Colorful Colombia
Explore the heart of Colombia and indulge in its fascinating culture and diverse ecosystems: bustling Bogotá; the verdant coffee-growing Pereira region; historic Medellín & colonial Cartagena
Overview
Style | Small Group TourTravel with a small, intimate group of no more than 16 likeminded travelers (and often much fewer), escorted by an English speaking guide and/or tour manager for some or all of your journey. (Some exceptions, including special promotional packages, may accommodate up to 30.) More of these packages
Dedicated tour escorts & guides throughout |
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Departures | February 2025 – December 2026 | Group Size | 16 travelers max |
Themes | History & Culture, Nature & Wildlife | ||
Activity Level | Moderate | ||
What to Expect | This moderately-paced, escorted tour includes a reasonable amount of walking or hiking and requires an average level of physical fitness. | ||
Already booked? | Find everything you need to know before you go, including information about passport & visa requirements, flights, luggage, and more. |
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From its stunning modern cities to its mega-diverse natural wonders, Colombia offers the intrepid traveler a panoply of experiences unlike any other destination on Earth. From the moment you arrive in Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, you'll be blown away by its stunning architecture and museums, friendly people, fabulous restaurants, and packed markets. Explore the fascinating blue-hued Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá before you fly off to Pereira, a beautiful mountainous coffee-growing region in the heart of this incredible country. Hop in a World War II-era Willys Jeep with your expert guide. Learn about the country's biodiversity, the history, and the significance of the wax palm, and tour a coffee farm to learn about the entire process from beans to brewing. Try your hand at crafting in the Colombian Andes in Santa Elena, a small village perched on a high plateau. Finish off your trip in Cartagena on the Caribbean coast, where you'll walk through colorful streets, admire the historical monuments, join a salsa class, and more!
Package includes
- Flights
- Coach
- Transfers
- Hotel
- Meals
- Guides
- Round-trip flights from Miami including taxes & fees
- Flights, ground transportation and transfers within Colombia
- 9 nights' accommodations in first class hotels
- 16 meals: 9 breakfasts, 4 lunches, and 3 dinners, including welcome and farewell dinners
- Professional English-speaking tour director and local guides
- Comprehensive touring program and entrance fees
Optional add-ons
- Flights from other cities are available. Request pricing when making your reservation.
- Cerro de la Popa and San Felipe Castle excursion in Cartagena
- Rosario Islands excursion with lunch from Cartagena
- Cooking class with lunch in Cartagena
Why you'll love it
- Admire the famous works of Fernando Botero at the Botero Museum in Bogotá.
- Sip fresh fruit juice as you stroll through the Paloquemao Market, Bogotá's largest food market.
- Ascend Monserrate Mountain via cable car or funicular and enjoy the sprawling views of the city from more than 10,000 ft. above sea level.
- Visit Bogotá's Gold Museum, home to the largest collection of pre-Columbian gold artifacts ever assembled.
- Descend over 600 ft. underground to the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá, a Roman Catholic church adorned with icons, ornaments and architectural details hand-carved in the halite rock.
- Plant your own wax palm and learn why these trees are so important to the Colombian people.
- Walk through a Colombian coffee plantation and participate in the coffee making process.
- Fly from Pereira to Medellin, allowing more time to enjoy this unique city.
- Explore Medellin's Metropolitan Cathedral and Plaza Botero during a comprehensive city tour.
- Witness the social transformation of Comuna 13, one of Medellin’s intriguing and diverse places.
- Learn about Santa Elena's silleteros, and prepare your own silleta full of vibrant flowers.
- Master Colombian salsa at a dance school in Cartagena.
- Explore Cartagena independently, or join an optional excursion to the Rosario Islands, a Natural National Park created to protect Colombia's Caribbean coral reefs.
Itinerary at a Glance
- 1 Depart USA/Arrive Bogotá
- 2 Bogotá
- 3 Bogotá & Pereira
- 4 Pereira, Cocora Valley & Salento
- 5 Pereira & Medellín
- 6 Medellín
- 7 Medellín, Santa Elena & Cartagena
- 8 Cartagena
- Optional Excursion: Cerro de la Popa and San Felipe Castle, $110
- 9 Cartagena
- Optional Excursion: Rosario Islands with lunch, $123
- Optional Excursion: Cooking Class with lunch, $123
- 10 Cartagena/USA
Dates & Prices
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 Depart USA/Arrive Bogotá
- Depart the USA on your flight to Bogotá, Colombia
- Enjoy a typical welcome dinner at the iconic Andres Carne de Res
NH Collection Bogotá Andino Royal or similar Dinner
Full Day ItineraryBoard your flight to Bogotá, the capital of Colombia. After customs formalities, meet your guide and transfer to your hotel.
Enjoy a welcome dinner with your fellow travelers at Andres Carne de Res—an iconic Colombian restaurant that has become a destination in its own right. The atmosphere is electric as you indulge in a feast of local flavors and soak up the vibrant energy of Bogota.
Day 2 Bogotá
- Visit Paloquemao Market, Bogotá's largest food market
- Admire the view from atop Monserrate Mountain
- Stroll through the historic center of Bogotá
- Admire the works of Fernando Botero
- See the largest collection of pre-Columbian gold items at the Gold Museum
NH Collection Bogotá Andino Royal or similar Breakfast & lunch
Full Day ItineraryThis morning, visit the Paloquemao Market, Bogotá's largest food market. Many of the city's restaurants source their ingredients from here. Choose fruit from the market to enjoy as fresh juice.
Then, head up to Monserrate Mountain, accessible by cable car or funicular, and view the city from this vantage point more than 10,000 ft. above sea level. A Spanish cleric built a chapel atop the mountain in 1650, where thousands of Colombians have been coming for many years to show their devotion to the image of the "Cristo Caído y Azotado."
Set off on a walking exploration of the historic center of Bogotá. Begin by admiring the street art. Continue to El Carmen Church, a small 17th-century church that expanded in 1926 to accommodate the growing number of faithful to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. See Nariño Palace, the official residence of the President of Colombia, and admire its gardens, including an astronomical observatory. Across the street is the austere facade of the Santa Clara Church, which now contains the Colonial Art Museum. Continue to Bolívar Square, where you will find the National Capitol, the Courthouse, the Cathedral, and the Archbishop's Palace.
Continue to the city center to admire the rich art collection of the Botero Museum. In 2000, famous Colombian painter and sculptor Fernando Botero donated an extensive collection to the museum. Currently, 123 works of Botero are on display, along with 85 pieces representing the major 19th-century international art movements.
This afternoon, visit the Gold Museum, part of the Bank of the Republic. The museum was created to rescue many endangered pre-Columbian treasures, and the Bank of the Republic purchased many items from private collectors and grave robbers. Today, the museum holds about 36,000 pieces of gold and emeralds, making it the most extensive collection of pre-Columbian gold artifacts.
Day 3 Bogotá & Pereira
- Be amazed by the underground Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá
- Fly to Pereira in the Colombian Coffee Triangle
Sonesta Hotel Pereira or similar Breakfast & dinner
Full Day ItineraryAfter breakfast, drive to the small Andean town of Zipaquirá, home to what was once one of the world's most important salt mines. The miners carved out a chapel in the now-defunct mine and created elaborate sculptures and carvings representing the Passion of the Christ. Descend into the mine to admire this fantastic structure more than 600 feet below the ground!
Drive to the Bogotá Airport for your short flight to Pereira, in the heart of the Colombian Coffee Triangle. Check-in and enjoy dinner at the hotel.
Day 4 Pereira, Cocora Valley & Salento
- Ride Willys Jeeps into the Cocora Valley
- Plant your own wax palm tree to help preserve this vulnerable species
- Taste a traditional Canelazo, a local cocktail made with cinnamon
- Enjoy freshwater trout during lunch
- Explore the village of Salento
Sonesta Hotel Pereira or similar Breakfast & lunch
Full Day ItineraryTravel to the village of Salento and hop on to World War II-era Willys Jeeps that will take you down into the Cocora Valley. Admire the beautiful landscape of the valley as you ride toward the wax palm tree forests. Take a walk in the forest and discover this area's diversity of plant and animal life. After savoring the local drink known as canelazo, learn about the importance of the wax palm tree for the Colombian people from a conservationist. Then, take a guided walk up a mountain to plant your own wax palm, thus contributing to its preservation.
At lunch, taste the local specialty: freshwater trout. Then, return to the village of Salento to explore the Plaza de Bolívar and the main street, with its colorful houses, balconies, and craft workshops, before returning to the hotel.
Day 5 Pereira & Medellín
- Experience how coffee is grown on a local coffee farm
- Taste the local specialty in Medellín, Bandeja Paisa
- Fly from Pereira to Medellín
Four Points by Sheraton Medellin or similar Breakfast & lunch
Full Day ItineraryVisit a coffee farm and walk through the plantation as you observe and experience growing coffee, from sowing the seed and selecting, hand picking, and de-pulping the coffee grains to roasting them on a wood fire and brewing a delicious cup of Colombian coffee.
Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, where you can try the regional specialty known as Bandeja Paisa, which includes rice, beans, chorizo, chicharron, arepa, and plantains, all served with coconut water lemonade.
Transfer to Pereira airport and board your flight to Medellín, a city nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains with a pleasant climate. Later, check in to your hotel and relax or explore this modern and friendly city.
Day 6 Medellín
- Explore the city of Medellín
- Enjoy a traditional Colombian snack
- Witness the social transformation of Comuna 13
- Admire the view from the Metro Cable Car
- See the 23 sculptures of Botero that are displayed on the Plaza Botero
Four Points by Sheraton Medellin or similar Breakfast
Full Day ItineraryToday's discoveries start at El Poblado Park and Llares Park. Later, make your way to the Pueblito Paisa market area and choose between two classic Colombian snacks: the Arena or the Salpicón.
Witness the social transformation of Comuna 13, once considered the most dangerous neighborhood in Colombia, now one of Medellin's intriguing and diverse places. Learn about its turbulent past and experience the murals, outdoor escalators, and cable car system.
Then, take a ride on the Metro Cable Car, which complements Medellín's metropolitan transit system by providing services to the settlements located on the steep slopes surrounding the city.
Head to the center of Medellín and walk from the Metropolitan Cathedral to the Plaza Botero. At this urban park, 23 sculptures by Medellín-born artist Fernando Botero adorn the public spaces.
Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.
Day 7 Medellín, Santa Elena & Cartagena
- Discover the culture of the silleteros
- Visit a flower farm in Santa Elena
- Board an evening flight to Cartagena
Hotel Bantu By Faranda Boutique or similar Breakfast & lunch
Full Day ItineraryAfter a relaxing morning, depart for Santa Elena, a small village in the high plateau east of Medellín. After lunch at a nearby restaurant, visit a flower farm in the village of Santa Elena. In 1957, during the first edition of the annual Festival of the Flowers in Medellín, 40 peasants from Santa Elena participated in the parade, traditionally carrying their flowers on silletas. The silleta was a type of chair made to be held on the back and was used in the old days to move goods and even people across difficult mountain passes and was the only way for the flower farmers of Santa Elena to carry their product into the city of Medellín. Learn about the culture of the silleteros, the porters of the Colombian Andes, and even prepare your own little silleta with colorful flowers.
Continue to the Medellín Airport and fly to Cartagena, on the Caribbean coast, and check in to your hotel.
Day 8 Cartagena
- Walk through the historic area of the city
- Visit the 17th century Jesuit church of San Pedro Claver
- Learn the steps of the Colombian salsa at a private salsa class
Hotel Bantu By Faranda Boutique or similar Breakfast
Full Day ItineraryThis morning, walk through the colorful colonial streets of the old city of Cartagena. Admire the landmarks, including the Clock Tower, the Customs Plaza, the lively Plaza Santo Domingo, and the Parque Bolívar. Visit the church of San Pedro Claver, built by Jesuits in the early 17th century, along with the neighboring monastery of San Pedro Claver. The Jesuit minister Pedro Claver was a defender of human rights. He cared for the needs of many enslaved people who arrived in the port of Cartagena and advocated for their humane treatment. He lived in the monastery until he died in 1654, and his remains are preserved in the church. He was canonized as a saint by Pope Leo XIII in 1888.
Enjoy the afternoon at leisure or participate in an optional excursion.
Later, join a salsa class at a dance school to learn the basics of Colombian salsa.
Optional Excursion: Cerro de la Popa and San Felipe Castle, $110Get a panoramic view of the city and bay atop the Cerro de la Popa. This hill stands just behind the old city and provides a splendid view of Tierrabomba Island, the harbor area, the historic center, and the modern part of the city. Then, visit the Castle of San Felipe de Barajas, originally built in 1536 and gradually expanded as required until 1657. At the time, it was the most prominent Spanish military building in the New World. See the impressive fortifications, walk through the kitchens and other sites of interest, and reach the residence of the lord of the castle. In 1984, UNESCO added the castle and the historic center of Cartagena as a World Heritage site.
Note: 2024 rate is $105 and requires a minimum of 2 passengers to operate.
Day 9 Cartagena
- Enjoy the day at leisure in Cartagena
- Alternatively, take an optional excursion
- Join your fellow travelers for a farewell dinner with a salsa show
Hotel Bantu By Faranda Boutique or similar Breakfast & dinner
Full Day ItinerarySpend your last full day in Colombia independently in the fantastic city of Cartagena, or join an optional excursion to the Rosario Islands or partake in an optional cooking class in Cartagena before meeting your fellow travelers for a farewell dinner and salsa show at a local restaurant.
Optional Excursion: Rosario Islands with lunch, $123Head to the pier and board a boat to the Rosario Islands. This archipelago boasts crystal-clear water and coral reefs and is part of a National Natural Park created to protect this delicate ecosystem. The white sandy beaches and turquoise waters shelter various tropical fish. Enjoy the day relaxing on these beautiful islands. Have lunch at a local restaurant on Isla del Encanto before returning to Cartagena in mid-afternoon.
Note: This optional tour cannot be combined with the Cooking Class with lunch and requires a minimum of 2 passengers to operate.
Note: 2024 rate is $115
Optional Excursion: Cooking Class with lunch, $123Whether a novice or an experienced chef, a cooking class in Cartagena promises to be an enriching and memorable experience, providing you with a deeper understanding of Colombian cuisine and its cultural significance. Cartagena is known for its diverse culinary scene, influenced by African, Spanish, and Indigenous cultures and ceviche.
Throughout this hands-on experience, you will prepare ceviche under the guidance of a skilled instructor. Later, you will enjoy the fruits of your labor by savoring the delicious ceviche and a meal prepared by the chef. It's a fantastic opportunity to bond with fellow food enthusiasts, share stories, and embrace the vibrant and friendly atmosphere that defines Cartagena.
Note: This optional tour cannot be combined with the Full-day Rosario Islands and requires a minimum of 4 passengers to operate.
Note: 2024 rate is $105
Day 10 Cartagena/USA
- Transfer to Cartagena Airport as you bid farewell to Colombia
- Board your flight to Miami via Bogota, and arrive in the USA later today
Breakfast
Hotels
In the unlikely event that a particular hotel is not available, a similar or better hotel may be substituted.
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Trip Details
- What should I know before I go? We've compiled a comprehensive checklist, including information on how to pay your balance due, flights & transfers, packing & luggage, and more.
- Do I need a visa or other documents? Are there any entry requirements? Please review the visa & entry requirements.
- Can I make changes to my trip? Want to upgrade your seats? Depart from another city? Something else? Just ask!
- Can I bring my kids? Are there any age restrictions? To book this package, you must be 18 or older. Your traveling companions must be 8 or older at time of travel.
- Should I purchase travel insurance? Yes! We recommend you purchase travel insurance to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. For your convenience, we offer a plan provided by Travelex Insurance Services.
- What's the fine print? Review the terms & conditions for this package.
- What should I know about Colombia? Check out our guide for practical travel tips, the best time to go, videos, and more.