Freedom Tour of Palenque

Sugar was amazing! Very knowledgeble about the área, friendly, and high energy. We loved our experience with the tour and will absolutely recommend it to others!

Suga was the best tour guide! As a local of palenque he shared the history with ease. Go on this tour if you want tour if want an authentic history and some great food.

A small bus picked my cousin and I up at our hostel before 8am. Then we went to pick up another group of people at another hotel and then were on our way. The van was air conditioned and the driver was very nice. Recommendations: I do wish they had been more communicative the day before going, because the driver didn’t have the address until I called their Whatsapp number the night before. I do wish we had more storytelling and history during the dance school stop. The tour itself I thought was very inclusive of many things. The Kombilesa Mí house, the old house, the witch doctor, being in town center, school of dance, art murals, and the restaurant. Bring Colombian pesos with you, there will be places for you to tip or purchase souvenirs. Souvenirs may be more expensive than other places, but the funds go directly to the community! It is very hot in Palenque, so bring sunscreen or an umbrella to cover yourself from the spicy sun. The tour lasts around 6 hours, so it is a full day. Overall I give this a 5 because the tour guides are wonderful and learning the Black history of Colombia is a history many don’t know. So it is absolutely beautiful to have contributed to this tourism of this small town.

My sister and I traveled to Cartagena and we were very excited to visit Palenque and learn the history of our melanated people. Our driver was friendly, it was a two hour drive. It was beautiful to see the land. We didn't realize it was a private tour with just our party, so that was nice. Upon arrival, we waited for our tour guide. Once he arrived, he took our food orders for the restaurant and then we left. We started the tour and it seemed disjointed. Our guide gave random facts , walked ahead of us the entire "tour" talking to friends, and sat down at each place we visited. It didn't seem as if he wanted to be there or was an actual tour guide. We saw other groups with guides who were advising them of the history of Palenque, it was very disappointing and we didn't feel that we learned anything about the culture/people. We were advised that donations were voluntary but everywhere we went, people were asking for donations and to buy items. We were advised we know you have the money by one of the women vendors. That turned us off from purchasing after that, we did purchase items from the medical doctor. It felt like an amusement park and not a cultural experience. I don't think many of the people even lived in the town based on what the guide told us. The best part was the brief dance at the end and the food at the restaurant was amazing. Very disappointing because we were so excited for the experience.

Palenque is a 2 hour drive from Cartagena. The tour is interesting and very educational. Lunch was delicious and our guide was very knowledgeable and provided a well paced tour.

It was authentic and not overly touristy. The aim was to clearly share the Palenque culture in all its reality. The murals were beautiful. The guide was informative, the entire community including the children and young adults were involved. While donations were welcome there was no pressure. The lunch was delicious and was a fitting end to a very informative and interesting tour.

We had an amazing time visiting Palenque as a day excursion from Cartagena. My boyfriend and I were looking for something unique to do where we can learn more about the culture, history, and people of Colombia. Ronal was an incredible tour guide who was very knowledgeable. We enjoyed meeting his family as well as other community members who showed us the culture and way of life of the people of Palenque. Thank you to Ronal and his family for this incredible opportunity!

We had a wonderful time with Ronald our tour guide. He was very knowledgeable in giving us the history of the Palenque people and culture. Then we finished off with some amazing food at his family restaurante.

This tour was one of the highlights of my time in Cartagena. Visiting Palenque felt meaningful, not just like a quick stop on a tour route. Keiner was an excellent guide – knowledgeable, engaging, and clearly proud of the history and culture he was sharing. I really appreciated how the tour was broken up into different portions, from learning about Palenque’s origins and significance, to walking through the community and hearing real stories that brought everything to life. It never felt rushed, and there was plenty of time to ask questions and actually take things in.

1. We did not realize this was a private tour, shame on us. We’ve noticed that tours start later than what the instructions say so our driver arrived about 45 minutes late. 2. The location is about 1.5 away from Bocagrande. Water/drinks/amenities would’ve been appreciated during the ride. 3. We do not recommend this excursion for the price pp compared to other excursions. The educational and historical stories weren’t correlated which made it hard to appreciate the culture. Tour guide (Suga/Azucar) was ok but then ditched us claiming to need to get pain meds only to show up at lunch dancing and hosting another family instead. 4. Important to note that every stop on this tour includes vendors that rely on “donations”. I felt there was more focus on obtaining money compared to learning about the culture and people. 5 .Walking shoes are a must. There is a lot of muddy areas and animal feces, along with rubble and stones on the streets. 6. Lastly, if you’re looking for an anthropological experience with pesky vendors, go for it! We recommend you spend your money elsewhere though.