Montevideo in Style: Private City Tour for Cruise Passengers
Description
Join us on private tour with a local guide through Montevideo, the captivating city known as 'The Switzerland of America'! Explore its vibrant history and culture, from the historic Ciudad Vieja (Old City) to the modern architectural marvels. Experience the genuine warmth and hospitality of its people as you visit iconic landmarks and uncover the roots of mate, tango, and candombe that are deeply embedded in its streets.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Welcome to Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay! (Duration: 20 minutes) We’ll be waiting for you at the meeting point in the Port of Montevideo to start the tour of Ciudad Vieja. Our first stop is Plaza Constitución, where we'll visit the historic Montevideo Cathedral. Stroll with us through this charming square, surrounded by antiques and pieces of Uruguayan history.
Then, we will get back on the minivan for a brief 3-minute drive to Plaza Independencia. Alongside the guide, you will learn about iconic buildings such as the Salvo Palace, the Executive Tower, the City Gate, the Solís Theatre, and the Estevez Palace.
Continuing our tour, we’ll travel through 18 de Julio Avenue and Libertador Avenue until we reach the Legislative Palace. We’ll stop for photos and admire this stunning Neoclassical building from the early 20th century.
Just 500 meters away, we’ll visit the renowned MAM, a charming market and shopping area, part of Uruguay's Historical Heritage. Here, you can taste typical Uruguayan cuisine, craft beers, and local products like leather and cashmere garments.
Continuing our city tour, we’ll head to the Battlle Park neighborhood, known for its embassies amid expansive lush gardens. Here, we’ll visit the Monumento a La Carreta, an impressive bronze carriage monument.
Just a short distance away, we’ll visit the historic Estadio Centenario,a world football monument where the first FIFA World Cup was held in 1930. It’s a must-see for football fans to take photos at the entrance of the official box, next to the sign commemorating this iconic sporting event.
In just 10 minutes, we’ll arrive at the picturesque Pocitos neighborhood, one of Montevideo’s most beautiful areas. Take memorable photos with the famous Montevideo sign, set against the backdrop of the Rambla and the stunning beach on the edge of the Rio.
We continue with a 16-km drive along the Rambla, passing through Pocitos, Punta Carretas, and Parque Rodó. The guide will point out Parlasur (Mercosur headquarters), the U.S. embassy, and other notable monuments and buildings.
Finally, we’ll return to the Port of Montevideo. For those who wish to continue exploring, you can choose to finish just 50 meters from our meeting point, where you’ll find the Mercado del Puerto. You can enjoy a traditional Uruguayan barbecue on this delightful gastronomic and historic spot.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- *In case you are bringing a wheelchair, electric scooter, or require child seating, please let us know at least 48 hours in advance.
Reviews(10)
Our guide was very knowledgeable. Great shopping and lots of history. Beautiful city, and very clean.
A great way to see the attractions of Montevideo in a short space of time, with plenty of opportunities to take photos. Our hearts sank when our guide immediately apologised for his lack of English, but we managed. He was very friendly and helpful (stopping the car wherever and for as long as we wanted) and the car was comfortable and clean.
Well worth it! If you can, ask for Fernando. Knowledgeable, friendly, and considerate of your time and needs.
Our guide Martin was fantastic. Very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and fun to be with. We’ve been to Montevideo before, but he showed us so much of the city that we didn’t know. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour.
Raul did an absolutely amazing job, if we could’ve given him 10 stars we definitely would have. Montevideo was absolutely beautiful and we were able to see so many sites. We were picked up at the port and our private tour was totally customized to meet all of our accessibility needs. Two of us travel with portable oxygen and we use one scooter and one walker. Raul made e everything as easy as possible and we were able to see and do many more things than we had thought possible. The communication with the tour group was spot on and getting Raul as our guide was the icing on the cake! In addition to the many sites that we saw we were able to enjoy a massive Chivito sandwich for lunch and then enjoyed a sweet treat, Alfajorcito, courtesy of Raul for dessert. Raul told us many stories, shared the history of what we were seeing, and we found ourselves laughing and enjoying ourselves all day long. We could not have asked for a better day in port.
Spectacular tour…highly recommend! Our guide (Raul) was so knowledgeable and friendly. He was patient to answer our questions and never tired of taking pictures of us in front of key locations. It’s a great way to see the city in 3-4 hours…and leave free time after the tour and before you get back on your ship. The retail area near the port is packed with food and shopping experiences.
Very well organized. Tour was very knowledgeable and informative and made the day enjoyable. Would definitely recommend if you’re travelling with a group.
🐧 There’s a penguin dancing with happiness after reading your review! Thank you so much for your kind words and your wonderful feedback. We’re truly delighted to hear that you found the tour well organized and that your guide made the day both enjoyable and informative. It means a lot to us that you would recommend our experience to other travelers — especially those visiting as a group. Our team works very hard to deliver memorable moments in every port, and knowing that we accomplished that with you really makes our day. We hope to welcome you back to explore more of South America with us! Yellow Penguin Team 🐧💛
We had a great time. We took the morning tour. Steven, our guide was very easy to find among all the hustle and bustle of the cruise port. Our group consisted of us and 5 other couples. The coach was very comfortable and clean. Steven pointed out all the highlights and told us the history behind all the significant monuments. Before heading to the Mercado, he gave us all this amazingly delicious chocolate that is a specialty of Uruguay. We ended up buying a package that they sold in the Mercado. Highly recommend. We had time to explore on our own at that time. He got us back to the cruise port by 12:45pm. Steven, thank you so much for the fun and informative tour. From your Canadian friends :)
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! 😊 We’re thrilled to hear that you had a great time on our morning tour and that Steven made the experience both fun and informative. It’s great to know that finding Steven at the busy cruise port was easy—we always make sure our guides are highly visible to ensure a smooth start! We’re also glad you enjoyed the comfortable coach, the historical insights, and of course, the delicious Uruguayan chocolate! 🍫 (It’s hard to resist, right? 😄). We truly appreciate your recommendation and are happy you had some time to explore the Mercado on your own before heading back to the ship right on time. Steven sends his best regards to his Canadian friends! 🍁🇺🇾 Hope to see you again on another adventure! 🚢🐧
Carolina was a wonderful guide! She made the tour magical. She showed us the highlights of the old town, (we even watched a tango performance), downtown, as well as the Mercado Agrícola de Montevideo, General Assembly of Uruguay, the Artigas Mausoleum, and so much more. Our van was comfortable and clean, not mention stocked with bottles of water and small alfajores (for a sweet treat). We had so much fun. I highly recommend yellow Penguin!
Thank you so much for your amazing review! We’re thrilled to hear that Carolina made your tour magical and that you enjoyed exploring the highlights of Montevideo with her. It’s wonderful that the tango performance, the Mercado Agrícola, and all the other stops added to your experience. We’re also glad you found the van comfortable and enjoyed the sweet treats! Thank you for recommending Yellow Penguin—we hope to see you again on another adventure!
It was a unique experience, beautiful city that I didn't know, wonderful people, and I want to thank Martin so much our Tour Guide who explained everything and introduced us so much, and also made us eat in beautiful places, thank you very much
Grazie mille per le tue gentili parole! Siamo felici che la tua esperienza a Montevideo sia stata unica e che tu abbia apprezzato la bellezza della città e la cordialità delle persone. Siamo lieti di sapere che Martin è stato una guida eccezionale e che ha reso il vostro tour speciale, facendovi conoscere luoghi fantastici e ottimo cibo. Speriamo di avere l'opportunità di accogliervi di nuovo in futuro per esplorare ancora di più la nostra meravigliosa città!
