15 Days in Colombia

• The Gold Museum
• Zipaquirá & the salt cathedral

• Villa Viaja & the Tatacoa desert
• Paleontological museum & Cuzco hike
• National Archeological Park of Tierradentro
• Andes mountains, Paez River
• San Andrés de Pisimbalá

• Anthropological & archaeological museum
• Archaeological park San Agustín
• Mesitas A, B, C, D
• Ceremonial Lavapatas Fountain
• Forest of statues

• Los Frailejones Valley
• Villages of Isnos, Paletará, Coconuco
• Colonial house & church of Popayán, Humilladero Bridge, Chiquito Bridge

• Naturally occurring palm trees
• Traditional coffee farms
• Colorful village of Salento

• Traditional coffee plantations
• View from the cable car

• Botero Plaza
• MetroCable system
• Peñol Rock, Guatapé

…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!

…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.

…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!

…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.

…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!

…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.

…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.

…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.

…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.

…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.

…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.

…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.

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.