CartagenaTaxi and guide rates?

[banditoo]

Does anyone know what the going rates are for a taxi and guide for 2 people to see the fortress, monastery and old city Cartagena?

[banditoo]

I just found the answer to my own question now that the search function is working quicker. I have quoted the info below rfom another thread just in case someone else is looking for the cost of taxis in Cartagena.

 

Quote -We were on the Coral Princess and stopped on Dec. 4th. Do not like taking the ship tours so we got a taxi at the port gate. Posted prices were $60.00 per taxi for a three hour city/shopping tour. Plenty of taxis at the gate with english speaking drivers. There is an english speaking tour person at the gate who will direct you to a taxi. The taxis are small compact cars so 2 persons per taxi is comfortable (4 persons would be a tight squeeze). Our taxi driver spoke very good english. There is not a set tour, you can request the taxi driver to go where ever you want. We did not know were to go so asked the driver to take us on a tour of the highlights.

Started at the monastery. Great view of the city. Vendors very aggresive at the monastery - but if you keep walking and say no gracias they will back off. We have travelled quite a bit, so the aggresiveness of the vendors did not bother us. If this is your first vendor experience it may be a shock to the system but is manageable.

Next toured the old city, which was the highlight of the tour. The taxi parked on the outskirts of the city and then our driver took us on a walking tour commenting on the various buildings, parks, etc. There were some vendors in the old city but they were not aggressive.

Then took a driving tour through the rest of the city. Stopped at an emerald store. Very laid back, store clerks allowed you to browse without any pressure to purchase. The store even supplied free beer for the husbands while the wives shopped.

Definitely recommend taking a tour that includes the old city. Would recommend the private tour with the taxi - then you can decide were to go and not follow along with a large group. Was a hot day and the old city requires some walking so may not be suitable for the mobility impaired.

No safety concerns at all during any part of the tour. I am glad we did go ashore as Cartagena turned out to be our favourite port of the cruise.

[banditoo]

We just got back from our cruise and had an excellent time in Cartagena. We did end up going with the plan to negotiate a guide at the dock and it worked out very well. The port is very well set up and has a lovely park and gift shop right at the dock area. Just outside the gift shop is where the approved guides and taxis line up and it was very easy to select one who spoke fluent English and was agreeable to providing what we wanted without his own hidden agenda to take us shopping. We wanted to see the fortress, monastery and old city and not do a lot of shopping. He asked if he could take us to one emerald shop for a few minutes and promised we would not be pressured. We agreed and he was a man of his word. The guide was Alvarro Bartollo and his cousin was the driver of their new air conditioned van. My husband and I had picked up a couple of 'stray' fellow passengers who wanted to tag along with our agenda and then while we were negotiating with Alvarro, he said if he could add a couple more passengers to make 8-10 in his van then he would take us for $20 per person to do what we wanted for about 4-4.5 hours. We readily were able to get another small group who had come off the Ocean Village ship and away we went. We had a great tour. Alvarro was very watchful over us all, regularly doing head counts. He provided us all with clip on laminated tags with his name so that we were identifiable and so that other guides wouldn't hassle us. From info on these forums, I had expected to pay about $60 for a 3 hour tour for my husband and I and instead we paid 40 plus a small tip for a longer tour and had fun meeting others as well. He took us the reverse route of the ship excursions so we did not end up having to do battle with large bus loads. We felt completely safe at all times. There were street vendors but I did not find them bothersome, just laugh and say no thank you and even have a little fun with them. I just tell them I'm a cheap Canadian lady with a big smile and them chat with them a little bit about any old thing and we have a great time. This port was well worth the stop and venturing off with the guide.

[hcleaner]

Thank you, banditoo, for coming back to your thread and posting the results of your stop in Cartagena. We are not going there till November of this year but I have printed out your post and I think we will try and do the same thing when we are there. I hope we have as good a time and luck as you did.

 

Thank You again, it has been very helpful.

 

Wendy

[Pinkbikini]

We appreciate your post! We will visit in Nov aboard Island Princess and would like to negotiate a trip on our own as well. Thank you!

[Jacques O]

Hello everyone

 

Thanks Banditoo for your info.

So, I understand there is no 'safety' issue.

We'll do visits on our own. And why not hire a cab with other fellow passengers for a few hours, to tour the place.

Seems like Cartagena is an intersting place.

We are more intersted in the old city (monastery, fortress and the like) than shopping.

 

Pinkbikini, you said you'd be on the Island Princess in Now. Like us. What cruise? We'll be on the transcanal cruise, from LLD to LAX, 16-30 Nov. See you on board, perpahs!

 

Jacques O, Paris.

[PACURN]

We just got back from our cruise and had an excellent time in Cartagena. We did end up going with the plan to negotiate a guide at the dock and it worked out very well. The port is very well set up and has a lovely park and gift shop right at the dock area. Just outside the gift shop is where the approved guides and taxis line up and it was very easy to select one who spoke fluent English and was agreeable to providing what we wanted without his own hidden agenda to take us shopping. We wanted to see the fortress, monastery and old city and not do a lot of shopping. He asked if he could take us to one emerald shop for a few minutes and promised we would not be pressured. We agreed and he was a man of his word. The guide was Alvarro Bartollo and his cousin was the driver of their new air conditioned van. My husband and I had picked up a couple of 'stray' fellow passengers who wanted to tag along with our agenda and then while we were negotiating with Alvarro, he said if he could add a couple more passengers to make 8-10 in his van then he would take us for $20 per person to do what we wanted for about 4-4.5 hours. We readily were able to get another small group who had come off the Ocean Village ship and away we went. We had a great tour. Alvarro was very watchful over us all, regularly doing head counts. He provided us all with clip on laminated tags with his name so that we were identifiable and so that other guides wouldn't hassle us. From info on these forums, I had expected to pay about $60 for a 3 hour tour for my husband and I and instead we paid 40 plus a small tip for a longer tour and had fun meeting others as well. He took us the reverse route of the ship excursions so we did not end up having to do battle with large bus loads. We felt completely safe at all times. There were street vendors but I did not find them bothersome, just laugh and say no thank you and even have a little fun with them. I just tell them I'm a cheap Canadian lady with a big smile and them chat with them a little bit about any old thing and we have a great time. This port was well worth the stop and venturing off with the guide.

I have a group of 8 that would be interested in something like that. Too bad you don't have an email so we could prebook.

[April2986]

Can you tell me how many cruise ships were in the Cartagena port the day you were there. We'll be there in February 2009 and there are 3 ships due in that day. Wondering if we could find a reputable tour guide with so many ships in port.

 

Mary

[lacruiser]

Thanks, Banditoo -- we'll be in Cartagena on 12/8 on Enchantment. We loathe big tour groups -- and especially loathe big tour buses! -- so this sounds great. I had thought of contacting Lee Miles, but since we are only 2 that seems a tad pricey. We both speak Spanish; my husband fluently and I guess I'd call myself "semi-fluent", so an English speaking guide would be great. Glad to know we can arrange it on our own; have never been to Cartagena and are really looking forward to it.

[banditoo]

Can you tell me how many cruise ships were in the Cartagena port the day you were there. We'll be there in February 2009 and there are 3 ships due in that day. Wondering if we could find a reputable tour guide with so many ships in port.

 

Mary

 

There were at least two ships in that date as we had the Ocean Village in port with us. I believe there was a third. Tour guides were plentiful at the entry just outside the gift shop area at the port.

[alina555]

We followed OP's advice and hired a taxi for a three hour shopping tour at the rate of $25/pp. (Go past the initial private tour signs when you initially leave the entrance - those are a slightly higher rate unless you have a large group. Go out the gates to get the individual taxis.) He took us to the Fort de San Felipe ($7/pp ticket price) and then to the walled city and the Dungeons. He then took us to the famous shopping center (can't remember the name, but it's mainly jewelry stores). Everything on our tour went fine until we asked him to take us to his favorite restaurant for lunch. He took us to a local fish house, where he proceeded to take advantage of us by WAY overcharging our meal - we should have known when at the end of the meal he told us to pay him in US cash, and he'd pay the restaurant owner in pesos. We initially tried to dispute the amount, thinking it was too high for Colombia, but he swore to us it was a good price. We later found out that he overcharged us roughly $40 for our meal, all of which went into his pocket. Oh well, you live and learn. :p