Day Trip to Colonia: Discover the Historic Charm of Colonia del Sacramento from Montevideo

Embark on a day trip from Montevideo to Colonia del Sacramento and immerse yourself in the historic charm of this coastal city. Explore the cobblestone streets, visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site, and marvel at the unique colonial architecture.

Duration: 9 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Barrio Historico - The historic quarter of Colonia del Sacramento, founded in 1680, evokes old Lisbon with its Portuguese-influenced architecture and winding streets. The area, located in southwestern Uruguay on the Rio de la Plata, was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995.
What's Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Day trip to Colonia del Sacramento
  • Multilingual guide (English, Spanish, Portuguese)
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Get to know the city of Colonia del Sacramento on a day trip from Montevideo! Discover the colonial charm and history of this coastal city as you explore the cobblestone streets with your knowledgeable guide. Visit Barrio Histórico – Colonia’s historic area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site – and see Real de San Carlos, Fernando’s Beach and more. As…

Location
Barrio Historico
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.2
(35 Ratings)
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1 star
Lee_h
May 1, 2025
Great Day Visit - Very enjoyable day. Pick up at my hotel for the drive which took around 2 1/2 hours with a stop on the way. I was the only English speaker on the tour but the guide was excellent in making sure I was included in everything. Nice walking tour around the town and then allowed free time to explore further or go for lunch which I did at a very nice restaurant looking out to sea. Definitely recommend the tour. It's a full day and very much worth the price.
Review provided by Viator
Olivia
Mar 26, 2023
Day Trip to Colonia - Pick up around 0800, leave Montevideo around 1000, arrive to Colonia around 11:30. Visit a small farm where you see the collections of the owner and his wife as well as try marmalades and cheeses from their farm. This is a good time to stretch your legs and go to the bathroom. Back on the bus around 12:00. Make a stop at the bull fighting amphitheater/athletic complex to take pictures. Next stop is the Colonia sign for your selfie and pictures. Then you stop at the main part of town. Spend about 4 hours in town - the lighthouse, old town, shopping, and food. (Make sure to bring wet wipes to use when you go to the bathroom. The bus goes away to the bus lot so if you don’t go in the bus bathroom, you’ll need to use the public restrooms in town.) Leave around 4:15pm. Ride back to Montevideo is about two hours then they drop everyone off at their hotels. I arrived to mine at 6:45pm and I was the first dropped off.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Manuelak9879vb
Oct 15, 2022
History and beauty - A beautiful coastal town, with lots of tourist attraction and history. An incredible aesthetic every corner of the city becomes a setting for plasma memories in photographs or paintings. Loved it! I'll be back!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Miltonsozin
Dec 11, 2019
Interesting - One day is enough to visit the Old Town. We made a hit and return from Buenos Aires. It seems to me that staying overnight can be a good option, as they say the sunset is beautiful.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Losttraveler510
Sep 2, 2019
Nice sights, good tour, great guide - Jocelyn was fantastic. She spoke in Portuguese and English since all of the group members except me and a married couple were from Brazil. Jocelyn was very personable and at every stop she checked in with everyone to make sure that we were doing okay and were having a good time. Also when we got to Colonia, she spoke in Portuguese for the majority of the group and then found the English speakers and told us the same info in English. You get a good amount of time to check out Colonia. Also, I love that the bus had good WiFi and a decent bathroom.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
H_musser
Oct 14, 2019
Go, but without much expectation - The city is part of the itinerary of those who visit Buenos Aires and have a few extra days. Cologne is a city with a lot of history, but I think it is the abandoned and expensive one. Some streets are very dirty, empty houses and restaurants that serve dubious food. We had lunch at the restaurant Viejo Barrio, which was a delight. It's worth spending an afternoon relaxing, eating, having a coffee. But it's a very important city and deserved more care.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
873miguels
Sep 7, 2019
Beautiful walk to enjoy Cologne - Cologne and its surroundings deserve 2 or 3 days minimum to be toured and to know with medium depth the historic neighborhood, to be able to walk these little streets, its beaches, the bullring and bars and restaurants at night have a unique charm. I think coming and going the day is a waste and a nice opportunity is missed
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cristina
Mar 8, 2019
An unforgettable place - My rating is very subjective. I love places that, in many ways, make us "travel" to the past - historical. It is a very beautiful town, with houses, churches and "delightful" tourist equipment to visit. I left Buenos Aires and this escuna cruise (boat?) was very cool. I stayed all day in Cologne, but I would stay one more day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Neil
Nov 6, 2019
Long bus trip for a short tour. - The guide was lovely and tried her best, but the tour was too short for a six hour bus ride. A tour of the government buildings and/or the museums would make this tour more worthwhile.
Review provided by Viator
Johannes_k
Feb 19, 2020
How not to do Colonia - Time spent traveling versus time spent at site is. Tour on site was done in three languages I felt neglected. Cheerleader was overworked what happened to translate everything into 3 languages. I would not recommend this trip to anyone. Please note this has nothing to do with the efforts of the guide. I think she work as hard as she possibly could but this was not set up for success because of the itinerary.
Review provided by Viator
From $85
up to 9 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).