4 Days in Cartagena Itinerary Suggestions

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Have 4 days in Cartagena, Colombia?

It’s just enough time to enjoy all the highlights in the city and escape for a day to the beautiful Caribbean islands off the coast.

In short, it’s just enough time to see what I consider to be the must dos!

If you’re wondering what to do in Cartagena in 4 days, read on below as I share my tips for planning with a suggested 4 day Cartagena itinerary based on my experience living in the city for over a decade.

Why 4 Days in Cartagena is Just Enough

If you read my 3 day Cartagena itinerary or my post on how long to stay in Cartagena, you’ll see I highly encourage staying at least 4 days in Cartagena.

A 4 day Cartagena itinerary lets you get 2 full days: one to explore the charm and history of the city and one to get out to the islands nearby for some fun in the sun.

There are, of course, lots of other things to do in and near Cartagena, like day trips to the historic free slave town of Palenque or having more time for a cooking class or exploring the Bazurto Market.

Or, maybe you just want some extra R&R to spend a night in the islands, bum around the hotel pool, hit some rooftop bars, to sleep in after enjoying a night out on the town.

I’ll give include suggestions about possible alternatives and additions in here, but this Cartagena 4 day itinerary is all about hitting the highlights and what I consider the must sees.

4 Day Cartagena Itinerary

I like to preface all of these itinerary posts by saying, it can be hard to know just what 4 days in Cartagena means.

Does it mean 4 complete days, so really more like 6 days and 5 nights?

Or does it really mean only 2 actual days with a late arrival and early departure?

I’ve written this suggested Cartagena 4 day itinerary based on the idea that you have 4 days and 3 nights in Cartagena, so roughly 2 complete days and 2 half days.

You’ll may have to adjust accordingly depending on your arrival and departure times, but I’ve tried to include suggestions on how might do so if you do have a longer or shorter first or last day or both.

Day 1: Arrive and Soak in the Charm

I think first days just about anywhere are all about unwinding from a day of travel and getting your bearings.

So, I’ve kept the first of your four days in Cartagena pretty low key, but if you have an earlier arrival or want to get as much as possible in, you might consider squeezing in some stuff I included below in day 2 here.

First, do check out my guide to the Cartagena airport and my tips on getting Cartagena airport transportation so you know what to expect when to arrive. If you want to make things easy, book an airport pickup here (use the code ExploreColombia20 for 20% off!).

If you read my tips on the best areas to stay in Cartagena, you’ll see I recommend the Walled City and Getsemaní as the top options, and I feel even stronger about that with a short stay, since so many of the city’s highlights are here.

If you take that advice (or even if you don’t), I suggest spending your first afternoon and evening just immersing yourself and doing some strolling in these historic districts.

Try to get a good idea of how to get from your hotel to the landmark clocktower and just take in the charm of the Cartagena Walled City.

If you arrive by lunch time, consider booking a sunset cruise on the bay, which is a relaxing way to spend the evening and gives you a neat perspective on the city.

We love this catamaran sunset cruise, this pirate sunset cruise looks like a lot of fun, and we’ve really enjoyed this open bar sunset cruise the times we’ve done it too.

If you have a later arrival, never fear, you can always plan this for tomorrow.

If you still make it into town before sunset though, I’d recommend Hotel Movich’s rooftop bar or Casa Pura as other great sunset spots.

For a nice dinner, I suggest checking out La Cevichería or Buena Vida Marisquería.

I also suggest heading over to Getsemaní and doing some people watching while enjoying cheap beers from the corner tienda. You can also get a tasty cocktail from the stand in the plaza or tables set up on the Calle Ancho or Callejón Angosto nearby.

You’ll find some of the best street food in Cartagena here too.

So, if you wanted something cheaper for dinner, you can do that here.

There are tons of restaurants options around the plaza too.

If you have the energy for it, you can enjoy the block party atmosphere here until about as late as you want or head over to the famous Café Havana for salsa or Club Seven 7 Times for a mix of music.

See my guide to the Cartagena nightlife for more ideas for where to to out tonight or your other nights.

Day 2: See the Historic Highlights

Day 2 of this Cartagena itinerary for 4 days is all about hitting the highlights of the city and learning more about Cartagena’s history.

I suggest doing a guided city tour to get as much as you can into the morning before it gets too hot and then have the afternoon to explore on your own and relax. You can book a shared city tour here or get 20% off a private city tour with code ExploreColombia20 here.

If you prefer going without a tour, I’d still suggest hitting the Castillo San Felipe fort first thing to beat the heat.

I’d also suggest considering doing this walking tour of the Walled City and Getsemaní, which gives you some great insight on the history of the city and how to get around the historic districts.

You could opt for a street food tour instead if you’re not crazy about history.

Both of those tours have mid-morning options as well as afternoon options if you wanted to sleep in a bit or need some more time at the Castillo.

For lunch, I’d again recommend La Cevichería or Buena Vida, or you could opt for a budget friendly spot like La Mulata.

If you knock out the fort and some exploring of the Walled City out in the morning, I’d suggest leaving your afternoon free to stroll the Walled City more, then hop over to Getsemaní and take in the street art and colorful, decorated streets, there, which make for great photo ops!

You might also want to check out the Museo Naval, the best history museum in Cartagena, and the San Pedro Claver Church, which has a nice art collection.

You could opt to do the sunset cruise this evening if you didn’t get to do it on Day 1.

Or you could plan something like a rum tasting (see my review of that tasting here). Or you could head to a spot like Hotel Movich for sunset drinks or stop in for the sunset and a good dinner at Casa Pura.

Another great dinner spot is Candé, which also works for a nice casual lunch earlier in the day too.

For a fun place to go out dancing, head to Bazurto Social Club, which plays a heavy dose of the locally born and bred Champeta music alongside salsa and reggaeton and has fun mini dance lessons throughout the night.

You could also head to La Jugada or La Movida, two of the city’s ritziest nightclubs in the Walled City.

Or for a more low key night, have some beers at Donde Fidel’s outdoor tables by the Clocktower, sip on tasty cocktails at Al Quimico or Townhouse’s rooftop, or head back to Getsemaní and the area around the Plaza de la Trinidad.

Day 3: Soak in the Sun in the Rosario Islands

If you read my guide to the best beaches in Cartagena, you’ll see that the beaches in town are just ok.

To get crystal clear, Caribbean waters, you’ll need to head out to the Rosario Islands or Barú, which you should absolutely do as part of your four days in Cartagena.

You can choose to do a day pass at a hotel or beach club or do a boat tour out to the islands. My top picks for a relaxed day are the day pass at IslaBela or the catamaran day tour.

For a more lively day, consider the popular Bora Bora beach club or a multi-island tour.

See more options in my post on the best Rosario Islands day trips.

However, my favorite way to do the islands is with a private boat rental, which gives you the ultimate flexibility to plan your day however you like, from serene snorkeling spots, to chill beaches, to dance parties to your heart’s content, with your own playlist to boot!

If you’re traveling with a group (or even if you aren’t) it’s also a great value.

Get a quote for a private Cartagena boat rental with my local partner here and see my tips for a Cartagena boat hire here.

Since the islands are coral islands, I’d recommend taking along some water shoes.

Having your own snorkeling gear isn’t a bad idea either, and a good dry bag and phone protector is definitely worth having too.

Boats from the islands usually make it back just before sunset.

For a low key spot to relax and have a drink and dinner after a day in the sun, check out the food trucks at the Terreza Municipal, which has a great view overlooking the bay.

You can mosey over to Getsemaní if you have any energy left for a night out on the town.

Can I Spend the Night in the Islands?

With only four days in Cartagena, I don’t suggest an overnight stay in the islands.

That’s because boats go early in the morning and return late in the afternoon, so you’re pretty much devoting two entire days to a night out here.

This makes it all but impossible to do it your first or last night, and if you do it your second, you hardly get any time in town.

You can make some places like the Sofitel Calablanca in Barú that are accessible by land work for your last night, but I’d still only recommend it if you have a afternoon flight.

Alternatives to a Day in the Rosarios

If you’re not too keen on a long boat ride, you could consider doing the much shorter boat ride over to Tierra Bomba Island, just across the bay.

Just be warned that while it has nicer beaches than in town, it doesn’t have crystal clear waters like in the Rosarios.

For something more budget friendly and reachable by land, you could also consider Playa Blanca, but it has a reputation for overcrowding and pushy vendors. I think most travelers will be happier they spent a bit more on the Rosarios, but if you want to brave it be sure to read my guide to Playa Blanca here before you go.

If you’d rather skip the beach entirely, maybe because you’re getting your beach fix elsewhere in Colombia like the gorgeous San Andrés Island or the unspoiled Tayrona National Park, you could opt to do something in or around town.

If you’re interested in culture, I’d suggest doing the day trip to San Basilio de Palenque, a town founded by runaway slaves where many traditional African practices survived, including the only known Spanish based creole language.

For something a bit different, you could take a dip in the mud volcano outside Cartagena.

Another fun way to spend some time is with a cooking class (read about my experience doing this with my mom here) or maybe a coffee workshop and tasting.

Or, you could just relax by the hotel pool and do some more strolling or shopping around town.

Day 4: Say Goodbye to Cartagena

To allow for all different potential departure times, I don’t like to give you much to do on your last day in Cartagena.

However, if you’ve got a later departure, you could opt to do something like the coffee tasting I mentioned above or just stop in to Café San Alberto, where you can sample the most awarded coffee in Colombia.

I think coffee from there or a place like Libertario Coffee Roasters makes one of the best gifts to take home to family and friends too, by the way.

Art is another terrific gift.

There is nice art for sale on the street corner outside the main cathedral entrance and also on the Calle del Mural in Getsemaní, right near where that coffee tasting is at Café del Mural.

You can find good souvenirs at Las Bovedas or the tourist shop diagonal the back corner of the cathedral too.

You could also opt to check out one or more of the Cartagena museums you might have missed.

Or, you can always bum around the hotel pool or relax until it’s time to go to the airport!

Ready to spend your 4 days in Cartagena?

I hope you found this suggested 4 day Cartagena itinerary useful and helpful for planning your trip!

If you haven’t booked yet, I do think you can get a lot out of an additional day or two, especially if you wanted to do the islands as an overnight stay or wanted to do them and one or more of the activities I listed in the alternatives above.

Regardless, I hope you have a wonderful time in Cartagena.

Do check out all the other content on the site to help you plan!

Cheers and Happy Exploring!