Choose Santa Marta tours by destination and start
Santa Marta tours serve three different settings: the Caribbean coast, Minca's mountain surroundings and the archaeological route to Ciudad Perdida. Minca, Tayrona and Palomino can form separate excursion days; the selected Lost City trek lasts four days. Start by deciding between coffee and cacao, coastal travel and a multi-day walk, then compare the actual departure arrangements.
The Minca outing starts locally, the seven-hour yacht day starts at a Santa Marta pier, and the four-day trek includes hotel pickup. Those details change the journey before the activity begins. For coffee and cacao without arranging the coastal transfer, consider the Minca experience with a Rodadero meeting point and included transport instead of assuming that every mountain outing collects from a hotel.
Trips from Santa Marta
Explore Minca with coffee tastings or take a coastal yacht trip with lunch. The Ciudad Perdida trek adds camp accommodation for a longer adventure.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide and Viator. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of November 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Ciudad Perdida trek with camp stays
- Camp accommodation
- Entry tickets to attractions
- Insurance
An English- and Spanish-speaking guide accompanies this four-day trek. Meals are included as specified in the itinerary.
Check availability →
Minca coffee and cocoa outing
- Coffee and cocoa tasting
- Lunch
- Medical insurance
A professional English- and Spanish-speaking guide accompanies the outing. Private transportation is included.
Check availability →
Tayrona trails and return by speedboat
- Ground transportation from Santa Marta
- Nature hike along trails
- Return by speedboat
Park entry and mandatory insurance cost extra. A hiking guide is included only if specified in the booking; airport-area pickup may cost extra.
Check availability →
Palomino day trip from Santa Marta
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Breakfast and typical lunch
- Tourist insurance
Travel in an air-conditioned van with a logistical coordinator. Optional water activities cost extra.
Check availability →
Santa Marta coast and six beaches
- Entrance to the marina
- Visit to 6 beaches
- Unlimited non-alcoholic drinks
The coastal yacht trip includes stops for swimming and relaxation. Lunch is served at the third stop.
Check availability →
Minca nature and coffee experience
- Waterfall admission ticket
- Artisanal coffee farm admission
- Coffee and cacao workshop
A bilingual guide accompanies an approximately 100-minute nature walk. Lunch includes vegetarian or vegan options.
Check availability →Day trips, a yacht outing and four-day trekking
Choose coffee and cacao with a local start, Tayrona with a boat return, Palomino with meals, or a hotel-pickup trek with camp accommodation.
Day trips from Santa Marta to Minca, Tayrona and Palomino
Minca offers coffee and cacao, Tayrona offers coastal trails, and Palomino provides a different coastal destination in La Guajira. These are alternative day plans, each with its own transport arrangement. Use the Minca page and Tayrona guide for the destination details rather than combining several places into an unsupported single route.
The seven-hour Tayrona combination supplies ground transportation from Santa Marta, a nature hike and a speedboat return from Cabo San Juan. Park admission and mandatory entry insurance cost extra, as do meals and drinks. A guide during the hike is included only when the booked option specifies one. This is a transport-and-walk combination, rather than a promise of continuous guided hiking.
The ten-hour Palomino excursion includes hotel pickup and drop-off, air-conditioned van transport, breakfast, a typical lunch, tourist insurance and a logistical coordinator. Optional water activities, including tubing, are additional purchases. Palomino lies outside Santa Marta in La Guajira; the destination's approximately two-hour road approach is a planning reference rather than a promised arrival time. Follow local conditions for any water activity.
Reaching the Minca meeting point
Minca is the starting location for the coffee, cacao, waterfall and viewpoint outing, and hotel pickup is excluded. Included services cover a bilingual guide, an approximately 100-minute nature walk, waterfall and coffee farm admission, a coffee and cacao workshop, drinks of coffee and cacao and a house lunch with vegetarian or vegan choices. Arrange the journey to Minca separately from the activity.
The nine- to ten-hour Minca excursion provides private transportation, a Spanish- and English-speaking professional guide, coffee and cocoa tasting, lunch and medical insurance. Its Rodadero option meets at the traffic light at the shopping-centre entrance, with guests ready at 09:00 for collection between 09:00 and 09:20. Private transportation describes the vehicle service; the experience is presented here as a Minca excursion.
Minca is approximately 17 km from Santa Marta. Allow the meeting location to guide your choice of accommodation base, especially if staying in the mountains rather than the city. Coffee visits, waterfall access and any onward journey to a hillside property are separate practical considerations.
Four days for Ciudad Perdida, rather than a day trip
Ciudad Perdida requires four days for the selected trek, including hotel pickup and drop-off, an English- and Spanish-speaking guide, admission to the mentioned attractions, camp accommodation, specified meals and insurance. The archaeological destination Teyuna lies in the Sierra Nevada, separate from Tayrona's coastal park. Access requires a certified guide and advance reservation through an authorised agency.
The Lost City trekking guide compares overnight arrangements and access. Camp accommodation belongs to the mountain journey, so keep these nights separate from a city hotel reservation. The selected trek's four-day duration includes the wider journey; descriptions of walking days to the ruins should not replace the complete itinerary.
Private or shared experiences in Santa Marta
Santa Marta's yacht day suits travellers choosing six coastal stops with a crew and meals, while a private boat charter suits a party wanting exclusive boat use. Travellers wanting a coastal day choose the yacht with lunch; those interested in coffee and cacao choose the Minca outing with its workshop. The seven-hour yacht experience includes marina admission, fruit, snacks, unlimited non-alcoholic refreshments, lunch and life jackets; transfer to the pier is extra.
Compare private city visits and the exclusive charter for a different service model, or open boat tours for coastal alternatives. A guided city visit, museums and food tastings belong on the old town page. These links keep a city experience separate from a mountain day or a boat itinerary.
Santa Marta excursions by theme
Santa Marta excursions are easier to compare within their destination: open the relevant guide for routes, starts and included services.
Minca
Coffee, cacao and local meeting points.
Tayrona
Cabo San Juan and Playa Cristal approaches.
Ciudad Perdida
Guides, camp nights and archaeological visits.
Boat tours
Coastal routes and beach outings.
Old town
History, museum visits and food tastings.
Private tours
Historical guiding and an exclusive boat.
Questions about Santa Marta excursions
Santa Marta excursion choices depend on included transport, admission and the amount of time reserved for each destination.
Does the coffee and cacao tour collect from Santa Marta hotels?
No. The coffee, cacao and waterfall outing starts in Minca and excludes hotel pickup. Book the journey to Minca separately when staying on the coast. The transport-inclusive Minca excursion instead has a Rodadero meeting option and includes lunch, a professional bilingual guide, tasting and medical insurance.
What is included in the Palomino day trip?
The ten-hour Palomino day trip includes hotel pickup and return, transport in an air-conditioned van, breakfast, a typical lunch, tourist insurance and a logistical coordinator. Tubing and other optional water activities cost extra. The outing starts after arrival in Santa Marta and is a destination excursion rather than an airport transfer.
How long does the Ciudad Perdida option take?
Four days are needed for the selected Ciudad Perdida trek, with hotel pickup, camp accommodation and specified meals. Teyuna is an archaeological park in the Sierra Nevada rather than a beach stop inside Tayrona. Reserve through an authorised agency with a certified guide and allocate the full multi-day journey.