Colonia Del Sacramento Small-group Day Trip

We spent the day in Colonia with a private tour guide who was licensed and from Colonia. Mayra was fantastic! She knew so much about the history and the culture. She provided us some tips for lunch and shopping that were perfect! After spending the morning with our guided, we had some free time to explore. It was the perfect mix of tour and time to explore! What was most helpful was having a guide help us navigate the transfer part with the boat. It was a bit tricky going from Buenos Aires to Uruguay from the boat terminal. The guides help to walk you through the process so it is not as anxiety provoking! The ferry was very nice and included a place to grab coffee and breakfast. After, you can shop in a very large duty free store! The cost seems a bit high but does include the ferry tickets, transfers, guided city time, and help navigation immigration. Colonia was beautiful and picturesque but the transfer by ferry is a lot to do but worth it!

We spent the day in Colonia with a private tour guide who was licensed and from Colonia. Mayra was fantastic! She knew so much about the history and the culture. She provided us some tips for lunch and shopping that were perfect! After spending the morning with our guided, we had some free time to explore. It was the perfect mix of tour and time to explore! What was most helpful was having a guide help us navigate the transfer part with the boat. It was a bit tricky going from Buenos Aires to Uruguay from the boat terminal. The guides help to walk you through the process so it is not as anxiety provoking! The ferry was very nice and included a place to grab coffee and breakfast. After, you can shop in a very large duty free store! The cost seems a bit high but does include the ferry tickets, transfers, guided city time, and help navigation immigration. Colonia was beautiful and picturesque but the transfer by ferry is a lot to do but worth it!

A day trip exploring an authentic village from a historic time of adversity between Portuguese & Spanish settlements. Following bus transfers, you depart Argentina Immigration & then enter Uruguay immigration at the Ferry terminal in Buenos Aires (Must have passport). It takes 1 hour, plus another hour Ferry ride on a huge commercial catamaran ferry (which has toilets, cafes, duty free gift shops & ample seating). There are no real landmark views from Ferry so don’t worry about window seats as nothing to photograph. It takes about 20 mins to get off Ferry, go through baggage checks again at Uruguay, then meet guide at ferry terminal. Enjoy a few hours (10.20am to 12.30) learning stories from the past whilst walking the streets admiring old architecture and some birdlife. Enjoy free time (12.30 to 3.30pm) at cafe’s, restaurant & retail shops (generally accept card, US dollars, local currency & some Argentinian currency, ask before ordering or buying food as change may be in different currency). Debit or Visa Cards generally accepted, but you need some cash for tipping your guide and lunch). After an easy day, a bus drove us to ferry where we repeated departure and arrival through immigration on Uruguay side and waited to board at 4.30pm. Ferry left 5.30pm arrived Buenos Aires 6.30pm, back to Hotel by 7.20pm. Note: Pack an Umbrella if chance of rain, pack water & snacks, have breakfast before you go, or buy at Ferry Terminal, use toilet as you will be stuck in immigration line for at least 1 hour. Internet worked entire time on ESIM, WiFi is available on the Ferry.

Wonderful day trip. Hit the historic and cultural highlights.

I had a exceptionally day as a solo traveller. The driver failed to pick me up from my hotel, however an Uber was orangised and refunded by the tour company. There was a group of four with the tour guide, which made it more personal and tailored, especially with the camaraderie waiting in the ferry queue back. It was an interesting experience waiting for the ferry back, as it doesn't leave until everyone booked on is on the boat, which is a foreign concept to me. The driver back to my hotel was brilliant too. Would I go back and use the same tour company, if I return to South America, yes.

We had an amazing day. Staring with David Parra the driver. He was great and puntual. Then Alexandra the tour lady wow she was great, she explained everything very clearly. She was amazing. Very nice experience overall.

Helped with all the logistics along with information about the town. I also like the free time it provided to explore.

We had a wonderful time! Ruth! She really knew the history and different architectural styles of Spain Vs. Portugal. She was so kind answering all our questions and her recommendation for lunch was amazing. We appreciated having her show us around. We would not have been able to truly experience Colonia without her. The place is amazing and the history visible to still see! This was a calm trip where you can move around at your own speed. We enjoyed the calming day with so much history to soak in.

We flew into Buenos Aires a day early because we wanted to take the opportunity to visit Uruguay and this tour was how we did it! We knew we’d be a bit jet lagged so doing something easy seemed a good idea and Signature Tours made it easy. Our driver picked us up at 7am and ensued we had our tickets on our phone. He explained what to do in the ferry terminal. We had to queue to get through passport control but it wasn’t too bad (and we were on a public holiday). The Argentine and Uruguayan controls were right next to each other and unlike Argentina, Uruguay does stamp your passport! We had a smooth crossing and bought some hot drinks to have with our takeaway breakfast. At the other side we were met by our delightful guide Alejandra. We learned a lot of interesting stuff about Uruguay and had a good tour of the town. We could see BA in the distance across the River Plate estuary. We then had time to ourselves and chose to eat at the restaurant in the square by the church. It was good. We then walked some more around the town and stopped at a bakery for coffee and cake. Alejandra then took us back to the ferry terminal. We went through passports and got another stamp! At BA we were met by our same driver and we were back in our hotel by 18.30. Some reviews say there’s not a lot to Colonia. Yes, it’s certainly not as exciting as BA and there’s nothing really amazing there. But if you’re looking for an easy relaxing day, visiting and learning about a new country, having a friendly guide and a nice lunch, then this tour is a good way to do it.

Jesus the driver was incredible. Very prompt and professional and great communication. Mayra our guide in Uruguay was outstanding. She gave us some much incredible information. Highly recommend this!

All went as it should, I think it could be a little bit shorter in duration, but overall a good experience

Our visit included early morning pick-up and early evening drop-off, with driver assisting to obtain our boat ticket. Customs and trip over and back was uneventful and our guide was waiting for us in Colonia. Alejandra was enthusiastic about her country and provided a leisurely tour. Very informative and enjoyable.

I booked this after my Antarctica cruise on my last day in Buenos Aires before heading home the day after. No issues with booking the tours. Signature sent me a message on what's app when they would pick me up and the van was there on time and took the 5 of us to the Ferry. Some notes about the ferry. The line to get on is long and takes a while. You have to go thru both Uruguayan and Argentine customs going over and coming back. It took45 minutes or so each time, maybe a little shorter in the morning since the ferry wasn't as full and longer in the afternoon. We did go on a Saturday during the summer, a lot of the Argentines go over for the day to go to the beach, so that may have affected the line a bit. We had someone drop us off at the ferry, get our tickets and put us in line, at the other side we were supposed to be met by the guide. When we got their no one was there they showed up later as they had been told we were on the ferry after ours. Onto the tour. Once you are on the ferry it is a nice ride across the Rio Plate. The city of Colonia is nice but I would say hour and half is enough time to walk around. There is a lighthouse, a church, city walls and the port to visit along with some other buildings. We got quite a bit of free time. I ate lunch and walked around the town twice and still had time before we headed back to the ferry, I don't shop. The guide in Colonia was very knowledgeable and gave us a lot of information on Uruguay and the city. It is a nice day just be prepared for the lines at the ferry terminal.

Well organized from end to end. From pick up to return everything was well organized with a knowledgeable guide. Definitely worth the experience if you have a few days in Buenos Aires. The small group experience is well with it.

While the weather was tricky, we had a great time on this quick visit. Our Uruguayan guide Alejandra was the highlight - she was fabulous. The ferry check-in can be a little overwhelming but the guides helped us up until immigration. There was a problem with no driver waiting for us when we returned to Buenos Aires but it was quickly resolved after a WhatsApp msg to the tour service

Great tour very well organised and we were well looked after. The drive took us right to immigration and looked after us . The tour guide was very knowledgeable, relaxed and friendly . She looked after us well .

We did this tour end of December. I am very surprised at all the reviews. If you are in Buenos Aires & have a completely free day with NOTHING TO DO I will recommend this tour. We as a family do a lot of tours & while our guide was pleasant & ferry was clean , I feel the immigrations getting out of Argentina & on the way back were very long & annoying. There was NOTHING much to see in Colonia. We were on our own for 3 + hours. On the way back the guide underestimated the time to get to Ferry & we almost missed it. It was very stressful as we had been standing in line to buy the tickets & then doing Uruguay & Argentina immigrations for over an hour & a half . I had read only one other review that mentioned the long lines & paid no heed but realized that he was right! I personally do not feel that it was money or time well spent. DEFINITELY NOT WORTH THE MONEY!

we got lucky two times, first time as we found ourselves being "the group" of one couple only, VIP!!, second time as we got Alejandra, our tour guide. She was beautiful, very knowledgeable and friendly, she made our day!! The place is wonderful, not enough for one visit and we recommend it a lot.

We paid $650 for a private tour for 2 people which included a 5 minute taxi to ferry, ferry tickets and a tour guide who met us in Colonia. While the tour guide was excellent, very friendly and knowledgable we could have got the same by just booking our own taxi/ferry tickets and signing up for a walking tour at around a 1/3 of the price. Just be aware of what you are paying for. And while it was a public holiday the ferry was completely full that we didn’t even have seats and had to stand / sit on the ground, even though we got to the ferry terminal 1.5hr before the ferry took off. It’s a nice day trip but you’ll spend most of the days waiting in lines at the ferry terminal / immigrations & customs.

Was fine, but maybe a tad too long. There isn’t much to do in the town. It’s a long day, almost 12 hours. Maybe if it was a little shorter it would be better.

We had a wonderful tour of Colonia del Sacramento, with Alejandra as our guide. She made sure we saw all the highlights of her home city and did a wonderful job explaining its history and current status, and answering all our questions. Our only concern was with the actual ferry transport, as the guide who picked us up at our hotel wasn't very clear that she was only getting us to the ferry at Buenos Aires and that another guide would meet us in Colonia. It all worked out fine, but we were a bit worried about that at first.

This was an amazing experience! I had two great tour guides in Argentina and Uruguay. The tour guide in Argentina took us to the ferry station and back to our hotels after the tour was done. The tour guide in Uruguay gave us a good experience seeing and learning what this colony is all about regarding the history during the Portuguese and Spanish empires as well as learning what Uruguay is overall all about. For those that want to visit another country while staying in Buenos Aires, this is an excellent tour to take!

Very little communication from the tour operator. I called the night before to confirm the generic 7am hotel pick up to be told it will be 6:30am. Lucky I called. Driver to ferry terminal was lovely! Assumed there will be a sign for us when we reached Colonia as we weren’t informed. There was. Guide with only fair English walked us around the old town sharing basic information for 1.5 hours, confirmed she would meet us 3.5 hours later to show us back to the ferry terminal, which was only a few minutes walk anyway. Cost of booking the components ourselves would have been about 1/3 of the cost of the tour.

Just a tad too long, could have gotten back on a ferry a few hours earlier. Otherwise, it was great!

Great trip and amazing guide - knowledgeable local with deep insights into the country and the town.

Great one-day experience! Pick up and drop off was a breeze. We had a tour guide in both countries. Ale in Uruguay is very knowledgeable, cheerful and friendly!

Excellent experience with the tour. Jascha, our tour guide was terrific and informative. Fernando, who picked us up at the hotel and dropped us off was on time and helpful. The city is beautiful and the time flies. Lots to explore. If you want to sit and enjoy the time in town, plenty of spots to do that. Only suggestion is if traveling on peak days, give 2 hrs (more than the 90 mins) recommended for check-in and immigration. Crowds build up.

The local guide Liliana was extremely attentive and provided very detailed explanation of the history and culture of Uruguay and Colonia. The trip was most memorable.

Our tour to Colonia del Sacramento Uruguay was very well-planned by Signature Tours. The tour company was constantly in contact with us on the Viator app and also on whats app. They asked for our passport information way in advance to get our tickets. Our driver Alejandro picked us up at our hotel on time and drove us to the dock. He walked us in, had our ferry tickets on his phone and told us what to do and what line to go on. He also told us where to meet him after the trip was over and we were back in Buenos Aires. When we arrived in Colonia and got off the ferry our Guide Ruth was there waiting for us with a sign. She walked us all around the old town and parts of the newer areas. We went by the beach, into a building that held a timeline of the history of the area. She was very knowledgeable about the history of the area and pointed out buildings and the wall to tell us about them. We had some time on our own and were able to have lunch at a great restaurant that Ruth suggested called Charco with a beautiful view of the water! We also had time to shop and grab some ice cream. We met ruth and we took a detour to see some other buildings and to talk about the area more while walking back to the dock. After the ferry ride back to Buenos Aires, Alejandro was waiting for us right at the exit to the ferry and led us to his car to drive us back to the hotel. We had a wonderful day in Colonia and I would highly recommend this tour!

Carolina was a very good guide. She took the time to find out things we were interested in and explained things well. It was a nice day out at the Tigre delta.

Great guide, extremely informative. I will remember her for years to come. I liked this option to arrive in Colônia alone and then meet the guide as it’s cheaper than meeting the guide in Buenos Aires. However the port is chaotic.

Very nice day trip. The ferry is fast and clean and all you have to do is show them your name at the counter and they give you the ticket. Immigration is quick and easy both ways. There are plenty of places to eat in Uruguay and they will take US dollars so no need to exchange money. Tour guide was great, mostly informative on the history of the place.

The trip was smooth from the start. I was picked up at my hotel and guided through check in at ferry and was met by tour guide in Colonia. She was full of information and we walked around the old city for a good part of the day. It was a great experience that all should take if traveling to Buenos Aires.

Had the tour all to myself and had a great time in the city. From sipping the local tea to having food at some of the city’s best stops. This is a great way to see the tiny town.

Plus: its a lovely old town to visit with a great history, pickup dropoff from hotel to ferry and return was spotless, ferry in very good condition, guide was good Minus: its was a 10,5 hour trip and 7 hours was travelling time or waiting time

The tour operator communicated with us several times and the guide was very knowledgeable, it was a very nice experience.

We were collected from our hotel on time and taken to the ferry terminal and that's where the chaos started. The Buquebus arrangements for checking passengers in, then getting them through Immigration (since we were going to Uruguay) is pure chaos; multiple lines with no-one knowing which was which. 2-hours spent on this process! The ferry ride itself was fine, just over 1 hour. We were met on arrival by our guide, Alejandra, who was excellent. We learned much about Uruguay the country as well as Colonia, and walked around the town learning about its history (be aware that many streets are cobblestoned which makes walking a challenge if you have any mobility issues). The tour did not include lunch but we had a couple of hours of free time to explore the town further or seek out one of the many restaurants. We chose El Charco, by the river, which was outstanding and really good value for money. Sadly the return ferry ride was just as chaotic as the outbound trip (another 2 hours!) so we were a couple of hours late getting back to our hotel. The tour itself was excellent, as was our guide, and deserves a 5-star review on its own but the ferry chaos takes (at least) one star off. Just want to warn you in advance!!

Felix a Myriam were amazing. Great driver a guide. I learned a lot of the Argentinian traditions a culture lot of information without to be too much great lunch amazing meat with ridding folklore dancing and a nice group o people.

NIce day nice tour guide. A bit of a hassel with immigaration etc getting out of Argentina but doable. nice small city and a very informative tour.

wonderful experience special location, extraordinary guide, everything very well done I highly reccomend

Relaxing and informative tour of Tigre. Sofia, our guide, was knowledgeable, entertaining and very helpful. The bus trip out and back was quick and the drive around Tigre interesting. Maybe a bit more time to look at the old historical buildings and their background would have been appreciated. Sofia’s detailed overview of the delta on the bus there have good context to the later boat cruise which felt about the right duration for what there was to see. Only negative was the purchased snack option. Plenty of places in Tigre to get better value so don’t bother with it.

Alejandra did such a wonderful job of introducing us to Colonia, but also of explaining the history, geography, modern society & culture of Uruguay. We really loved her tour!

We had a very animated and energetic tour guide who spoke excellent English. She was very informative and responsive to our questions. Top notch!

I will begin with the pickup. Gustavo was on time and pleasant. That is very important to me in a foreign country. Drop off and ticket vouchers, i had from the company and that process was so easy. The boat was about 1 hr and comfortable. The guide was waiting and she was great! We walked a small section of colonia and I loved it. We ate at a great restaurant and the views were lovely

Everything went extremely smoothly, from our hotel pick up to hour ferry ride from Buenos Aires to Colonia to meeting our guide at disembarkation. Knowledgeable, delightful and clearly dedicated to her delightful town, she shared its stories with us then left us on our own to enjoy lunch and explore on our own until we had to return to Argentina. The only disappointment was having to end the day.

beautiful town, worth every penny. Our tour guide was helpful, informative and timely. Pick up and drop off were a breeze.

Excellent day trip & tour to Colonia! Both my driver & guide were wonderful. I know some reviews have expressed concern that you have to go through Customs alone- but it really was not any different then going through customs after you land on any International flight. My driver was with me right up to that point & my guide was waiting as soon as I stepped off the ferry. Signature Tours was also very communicative beforehand, sending me a pdf of my ferry tickets (just in case), the timed itinerary & an emergency contact #. Pickup was right on time from my hotel. Again, I learned so much about both Colonia & Uruguay in general & the free time in afternoon felt good time wise to wander, shop & take pictures of the charming Old Town. Excellent day! : )

Our small group tour ended up being a private tour - absolutely no complaints from us! Our guide (I can't remember her name, so sorry!) was amazing. She was knowledgeable about Colonia and Uruguay, shared some wonderful history with us. She showed us the highlights of Colonia and we had plenty of time after the guided tour to have lunch and do some exploring on our own. Yes, it is a pain to go through the border crossing and security, but in my opinion, it was well worth it. Be organized and early and you'll have no problems.

Excellent experience. Pickup and drop off were on-time, friendly, helpful. The tour guide was waiting for us. She was friendly, informative, thoughtful, and answered our questions. Definitely would recommend this tour.