Best of Colombia

Welcome to Colombia! Welcome at Bogota 's El Dorado International Airport , at an altitude of 2,640 meters. Transfer to your hotel in the northern districts of Bogota.   Overnight at the Coco Hotel in a Middle room. Included: arrival transfer , room

Day dedicated to visiting Bogota , with the following on the program: - Cerro de Monserrate , to enjoy a breathtaking view of the capital and its surroundings. Perched at an altitude of 3,152 meters, the Sanctuary, accessible by cable car or funicular, is a place of pilgrimage particularly frequented on religious holidays.   - At the Plaza de la Concordia, a pretty little covered market , you discover new exotic flavors from stall to stall, from all over the country. Colombia can also be visited with your taste buds!   - The Candelaria district , the historic and cultural center of Bogota, which has managed to preserve a colonial and authentic atmosphere; along the cobbled streets, you will discover colorful facades, beautiful sculpted wooden balconies and baroque churches.   - The Gold Museum , one of the most dazzling on the continent. Nearly 34,000 gold pieces are exhibited there, making it the most important collection of pre-Hispanic goldwork in the world, honoring the Quimbaya, Taironas, Muiscas and Tolimas civilizations.   - The Botero Foundation , dedicated to the Colombian artist Fernando Botero, where his own works are exhibited (around a hundred drawings, paintings and sculptures), as well as his private collection which includes no fewer than 85 masterpieces by internationally renowned artists (Renoir, Dali, Chagall, Picasso, Miro, etc.)   - Plaza Bolivar with its imposing buildings (town hall, courthouse, cathedral, National Congress, etc.)   Note 1: the visit to La Candelaria is done on foot (3 to 4 hours of walking in the city), with the support of a vehicle for the visit to Monserrate. Note 2: the order and content of the activities are given as an indication depending on the day of the week (Gold Museum closed on Monday; Botero Foundation closed on Tuesday). Note 3: Monserrate is very popular on Sundays and there are usually many visitors on that day.   Overnight at the Coco Hotel in a Middle room. Included: entrance(s) to site(s) mentioned in the program , excursion (private) , private transport , local English-speaking guide , room & breakfast

Transfer to Bogota airport for your domestic flight. Domestic flight to Pereira (optional, contact us). Arrival in the " coffee triangle " (composed of three departments: Quindío, Risaralda and Caldas). It is here, on the Andean highlands of western Colombia, that nearly 10% of the world's coffee supply grows at altitudes ranging from 800 to 1,800 meters. Welcome and transfer to your hotel.   Visit a Colombian coffee plantation , whose production can be just as complex and sophisticated as wine. On site, you will have the opportunity to walk among the coffee trees, be introduced to the harvesting and roasting processes, before tasting the beverage produced on site.   Overnight at the Terasu hotel in a Standard room. Included: departure transfer , arrival transfer , private transport , entrance(s) to site(s) mentioned in the program , local English-speaking guide , room & breakfast

Day dedicated to discovering the villages and landscapes typical of the coffee region . On the program: - Hiking among wax palms, Colombia's national tree, in the Cocora Valley - Lunch break in a typical restaurant, - Visit to the village of Salento : panoramic tour, discovery of local architecture and typical constructions made from bamboo (guadua), - Passage through the small village of Filandia and its weaving workshops.   Overnight at the Terasu hotel in a Standard room. Included: entrance(s) to site(s) mentioned in the program , excursion (private) , lunch (excluding drinks) , private transport , local English-speaking guide , room & breakfast

Transfer to Pereira airport for your domestic flight. Domestic flight to Medellin (optional, contact us). Welcome at the airport and private transfer to your hotel. Discover the traditional gastronomy of the city. Let yourself be carried between the stalls of a local market to taste exotic Colombian fruits before tasting fried dishes, which are very popular in Colombian cuisine. You end this half-day of tastings with a typical dessert .   Overnight at the Faranda Collection Medellin hotel in a king room. Included: departure transfer , arrival transfer , excursion (private) , local guide , tasting , private transport , local English-speaking guide , room & breakfast

Day dedicated to visiting Medellin . A walk through the pedestrian streets of the Carabobo District will allow you to discover different styles of architecture, from the Palacio Nacional to the Basilica Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, before reaching the Plaza Botero where bronze statues of the famous artist are exhibited.   You will then visit one of the most important museums in Colombia, the Museum of Antioquia : housed in an Art Deco building, it houses a large part of the works of Fernando Botero, as well as a set of pre-Hispanic, colonial and contemporary artistic collections.   Possibility to visit the museum "Casa de la Memoria" in place of the Museum of Antioquia. This is a space where you will understand the importance for Colombian society of memory . It is an opportunity to approach drug trafficking with a new perspective: that of the victims.   You will go to the Santo Domingo neighborhood.   After lunch, you will access the heights of Medellin by metro-cable (cable car) to enjoy a panoramic view of the city.   Then, panoramic tour of the famous Comuna 13 , known for having been a hotbed of urban violence in Medellin. The arrival of the Metrocable, the construction of a designer library and other electric staircases show the renewal of this neighborhood.   Note: The Metrocable is closed on public holidays (usually Mondays in Colombia) as well as the Tuesday following the public holiday Monday.   Overnight at the Faranda Collection Medellin hotel in a king room. Included: entrance(s) to site(s) mentioned in the program , excursion (private) , lunch (excluding drinks) , snack , public transport , local English-speaking guide , private transport , room & breakfast

Departure for a day in the heart of the Antioquian countryside with bucolic landscapes. You will stop at El Peñol , an impressive granite monolith on the banks of an artificial lake, discovery of the dam. After climbing the 659 steps of this stone, you will reach the top of the Peñol with a 360 degree view of the lake and the village. Then, discovery of the colorful village of Guatapé . The latter is in fact renowned for its “zócalos”, decorated friezes (of Spanish tradition) which adorn many buildings.   Note: 3 hours drive during the day approximately.   Transfer to Medellin airport. Domestic flight to Santa Marta (optional, contact us). Arrival in Santa Marta on the Caribbean coast. Welcome at the airport and transfer to your hotel at the gates of the beautiful Tayrona National Park .   Overnight at the Senda Koguiwa hotel in a Maloka Deluxe room. Included: entrance(s) to site(s) mentioned in the program , excursion (private) , lunch (excluding drinks) , snack , private transport , local English-speaking guide , departure transfer , arrival transfer , room & breakfast

Departure for the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta . You take a trail through the jungle to reach the Tayronaka reserve . The city of Tayronaka is an ancient lost city of the Tayrona Indians. This is precisely where the film Mission was filmed in 1986 with Robert de Niro. Accompanied by a guide, you retrace the history of this ancient civilization.   After touring the ruins, descend the Rio Don Diego in a buoy . On the way you can observe howler monkeys and magnificent tropical birds.   After lunch, you go down the river aboard a lancha , a small motor boat, to the ocean. The arrival on the ocean is spectacular! You enjoy a special moment on this superb, totally wild beach.   Note 1: About 30 minutes of walking in the jungle, easy level. About 30 minutes of going down the river in a buoy. Note 2: bring a swimsuit, hat and sunscreen for the descent in the buoy.   Overnight at the Senda Koguiwa hotel in a Maloka Deluxe room. Included: entrance(s) to site(s) mentioned in the program , excursion (private) , French-speaking guide , lunch , private transport , room & breakfast

This morning, you join one of the villages of the native Arhuaco community . You visit the community and discover the way of life of these farmers with ancestral techniques . You have the opportunity to converse with a member of the village, an exchange of great human richness. You then have the opportunity to discover the community's cocoa plantations.   Note 2: bring a hat, sunscreen, mosquito repellent and good walking shoes. Note 3: the tour is done with a local Spanish-speaking guide and a French-speaking translator.   Overnight at the Senda Koguiwa hotel in a Maloka Deluxe room. Included: excursion (private) , local Spanish-speaking guide , private transportation , translator , room & breakfast

Departure for Cartagena de Indias , on the Caribbean coast. Note: 4 to 5 hours drive.   Free end of day. Overnight at the Armeria Real hotel in a classic room. Included: private transport , room & breakfast

Day tour of the main historical and cultural sites of Cartagena : - The Convent of La Popa : perched on a hill that embraces the entire bay, this monastery houses a very pretty patio, a colonial museum and a chapel dedicated to the Virgen de la Candelaria.   - Panoramic view from the castle of San Felipe Barajas : at the gates of the colonial city, it is one of the most formidable bastions ever built by the Spanish army. The view of the city is impressive.   In the afternoon, visit the historic center and the main sites of Cartagena. It is on foot that we suggest you discover the past and present of Cartagena by visiting the most beautiful monuments of the city such as the Clock Tower or Don Pedro de Heredia .   During the tour you will notice the different influences - Romanesque, Moorish, colonial, military, Arab, Spanish and North American - that have shaped Cartagena.   You will also discover the Palace of the Inquisition , one of the most beautiful buildings in the city, or the San Pedro Claver sanctuary , formerly dedicated to Spanish priests and missionaries.   Note 1: program given for information purposes only, the order of visits may be modified.     Overnight at the Armeria Real hotel in a classic room. Included: entrance(s) to site(s) mentioned in the program , excursion (private) , local English and Spanish speaking guide , private transport , room & breakfast

Transfer to Cartagena de Indias airport for your international flight. Included: breakfast, departure transfer