15 Days
Colombia
NATURE 15 D (A)
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.
MONSERRATE & HUMMINGBIRDS
On this day, after breakfast, you will have a half-day tour starting at 9:00 AM in the lobby of the hotel (the time can change if you need more recovering from the international flight), where you will get by cable car Monserrate Mountain located at 3.100 m.a.s.l. where you will visit a hummingbird trail with feeders, where you can observe some endemic species of the region with an expert. Later on, you will be taken back to the hotel.
COFFEE REGION
On this day, you will have a transfer to be at the airport of Bogota 2 hours before your flight to Pereira. Once there, you will be taken in a 1.5-hrs drive to the accommodation chosen, which is very famous for its coffee plantations, being one of the most traditional haciendas of the region. You will have the afternoon free in order to do one of the activities at the place or explore the attractions nearby.
HALF-DAY BIRDING AT RIOBLANCO RESERVE
On this day, we will take you early to Rio Blanco, which is a reserve of 4.932 hectares of cloud forest, located between 2,150 and 3.700 m.a.s.l. where 372 different bird species have been identified, of which 13 are endemic, 30 migratory and 13 are threatened. It is home of more than 61 species of registered mammals, more than 180 butterflies & 40 different species orchidS. You will have the afternoon free at the hacienda to do activities on your own.
EL NIDO DEL CONDOR DAY 1
On this day, you will be taken to El Nido del Condor reserve, where you will be transported in a gondola that passes through a canyon where the hotel is located. You will have the whole day free in order to enjoy this natural reserve, which is a place located the mountains of the coffee region with impressive views and landscapes, also being home of a population of Andean condors. You will sleep in comfortable luxury tents surrounded by great nature.
EL NIDO DEL CONDOR DAY 2
On this day, you will be able to explore the various trails and attractions that exist in this reserve that is especially famous for the conservation of the Andean Condor, which is the national bird. You will have several options for guided walks through the reserve with different scenery and levels of difficulty. You can also do activities such as birdwatching, mountain biking, horseback riding, visit different waterfalls, night walks, among other options.
SALAMINA
On this day, you will have a 3.5-hrs transfer to your next town in the coffee region, which is Salamina. On the way you will pass by great landscapes of the coffee region, having some attractions along the way, before arriving to Salamina, which is a typical, colorful colonial and walkable town that has the status of heritage town of Colombia. You will have the afternoon free to discover the town on your own.
SALAMINA 2 - VALLE DE LA SAMARIA
On this day, you will have a full day activity starting at 8:00 AM, where you be taken in a traditional jeep willys 4x4 first to the village of San Félix and then to the Samaria Valley, where with your guide you will explore the beautiful wax palm forest, which has the tallest palms in the world, being a great alternative to the Cocora Valley as it is less touristy and has a great level of conservation. In the afternoon you will be to your next hotel in the town of Aguadas.
ARRIVAL TO MEDELLIN
On this day, after breakfast you will have a 3.5-hours transfer by the roads of the south of Antioquia heading to Medellin. Once there, you will be dropped off at your hotel, which offers excellent facilities, being located in the El Poblado neighborhood, a great area of this Medellin, which is easy to get around and with good restaurants and options in a modern area of this city, which is called the eternal-spring city due to its fabulous climate all year round.
SANTA MARTA & THE CARIBBEAN COAST
On this day, we will pick you up for a transfer to the airport of Medellin, to be 2 hours before your flight to Santa Marta. Once there, you will have a private transfer to your ecolodge located inside the Tayrona National Park, where you will be surrounded by great nature. You will have a free afternoon to enjoy the ocean view, the wild beaches and the warmth of this great place where you will spend the nights in the region.
WILDLIFE IN TAYRONA NATIONAL PARK
On this day, you will have a guided tour by the National Park with a naturalist guide, starting very early in the morning in order to have better chances to see the birds and continental fauna of this protected area, that is home of 59 species of mammals, more than 300 species of birds, different reptiles and amphibians. On this day the focus will be wildlife observation, trying to avoid the busiest trails with regular tourist.
DAY AT LEISURE IN TAYRONA PARK
On this day, you will have the entire day at leisure, where you can explore the Tayrona national park on your own, which offers several signalized trails where you will be able to appreciate its rocky landscapes and enjoy its beaches, where you can swim and also do snorkeling in order to discover the underwater biodiversity of the place or choose between several activities available in the surrounding area of the park.
STILT TOWNS + CARTAGENA
On this day, you will be picked up at 7:30 AM and will have a 1-hr transfer to Nueva Venecia, which is a stilt town declared a world heritage site by UNESCO, located in Cienaga Grande of Santa Marta. There you can see how locals have lived for centuries with a very close relationship with the water and nature of the place. You will be able to see some wildlife and how fishermen and the communities live in stilt houses before having a 3-hrs transfer to Cartagena.
CARTAGENA WALKING TOUR
On this day, you will have 3-hours city tour, taking a guided walk through the streets of the walled city and discovering the most famous places in the historic center of Cartagena, such as the San Felipe Castle, its squares and its most iconic colonial buildings, delving into the history of this colonial city that has a strong Spanish heritage with its characteristic Caribbean atmosphere. You will have the rest of the day free in order to enjoy the city on your own.
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
Price includes
- LODGING 4+ stars hotels, boutique hotels and ecolodges in standard rooms.
- ACTIVITIES All the activities mentioned in the plan, all in private tours and transportations, except when necessary.
- MEALS 11 Breakfasts, 7 Lunches and 5 dinners
- TRANSPORTATION All land/sea transportation in private vehicles or shared, when necessary.
- GUIDANCE Spanish 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.
Price excludes
- Activities or elements not described in the plan.
- Additional drinks.
- Tips, snacks and souvenirs.
- Personal items not described in the itinerary.
- National or international flights.
Add-ons & optionals
Add-ons & optionals
What to take?
What to take?
- Clothes according to weather in each destination:
• Bogotá: Long pants, closed shoes, jacket or cardigan.
• The rest of the destinations: Light clothes.
• Long-sleeved shirts to avoid sunburn and mosquito bites during outdoor activities.
- Comfortable pants (not jeans) for outdoor activities.
- Appropriate footwear for the different proposed activities.
- Swimsuit, beach towel and water shoes.
- Protection for electronic devices since they may be susceptible to damage due to humidity and/or rain in the regions to visit.
- It is advisable to bring binoculars and/or cameras for wildlife observation.
- Sunscreen and mosquito repellent.
- Cap and/or sun protection for the head.
- Special personal medicines.
- Personal medical insurance.
- Personal documents.
- Clothes according to weather in each destination:
• Bogotá: Long pants, closed shoes, jacket or cardigan.
• The rest of the destinations: Light clothes.
• Long-sleeved shirts to avoid sunburn and mosquito bites during outdoor activities.
- Comfortable pants (not jeans) for outdoor activities.
- Appropriate footwear for the different proposed activities.
- Swimsuit, beach towel and water shoes.
- Protection for electronic devices since they may be susceptible to damage due to humidity and/or rain in the regions to visit.
- It is advisable to bring binoculars and/or cameras for wildlife observation.
- Sunscreen and mosquito repellent.
- Cap and/or sun protection for the head.
- Special personal medicines.
- Personal medical insurance.
- Personal documents.
Recomendation
Recomendation
WEATHER CONDITIONS, CONNECTIVITY & BILINGUALISM
It is necessary to be properly prepared for the weather conditions on the travel dates, which are detailed below:
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 01-03):
Temp. Min: 6ºC Max: 14ºC, slightly humid climate / (3000-3600 m.a.s.l.)
Good phone signal and wi-fi.
La Macarena (days 04-06):
Temp. Min: 20ºC Max: 33ºC, slightly humid climate / (233 m.a.s.l.)
No phone signal and good wi-fi.
Pereira (days 06-07):
Temp. Min: 10ºC Max: 25ºC, humid climate / (1411 m.a.s.l.)
Good phone signal and good wi-fi.
Salento & Cocora Valley (day 07):
Temp. Min: 14ºC Max: 25ºC, slightly humid climate / (1900-2100 m.a.s.l.)
Good phone signal and good wi-fi.
Nido del Condor Lodge (days 07-09):
No phone signal and good wi-fi.
Temp. Min: 8ºC Max: 18ºC, slightly humid climate / (2700 m.a.s.l.)
Nevado del Ruiz (day 09):
No phone signal and good wi-fi.
Temp. Min: -1ºC Max: 6ºC, slightly humid climate / (5335 m.a.s.l.)
Hacienda Venecia, Manizales (days 09-10):
Temp. Min: 17ºC Max: 24ºC, humid climate / (2153 m.a.s.l.)
Good phone signal and good wi-fi.
Cartagena & surroundings (days 10-12):
Temp. Min: 24ºC Max: 32ºC, humid climate / (3000-3600 m.a.s.l.)
Good phone signal and good wi-fi.
*March is one of the driest months in Colombia where it is expected to have little rain throughout the territory, however you should be prepared for possible isolated rains.
FAQ´s
FAQ´s
PLUG TYPE
• Voltage: 110V
• Frequency: 60 Hz
• Plugs: Type A / B
CURRENCY
Colombian Peso (COP) 1 USD = 3.800 COP aprox.
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:
- Caño Cristales (La Macarena)
- Nido del Condor Lodge
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 aprox.) per day of service.
- At the restaurants the suggested tip is 10% of the service.
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.
- Special requirements for the trip within the reach of our logistics.