Colombia
CLASSIC SELF – DRIVING 15 D
This tour is designed for people with interest in nature and culture and human interactions having a mix of some of the most iconic Colombian destinations with hidden gems in the south of the country.
This is an active tour that includes several hikes, visits of some of the most famous colonial towns of Colombia and deep interactions with farmers and indigenous groups in their territories, having a strong social component while enjoying astonishing nature all the way.
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 WALKING-TOUR
On this day, you will have a 3-hours shared walking tour by La Candelaria neighborhood and the historical downtown of Bogota that can begin either at 10:00 AM or at 2:00 PM, where you will get a first introduction to the city and will give you good information so you can explore the city on your own. You will be located close to the gold museum and the Monserrate church, where you can get by cable car having one of the best views of the city at 3.100 m.a.s.l.
ZIPAQUIRA SALT CATHEDRAL
On this day, you will have a shared tour starting at 8:00 AM in front of your hotel, where you will visit one of the most iconic attractions of the surrounding area of Bogota: the Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral, which is an underground Roman Catholic church built inside the tunnels of a salt mine. Once there you will have the entrance covered and will have free time to visit the place and the town. At the end of the afternoon, you will be back in Bogota.
COFFEE REGION
hours before your flight to Pereira. Once there, you will pick-up your SUV and will have a 1.5-hrs drive to the chosen accommodation, 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 the hacienda.
COFFEE FARM TOUR
On this day, you will have a coffee tour where you will learn about the origin and history this fruit, its global distribution, the different varieties and qualities of Colombian coffee, as well as its aromas and properties. You will walk through the plantation to learn more about cultivation, harvesting, roasting, preparation and will end with a tasting of a great cup of coffee by this traditional hacienda. You will have a free afternoon to do or plan activities on your own.
SALAMINA
On this day, you will have a full day free in the region to explore it at your own pass. This day you need to drive 2-hrs to reach 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 Salamina, which is a typical, colorful colonial and walkable town that has the status of heritage town of Colombia.
SALAMINA 2 - VALLE DE LA SAMARIA
On this day, you will have a full day activity starting at 8:00 AM, where you first will have to drive for 1 hour to the village of San Félix. Once there, you will be taken in a traditional Jeep Willys 4x4 to the Samaria Valley, where with your guide you will explore the beautiful wax palm forest, which is a great alternative to the Cocora Valley as it is less touristy and has a great level of conservation. Late in the afternoon you will drive back to the hotel.
AGUADAS DAY AT LEISURE
On this day, you will have a full day free in the region to explore it at your own pass. This day you need to drive 1.5-hrs in order to reach your next town in the coffee region, which is Aguadas. On the way you can visit Pacora, which is a small town with a museum of sounds and other attractions in both the urban and rural areas. Once in Aguadas you can hire activities at the hotel or explore this town on your own, which is famous for its crafted hats.
ARRIVAL TO MEDELLIN
On this day, after breakfast you have to drive 3.5-hrs by the roads of the south of Antioquia heading to Medellin. Once there, you will have to return your car at the car rental place at your arrival to the hotel, which is 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.
COMUNA 13 + MEDELLIN HIGLIGHTS
On this day, you will have a full-day private tour visiting in the morning the Comuna 13, where you will be able to see the transformation and evolution from a past of violence to a modern and socially inclusive city. In the afternoon you will visit the most famous spots of the downtown such as Botero and lights squares, the national palace, La Alpujarra, Carabobo Street, among others, before returning to the hotel.
FLIGHT TO CARTAGENA
On this day, you will have a transfer included in order to be 2 hours before your flight to Cartagena. Once there, you will have a transfer to your hotel. You will have the afternoon free to walk the streets of the walled city, discover its secrets and enjoy this colonial city that has a strong heritage of Spanish architecture mixed with the colors and vibes of Caribbean culture. The city also offers several museums, squares, parks and great gastronomy alternatives.
ROSARIO ISLANDS DAY 1
On this day, you will take a shared boat at 8:00 AM, heading to one of the Rosario Islands. You will be welcomed and will have the day completely free to enjoy its crystal-clear waters of the Caribbean Sea. Your hotel is located in Isla Grande, which is the largest of the Rosario Islands, where can do on your own or hire some activities like snorkeling, diving, kayaking, hiking, bioluminescence plankton activity in the evening, among others.
ROSARIO ISLANDS DAY 2
On this day, you will be completely free to enjoy the hotel facilities with kayaks, paddle boards and snorkels available, on this island where you can also hire different activities such as boat tours, excursions, different walks, motorized activities among other options or you can simply relax and enjoy its warm waters and white sand beaches. If the conditions are good enough, we suggest you to do the bioluminescence plankton activity at night.
ROSARIO ISLANDS DAY 3
On this day, you will have the entire day free to enjoy the Caribbean beaches of the island. You will have kayaks, paddle boards and snorkels available or you can hire one of the different alternatives of activities on site. In the afternoon you will have a shared boat transportation back to Cartagena. We suggest you to book in advance a dinner at one of the many great restaurants of the city in order to have a perfect farewell from Cartagena.
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 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.
- TRANSPORTATION 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, 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
- 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 / (3000-3600 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.
Tierradentro Archeological Park (Days 09-10):
Temp. Min: 24ºC Max: 32ºC, humid climate / (1730 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.
Neiva (Days 10-11):
Temp. Min: 14ºC Max: 29ºC, humid climate / (442 m.a.s.l.)
Good phone signal and good wi-fi.
You will have a bilingual guide and many locals speak fluent English.
Tatacoa Desert (Days 11):
Temp. Min: 22ºC Max: 35ºC, humid climate / (400 m.a.s.l.)
Good phone signal and good wi-fi.
You will have a bilingual guide and many locals speak fluent English.
Cartagena & surroundings (Days 12-15):
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:
- San Agustin
- Purace National Park
- Tierradentro Archeological Park
- Tatacoa Desert
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.
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