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Colombia Experience
12 days, Bogotá to Bogotá
Itinerary Notes
Due to unexpected maintenance by the Colombian government, Tayrona Park has been closed for the month of November. Until the park is reopened, we will instead be heading to the Guajira Peninsula to visit Los Flamencos Sanctuary and take a boat tour to spot the vibrant American flamingo. Afterwards, we visit the Riocha Community to meet the local people and shop at the Wayuu tribe market.
Itinerary
Day 1Bogotá
Arrive at any time. Arrival transfer included.
Modern Bogotá offers visitors a wide variety of activities combined with the picturesque beauty of its cultural and architectural past. Colonial churches and pre-Columbian art contrast with the futuristic high-rise buildings of a busy metropolis.
If you arrive early, take a walk around some of the interesting neighbourhoods including La Candelaria, La Macarena, Parque de la 93, La Zona T, La Zona Rosa (bars and restaurants), La Zona G (international cuisine), or visit the Monserrate Santuary and enjoy great views of the city.
We recommend booking pre or post-accommodation to experience all this city has to offer.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group
Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.
Day 2Bogotá/Armenia
Catch a flight to Armenia where we stay in an hacienda and take a Recuca coffee farm tour and learn about the culture of the region and the coffee growing process.
Plane
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Free Time
Opt to visit the Quindío Botanical Gardens or enjoy the landscape while cycling or rafting.
Hacienda Stay
Spend the night in a traditional hacienda (Spanish for "estate") and coffee farm and get a closer look at life in Colombia’s beautiful coffee region.
Optional Activities - Day 2 HideShow
Botanical Gardens (Jardín Botánico del Quindío) and Butterfly House (Mariposario) Visit
5USD per personWalk along the rustic, bamboo-lined forest paths of this lush botanical garden and conservation area and admire varied palm trees and ferns. Stop in at the bird-watching cabin, snap photos as you cross the suspension bridge, and visit one of the park’s main attractions – the butterfly-shaped Mariposario, or Butterfly House.
Kayaking
Get on the water and feel invigorated as you paddle along. Take in the fertile landscape of this coffee producing area from a different point of view.
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 3Armenia
Enjoy a full day excursion to Salento and hiking the Cocora valley visiting a coffee farm, shops and the village.
Salento and Cocora Valley Excursion
Visit Salento, a charming town typical to Colombia’s coffee region, and enjoy hiking the beautiful landscape of the Cocora Valley. Spend the rest of your visit strolling the quaint streets of Salento—this is a great place to appreciate traditional architecture and shop for gifts.
Free Time
Enjoy some free time to explore the town.
Hacienda Stay
Spend the night in a traditional hacienda (Spanish for "estate") and coffee farm and get a closer look at life in Colombia’s beautiful coffee region.
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 4Armenia/Medellín
Drive to Medellín and take an orientation walk with the CEO. Enjoy time to explore this historic city.
Experience all that Medellin has to offer with free time this evening and tomorrow.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Orientation With CEO
Enjoy a brief walk with your CEO. He/she will give you some tips on finding things like supermarkets, main squares, and ATMs. For more specific or in-depth information, an official guided tour is recommended.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 5Medellín
Enjoy time to explore this historic city. Option to take a historical tour, visit museums or go shopping.
Free Time
Free time to explore the city or set out on an optional excursion.
Optional Activities - Day 5 HideShow
El Peñol Stone (La Piedra Del Peñol) Visit
Formed approximately 70 million years ago, El Peñón de Guatapé, also known as El Peñol, is a giant monolith rising 2,135m (7,005 ft) above sea level. Climb the 649 steps that have been built into one side of this famous rock and enjoy breathtaking views of the Guatapé Dam and surrounding area from the peak.
Guatapé Dam Visit
Visit this hydroelectric dam created by flooding a valley. The Guatapé Dam has greatly changed the natural landscape, which now has the look of lush islets in a blue lake with 500km (310 mi) of shoreline.
Medellín City Tour
35USD per personReally get to know Colombia’s second largest city with a neighbourhood tour. Medellín has been revitalized since the issues of the 80s and 90s and is now one of South America’s most innovative and artistic cities. Explore the city’s varied barrios filled with shops, green parks, museums, churches, markets, and delicious cuisine.
Nutibara Hill (Cerro Nutibara) Visit
For a breath of fresh air 80m (263 ft) above the city, visit Nutibara Hill. Ride a colourful bus, take a taxi, or climb winding paths through the greenery to get to the top of the hill and enjoy great views of the city. Pueblito Paisa waits at the summit: stroll through this replica of a traditional Antioquian town and enjoy the charm of whitewashed buildings, bright-coloured doors and tiled roofs. Try some local food here or shop for souvenirs.
Paragliding
45USD per personGet ready for a thrilling ride! Take off from one of the surrounding hills and enjoy spectacular views of this sprawling city and the picturesque green mountains that encircle it as you glide through the air.
Santa Fe de Antioquia Visit
Explore the quaint streets of Santa Fe de Antioquia – a national monument – on foot and admire the original colonial architecture and Andean landscape. Take photos of traditional Antioquian homes and get lost in the charm of the past. Explore the town’s beautiful churches and cross the Cauca River on the Bridge of the West, a suspension bridge built in 1887.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 6Medellín/Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona
Morning flight to Santa Marta then continue to our beach lodge near Tayrona National Park, on the Caribbean coast. Enjoy fresh seafood and some of Colombia's most pristine and beautiful white sand beaches.
Plane
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Optional Activities - Day 6 HideShow
Hiking
Explore the lush jungles or picturesque beachside trails of this national park on a hike. Keep an eye out for macaws, monkeys, and other local wildlife.
Swimming
Take an invigorating dip in the ocean and relax on some of Colombia’s most pristine beaches.
Meals included:
Breakfast | DinnerDay 7Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona
Spend the day swimming and enjoying the beach or opt to hike into the jungle to see the ruins of Pueblito or into the national park.
Your Discover Moment
There's plenty to see and do in Cartagena, and we wanted to make sure that you had some time to take it all in. Feel free to relax or try optional activities like taking a day trip to Rosario National Park, visiting Castillo de San Felipe, and exploring the Gold Museum. Your CEO has more ideas if you need them. Just ask!
Optional Activities - Day 7 HideShow
El Pueblito Ruins Visit
Tie up your laces and hike through the jungle, crossing streams and passing giant boulders, to the ruins of the ancient town of Pueblito. Explore this pre-Hispanic site before returning to the beautiful beaches of Tayrona.
Hiking
Explore the lush jungles or picturesque beachside trails of this national park on a hike. Keep an eye out for macaws, monkeys, and other local wildlife.
Swimming
Take an invigorating dip in the ocean and relax on some of Colombia’s most pristine beaches.
Tayrona National Park Visit
Get active with a moderate hike into this beautiful park with a local guide. Experience the gorgeous scenery of Tayrona.
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 8Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona/Cartagena
Drive to tropical Cartagena and embark on a city tour. Free time for optional activities such as a visit to Playa Blanca, a boat tour to Islas del Rosario National Park, or explore nearby beaches.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Cartagena City Tour
Learn more about Cartagena’s history from a bilingual guide on a tour of this lively city. Travel between sights by private transport and visit the clock tower, Plaza Bolivar, and the Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas. Take in sweeping views of the city from the hilltop Convento De La Popa and enjoy a walking tour from San Pedro Claver Church to Santo Domingo Church.
Free Time
Discover more of the city on foot or laze on the beach: the choice is yours.
Optional Activities - Day 8 HideShow
Night Exploration on Chiva
80000COP per personGet ready to party and explore the city by chiva bus. These colourful vehicles are a national symbol and feature open sides making it easy to truly experience vibrant Cartagena as you go. Drink, dance and enjoy Colombian music on this fun-filled ride.
Meals included:
BreakfastDays 9–10Cartagena
Enjoy two free days to experience the Caribbean charm and beauty of the city.
Free Time
Visit Playa Blanca, take a boat to the Islas del Rosario National Park with its stunning beaches, or soak in the crater of the Totumo mud volcano.
Optional Activities - Days 9–10 HideShow
Gold Museum Visit
7000COP per personHead to Plaza Bolivar and pay a visit to this well-curated and informative museum. Admire the intricate, pre-Columbian gold works and pottery of the indigenous Zenú people while learning about their history and traditions—all on display in a charming colonial home.
El Totumo Mud Volcano Visit
65000COP per personDelight in a mud bath at the Volcan Tutumo. Ascend a small staircase about 15m (49 ft) to the top of the mud volcano. At the crater take a dip in the warm mud (a slurry of thermal water and subterranean mineral deposits) believed to have healing properties. Afterwards, de-mud with a bath in the nearby lagoon.
Museum of Modern Art (Museo de Arte Moderno) Visit
5000COP per personHoused in two historic buildings, one a former weapons storehouse, is the collection of the Museo de Arte Moderno de Cartagena. Stroll through the unique space and admire Latin American paintings from the 1950s along with contemporary Colombian art.
Naval Museum of the Caribbean Visit
6000COP per personLocated in the historic walled city, visit this spacious museum housed in two heritage buildings. Explore the various exhibits relating to the naval history of the Caribbean Sea and enjoy the charming patios.
Night Exploration on Chiva
80000COP per personGet ready to party and explore the city by chiva bus. These colourful vehicles are a national symbol and feature open sides making it easy to truly experience vibrant Cartagena as you go. Drink, dance and enjoy Colombian music on this fun-filled ride.
Palace of Inquisition (Museum) Visit
30000COP per personVisit the museum and learn about the Spanish Inquisition in Colombia. Explore this fine example of colonial and Baroque architecture and see artifacts and torture equipment on display.
Islas del Rosario National Park
320000-350000COP per personTake a boat to this park with a lengthy name—Rosario and San Bernardo Corals National Natural Park—and be wowed by the beauty of the Rosario Islands. Admire the clear blue water and natural landscape of the islands. Opt to snorkel and explore the park’s lively reefs or sit back and relax on the beach.
Playa Blanca Visit
Take a boat to the island of Baru and visit idyllic Playa Blanca. Relax on the white sand, go for a swim, or snorkel in the warm water. To refuel head to one of the charming beach shack restaurants.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 11Cartagena/Bogotá
Fly back to Bogotá with free time for optionals including a visit to the National Museum of Colombia, the Gold Museum, or just wander one of the many quaint neighbourhoods.
Plane
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
Free Time
Enjoy a free afternoon and evening for independent exploration.
Optional Activities - Day 11 HideShow
Gold Museum Visit
4000COP per personExplore this veritable treasure trove! Be amazed by the Bogotá Gold Museum’s collection of over 30,000 gold pieces in addition to thousands of bone, stone, ceramic, and textile artifacts from 13 different pre-Hispanic societies.
National Museum of Colombia Visit
3000COP per personVisit the largest museum in the country and one of the oldest on the continent. Built in 1823 and originally used as a prison, the National Museum of Colombia houses a collection of over 20,000 pieces. Explore exhibits of archeological and ethnographic artifacts and admire works of art by masters including Andrés de Santa María and Fernando Botero.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 12Bogotá
Depart at any time.
We recommend booking additional post-trip accommodation if you want more time to explore the city.
Departure Day
Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.