Just returned from a brilliant tailor made trip to Colombia thanks to Colombia Travel Operator. They helped us organise a private tour which met all of our needs and interests. They consulted with us to identify the places we should visit (Colombia is a vast and varied country, with many places to see), helped work out how many days to spend in each and find suitable accommodation. Their communication was the best we have ever had from a travel agent or tour company: rapid, accurate and very helpful.
20 Days in Colombia-Full trip
Plunge into Colombia on this 3-week expedition
Exploring Colombia demands a thoughtful approach. This diverse nation unfolds a tapestry of enchanting landscapes—ranging from captivating deserts to pristine beaches and sprawling national parks—all awaiting your discovery on this extensive 20-day tour. One of the highlights of this journey is the mesmerizing Tayrona National Natural Park, nestled near the coastal city of Santa Marta.
Embark on a remarkable 20-day journey, and let the wonders of Tayrona Park captivate your senses. The park, with its lush rainforests, crystal-clear beaches, and ancient archaeological sites, offers a unique blend of nature and culture. Immerse yourself in the heart of each location, where encounters with local Colombians, including the indigenous communities connected to Tayrona, add a personal touch to your experience. Whether guiding you through their homes or sharing insights into the Colombian way of life, these interactions promise a deeper connection.
Whether you’re a first-time visitor or returning (as many inevitably do), your journey promises a tranquil exploration of Colombian culture, with Tayrona National Natural Park serving as a breathtaking backdrop. Savor the country’s charm at a leisurely pace, and let the magic of Tayrona enhance your understanding of Colombia’s rich and diverse tapestry.
Is the best way to discover all in 1 trip the wonders of Colombia, please take a look to this article if you want to have more information. Coming to Colombia
What you’ll see
- The Gold Museum
- Zipaquirá & the salt cathedral
- Tejo and local markets
- Villa Viaja & the Tatacoa desert
- Cuzco hike
- The Quimbo dam
- Anthropological & archaeological museum
- Archaeological park San Agustín
- Magdalena River begins
- Naturally occurring palm trees
- Traditional coffee farms
- Colorful village of Salento
- Traditional coffee plantations
- A colorful town and very unique
- Botero Plaza
- MetroCable system
- Peñol Rock, Guatapé
- Old walled city
- San Felipe Castle
- Transfer by land to Santa Marta
- Tayrona National park
Click the tabs to find out more
Trip details
Trip details
Price:
From $3.450 USD per person (please inquire for a more accurate quote)
Availability:
Year-round
Please note: these tours are private, making them highly customizable and tailored to your needs. We are happy to adjust our itinerary to fit your schedule and your interests.
Duration:
20 days, 19 nights
Group size:
2 – 12
Included:
- Lodging
- Meals (depending on the itinerary)
- Private guided visits
- Entrance fees to attractions mentioned in the itinerary
- All transportation (except flights)
- 24/7 assistance
Please note: flights to and within Colombia are not included.
How you'll travel:
Private transportation between certain locations as well as to and from the airport; well-kept vehicles with air conditioning. Between cities, we will be traveling by airplane.
Please note: travelers are responsible for arranging and purchasing their own flights — we will make recommendations on airlines and dates upon booking.
About the staff:
Accompanying you on your adventure will be a beloved, bilingual member of our team to guide you as well as one of our talented drivers.
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Bogotá
Upon your arrival to Bogotá, our staff will collect you at the airport and help you get settled in. We’ll give you the day to rest up from your flight before starting our adventure tomorrow!
Day 2: Bogotá
Breakfast included | city tour | Gold Museum
A nice breakfast at the hotel will properly prepare us to head out around 9AM for a tour of Bogotá. You’ll see the most exciting…
…bits of the city, including its incredible architecture, the cable car system, and the Gold Museum. You can check out more of what’s included on this tour by looking at our Bogotá City Tour. Once you’ve gotten your bearings in our nation’s capital, we’ll give you the afternoon free to explore for yourself. If you’re looking for recommendations, please just ask your guide after the city tour – we’d be happy to let you in on local secrets!
Day 3: Bogotá to Zipaquirá
Breakfast & lunch included | Zipaquirá | famous salt cathedral
After breakfast at the hotel, the clock strikes 9AM and we’ll embark on our adventure to Zipaquirá, just 1 hour outside of Bogotá. Here, we’ll see…
…the famous Colombian engineering feat in the salt mine of Zipaquirá, the salt cathedral. This architectural masterpiece will capture our attention for about 2 hours before we head into town to have lunch and wander around to admire the village. You can read more about this tour by looking at the Zipaquirá Tour page. After we’ve strolled around the town to our heart’s content, we’ll head on back to Bogotá for a much-needed rest.
Day 4: Bogotá to Nevia
Breakfast & dinner included | Tatacoa Desert |
We’ll be up bright and early on day 4, ready to head to the airport to catch the 8:30AM flight to Neiva (please note this flight is not included in the price). We won’t be in the capital of…
…the Magdalena River for very long, as we’ll transfer almost immediately to Villavieja, a small village on the border of the UNESCO World Heritage site, the Tatacoa Desert. We’ll visit the paleontological museum to learn about the nuances of this desert that gets its name, “tatacoa,” from the regional word for “rattlesnakes.” Don’t worry though — we’ll stay away from these precious creatures while hiking the Cuzco Trail and savoring the natural beauty of this dry tropical forest ecosystem. This place is truly one-of-a-kind!
We’ll then cross the Andes mountains and the Paez River to arrive at the National Archaeological Park of Tierradentro, another UNESCO World Heritage site and where we’ll spend the next few days of the adventure. We’ll have a chance to settle into our accommodation in San Andrés de Pisimbalá and reflect on the fantastic views and incredible history that we absorbed throughout the day. After dinner, it’s time to rest up for the adventure to continue tomorrow!
Day 5: Tierradentro to San Agustín
Breakfast & dinner included | Tierradentro Park | museum visits
Day 5 consists of diving into ancient Colombian history with a full day tour of the National Archaeological Park of Tierradentro. In an effort to preserve the mystery…
…we won’t give too much away… but get ready to be blown away when you see how deep Colombia’s artistic and engineering roots go. Breathtakingly intricate pictographs of ancient stories are just the beginning of the wild beauty of this place. We’ll visit the Tierradentro museum to delve into the anthropology and archaeology further into its history.
Day 6: San Agustín Archaeological Park
Breakfast & dinner included | San Agustín Archaeological Park | afternoon options
San Agustín Archaeological Park houses the largest collection of religious monuments and megalithic sculptures in the entirety of Latin America. As we wander through…
…this wonder of nature, we’ll see some of the most well-known pieces: the mesitas, the ceremonial Lavapatas Fountain, and the Forest of Statues. Tucked away among native flowers and other greenery, words simply do not do this magical place any justice. Come discover its allure for yourself!
In the afternoon, we have a couple of activity options, both promising expansive views of the fascinating landscape. The first is horseback riding to El Tablón, a small village in the Magdalena River valley, and “La Chaquira,” an enormous rock carving of a woman with her arms raised to the heavens. The other option is to tour the Straits of Magdalena, sections of this valley’s river no more than 2.2 m (7.2 ft) wide that are hidden in a spectacular rocky, almost Martian landscape. The choice is yours!
Day 7: San Agustín to Popayán
Breakfast included | Los Frailejones Valley | Humilladero & Chiquito Bridges
Day 7 whisks us from the realm of San Agustín toward colonial Popayán. On the way, we’ll stop in the Los Frailejones Valley to admire the widespread coverage of…
…a cousin of the sunflower, the frailejón, a shrub native to Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. We’ll continue our journey to soon pass by the villages of Isnos, Paletará, and Coconuco. Upon arrival to Popayán, we’ll drop our things off at the hotel and head out to explore the town of Popayán. This quaint village offers plenty of colonial houses to see as well as a pair of its historic bridges, Humilladero Bridge and Chiquito Bridge. Since Popayán was founded on a river, these two bridges have provided their services to the town ever since its very beginnings.
Day 8: Popayán to Salento
Breakfast & dinner included | traditional coffee plantation
Our move to Salento marks the official halfway point of our 2-week adventure! We’ll spend a good amount of time on the road during day 8, but we’ll break up the journey by visiting a coffee plantations. Here, we’ll learn about the process of growing and treating coffee beans to be brewed into your morning cup of joe.
Day 9: Salento & Cocora Valley
Breakfast, lunch, & dinner included | traditional coffee plantation | colorful Salento
First on the list is the Cocora Valley, where we’ll witness towering Quindio wax palms as we walk through the valley. You’ll have the chance to…
…plant your own wax palm to contribute to this incredible forest, right before we enjoy a traditional Colombian lunch at one of our favorite restaurants. After we’ve restored our energy, we’ll head to a traditional coffee plantation for even more caffeine-fueled knowledge. A stroll through the vibrant town of Salento, complete with perusing of artisanal markets, is the ideal way to end the day.
Day 10: Salento to Jericó
Breakfast included | hiking | cable car ride
The village of Jericó is our next stop. Traversing the Antioquia coffee region by car is a beautiful voyage, but just wait until we get to Jericó. There, we will…
…have the chance to do a bit of hiking and take the cable car, where we will have an even more spectacular view of this surreal landscape. Once we arrive to Jericó, the hidden jewel that is the heart of the Antioquia region, you’ll have a chance to explore the town for yourself.
Day 11: Jericó to Medellín
Breakfast included | tour of Medellín | Botero Plaza
Another few hours on the road in the morning will deliver us to Medellín. Once we make it safe and sound, we’ll take you out on…
…our Medellín City Tour, where you’ll see Botero Plaza, the Metrocable system, and so much more! After we parade you all around the city, we’ll give you the evening off to explore on your own or even just take the evening to catch up on some well-deserved downtime.
Day 12: Medellín & Guatapé
Breakfast & lunch included | Peñol Rock | Guatapé
After a quick breakfast, we’ll start the morning early by heading to Colombia’s lake region, where interestingly around 30% of Colombia’s electricity is produced by…
…hydroelectric plants. Day 12 brings us one of Medellín’s most valued tourist locations, Peñol Rock. This huge rock, standing 220 m tall, is quite the sight to see; you can read more about it on our Peñol Rock & Guatapé Tour page. Our day out then takes us to the colorful town of Guatapé, where a simple walking tour will give us some insight into this little village. After a delicious lunch, we’ll head back to Medellín to give you a bit more time in this intriguing city.
Day 13: Medellín to Cartagena
Breakfast included
Day 13 brings us to Cartagena, the final city on our 2-week adventure, and it will not disappoint! A short flight from Medellín to Cartagena (not included) seems like a wormhole when we touch down and find ourselves in the Caribbean. Once we get checked into our hotel, we’ll give you the day to explore a bit on your own.
Day 14: Cartagena de Indias
Breakfast included | ciudad amurallada (old city) | Castle of San Felipe
We’ll spend the morning doing our Cartagena Walking Tour(opens in a new tab). Walking through the ciudad amurallada (“walled city,” the old sector of Cartagena) gives you the chance to…
…get up close and personal to the intricate details that only a seasoned guide could know. The Church of San Pedro Claver and San Diego Plaza are also on the list for earlier in the day. After lunch, we’ll head up to the Castle of San Felipe and the La Popa Monastery; you can read more about these unmissable points of interest on our Cartagena City Tour page.
Day 15: Cartagena de Indias
Breakfast included | free day | optional Rosario Islands tour
Our time together has almost come to an end! Since we’ve shuttled you around a good amount on this adventure, we’ll give you free rein in Cartagena to…
…let you do as you please on your last full day in Colombia. If you need recommendations, please let us know — we’d be happy to help you figure out some fun things to do or see.
If you’re interested, we highly recommend taking our Rosario Islands Tour, a great chance to get that Caribbean experience and get out to the beach. This tour is not included in the price of the 2-week experience, so please keep that in mind when booking.
Day 16: Cartagena to airport
Breakfast included
After a breakfast at the hotel, we’ll take you to the Cartagena international airport so that you can get off to your next adventure.
Frequently asked questions
No, all of our multi-day trips are 100% private. We work with our clients closely throughout the process so that this adventure is exactly what you want it to be.
On this tour, we include:
- Lodging & meals mentioned in the itinerary
- Private guided visits
- Entrance fees to attractions mentioned in the itinerary
- All transportation (except flights)
- 24/7 assistance
- Medical insurance
However, we do not include:
- Personal expenses
- Tips
- Any meals not mentioned in the itinerary
- Airline tickets (international & domestic)
- The optional Rosario Islands Tour
We are proud to say that we have an incredible team with a wide array of languages. In total, we can offer tours in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, and Italian, and we even have a Russian interpreter that can come along and translate for us. Please indicate your language preference upon booking (languages other than English and Spanish come at an additional cost).
- Any meals that aren’t mentioned in the itinerary are not included in this tour. We’ll give you plenty of opportunities to taste the incredible local cuisine, so please remember to bring extra cash for meals.
- We do not include the flights in the price of these tours, so we recommend that you purchase your flights after we have confirmed your booking. During the booking process, we will make recommendations on which flights we find work best with our schedule.
- If you see anything listed on the itinerary that doesn’t appeal to you, please don’t worry! This tour is customizable and we can adapt the itinerary to ensure each activity is of interest to you and your group.
Have more questions? Visit our FAQ page!
See what previous tour-goers have said
Excellent service, excellent tour! This company was very organized and did what they said they would do. Helpful and knowledgeable. I would use them again.
Outstanding! I took a group to Colombia in November and this operator was outstanding. Professional, organized and surpassed expectations.
We are a group of 4 from Toronto & Hong Kong taking a 7 days trip around Colombia in November 2018. We joined an amazing company called Colombia Travel Operator. The trip was tailor-made to us which covered places like Bogotá, Coffee Area, Medellin, Cartagena and Mompox. Kelly Botero, the charming beautiful young lady who we have corresponded since day 1 and till the end of the trip has been fascinating.