Summary

Cartagena old city food tour mud volcano soak and party cruise

You’ll taste your way through Cartagena’s Old City with a local guide before floating in El Totumo’s surreal mud baths (bring small bills!). End your day dancing on a sunset boat cruise across Cartagena Bay with new friends and free drinks. This is for travelers who want to feel sweaty, salty, happy — not just check boxes.

What’s the experience like?

“Here, we say the walls have ears — every stone has a story,” our guide Luis grinned as we leaned over the Clock Tower rooftop, biting into hot empanadas that left oil on my fingers. I wasn’t sure what I expected from a Cartagena food tour, but the way Luis described pirate raids and whispered about independence heroes while handing us sweets at Portal de Los Dulces made history taste like sugar and salt at once. The fruit juice was tangy and cold; I still remember how the air smelled faintly of mangoes and exhaust. There were kids chasing pigeons in Plaza San Pedro, and someone selling tiny coffees from a battered thermos — “tinto,” Luis called it, pressing a cup into my palm before we wandered toward Getsemaní’s graffiti walls.

The next morning was all about El Totumo Mud Volcano. The drive out of Cartagena took maybe an hour — windows down, music low, everyone half awake. When we got there, it looked smaller than I’d imagined (honestly, it’s more like a muddy hill), but climbing up barefoot felt weirdly thrilling. Sinking into that warm mud was stranger still — you just float there with strangers laughing nervously beside you. A local woman scrubbed my arms with practiced hands; she said something in Spanish I didn’t catch but smiled so wide I laughed back anyway. Afterward, rinsing off in the lagoon felt shockingly cold and real. Bring cash for tips — everyone works hard here.

By sunset we were back in Cartagena Bay for the boat tour — music thumping right away, people dancing even before we left the dock. It’s not fancy (plastic cups everywhere), but watching the city light up while someone handed me a rum shot felt just right after all that mud. Our guide Ana kept shouting “¡Vamos!” over the speakers; she somehow knew everyone’s name by the end. We spilled out into Getsemaní again for an after-party crawl — more street art, another quick drink at some rooftop bar where you could see church domes glowing orange against blue dusk. Honestly? My shoes were covered in dust by then and I didn’t care at all.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Explore Old City and Caribbean Food

• Start with empanada welcome snack
• Historical talk at Clock Tower rooftop
• Taste sweets at Portal de Los Dulces
• Visit museums and churches
• Enjoy fruit drink, ice cream, and coffee tasting
• Explore Getsemaní graffiti art
• Chocolate tasting and rum shot at distillery

Day 2 — Mud Bath at El Totumo Volcano

• Travel by air-conditioned transport
• Descend into mineral-rich mud bath
• Relax for 15-20 minutes in mud
• Pay entrance and rinse-off fees on-site

Day 3 — Sunset Party Cruise and Nightlife

• Board speedboat for sunset cruise
• Enjoy Colombian music and dancing
• Optional after-party at Historic Center rooftop
• Guided walk through Getsemaní street art
• Free welcome shot at local bar
• End night at popular nightclub

Top questions

How long does the Cartagena food tour last?

The city food tour lasts about 3 hours, either 10:30 AM–1:30 PM or 2:00 PM–5:00 PM.

Is transportation included to El Totumo Mud Volcano?

Yes, roundtrip van or bus transport is included from Cartagena for the mud volcano tour.

Do I need to bring cash to El Totumo Mud Volcano?

Yes, bring Colombian Pesos for entrance (about COP $10,000) and rinse-off fees (about COP $5,000).

Are drinks included on the sunset party boat?

A complimentary drink is included at the after-party; you can bring your own liquor on board.

Is there a dress code for the after-party?

Men must wear pants and closed shoes for club entry during the after-party crawl.

Does this combo include pickup from my hotel?

The mud volcano tour includes roundtrip transportation; other tours start at central meeting points.

Are museum entries included on the city food tour?

No museum entries are included; only previews from outside are part of the route.

What’s included

Your day includes roundtrip transport to El Totumo Mud Volcano with local guides providing context along the way; tastings of empanadas, sweets, fruit drinks, ice cream and coffee during your Old Town Cartagena food walk; plus your boat pass for a two-hour sunset cruise with optional free after-party including welcome drinks and guided stops through Getsemaní nightlife before heading back late at night if you’re up for it.