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Bazurto Market Adventure Tour in Cartagena

13 reviews

Bazurto Market Adventure Tour in Cartagena

from USD $59.40

This is a three hour walk tour through the central market of Cartagena. Meet for pictures and interview the most original stands and vendors of the market. Get to taste and see the local fruits, juices, drinks and music. Free gifts and food are all included. Walk through all the market and get to see all types of businesses and people. Leave with a unique experience and authentic image of Cartagena and its local people. We have a private and a group option!

BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE: As members of ABTA and ATAS we are 100% financially bonded. You can book your day trip with us in absolute confidence, no matter where in the world you are.

Due to the impacts of COVID-19, we are currently not taking new bookings for day tours.

In Brief

Location:

Cartagena, Colombia

Country:

Colombia

Duration:

3 hours

Operates:

Daily

You will be picked up at your hotel, and then travel to the central market of Cartagena. With more than 40 years of age in the same space, its an exotic place filled with all types of products, smells, music and types of people. Then start to enter the market by first getting to know the neighborhood, the locals, and then go into the market to meet original stands and their owners.

Visit local mechanics, trained from generation to generation, juice vendors for the most exotic foods, sound system builders and an incredible local handmade poster maker. Plus, grasp all the multiculturalism present in the traditional medicines and the very bizarre situations you will be sure to see.

Finally, go to Ceci's restaurant, famous for appearing in Anthony Bourdain's show. Here you will have the option to have lunch or to have a small tasting. After this you'll exit the market and a private van will pick you up to take you back to your hotel.

Inclusions

Lunch
Snacks
Driver/guide
Local guide
Hotel pickup and drop-off in the City Center (extra fees apply if not within the Walled City)

Exclusions

Personal expenses

Departure Time

9:00 AM

Departure Point

Pickup from your hotel. Additional fee if pickup is out of the City Center and Getsemani.

Returns To

Returns to original departure point

Additional Information

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements for group tours. The minimum number of travelers is four (4). In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Due to uneven surfaces, this tour is not recommended for people with walking disabilities or difficulties or for people using a wheelchair
Not wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund

Booking Information

You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.

Cancellation Terms

This trip is fully refundable up to 96 hours prior to the commencement of your trip.

Booking Terms and Conditions

When you book this trip, you need to read and accept the terms and conditions for booking our day trips in excursions.

Hotel Pickup

When you book, we will ask you to select a hotel to be picked up from. Once your booking is confirmed, we'll send you a confirmation voucher with full contact information (phone number, email address) for our local operator in case you need to update or change your hotel pick-up details.

Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about hotel pickup:

What if my hotel is not listed?
That's okay. When you book you can select an hotel from our list and make your way there on the day of departure; or you can contact our local operator directly to make alternate pick-up arrangements.

What if I have not yet booked a hotel?
Once your hotel arrangements are finalised, you can contact our local operator directly with your hotel details.

What if I live locally, am staying with friends or relatives, and/or don't require pick-up?
Once your booking is confirmed, we'll send you complete details and directions to the tour/activity departure point.

Scoring an average traveller rating of 4.92 out of 5 based on the last 13 recent reviews

“

The market tour was so great but our guide Kate was even better! Seriously, she made the entire tour, she gave us so much information and we learned a ton! We tried fruits I had never even seen before, learned a few dance styles and got to eat lunch at a restaurant that Anthony Bourdain ate at! Take this tour and request Kate for your guide...seriously!!”

Amanda N • Submitted 04 Feb 2020

“

Very informative and interesting few hours. We had a nice time and got to see another side of beautiful Cartagena.”

Thomas L • Submitted 22 Oct 2019

“

Our guide, Sheila, was absolutely amazing. Her love of the market is infectious. This is a great way to see, hear, and taste a more authentic side of Cartagena.”

Amelia P • Submitted 09 Jul 2019

“

We really loved our tour guide Orlando. He was extremely knowledgable about the market, the vendors and the people. He took us to a champeta DJ where we tasted refreshing beer that goes well with the culture of champeta. We visited a juice bar and had fresh Colombian juice mixed for us. We were able to view how the posters for champeta parties were made by the famous Runner and the tour ended with a delicious lunch at Sylvias. If you enjoy seeing how Colombians live outside of the tourists areas and learning more about the culture, I high recommend this excursion.”

Ismaelle V • Submitted 06 May 2019

“

Our group of four found our tour of the Bazurto Market with Insider Tours to be fascinating. Paola was a wonderful and engaging guide, and Richard was a most hospitable driver for our group. This tour is not for those seeking a typical tourist experience--lovely shops, fine dining establishments, tidy streets...not even close! This sprawling market is the heartbeat of NON-tourist Cartegena. Paola explained a great deal about the city's culture as she took us to many different sorts of commercial stalls in the market. Besides one other group from Insider Tours who were there at the same time as we were and whom we saw occasionally, we were the only non-natives to be seen in the entire market. This is NOT where you will buy souvenirs, but it IS where you will observe the local populace taking part in market culture. If you like to learn about life in the "real" Cartagena, far from the shined-up tourist areas, the members of our group (two couples) all recommend this tour to you. We also liked that 20% of the revenue from this tour supports the charitable work on the group FEM.”

Sarah N • Submitted 06 May 2019

“

If you are expecting a regular old market like you see in Mexico, London or the United States, youve got another thing coming. This market is extremely dirty and makes you wonder why would anyone go here. Well, once inside all the rows and booths you quickly figure it out. All of the food they prepare and items sold are prepared with love. It was great seeing how our tour guide communicated with everyone, as to say we were with her and just visiting. I cant say enough about Lorena who took us to special booths so we could see the gentleman preparing the herbal remedies for customers, then the street artist who made posters for all of the musical events, not to mention the DJ who prepared two CDs for us to take to remember or visit. We finalized our three hour tours with a meal at Cecelias, supposedly one of the oldest and restaurants in the market .”

Jo C • Submitted 10 Feb 2018

“

Very interesting market and a very good tour. Lots of variety, juice tasting, poster making, herbalist, dance lesson, lunch, and a ride on the local bus. Lots of interesting stuff to see. Excellent guides. Recommended.”

Andre E • Submitted 04 Feb 2018

“

It was a great venture to a different side of Cartagena. You need to be prepared for seeing the grittier side. The market is filled with all types of handmade wares - not crafts but, items used in everyday living. Cooking utensils, foods, etc. The guide gave us an interesting perspective of the class system that exists. Learning about some of the dances and music was a lot of fun. Meeting a local market artist and market chef was also cool. I was cautious about the foods I sampled but, would definitely do again!”

saysha.ryan • Submitted 18 Jan 2018

“

Fantastic tour! Lorena and Marcy were unbelievable guides-friendly and knowledgeable. They expertly navigated through this local market-hit all the hilights along the way (food and music). We felt we were dropped into a place that captured the essence of the local and native inhabitants of Cartagena.”

Allison G • Submitted 21 Dec 2017

“

This trip was truly amazing and a great way to see the REAL Cartagena . Marcy and Diego were wonderful Hosts and very knowledgeable . Everything from the music, to the food, to the handicrafts of the locals was perfect. It was really interesting to see how the local Colombians live and work”

Sarah S • Submitted 27 Apr 2017

“

Wow! The best!!! We had a awesome time with the tour guides, Elena and Marcia!! Very informative and fun! A cultural experience!! A must in Cartagena!!!!”

mark h • Submitted 28 Feb 2017

“

This tour is truly amazing if you want to see the other side of Cartagena, instead of the colonial part of town. The guides are really good and you get a good insight in food, street art, music and life in this neighborhood. The tour is completely safe and the food delicious. For me it was the best part of the trip to Cartagena and a true unforgettable experience. Reg., Maggy”

Machteld C • Submitted 09 Dec 2016

“

Great tour with Sheila to explore the REAL Cartagena. The market is the heart of this Both. Very much enjoyed my day with torguide Sheila. She was friendly professional and very passionate and informative. Highly recommend as a great alternative to the other tourists. sites.”

minifhd • Submitted 28 Nov 2019