15 Days
Colombia
CLASSIC 15D (A)
This tour is designed for people that want to see the highlights of Colombia in 2 weeks, with special interest in nature, culture & history of the country, while visiting the most famous destinations and activities nationwide with our expert bilingual guides.
Here you will sleep at comfortable hotels in the most traditional zones of each destinations, having a mix between the local culture, the vibrant big cities, the beauty of the Colombian Andes and the warm and beautiful beaches of the Caribbean Sea.
Itinerary
Itinerary Expand All
Day 1
Day 1 - WELCOMING IN BOGOTA
A person from our team will be waiting for you at your arrival time at El Dorado Airport in Bogota and will take you to the hotel. Subsequently, you will have the rest of the day free at leisure, having time to recover from the flight or explore the city by yourself.
Day 2
Day 2 - BOGOTA CITY-TOUR
On this day, after breakfast, you will have a full day city-tour of 7 hours approx., starting at 9:00 AM at the lobby of the hotel (the hour can change if you need more recover from the international flight), where you will visit the most iconic spots of the capital of Colombia, such as La Candelaria neighborhood, Monserrate church and the gold museum of Bogota. At the end of afternoon, you will be taken back to the hotel.
Day 3
Day 3: GUATAVITA LAGOON + ZIPAQUIRA
On this day, after breakfast, you will be picked up at 8:00 AM in order to have a full day private tour visiting the 2 most iconic attractions of the surrounding area of Bogota: Guatavita lagoon, where you will learn about the origin of El Dorado legend and then will visit Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral, which is an underground roman catholic church built within the tunnels of a salt mine. At the end of the day, you will be taken back to Bogota
Day 4
Day 4: COFFEE REGION
On this day, after breakfast, you will have a transfer to the airport in order to be two hours before your flight to Pereira. Once there, you will have a transfer to your hotel in Salento. You will have the afternoon free to walk by the town, where you can see its colorful houses and colonial heritage, visit the lookout of the town where you can enjoy a great cup of local coffee and have a great dinner in the evening at one of the restaurants of Salento.
Day 5
Day 5: COCORA VALLEY & COFFEE TOUR
On this day, you will have a full day tour starting at 8:00 AM from your hotel, visiting one of the most famous landscapes of Colombia: The Cocora Valley, which has the tallest palms of the world and the national tree: the Wax Palm. You will walk under these special plants and will also visit the cloud forest. In the afternoon you will have a coffee farm tour where you will learn about its whole process and afterwards, you will be taken back to the hotel.
Day 6
Day 6: SANTA ROSA DE CABAL HOT SPRINGS
On this day, at 9:00 AM, we will take you to the hot springs complex of Santa Rosa de Cabal, where you can have a relaxing day at its beautiful and warm clear waters surrounded by astonishing nature with its spectacular unique thermal waterfall. Here there are some trails you can walk by in order to discover the forest and preserved nature behind this place. In the afternoon, you will be taken to your hotel in Pereira.
Day 7
Day 7: MEDELLIN
On this day, you will be taken to the airport 2 hours before your flight to Medellin. Once there, you will be welcomed and taken to your hotel located in El Poblado neighborhood, a great area of this city, which is easy to get by. In the afternoon, you will have a tour to Comuna 13, which is one of the most famous activities in this city, where you can see the transformation and evolution from a violence past to a modern city.
Day 8
Day 8: GUATAPE
On this day, you will have a full day tour to Guatape starting at 8:00 AM from your hotel. This is a well-preserved heritage town with cobblestone streets, friendly people, charming houses and colorful scenery located 2 hours away from Medellin. You will also visit the Guatape rock & the marvelous view of the dam and optionally can do a helicopter flight. At the end of the afternoon, you will be taken back to Medellin.
Day 9
Day 9: FLIGHT TO SANTA MARTA
On this day, you will have a free morning to enjoy the last moments at the eternal-spring city and later you will have a transfer to the airport of Medellin 2 hours before your flight to Santa Marta. Once there, you will have a 1-hr transfer from the airport to your ecolodge located next to Tayrona National. Your hotel has a great pool and it is next to a pristine beach that you can enjoy in the afternoon at leisure depending on the tide for that day.
Day 10
Day 10: TAYRONA NATIONAL PARK
On this day, you will have a transfer at 8:00 AM to Tayrona National Park, where you will begin a guided hike along its trails, where you will be able to appreciate its rocky landscapes and wild beaches. With a little luck you will be able to see some fauna along the way and contemplate the unique landscape of this place until you reach the famous San Juan del Guia cape. In the afternoon you will return by walk and then by vehicle to the hotel.
Day 11
Day 11: STILT TOWNS + CARTAGENA
On this day, you will be picked up at 6:00 AM and will have a 1-hour transfer to Nueva Venecia, which is a stilt town declared world heritage by UNESCO, located in Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta. There you can see how locals have lived for centuries with a very close relationship with the water and nature there. You can see some wildlife and also see how fishermen and the communities live in stilt houses before having a 3-hrs. transfer to Cartagena.
Day 12
Day 12: CARTAGENA CITY TOUR
On this day, you will have a 4-hrs. city-tour starting at 9:00 AM, visiting the main spots of the city of Cartagena, which has a strong heritage of Spanish architecture mixed with the colors and Caribbean people vibes. You will have a free afternoon and night in order to discover the secrets of the walled city by yourself, walk by its cobblestone streets, watch its colorful balconies and enjoy the Caribbean atmosphere of the place.
Day 13
Day 13: ROSARIO ISLANDS DAY 1
On this day you will be transported to arrive at 1:30 p.m. to the La Bodeguita pier, where you will have a shared boat transportation to reach the most famous hotel in the Rosario Islands, where you will enjoy its crystal-clear waters. You will have the afternoon at leisure to enjoy the Caribbean Sea, the private cabins and the hotel's beautiful private beaches where you can optionally arrange activities directly with the hotel.
Day 14
Day 14: ROSARIO ISLANDS DAY 2
On this day, you will have free time to enjoy the island and your last full day in Colombia. You will have kayaks available or you can hire activities at the island that range from snorkeling, passing by boat tours, to even have a helicopter tour by the islands where you can enjoy marvelous views from above, among other different options available at the place. Late in the afternoon you will have a shared boat transportation back to Cartagena.
Day 15
DAY 15: FLIGHT OUT COLOMBIA
On this day, you will have breakfast at the hotel. You will have a transfer included to take you to the international airport of Cartagena in order to be 3 hours before your flight out the country or 2 hours before flight connections inside Colombia.
Cost Info
Cost Info
Included
- LODGING 4+ stars hotels, boutique hotels and ecolodges in standard rooms.
- ACTIVITIESAll the activities mentioned in the plan, all in private tours and transportations, except when necessary.
- MEALS14 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 1 dinner.
- TRANSPORTATIONAll land/sea transportation in private vehicles or shared, when necessary.
- FLIGHTS INCLUDED All internal flights within the country with the following conditions:
- 10kg handbag + 23 kgs with LATAM – AVIANCA airlines.
- GUIDANCE English speaking guides throughout the trip for all activities.
- Full 24/7 bilingual concierge available for monitoring the whole experience and solving requests and comments from the passengers.
- MEDICAL ASSISTANCE CARD The tour includes a travel assistance card for all the days that covers possible accidents, medical attention and emergency transportations for a quick response in case of being necessary according to the evacuation time during the activities and level of medical attention at the destination.
Not included
- International flights.
- Activities, additional drinks or elements not described in the plan.
- Tips, snacks and souvenirs.
- Personal items not described in the itinerary.
- Other languages speaking guides/translators.
Add-ons & optionals
Add-ons & optionals Expand All
- Other languages speaking guides/translators, according to availability of guides for the desired date, in this case it is advisable to book in advance.
- Private tours for smaller groups that don’t want to have shared activities and transportations.
- Private single rooms for just one person (price under request).
- Upgrade to a higher accommodation that can be quoted upon request and confirmation of availability in that hotel.
- Specialized guides for special itineraries.
What to take?
What to take?
- Hat and/or other sun protection for the head and neck.
- Sunglasses to protect your eyes from the reflection of the sun.
- Clothes according to weather in each destination:
o Bogota & surroundings: Jacket or cardigan.
o The rest of the destinations: Long-sleeved shirts to avoid sunburn and mosquito bites during outdoor activities.
- Comfortable pants and avoid wearing jeans.
- Waterproof, preferably quick-drying clothing or a rain poncho.
- Appropriate footwear for the different proposed activities and at least one pair of sneakers for change. Footwear can get wet during the hikes.
- Swimsuit, beach towel and water shoes, as there will be chance to take baths in the sea and pools of some of the destinations.
- Sunscreen and mosquito repellent.
- Protection for electronic devices since they may be susceptible to damages due to humidity and/or rain.
- Non-disposable rigid container to refill water (canteen or thermos).
- Personal documents and count with your own medical insurance.
- Personal medicines and first aid kit.
Map
Map
Gallery
Gallery
Recomendations
Recomendations
WEATHER CONDITIONS, CONNECTIVITY & BILINGUALISM
It is necessary to be properly prepared for the weather conditions on the travel dates, which are detailed below, but as this is an approximation, please note that they may vary. Also keep in mind that you will visit several rural areas, where communications might be difficult and also you need to take into account that not everywhere you can find bilingual staff or people at the destinations.
It is necessary to be properly prepared for the weather conditions on the travel dates, which are detailed below, but as this is an approximation, please note that they may vary. Also keep in mind that you will visit several rural areas, where communications might be difficult and also you need to take into account that not everywhere you can find bilingual staff or people at the destinations.
Bogotá D.C. (Days 01-04):
Temp. Min: 6ºC Max: 14ºC, slightly humid climate / (3000-3600 m.a.s.l.)
Good phone signal and wi-fi.
You will have a bilingual guide but locals do not speak English.
Guatavita (Day 03):
Temp. Min: 6ºC Max: 14ºC, slightly humid climate / (2700 m.a.s.l.)
Good phone signal and wi-fi.
You will have a bilingual guide but locals do not speak English.
Zipaquira Salt Cathedral (Day 03):
Temp. Min: 8ºC Max: 19ºC, slightly humid climate / (2650 m.a.s.l.)
Good phone signal and wi-fi.
You will have a bilingual guide but locals do not speak English.
Salento & Cocora Valley (Days 04-06):
Temp. Min: 14ºC Max: 25ºC, slightly humid climate / (1900-2100 m.a.s.l.)
Good phone signal and good wi-fi.
You will have a bilingual guide for Cocora valley and few locals speak English or just the basics at the hotel.
Santa Rosa de Cabal (Day 06):
Temp. Min: 10ºC Max: 23ºC, slightly humid climate / (1715 m.a.s.l.)
Good phone signal and good wi-fi.
You will have a bilingual guide and few locals speak English or just the basics.
Pereira (Days 06-07):
Temp. Min: 10ºC Max: 25ºC, humid climate / (1411 m.a.s.l.)
Good phone signal and good wi-fi.
You will have a bilingual guide and a few locals speak English or just the basics at the hotel.
Medelin (Days 07-09):
Temp. Min: 17ºC Max: 27ºC, slightly humid climate / (1495 m.a.s.l.)
You will have a bilingual guide and some locals speak English with bilingual staff at the hotel.
Guatape (Day 08):
Temp. Min: 17ºC Max: 27ºC, slightly humid climate / (1750 m.a.s.l.)
Good phone signal and good wi-fi.
You will have a bilingual guide but locals do not speak English.
Tayrona National Park & surroundings (Days 09-11):
Temp. Min: 17ºC Max: 27ºC, slightly humid climate / (0-100 m.a.s.l.)
Appropriate phone signal and good wi-fi.
You will have a bilingual guide but locals do not speak English, having staff at the hotel to communicate in English.
Cartagena & surroundings (Days 11-15):
Temp. Min: 24ºC Max: 32ºC, humid climate / (3000-3600 m.a.s.l.)
Good phone signal and good wi-fi.
You will have a bilingual guide and many locals speak fluent English.
FAQ'S
FAQ'S
PLUG TYPE
• Voltage: 110V
• Frequency: 60 Hz
• Plugs: Type A / B
CURRENCY: Colombian Peso (COP) 1 USD = 3.800 COP approx.
It is advisable to carry cash for extra expenses during the trip since in some areas access to ATMs and dataphones may be limited or non-existent.
REDUCTION OF WASTE GENERATION
We promote the reduction of waste generation from single-use plastics, so we recommend bringing your own non-disposable rigid container to refill water in hotels, especially for days when outdoor activities are planned.
VACCINES
Currently, there is no major outbreak of contagious disease or mosquito transmission in the areas to be visited. However, if there is an outbreak or important biological risk in the destinations to be visited, it will be informed in a timely manner prior to the trip.
Vaccines are not mandatory, but in the case of traveling to the jungle regions of the Pacific and the Amazon it is advisable to have the yellow fever vaccine at least 10 days before the trip: https://colombia.travel/en/practical-information/health-and-vaccines
TIPPING
- Tipping is not mandatory, but if you consider you can tip the guides with an amount from 50.000 to 100.000 COP (12 to 25 USD approx.) per day of service.
- At the restaurants the suggested tip is 10% of the service.
SEASONS
- The dry season in Colombia ranges from Mid-November till March, in this period of the year you can expect to have easier hikes and less rain in general.
- The river levels will be lower and you can expect less mud and drier trails.
- The rainy season starts in April and ends in mid-November, being May and October the rainiest months in Colombia and from June to September a softer rainy period.
- Local holidays like Catholic Holly Week, June and July, the schools rest week in the third week of October, Christmas, New Year, Wise men and other public holidays might need reservation in advance to guarantee availability of lodging and logistics for the experience.
PLEASE INFORM IN ADVANCE ABOUT
- Food restrictions and/or preferences.
- Important illnesses to take into account, disabilities, allergies and/or other medical conditions that may affect the development of the activities.
- Blood type.
- Special requirements for the trip within the reach of our logistics.
- Inform us if you don’t know how to swim.
