Please leave your contact details and enter a short description of your dream adventure and we will forward your request to this travel company and 2 more industry expert companies that organise best trips in Colombia. They will be in touch with tailored proposals within three working days.
INTRO
This tour takes in the best of Colombia - a country of great diversity in landscape, people and culture. Discover Bogota's Gothic quarter and wander through rustic Villa De Leyva and the 'white city' of Popayan. Take in the colossal Salt Cathedral, the surreal Tatacoa desert, and stay on a coffee farm to learn the coffee making process. Cast your mind back to pre-Columbian times and admire the mysterious statues of San Agustin before feasting your eyes on Botero's oversized statues in Medellin. Finally head north to the charming city of Cartagena and the idyllic Parque Tayrona situated on the shimmering waters of the Caribbean.
Read the Independent on Sunday article about this trip.
GROUP DATES
AV - Available
GD - Guaranteed
LM - Limited places left
OR - On request (contact us for status)
CL - Closed for bookings
HIGHLIGHTS
Wander cosmopolitan Bogotá
Wandering cosmopolitan Bogota
The colossal Salt Cathedral
Rustic beauty of Villa de Leyva
Stay at an authentic Coffee Farm
Colonial villages in the Coffee Triangle
The “White City” of Popayan
The mysterious statues of historic San Agustin
The stunning Tatacoa desert
Marvel at Cartagena’s beautiful architecture
Relax on the stunning beaches of Parque Tayrona
PLACES VISITED
Bogotá - Salt Cathedral - Villa de Leyva - Manizales - The Coffee Triangle - Filandia & Salento - Armenia - Popayan - San Agustin - Tatacoa desert - Medellín - Cartagena - Santa Marta - Tayrona National Park Bogotá
ITINERARY
Short | Detailed | PDF
Day 1 : Bogotá
Arrive into Bogota. Transfer to hotel. Overnight Bogota.
Arrive into Bogotá airport where you will be met by a Travel The Unknown representative and driven to your hotel. Evening free to relax.
Meal plan : n/a
Day 2 : Bogotá
Half day tour of Bogota. Afternoon free. Overnight Bogota.
Half day tour of Bogotá including the Gold museum, historic Candelaria area and Monserrate. Afternoon free to explore/relax. Overnight in Bogotá.
Meal plan : Breakfast & lunch
Day 3 : Zipaquira - Villa de Leyva
Drive to Zipaquirá. Visit Salt Cathedral. Continue to Villa De Leyva. Overnight Villa De Leyva.
Drive to Zipaquirá, explore the stunning Salt Cathedral and visit the small museum. Lunch in Zipaquirá followed by a short wander through the historic centre. After lunch drive to heritage site of Villa de Leyva. Relax and overnight in Villa de Leyva.
Meal plan : Breakfast & lunch
The Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá is an underground Roman Catholic church built within the tunnels of a salt mine 200 meters underground in a Halite mountain. The name "Salt Cathedral" is mostly to attract tourists - while a functioning church that receives as many as 3,000 visitors on Sundays, it has no bishop and therefore no official status as a cathedral in Catholicism. The temple at the bottom has three sections, representing the birth, life, and death of Jesus. The icons, ornaments and architectural details are hand carved in the halite rock. Some marble sculptures are included. At the entrance of the church, there are 14 small chapels, representing the stations of the cross, which illustrate the events of Jesus' last journey. Each station has a cross and several kneeling platforms carved into the halite structure. The Salt Cathedral is considered one of the most notable achievements of Colombian architecture and has been denominated as a "Jewel of Modern Architecture". The cathedral represents for the Colombian people a valuable cultural, environmental and religious patrimony. The cathedral is part of a larger complex including "Parque de la Sal" (Salt Park), as well as a small museum of mining, mineralogy, geology and natural resources.
Day 4 : Villa de Leyva
Half day tour of Villa De Leyva. Afternoon free. Overnight in Villa De Leyva.
Day around Villa De Leyva including half day walking tour of this beautiful village where time seems to have stood still. Afternoon free to go walking, horseriding or check out a 120m year old dinosaur fossil. Overnight in Villa De Leyva.
Meal plan : Breakfast
Day 5 : Manizales
Flight to Manizales. Transfer to farmhouse. Relax for the afternoon.
Breakfast, then drive to Bogota. Fly to Manizales. Transfer to traditional finca (farmhouse) with a couple of hours of daylight to enjoy the property and its beautiful surroundings. Overnight in the finca
Meal plan : Breakfast & dinner
Day 6 : The Coffee Triangle
Half day city tour of Manizales. Rest of the day free to explore/relax. Overnight in Finca.
Half day city tour of Manizales. Rest of the day free to explore/relax. Overnight in Finca.
Meal plan : Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Colombia has a strong coffee industry which you will learn about during the trip to Manizales. Coffee originated in Ethiopia but has been grown in Colombia for 200 years. The country is the third largest coffee producer in the world after Brazil and Vietnam.
Day 7 : The Coffee Triangle
Visit Filandia, Salento, Valle De Cocora. Overnight in a comfortable farmhouse.
Breakfast, then drive to the quaint village of Filandia. Short stop for coffee and a snack, a wander and a traditional craftshop visit. Continue to Cocora. Have lunch, we recommmend the trout. Two hours to wander or horseride through the wax palm landscape around Cocora. Drive to picturesque Salento village for a wander. Drive to a traditional coffee farmhouse, relax. Overnight in finca (farmhouse).
Meal plan : Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 8 : Armenia - Popayan
Morning free. Drive to Popayan. Overnight in Popayan.
Half day to relax (optional use of pool). Lunch at finca. Drive to Popayan. Evening to relax. Overnight in hotel in Popayan.
Meal plan : Breakfast & lunch
Day 9 : Popayan
Tour of Popayan. Afternoon free. Overnight in Popayan.
Short tour of Popayan (2-3 hours). Rest of day free to soak up the atmosphere and explore the culinary delights of this colonial town. Overnight in hotel in Popayan.
Meal plan : Breakfast
Day 10 : San Agustin
Drive to San Agustin. Overnight San Agustin.
Take the bumpy road to the World Heritage site of San Agustin, one of the gems of Southern Colombia. On arrival take some time to unwind and enjoy the unique atmosphere. Overnight in comfortable lodge.
Meal plan : Breakfast
Day 11 : San Agustin
Visit Archaeological Park. Afternoon free to relax. Overnight in San Agustin.
Morning visit to the breath-taking Archaeological Park where you will discover stunning collection of statues dating from the 1st Century onwards. Very little is known about the mysterious culture that produced these statues - which has since vanished without trace. Afternoon free. There are options for hiking, rafting, horse-riding and hammock snoozing! Overnight in San Agustin.
Meal plan : Breakfast
Day 12 : San Agustin
Free day. Hiking, horse-riding and rafting available. Overnight in San Agustin.
Free day. Options are available to take a jeep tour, go hiking, horse-riding or rafting. Or simply relax. This is the place to do it. Overnight in comfortable lodge.
Meal plan : Breakfast
Day 13 : Tatacoa Desert
Drive to Tatacoa desert. Tour desert in open-top buggy. Overnight in Neiva.
Early start - drive to Neiva. Lunch and drop bags. Drive to Villavieja. Pick up vehicle and driver for Tatacoa desert. Drive through this stunning semi-arid desert. Stop in pool for a while. Take a dusk walk around the lunar landscapes of El Cuzco. Drive back to Neiva. Overnight in Neiva.
Meal plan : Breakfast
The Tatacoa Desert, the second largest arid zone in Colombia after the Guajira Peninsula, is one of the most attractive landscapes in Colombia. It occupies 330 square kilometres with two distinctive coluors: ochre in the area of Cuzco and gray in the Los Hoyos area. The Tatacoa or "the Valley of Sorrows", as it was called in 1538 the conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, due to traces of deterioration he noted in its soil. It is not actually a desert, but a tropical dry forest. The Tatacoa Desert was once a garden with thousands of flowers and trees which has gradually been drying out over millions of years.
The plants in this area are adapted to climatic conditions through the development of horizontal roots up to 30 metres and vertical roots of 15 metres that facilitate access to water. Cactuses reaching between four and five meters high are common. Animals found in the Tatacoa Desert include turtles, rodents, snakes, spiders, scorpions, eagles, alligators and wildcats, many of whom hide throughout the day. Tatacoa is also an ideal spot for observing the skies and perfect for viewing the 88 recognised constellations and for viewing meteor showers.
Day 14 : Medellin
Fly to Medellin via Bogota. On arrival, embark on a tour of the city which will include the key sights of Pueblito Paisa, San Antonio Park and the Parqie de Las Esculturas. Stop at the Aplujarra, where you have the option to take a cable car up to the 'comunas' (favelas) of Medellin. Overnight in Medellin.
Meal plan : Breakfast
Day 15 : Medellin
Breakfast at the hotel. Full day excursion to Guatapé and La Piedra del Peñol. These are two of the most important sites outside Medellin (about 2 hours from the city). The area is known for its beautiful countryside. El Peñol stands at 297 metres (also known as the Rock of Guatapé) and has magnificent views of Guatapé. A huge dam has been created which generates hydro-electricity for the region. It is a quaint town and is the gathering place for "Las Vegas", or the small farms of the area. Return to Medellín. Evening free.
Meal plan : Breakfast
Day 16 : Medellin - Cartagena
Transfer to the airport to catch a flight to Cartagena, via Bogota. Transfer to hotel. Overnight in Cartagena.
Transfer to the airport to catch a flight to Cartagena. Transfer to hotel. Overnight in Cartagena.
Meal plan : Breakfast
Day 17 : La Popa - Castilla San Felipe
Take a half day tour of the old city, La Popa and Castilla San Felipe. Afternoon free. Overnight in Cartagena.
Take a half day tour of Cartagena, exploring the Old City, including La Popa and Castilla San Felipe. Your guide will explain the history of the fortress walls and the many monuments, plazas, and buildings within them. Afternoon free. Overnight in Cartagena.
Meal plan : Breakfast
Day 18 : Santa Marta
Morning to relax in Cartagena. Transfer to Santa Marta. Overnight in Santa Marta.
Morning to relax in Cartagena. Transfer to Santa Marta. Overnight in Santa Marta.
Meal plan : Breakfast
Day 19 : Tayrona
Day to enjoy Tayrona National Park. Overnight in Santa Marta.
After breakfast transfer to Tayrona. Day to spend at your leisure, relax on the beach or swim in the sea. There is also the opportunity to trek through the jungle to look for the wide variety of wildlife living in the park and explore the indigenous Tayrona ruins of Chairma. Return to Santa Marta for overnight.
Optional upgrade to spend overnight in Tayrona available. Please ask us.
Meal plan : Breakfast
Day 20 : Bogotá
Transfer to Bogotá. Transfer to hotel. Overnight in Bogotá.
Transfer to the airport for flight to Bogotá. Transfer to hotel. Overnight in Bogotá.
Meal plan : Breakfast
Day 21 : Departure
Transfer to the airport for onward flight.
Transfer to the airport for onward flight.
Meal plan : Breakfast