Colonia Day Trip & Optional Private Transfers from Buenos Aires
Description
Escape the hustle and bustle of Buenos Aires and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the historic Uruguayan town of Colonia del Sacramento. On this day trip, take a short boat ride from Buenos Aires across the Rio de la Plata and enjoy a 1 hour sightseeing city tour and walking tour of Colonia. Then, enjoy a delicious lunch in the restaurant of your choice (at your own expense) and spend the afternoon exploring the city of Colonia at your leisure.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Our Day Trip to Colonia from Buenos Aires by Ferry begins at the ferry port (details above) at 7:15am or at your hotel from 6 am if you selected the option.
Embark on our trip to Colonia at 8:15am. The ferry takes about 2 hours to cross to Uruguay.
Head inside the ferry station and get directions of where to go for a 1-hour sightseeing city tour inside the historic neighborhood. Full of old cobblestone streets, rustic buildings and famous landmarks, this historic town has a captivating atmosphere and charm. Then, walk around the city while absorbing the history of Colonia. Admire the beautiful architecture that gives this city its rustic charm – in fact, both Colonia's old and modern architecture are now protected as UNESCO World Heritage sites. You will be on your own to have lunch. Head to the restaurant of your choice and enjoy a delicious Uruguayan meal (own expense). After lunch, enjoy free time to explore the city at your leisure. Walk through the streets, visit the local museums, browse the pottery and jewelry shops, or take a stroll along the coast to admire the town’s remarkable beauty.
At around 15:30 pm we’ll be taken back to the port to board our boat, which leaves at 16:30 pm. After 2 hours on the water we’ll be back in Buenos Aires, where our tour will come to a close at the ferry pier or at your hotel if you selected the option.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
The pick up transfer is only from selected centrally located hotels. If your hotel is outside the geographic area, we will confirm you the closest meeting point. Indicate the name and address of your hotel.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Ferry ride is approximately 2 hours
- Please note: a current valid passport is required to enter Uruguay
- Possession of proper government issued documentation is the responsibility of the passenger. You may require additional documentation to enter Uruguay. A Uruguayan visa may be required for some nationalities; check your home country requirements for entering Uruguay.
- Passport name, number, date of birth, expiry and country is required at time of booking for all participants
- Note: The city tour may include an English-speaking guide, subject to availability. Please contact the local tour operator upon booking so they can arrange this service for you
Reviews(47)
Having a driver and ferry tickets, with the one hour walking tour made the day trip from Buenos Aires easy. The driver was waiting for us at our hotel on the dot to take us to the ferry. Returned to BA on an earlier ferry and made arrangements with our driver who once again was on time for our drive back to our hotel. The walking tour gave good historical and cultural background; pointed out the highlights as a foundation to our own exploration of the town. I would say however, there were plenty of taxis and ride shares available on the return; and when we changed our ferry time through ColoniaExpress it was very easy. With that said, one could book this there independently. Viator made it easy as a package; doing it alone would be fine too.
Trip was fine. Ferry ride was great. Did have a great experience with the personal driver. Once in Uruguay we would have rather just done our own site seeing.
Hello Heidie, thank you for your feedback! We're glad you enjoyed the ferry ride and your private driver. We appreciate your comments and hope to welcome you again on another experience. Tangol Tours
The travel to and from was wonderful. Colonia is a cute little town with a much slower pace from Buenos Aires. I would have liked a longer walking tour with more historical details. I would go again.
Thank you for your kind review! We're happy you enjoyed Colonia and the ferry journey. We appreciate your suggestion and hope to see you again on a future visit. Tangol Tours
Pretty expensive for the experience. The English tour guide is a joke. Also the company who ever reserved or organized my trip mixed up with timing of return ferry and wasted lots of our time. I would recommend just buy the ferry ticket and go on your own than booking through these companies.
Dear VidyasagarReddy_V, We are truly sorry that your experience with the Colonia del Sacramento tour did not meet your expectations, and we sincerely appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback. We would like to clarify that the itinerary of this excursion is subject to the schedules established by the ferry companies, and we always reconfirm both departure and return times in advance. If there was a last-minute change, we deeply regret the impact it may have had on your day. Regarding the guiding service, we work with licensed and bilingual professionals, and we are sorry that your experience did not reflect this standard. We will review this situation internally to reinforce the quality of the service provided. Colonia del Sacramento, with its historic district recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is usually highly appreciated by those seeking a cultural and picturesque getaway from Buenos Aires. We’re glad you were able to visit this destination, and we regret that the organization did not meet your expectations. Please feel free to reach out with any additional questions or comments. Best regards, Tangol Tours
Good place for 1 whole day tour! Bucolic location with interesting attractions from the Portuguese colonization.
Agradecemos muito seus comentários e compartilhando conosco sua experiência em Colonia del Sacramento. Estamos felizes em saber que você gostou da da experiência. Atenciosamente, Tangol
My wife an I booked this ferry trip to Colonia, Uraguay online, prior to our tour of Brazil & Argentina. We had a free day, so we chose to add another country, as a day trip from Buenos Aires. Colonia is an old walled city and there are many shops and restaurants in an area which is an easy walk from the ferry terminal. A relaxing treat!
Dear Ronald, Thanks for sharing with us your experiences in Argentina and Uruguay. We are pleased to know that you have enjoyed the activity. It will be a pleasure to assist you on your next visit! Greetings,
The ride to the ferry and home after we’re great. The guía in Colonia was ver good, but the whole “tour” only lasted maybe 45 minutes, then we were “on our own” for 4 or 5 hours. Three of us hired the guide independently for a couple of hours and that was great. Without that, it would’ve been a bust
Dear Rick, we are truly sorry to hear that you did not enjoy this experience. The day tour to Colonia, is the most basic option to know the city in one day from Buenos Aires. Of course, you have the option to add other services. The ship company is who programs the circuit in Colonia. We will send them your comments so they can improve the quality of their services. Kind regards.
The tour was a waste of money. The tour guide guided us for about 45 min then we got into some van that drove us out of town for lunch for 2 hours. The food was awful. Then we only had an hour to explore colonia after lunch before heading back to the ferry port. Total waste of money.
We are truly sorry to hear that you did not enjoy this experience. The day tour to Colonia, is the most basic option to know the city in one day from Buenos Aires. Of course, you have the option to add other services. The lunch is not included in this tour so you received an upgrade, we regret that you did not like it. The ship company is who programs the circuit in Colonia. We will send them your comments so they can improve the quality of their services. Kind regards.
We chose to meet the tour at the ferry terminal, which was an east thing to do. It saved a lot of money to take our own taxi transportation. All the details went exactly as described, and we hAd no complaints with the tour operator. The problem is: Colonia is deadly dull and really not worth a day
Thank you very much for your comments, We are truly sorry to hear that you did not enjoy this experience. Colonia del Sacramento is one of the oldest towns in Uruguay. It is renowned for its historic quarter, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For these reasons, the city is visited by many tourists who wish to see it during the day. We regret that the city has not fulfilled your expectations. We really appreciate your comments as it helps us improve our services. Kind regards.
We decided ahead of time to book this trip and it was worth it. Colonia is beautiful. The ferry is not a complicated process and tickets can be purchased at the Colonia Express terminal. We were on the 9a.m. ferry but were picked up at our hotel at 6am, which was too early. We sat at the terminal for 1 hour before others passengers arrived. A 7 am pick up would allow ample time to check in. Colonia is charming and a perfect day trip from Buenos Aires.
Thank you very much for your comments! We are glad to know that you enjoyed this nice experience. Thank you for choosing us, we hope to see you soon! Greetings, Tangol.
