The 15 Best Santa Marta Tours: Tayrona, Minca & the Coast

Hike for 4 days to the Lost City, Santa Marta - Day 2: Seven hours through the Buritaca River valley

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,308 reviews · 4 days (approx.) · from $580Our pick

Hike Colombia’s Lost City over four days with jungle trails, rivers, indigenous culture, camp stays, meals, and expert Expotur support.

“El paseo a Ciudad Perdida is an absolute must-see if you're in Colombia and can spare 4 days trekking, don't mind hot and humid conditions and are reasonably fit. Stunning vistas the whole way, amazing final location and you are well-looked after by the guides, translators and cooks. Our group had Camacho (guide), Herbert (translator) and Pollo (cook) and had a brilliant experience - comes highly recommended.”

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City Tours, Ciudad Perdida Treks, Santa Marta Tours, Tour Reviews

Lost City – Ciudad Perdida Colombia

2.Lost City – Ciudad Perdida Colombia

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,203 reviews · 4 days (approx.) · from $600

Trek Colombia’s Lost City over four days with guides, meals, camps, and Indigenous community support from Santa Marta.

“This was one of the most stunning and informational trips I have been on in a long time. The experience started off with a warm welcome at the Tour office with coffee and fruit while we met the other hikers in our group. Although the trail was slick and tough because of weather at certain points, it was very rewarding each night, arriving in camp to a delicious warm meal. I have dietary restrictions that I was worried about but at no point was that an issue I felt very well taken care of in that regard. Each night we would come together as a group and listen to the…”

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Boat Trips in Santa Marta, Cruises & Boat Tours, Sailing, Santa Marta Tours, Tayrona Park Tours, Tour Reviews

Sailing to Tayrona with Luis and his team: Unique!

3.Sailing to Tayrona with Luis and his team: Unique!

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 448 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $70

Sail from Santa Marta to Bahía Concha with lunch, snorkeling, paddleboards, and a friendly bilingual crew for $70.

“The crew was extremely friendly, helpful and accommodating. The boat left at 11am, you get about 3 hours of actual time at the beach/Tayrona park. Then the boat leaves at 3:15 and takes you back to the marina. It's a sail boat but they motored the whole way.”

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Santa Marta: Sailboat day tour to Tayrona Park

4.Sailboat day tour to Tayrona Park

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 352 reviews · 7h 30m · from $64

Review of Santa Marta’s Tayrona sailing day tour, with Bahia Concha, lunch, snorkeling, SUPs, rough seas, costs, and practical tips.

“It's very easy to find the meeting point if you follow the instructions WhatsApped to you in the morning. The crew were all lovely, they didn't speak English so it's good to have some basic Spanish to get by or hope there are others that can help but it didn't hinder anything. The ride over was very bumpy so if you to get motion/sea sick it would be wise to take something but it was less so on the way back and again it didn't dampen the experience for me at all. The beach was lovely , we had our little spot and it wasn't busy at all. There were…”

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4-Day Experiences, City Tours, Ciudad Perdida Treks, Santa Marta Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

4-Day Lost City Small-Group Tour in Santa Marta

5.4-Day Lost City Small-Group Tour in Santa Marta

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 254 reviews · 4 days (approx.) · from $580

Review of the 4-day Lost City trek from Santa Marta, with route details, costs, sleeping conditions, meals, guide quality, and booking advice.

“Excellent tour. Very friendly and skilled staff. Please ask for Pedro, Camillo and Pepe, they’re a great team!”

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Colombian Coffee Tours, Full-Day, Hiking & Trekking, Hiking Tours in Santa Marta, Minca Tours, Santa Marta Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Workshops

Full-Day Hiking Tour in Minca with coffee & Cocoa Workshop

6.Full-Day Hiking Tour in Minca with coffee & Cocoa Workshop

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 189 reviews · 7 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $55

Review of Minca’s full-day hike from Santa Marta, with coffee, waterfall swim, jungle lunch, biodiversity, and hands-on cacao making.

“My kids (17, 14, 12) actually enjoyed this tour. Probably not a good option for younger ages. Also, some significant inclines and walking over slippery rocks. Enjoyed our guide Gustavo”

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Colombian Coffee Tours, Minca Tours, Santa Marta Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Waterfall Tours, Waterfall Tours in Santa Marta

MINCA TOUR – Explore waterfalls and discover the origin of coffee and cocoa

7.MINCA TOUR – Explore waterfalls and discover the origin of coffee and cocoa

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 166 reviews · 9 to 10 hours (approx.) · from $79

Explore Minca near Santa Marta with jungle walks, waterfalls, coffee, cocoa, bamboo, and an excellent local lunch.

“Positive: the tour was amazing. We would definitely recommend it! Wonderful scenery and delicious coffee and cocoa Negative: The transport was absolutely terrible! The taxi that drove us from the hotel to Minca did not have seatbelts and the taxidriver was driving like crazy!! We were scared for our life. Definitely a terrible experience.”

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Cacao and Chocolate Workshops, Colombian Coffee Tours, Hiking & Trekking, Hiking Tours in Santa Marta, Minca Tours, Santa Marta Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Waterfall Tours, Waterfall Tours in Santa Marta

Eco-Hike in Minca: Coffee Tour, Waterfall & Chocolate Experience!

8.Eco-Hike in Minca: Coffee Tour, Waterfall & Chocolate Experience!

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 140 reviews · 6 to 7 hours (approx.) · from $64

Review of Minca’s coffee, waterfall, lunch, and chocolate day tour from Santa Marta, with practical advice on value, hiking, guides, and expectations.

“This tour is well worth it, with the guides giving it their all (including the demonstrations). You have to go for a swim - it’s a must - so wear sensible shoes!”

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4-Day Experiences, City Tours, Ciudad Perdida Treks, Santa Marta Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

4-Day Walking Tour to Lost City of Sierra Nevada

9.4-Day Walking Tour to Lost City of Sierra Nevada

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 136 reviews · 4 days (approx.) · from $545

Review of the 4-day Lost City trek from Santa Marta, with jungle hiking, Tayrona ruins, camps, meals, transport, costs, and practical tips.

“It was the best trip of my whole trip! Great organization! Would really recommend especially this company. The guides were very knowledgable, the food was great and the atmosphere was amazing!!”

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Guided, National Parks, Santa Marta Tours, Tayrona Park Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

From Santa Marta: Tayrona National Park Guided Tour

10.Tayrona National Park Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 131 reviews · 11 hours · from $77

Review of the Santa Marta to Tayrona tour, with a forest hike, Cabo San Juan beach, practical costs, transport tips, and honest drawbacks.

“O local em si é incrível, visitar o parque Tayrona definitivamente é uma obrigação para todos que vierem a Santa Marta. Praias sensacionais, uma biodiversidade única e, apesar de um pouco desafiador, uma ótima trilha ecológica. Entretanto, o serviço em si não foi dos melhores. O ônibus era muito pequeno e estava com todos os assentos ocupados. Pessoas um pouco maiores (como meu caso e de vários outros passageiros) estavam totalmente espremidos entre os bancos, sem nenhum espaço pras pernas e colado no passageiro ao lado. O grupo contava com 2 guias. O guia que nos acompanhou desde o começo (Luiz) não era dos melhores comunicadores, frequentemente nos deixando meio…”

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Cycling Tours, Historical Tours, History Tours in Santa Marta, Santa Marta Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Historic Center Bike Tour

11.Historic Center Bike Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 108 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $20

Review of Santa Marta’s $20 Historic Center Bike Tour, covering sunset views, safety, stops, value, guides, and practical booking tips.

“It is very good! Nice tour! Great experience! The guide very polite! You can see the old city by bike”

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2-Day Experiences, Santa Marta Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

2-Day Coastal Motorcycle Tour

12.2-Day Coastal Motorcycle Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 107 reviews · 2 days (approx.) · from $359

Ride Colombia’s Caribbean coast from Santa Marta to Tayrona, with waterfalls, tubing, beaches, meals, lodging, and small-group guides.

“Amazing bike tour by the caribbean coast! One of the greatest experiences i have had in Colombia. The tour guide was a great guy with a lot of knowledge about the region. What a blast!”

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Boat Trips in Santa Marta, Cruises & Boat Tours, Sailing, Santa Marta Tours, Tayrona Park Tours, Tour Reviews

Tayrona Bay Sailboat trip

13.Tayrona Bay Sailboat trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 107 reviews · 6 to 7 hours (approx.) · from $60

Review of Santa Marta’s $60 Tayrona Bay sailboat trip, with beach time at Bahia Concha, lunch, water sports, practical tips, and honest drawbacks.

“This experience was AMAZING! The crew and Javier were so wonderful! Great attitudes, helpful with our grandparents that needed assistance, and fun! We anchored at Bahia Concha and the water and weather was perfect. Loved having access to a kayak and paddle board! The beach was great with ability to order cocktails. I was so impressed with the lunch, it was delicious! Overall, highly recommend! Everyone was happy and had a great time”

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1-Day Tours, Colombian Coffee Tours, Full-Day, Minca Tours, Santa Marta Tours, Tour Reviews, Waterfall Tours, Waterfall Tours in Santa Marta

Santa Marta: Minca Coffee, Cocoa, & Waterfall Full-Day Trip

14.Minca Coffee, Cocoa, & Waterfall Full-Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 102 reviews · from $78

Review of Santa Marta’s Minca day trip, with jungle walks, coffee, chocolate, waterfall pools, lunch, practical tips, and value advice.

“great experience. next time I'd try and spend longer in minca. our guide was lovely and informative. highly recommend”

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Boat Trips in Santa Marta, Cruises & Boat Tours, Evening Experiences, Sailing, Santa Marta Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

From Santa Marta: Sunset Sailboat Tour with 2 Beverages

15.Sunset Sailboat Tour with 2 Beverages

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 93 reviews · 2h 30m · from $47

Review of Santa Marta’s 2.5-hour sunset sailboat tour, with Taganga Bay views, two drinks, practical tips, and honest advice.

“This experience was not relaxing at all. We expected a smooth, calm sunset sail, but instead it felt like a rollercoaster ride for nearly two hours. The waves were extremely choppy, the guide offered little to no communication, and after sunset they continued going further out into the sea when it was already dark. We genuinely did not feel safe, and our guide didn't even once reassure us even tho we looked unease Unless you’re looking for a rough, adrenaline-style boat ride, I would not recommend this activity.”

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