The journey
Overview
Known for the warmth of its welcome and the richness of its culture, Colombia has emerged as one of South America’s most compelling destinations. From Bogotá to Cartagena, this tour combines contemporary cities with colonial heritage, coffee plantations and Caribbean shores. The mythical city of El Dorado was first rumoured in 16th-century Europe, when Spanish Conquistadors and determined explorers searched for it across South America. The ‘lost city’ was never found because it was never a city at all, but a ceremony of the Muisca people; a ritual immortalised in the fabulous ‘Golden Raft of the Muisca’ figure, discovered close to Bogotá. Where the mystery ends, our tour begins, in the capital’s colonial heart, now surrounded by an energetic, cosmopolitan metropolis where historic plazas sit alongside cutting-edge architecture and vibrant cultural life. From here, Colombia reveals its diverse character in the rolling hills of the Coffee Region, where plantations cling to verdant slopes, crops are still harvested by hand, and coffee is less a drink than a way of life. Medellín climbs the sides of a spectacular valley in a colourful blend of traditional neighbourhoods and contemporary towers. Dubbed the ‘City of Eternal Spring’ for its year-round temperate climate, it showcases the innovation and optimism of modern Colombia. Nearby, Guatapé enchants with reservoir cruises, dramatic scenery and brightly painted houses adorned with vibrant decorative panels. The journey concludes in Cartagena, one of South America's most captivating cities. Here, coral-stone fortresses, cathedral spires and Caribbean beaches frame a beautifully preserved walled town, where cobbled streets, flower-draped balconies and centuries of history create an atmosphere that is difficult to resist.
Unforgettable moments
Highlights
01
Vibrant Bogotá
02
UNESCO Site: Coffee Region
03
Transformed Medellin
04
Climb up Piedra del Peñol
05
Discover colourful Cartagena
06
Canoe through canals of Cartegena
Your itinerary
Day by day
- Day1
Join tour in Bogotá+
Your tour starts in the colourful Colombian capital, Bogota.
Settle into the 4-star Hotel Cite for a two-night stay.
- Day2
Explore the highlights of Bogotá+
Your Tour Guide will catch up with you this morning over breakfast and welcome you on tour.
An introduction to Bogotá begins with a visit to the famous food market ‘La Perseveranica’; and tour the city’s highlights including its historic heart, La Candelaria, a colonial enclave of cobbled streets, convents and churches. We view the collection of contemporary art by Fernando Botero in the gallery named for him; and the feast of pre-Columbian gold artefacts in the Museo del Oro, the Golden Raft its crowning jewel. This afternoon we take a short drive to Monserrate Hill and ride the cable car up to the top (3,048m). We visit the iconic church and appreciate the unparalleled views across Colombia’s capital.
(B)
- Day3
Fly to coffee region, afternoon at your leisure+
(B)
- Day4
Explore Cocora Valley and visit local towns+
A tour today combines Colombia’s natural and cultural heritage, visiting the verdant Cocora Valley, in the central Andean mountains, the home to the world’s tallest palm trees, the wax palm, soaring up to sixty metres high; and continue to tiny Salento, a quaint, characterful, and amiable town, nestled amid coffee estates. Time to play ‘Tejo’, a game that comes from the Colombian indigenous communities.
In the afternoon visit Filandia, walk along the small streets and appreciate its traditional and colourful
architecture. We will try our basket weaving skills during a workshop.
(B)
- Day5
Visit the Coffee Region+
The luxuriant hills of the Coffee Region are cloaked with traditional farms, where visitors can pick the Arabica beans and experience the lifestyle. We visit one of them this morning and take time to taste the coffee.
(B, L)
- Day6
Drive to Medellin+
Drive (6 hrs) to Medellin, the modern provincial capital of mountainous Antioquia, for three nights at the 4-star Hotel Diez (or similar). (B)
- Day7
Enjoy a city tour of Medellin+
A tour of the city starts by taking the Metro Cable up to San Janvier district the entrance to Comuna 13, where murals, graffiti art, and outdoor escalators have transformed this formerly impoverished district into Medellin’s most colourful. In the afternoon the tour takes in the downtown Plaza Botaro, celebrating its most famous son, sculptor Fernando Botero.
Tonight there is the option to book an optional dinner experience (pre-bookable) at Restaurante El Cielo in Medellin.
(B)
- Day8
Travel to Guatapé and climb the Piedra del Peñol+
Travel to Guatapé, a must-see little town, filled with brightly painted houses, and focused on the mammoth granite monolith Piedra del Peñol. Climb the 740 steps to its summit for dizzying vistas of its scenic surrounds; and enjoy a cruise on the huge reservoir created for a hydro-electric dam.
Return to Medellin.
(B)
- Day9
Fly to Cartagena for a city tour+
Fly to Cartagena, the cosmopolitan port for sailings to castaway islands, with countless restaurants in its 16th-century squares, and cafés and condos on the Bocagrande, backing its Caribbean shores. Three nights at the 4-star Armeria Real Hotel (or similar).
The tour of Cartagena starts with a visit to the iconic San Felipe Fortress, still standing after centuries of pirate raids and privateer armies’ attacks followed by a walking tour of Cartagena’s UNESCO listed colonial heart the walled old town includes the urban oasis of Bolivar Park, the Naval Museum, and Santo Domingo Church, as old as the city itself.
(B)
- Day10
Travel to La Boquilla for a canoe excursion+
Drive to the fishermen town La Boquilla to embark on a dugout canoe to travel on the canals between the ancient mangroves to a lake populated by flocks of egrets, white herons and pelicans. We will plant a mangrove tree and taste fresh coconut water, visit the village and observe and play the Afro- Colombian wild drums. (B)
- Day11
Day at leisure in Cartagena+
Today is at your leisure in Cartagena, allowing time to explore, relax, or simply enjoy the city’s atmosphere at your own pace.
This afternoon there is an opportunity to join an optional sunset cruise (pre-bookable) aboard a yacht in the bay of Cartagena. Drinks will be served during the cruise. (B)
- Day12
Tour ends in Cartagena+
Your tour ends this morning after breakfast.
(B)
Peace of mind
What's included
- ✦11 nights’ accommodation
- ✦Meals Included: breakfast daily, 1 lunch
- ✦Itinerary as described
- ✦Services of guides and local representative
- ✦Interested in adding flights to this tour?
- ✦Find out more
- ✦.
- ✦- Travel Guide -
- ✦You can find out more about the country on the travel guide.
- ✦Flights from the UK can be added — ask your adviser