Colombia
CULTURAL 15D (A)
This tour is designed for people with interest in nature and culture and human interactions having a mix of the hidden gems in the south of the country, adding a visit to the beautiful Caribbean Sea and the eco-touristic destination of Cartagena.
In this tour you can expect to have many interactions with indigenous and rural communities in their territories, while enjoying some of the most important archeological sites of the country, the Andean mountains of the south of the country, the marvelous beaches of the Caribbean, along with astonishing nature, national parks, the architecture of colonial towns and cities and a general great cultural component.
Itinerary
Itinerary Expand All
WELCOMING IN BOGOTA
On this first day, a person from our team will be waiting for you at your arrival time at El Dorado Airport in Bogotá and will take you to the hotel. Afterwards, you will have the rest of the day free, having time to recover from the flight, enjoy the hotel facilities or explore the city on your own.
BOGOTA GRAFFITI TOUR
On this day, after breakfast you will have a guided walk in the streets of La Candelaria neighborhood, where you will see different graffiti, in which you will learn about the history of the city and the expressions of the local people by different artists and how this art has earned its place to make the city better. You will have the afternoon free, where we recommend visiting Monserrate, the gold museum among other alternatives in this area of the city.
GUATAVITA + ZIPAQUIRA
On this day, after breakfast, you will be picked up for a private full-day tour visiting the 2 most emblematic attractions in the surrounding area of Bogota; the Guatavita lagoon, where you will walk 2 kms up to 3.100 m.a.s.l. learning about the origin of El Dorado legend. Then will visit Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral, which is an underground roman catholic church built inside the tunnels of a salt mine. At the end of the day, you will be taken back to Bogota.
SAN AGUSTIN ARCHEOLOGICAL PARK
On this day, you will be taken to airport 2 hours before your flight to Pitalito. Once there, you will be picked up and will have a 30-mins transfer to your hotel in San Agustin. You will have lunch and after that, you will have a tour in the Archeological Park with our bilingual guide, discovering the first statues of the region, in this place that has the best archeology collection nationwide. Later on, you will be taken back to the hotel.
TOURISTIC RING OF SAN AGUSTIN
On this day, you will have a full-day tour starting at 8:00 AM, visiting by car the main attractions around San Agustin, which are the Bordones waterfall, the Magdalena strait, the Obando museum, the statues of Isnos and Alto de los Ídolos, among others. In each place you will have different stops where you will have the explanation of the history and mysticism of the area. At the end of the afternoon, you will be taken back to your hotel.
PURUTAL & LA PELOTA SITES
On this day, we will start the morning visiting some of the most beautiful statues of the entire region, located at the sites of La Pelota and Purutal. Some statues still retain the original colors used by the civilization that built them used almost 2.000 years ago. In the afternoon you will be taken in a 3-hrs transfer to a hotel where you can't expect luxury, but rather be surrounded by great nature in the municipality of Coconuco, located next to Puracé National Park.
PURACE NATIONAL PARK
On this day, after breakfast, you will start exploring by car the main attractions of the Puracé National Park, where you will see different waterfalls, hot springs, well-preserved ecosystems up to 3.000 m.a.s.l. and even with some luck the Andean condor, all of that in an indigenous territory in the protected area of this National Park in the heart of the Colombian Andes. In the afternoon, you will be taken on a 1.5-hrs transfer to a comfortable hotel in the city of Popayan.
POPAYAN, THE WHITE CITY
On this day, in the morning you will have a walking tour in the beautiful historical center of Popayan, which is one of the best preserved in Colombia, in this so-called white city as its buildings preserve this color. In the afternoon, you can visit Hacienda Calibio, which was in important place for the independence of the country and/or have a silkworm’s experience in a traditional farm, where you will see how locals work this ancient natural fabric.
TRANSFER TO CALI & CITY TOUR
On this day, you will have a 3.5-hrs approx. private ground transfer to your hotel in Cali, which is located in a great area of this city. In the afternoon you will have 3-hours city tour, taking a guided walk through the most famous places in the downtown of Cali, its squares and its most iconic buildings, delving into its history. In the evening, we suggest you to attend one of the several salsa clubs or shows in this city that offers great nightlife.
GASTRONOMY CLASS & SALSA TOUR IN CALI
On this day, you will have a free morning to rest and enjoy the wonderful warm climate of Cali. In the afternoon, you will have a Salsa tour visiting places such as Jairo Varela square, the Piper Pimienta statue and the salsa museum, where you can also have an hour of salsa class with experienced teachers. In the evening, we suggest you to attend one of the several salsa clubs or shows in this city that offers great nightlife and dancing entertainment.
SAN CIPRIANO NATURAL RESERVE
On this day, you will have a full-day tour starting at 6:00 AM to the San Cipriano reserve, located 2.5-hrs. from Cali. You will pass by large green mountain landscapes between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes, surrounded by great nature. Once there, you will discover one of the purest rivers in the world and some waterfalls, which are only accessible by a traditional method of transportation along railways until you reach a quiet village of black communities.
ARRIVAL TO CARTAGENA
On this day, you will have a transfer to be at the airport of Cali 2 hours before your flight to Cartagena. Once there, you will have a transfer to the hotel. In the afternoon, you will have a 3-hours walking tour, visiting the main spots of the walled city of Cartagena, discovering the secrets of this place, which has a heritage of Spanish architecture mixed with the colors, vibes and warm climate characteristic of the Caribbean Coast of Colombia.
SAN BASILIO DE PALENQUE
On this day, you will visit San Basilio de Palenque, which is a town located 1.5-hrs from Cartagena, considered the first free town in America founded by self-emancipated slaves during Colombia’s colonial period. This town continues to be a symbol of resistance and African pride due to its story, having even the first Spanish-based creole language, which is still spoken in this place. You will have different activities there before getting back to Cartagena.
MANGROVES & FISHERMEN COMMUNITIES
On this day, you have a guided tour visiting first the national aviary and then the community of Ararca, where you can participate in the mangrove’s restoration project led by the community. There you will have lunch and you will be able to learn about their dances and fishing activities, having a close contact with their history, culture traditions and myths. You will boat through the mangroves and learn about its importance before heading back to the hotel.
FLIGHT OUT COLOMBIA
On this day, you will have breakfast at the hotel and will also have a transfer included to be at the international airport of Cartagena 3 hours before your flight out the country or 2 hours before flight connections within Colombia.
Cost Info
Cost Info
Included
- LODGING 4+ stars hotels, boutique hotels and private natural reserves.
- ACTIVITIES All the activities mentioned in the plan, all in private tours and transportations, except when necessary.
- MEALS 14 breakfasts, 12 lunches and 1 dinner.
- TRANSFERS All land/water transportation in private vehicles, except when necessary for some boat trips in the Pacific and the Caribbean coast.
- FLIGHTS INCLUDED All internal flights within the country with the following conditions:
- 10kg handbag + 23 kgs with LATAM – AVIANCA airlines.
- 5kg handbag + 15 kgs luggage for CLIC, SATENA & Charter flights (where we can add weight at no additional cost up to 23 kg of luggage exclusively at the airport before flight check-in and when there are no flight advisory weight restrictions).
- GUIDANCE English speaking guides throughout the trip for all activities in private tours.
- 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 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
- 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
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.
Bogotá D.C. (Days 01-04):
Temp. Min: 6ºC Max: 14ºC, slightly humid climate / (2600 m.a.s.l.)
Good phone signal and good 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.
San Agustin (Days 04-6):
Temp. Min: 19ºC Max: 28ºC, slightly humid climate / (1730 m.a.s.l.)
Regular phone signal and wi-fi.
You will have a bilingual guide but locals do not speak English.
Purace National Park (Days 06-07):
Temp. Min: 4ºC Max: 16ºC, humid climate / (1760 m.a.s.l.)
Regular 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.
Popayan (Days 07-09):
Temp. Min: 22ºC Max: 32ºC, humid climate / (1760 m.a.s.l.)
Regular 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.
Cali (Days 09 - 11):
Temp. Min: 24ºC Max: 32ºC, humid climate / (1018 m.a.s.l.)
Regular 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 13-15):
Temp. Min: 24ºC Max: 32ºC, humid climate / (0-100 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 existant:
- Purace National Park
- Tayrona National Park
- Minca
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.
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 aprox.) per day of service.
- At the restaurants the suggested tip is 10% of the service.
SEASONS
- Contrary to the seasons in the rest of the country, the rain and dry seasons occur in different months.
- Normally, the rainy (high waters) season starts in January and ends in May, however, it is starting to be more difficult to exactly know when the season will change.
- On high waters season you can easily get to several spots and destinations by canoe or boats while in the dry season you will have to walk longer distances.
- In the low waters season that starts from June to November there is less rain, and some river wildlife might be easier to spot, but when there is a strong drought the lagoons and lakes might have affectations to spot wildlife.
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 activities.
- Blood type.
- Special requirements for the trip within the reach of our logistics.
Map
Map
Gallery
Gallery
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.
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