Is there a way to reach Cartagena from Santa Marta without a car?

The best way to travel from Santa Marta to Cartagena is by bus. The bus provides a cost-effective, safe, and easy way to travel between the two cities. Taking a ride with other travelers through carpool services is an additional option to consider.

How long is the bus ride from Santa Marta to Cartagena?

Traveling from Santa Marta to Cartagena takes around 4h 30m on average, although the minimum time it takes to get there is 30m with the fastest bus. This is the time it takes to travel the 103 miles (166 km) that separate the two cities.

What is the distance between Santa Marta and Cartagena?

The distance between the two cities is 103 miles (166 km).

What are the departure and arrival stations when taking the bus from Santa Marta to Cartagena?

Buses traveling from Santa Marta to Cartagena leave from Terminal Santa Marta and arrive at Terminal de Cartagena.

What is the cheapest way to get from Santa Marta to Cartagena?

If you want the cheapest way to travel this route, pick the bus. With prices starting at $9, you won't find a cheaper way to get there.

What is the ticket price for the bus trip from Santa Marta to Cartagena?

The average bus ticket price from Santa Marta to Cartagena is $17. In the past 30 days, prices have fluctuated between $9 and $20, so it's best to compare them to make sure you get the best deal.

Can you do a day trip from Santa Marta to Cartagena?

Yes, you can do a day trip from Santa Marta to Cartagena. The round-trip travel time is around 1h. So you'll have plenty of time to discover Cartagena before making your way back to Santa Marta.

What are the best sights and things to do in Cartagena?

Once in Cartagena, you can start exploring the city and discover its surroundings. The top sights and things to do are Getsemani Neighborhood, Palace of Inquisition, Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, Scuba Diving & Snorkelling and Cartagena Walled City.

Santa Marta (Magdalena Department), CO to Cartagena, CO Bus Tickets

TodayApr 25

TomorrowApr 26

from $15

SunApr 27

from $15

MonApr 28

from $15

TueApr 29

from $15

WedApr 30

ThuMay 1

from $15

FriMay 2

Cheap buses leaving tomorrow

One passenger / one way

This trip is recommended because it is: Cheapest + Fastest
Departure time: April 26 at 4:00pm
Departure city: Santa Marta
Departure location: Terminal Santa Marta
Arrival time: April 26 at 8:00pm
Destination city: Cartagena
Destination location: Terminal de Cartagena
Operated by: Copetran
Vehicle: BusDuration: 4h
Departure time: April 26 at 6:15pm
Departure city: Santa Marta
Departure location: Terminal Santa Marta
Arrival time: April 26 at 10:30pm
Destination city: Cartagena
Destination location: Terminal de Cartagena
Operated by: Copetran
Vehicle: BusDuration: 4h 15m

Accepted payments

Bus Santa Marta to Cartagena: Trip Overview

Average ticket price$17

Average bus trip duration4h 30m

Number of daily buses11

Earliest bus departure12:30am

Distance104 miles (167 km)

Latest bus departure11:30pm

Compare bus companies

Unitransco

3/5704 reviews

Staff4

Timeliness2

Cleanliness3.6

Wifi0.8

Users have shared positive experiences regarding the helpfulness of the staff and the comfort of their journeys. The booking process was noted as easy, with clean buses enhancing travel satisfaction. However, some travelers mentioned a lack of WiFi on board and occasional delays in service.

Unitransco Santa Marta Cartagena recent customer reviews

The booking was very easy and the bus very comfortable. Unfortunatily the bus had a delay of 1.5hours. Also no wifi available in the bus as said in the discription.

Lars Eric S.

January 8, 2025

No one talks any english, there was no wifi at all. Bus was clean and staff tried to be really helpful with us because we cant speak spanish

Hanna H.

January 7, 2025

The departure time changed from 10:30 to 11:15 upon our arrival. Actual departure was 11:40. With various stoppages en route we arrived at Cartagena terminal past 17:00. In hindsight a taxi from Santa Marta would have wasted less of the day, but would have costed more, I would have chosen a taxi. The journey itself was not great. Two films were shown with the sound low along with.some salsa music. This combined with the smell of the cologne of the man in front of me made it a long journey.

Andrew W.

February 18, 2024

Expreso Brasilia

3/51,878 reviews

Staff3.5

Timeliness2.1

Cleanliness3.7

Wifi1.3

Passengers generally appreciate the comfortable seats and professional service provided by the bus company. However, there are frequent mentions of delays in arrival times, with trips often taking longer than scheduled. Some users also noted issues such as cleanliness concerns and non-functional amenities like WiFi or bathroom facilities lacking supplies.

Expreso Brasilia Santa Marta Cartagena recent customer reviews

- bus was very loud with no one respecting each other's surroundings (playing music and videos loudly) - there was a 40 minute stop after the planned stop in Baranquilla which delayed us alot - the seats didn't all recline - smelled of urine!

Priyanka P.

April 3, 2025

A 4 hour trip was 5 hours. The driver was too interested with talking to his co-driver than watching the road or using 2 hands. A bit scary

Aaron G.

February 12, 2025

A little late to begin with but awful traffic and rain made journey very long … 6 hours long

Susan B.

December 28, 2024

Copetran

3/5992 reviews

Staff3.7

Timeliness2.3

Cleanliness4.3

Wifi1.4

According to 240 reviews, Copetran received a 2.1-star rating for this journey. Travelers were especially satisfied with the seats and the cleanliness, but some complained about the timeliness. Copetran ticket prices on this trip start at $15.00

Copetran Santa Marta Cartagena recent customer reviews

Arrived 1 hour late. On the way the driver stopped many times to accommodate street vendors on the bus to sell merchandise and food

Guglielmo R.

August 12, 2024

I turned up at the station and they had cancelled the bus due to a traffic jam - terrible customer service at the desk

Alan Dean P.

June 25, 2024

Comfortable seats. However our 4 hour ride was a 10 hour ride from Santa Marta to Cartagena. There was solid traffic, so we understand it’s not the company’s fault. However, it would have been really nice if the driver had communicated with us the reason for the delay instead of playing on his phone.

Eric H.

November 11, 2023

Almirante Padilla S.A.

1.5/5186 reviews

Staff1.8

Timeliness1.7

Cleanliness1.8

Wifi0.3

According to customer reviews, there are several complaints about the bus service. Customers mention that the seats were in bad condition and the air conditioning was not working properly. Additionally, there were unexpected delays due to a one-hour break without prior notification. Furthermore, some customers reported issues with seat availability and experienced a nearly 2-hour delay as a result.

Almirante Padilla S.A. Santa Marta Cartagena recent customer reviews

The journey should take 4 hrs , however we arrived after 6 hrs. The seat was also broken.

Alan T.

August 27, 2024

Very bad service! Took 6 hours until we were in Cartagena, very cold in the bus, driver was driving wild

Michiel S.

August 27, 2024

The bus was advertised as a 3 hour journey from 2pm to 5pm. We ended up getting thrown on an earlier bus at 1pm as we arrived earlier and didn’t arrive until 7:30pm

Olivia D.

August 21, 2024

Rapido Ochoa

3.5/5598 reviews

Staff4.4

Timeliness3.6

Cleanliness4.7

Wifi1.5

CO bus companies: Expreso Brasilia, Copetran, Coomotor, Rapido Ochoa, Bolivariano, Expreso Palmira, Unitransco

Santa Marta to Cartagena Bus

Busbud shows you the best bus ticket fares and bus schedules so you can easily plan and book a trip by bus from Santa Marta to Cartagena.

Bus service from Santa Marta to Cartagena will be provided by the most trusted bus companies.

Discover how much the bus trip from Santa Marta to Cartagena will cost you. Use our filters and sorting features to find the cheapest bus tickets or luxury buses.

Where are the popular stops in Santa Marta and Cartagena?

Stops in Santa Marta

A - Terminal Santa Marta

Stops in Cartagena

A - Terminal de Cartagena

Frequently asked questions for your trip Santa Marta - Cartagena

Is there a way to reach Cartagena from Santa Marta without a car?
How long is the bus ride from Santa Marta to Cartagena?
What is the distance between Santa Marta and Cartagena?
What are the departure and arrival stations when taking the bus from Santa Marta to Cartagena?
What is the cheapest way to get from Santa Marta to Cartagena?
What is the ticket price for the bus trip from Santa Marta to Cartagena?
Can you do a day trip from Santa Marta to Cartagena?
What are the best sights and things to do in Cartagena?

Find cheapest prices for buses

Price is for a one-way ticket for one passenger and based on past searches.

Best price found

04/23

$15

04/24

$15

Today

$15

04/26

$15

04/27

$15

04/28

$15

04/29

$15

04/30

$15

The cheapest trip from Santa Marta to Cartagena was searched and found on Apr 23, 2025 with a price of $15

To save money and be sure you have the best seat, it's a good idea to buy your bus tickets from Santa Marta to Cartagena, as early as possible.

You can expect to pay from $15 to $15 for a bus ticket from Santa Marta to Cartagena based on the last 2 days. You can expect to find the cheapest price for the trip at $15 which is on 2025-04-29.

About Bus Travel

Bus Travel Tips

If you're abroad, study some local language. Not only could it get you out of a pickle during your bus trip from Santa Marta to Cartagena but it'll also be endearing to native speakers who will surely appreciate your effort.

Much more than a mere vehicle taking you from Santa Marta to Cartagena, riding the bus will expose you to some of the most stunning panoramas while enroute to your final bus stop.

Buses have one of the smallest carbon footprints of motorized transport modes. A bus going from Santa Marta to Cartagena will emit less CO2 than a car or an airplane.

Make a music playlist for your bus ride from Santa Marta to Cartagena, and enjoy the scenery to tunes from your own personal soundtrack.

Did you know?

The word 'bus' is an abbreviation of 'omnibus" which means 'for all' in Latin as buses were meant to be transportation for everybody.

The average number of passengers on a coach bus is 32 meaning that a bus could replace a minimum of at least 30 cars!

It takes 27 hours to go by bus from Lima to Cusco, one of the craziest bus trips on the world. This route is used daily by locals and backpackers.

Will you be returning to Santa Marta by bus?

Bus from Santa Marta to Cartagena

Top traveled bus routes

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Busbud helps you easily search, compare and book intercity bus tickets on a worldwide scale with our comprehensive list of bus routes and schedules. Use Busbud to book your trip online, in your own language and currency, wherever you are. With Busbud, you can buy tickets with confidence. We ensure that you make the most out of your bus trip by partnering up with reliable bus companies from all around the world such as Greyhound, Eurolines, ALSA, OUIBUS (BlaBlaBus), National Express and many others.

Cheap buses leaving tomorrow

One passenger / one way

One passenger / one way

One passenger / one way

One passenger / one way

One passenger / one way

Bus Santa Marta to Cartagena: Trip Overview

Compare bus companies

Santa Marta to Cartagena Bus

Where are the popular stops in Santa Marta and Cartagena?

Frequently asked questions for your trip Santa Marta - Cartagena

Is there a way to reach Cartagena from Santa Marta without a car?

How long is the bus ride from Santa Marta to Cartagena?

What is the distance between Santa Marta and Cartagena?

What are the departure and arrival stations when taking the bus from Santa Marta to Cartagena?

What is the cheapest way to get from Santa Marta to Cartagena?

What is the ticket price for the bus trip from Santa Marta to Cartagena?

Can you do a day trip from Santa Marta to Cartagena?

What are the best sights and things to do in Cartagena?

Find cheapest prices for buses

About Bus Travel

Bus Travel Tips

Did you know?

Will you be returning to Santa Marta by bus?

Top traveled bus routes

Why choose Busbud?

The Best Way To Book Bus and Train Tickets

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