In this post we give you all the information you need to get to Cartagena in Colombia. Whether by bus or plane, Cartagena, Colombia’s most visited city, is easy to reach.
Located in the north of Colombia, on the Caribbean coast, Cartagena is well connected to the rest of the country. With an airport serving all the country’s major cities, and numerous bus routes linking the bus terminal.
Disclaimer: we apologize in advance for any grammatical or syntactic errors, as our native language is not English (we're a Colombian-French couple), so we hope you'll forgive us and still enjoy the information we share with you! Please note that all the information on our blog is based on our own experience, and is checked and updated regularly.
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Getting to Cartagena by bus
How to get to Cartagena
As Colombia’s most popular tourist destination, Cartagena is also one of the best served cities. You can get there by bus and plane, or by car if you’ve chosen to rent a car in Colombia.
Getting to Cartagena by bus from Barranquilla
- Travel time: approx. 2h30
- Fare: between $20.000 and $30.000 COP
- Companies: Copetran, Expreso Brasilia, Unitransco.
Bus to Cartagena from Santa Marta
- Travel time: approx. 4 hours
- Fare: between $40.000 and $90.000 COP
- Companies: Expreso Brasilia, Copetran, Unitransco
Bus to Cartagena from Medellin
- Travel time: approx. 14h
- Fare: between $140.000 and $170.000 COP
- Companies: Expreso Brasilia, Rapido Ochoa, Unitransco.
Bus to Cartagena from Bucaramanga
- Travel time: approx. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m
- Fare: between $90.000 and $120.000 COP
- Companies: Expreso Brasilia, Berlinas, Copetran, Concorde
Bus to Cartagena from Bogotá
- Travel time: approx. 8 pm – 11 pm
- Fare: between $130.000 and $280.000
- Companies: Expreso Brasilia, Copetran, Berlinas
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Cartagena bus terminal
Cartagena bus terminal
- Website: terminaldecartagena.com
- Address: Carretera de la Cordialidad – Diagonal 57 # 24-236
- Phone: 57 (5) 663 0317
- Facebook: facebook.com/Terminal-de-Transportes-de-Cartagena
How to get to the Cartagena Bus Terminal
Cab from the Bus Terminal to downtown Cartagena
- Travel time: approx. 30 minutes
- Fare: approx. $27.000 COP
Bus from the Bus Terminal to downtown Cartagena
- Travel time: approx. 45 minutes
- Fare: approx. $2.500 COP
Getting to Cartagena by plane
Fly to Cartagena from Medellin
- Travel time: approx. 1 hour
- Airlines : Avianca, Latam
Fly to Cartagena from Pereira
- Travel time: 1h20
- Airlines : Avianca
By plane to Cartagena from Bogota
- Travel time : 1h30
- Airlines : Avianca, Latam
Fly to Cartagena from Cali
- Travel time: 1h30
- Airlines : Avianca, Latam
Fly to Cartagena from Bucaramanga
- Travel time: 1h30
- Airlines: Clicair
Cartagena de Indias airport
Transportation to Cartagena
Cartagena has an international airport located just a few kilometers from the city center on the Boquilla side. The airport serves all major Colombian cities as well as international destinations. There is, for example, a direct flight from Amsterdam to Cartagena with KLM.
Where to find Cartagena Airport
- Name : Rafael Nuñes Airport
- Code : CTG
- Website: aeropuertocartagena .com. co
- Address: Crespo Calle 70
- Tel: 57 5 693 1351
Transfer between Cartagena airport and city center
Cab from airport to Cartagena city center
- Travel time: approx. 20 minutes
- Fare: approx. $15.000 COP
Bus from airport to Cartagena city center
- Travel time: approx. 40 minutes
- Fare: approximately $2.000 COP
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Getting to Cartagena by car
How to get to Cartagena
If you want to include Cartagena in a long-distance road trip, it’s possible. The country’s largest cities are fairly well connected by roads in relatively good condition.
Driving to Cartagena from Bogotá
- Distance: 1000 km
- Travel time: approx. 19h30
- Tolls: approx. $130.000 COP
Driving to Cartagena from Santa Marta
- Distance: 240 km
- Travel time: approx. 4h30
- Tolls: approx. $60.000 COP
Drive to Cartagena from Barranquilla
- Distance: 120 km
- Travel time: about 2 hours
- Tolls: approx. $35.000 COP
Drive to Cartagena from Bucaramanga
- Distance: 650 km
- Travel time: approx. 12h
- Tolls: approx. $75.000 COP
Drive to Cartagena from Medellin
- Distance: 650 km
- Travel time: about 12h
- Tolls: approx. $107.000 COP
Rent a car in Cartagena
How to get to Cartagena
During your trip to Colombia, you may want to rent a car to discover a region or take a road trip around the country that includes Cartagena in your itinerary. In 2019, we took a road trip between Bogota and Santa Marta, and we still have fond memories of it.
Here are a few tips to help you prepare and feel at ease once behind the wheel on Colombian roads:
Best tips
Rent a car in Colombia
To rent a car, we advise you to use the Rental Cars comparator, which gives you a complete overview of the different rental companies in Colombia.
Visit Cartagena in english
BEst City tours in Cartagena
Contact our local partner for a guided tour of Cartagena in english!
