Day 1: ARRIVAL IN BOGOTÁ

 

Your Colombian adventure starts today! A driver will await you upon arrival at the international airport of Bogotá.

 

He will bring you to your charming hotel in the old center so you are near the touristic sites for the next day.

Accommodation: Hotel Casa Deco

Day 2: LA CANDELARIA & TRANSPORT TO TATACOA

 

In the morning you will discover part of the historic center of Bogotá by foot. An English-speaking guide will take you on a discovery tour through La Candelaria, the oldest part of the city.

 

The main square of Bogotá will be your first stop and from there on you will continue through the colorful and bustling streets of Colombia’s capital. The tour lasts around 3.5 hours.

 

In the afternoon, you will be brought to the airport so you can take a flight to Neiva. From Neiva you will be driven to the magical Tatacoa desert. 

 

This is a drive of about 1 hour, and you will be able to see how the landscapes gradually change and the temperature rises as you get closer to the desert.  

 

You will be brought directly to your hotel in the town of Villavieja, which is located right at the start of the desert.

 

The hotel is a renovated colonial-style mansion with a very nice courtyard and a refreshing swimming pool.

 

Accommodation: Hotel Casa del Angel

Day 3: TATACOA DESERT & TRANSPORT TO TIERRADENTRO

You will start the day with a typical Colombian breakfast and after that it will be time for the Tatacoa desert tour.

 

Together with a local guide you will discover the weird landscapes of one of the most arid zones in Colombia.

 

The tour lasts around 4 hours and you will notice that a part of the desert is reddish while another part is rather yellowish.

 

You will see giant cacti and weird rock formations everywhere along the tour  (click here for more information about this tour).

 

After this awesome half a day tour it is time to set course to remote but absolutely beautiful Tierradentro! This is a 5 hours’ drive through mountains and cozy traditional villages.

 

Hotel: Hotel El Refugio.

Day 4: ARCHAEOLOGICAL TOUR OF TIERRADENTRO

The archaeological tour of Tierradentro will take a full day. You will leave in the morning with a local indigenous guide to discover this area by foot.

 

He will bring you to the first circular tombs that can be found all over the regionNot only the tombs are absolutely beautiful but also the spectacular mountains of Tierradentro and the department.

 

The not-to-be-underestimated walk will take 4 to 5 hours, but you will be given time to rest, enjoy the views, get explanations by your expert guide, and have lunch in time.

 

Accommodation: Hotel El Refugio

Day 5: TRANSPORT TO SAN AGUSTÍN

Today you are going to San Agustin. A driver will bring you directly from Tierradentro to your beautiful lodge in San Agustin.

 

This is a drive of about 6 hours over winding little roads and through spectacular landscapes. San Agustin is famous for its collection of mysterious ceremonial burying grounds that are decorated with peculiarly looking statues.

 

The village itself is rather small but cozy and tourist friendly.

 

Accommodation: Hotel Akawanka Lodge

Day 6: DISCOVER SAN AGUSTÍN

You will start day 3 with a visit to the archaeological park of San Agustin. This is the perfect place to learn more about the mysterious pre-Columbian San Agustin culture.

 

The park is an open-air museum and is an important UNESCO world heritage site.  An English-speaking guide will make sure to tell you everything there is to know about the many statues the park holds. 

 

After visiting the park, it will be time to visit a couple of places in the surroundings of San Agustin.

 

Your guide will drive you to some locations in the mountains where you can find different statues and tombs belonging to the San Agustin culture so you can admire these archaeological findings in their original site. Click here for more information on this tour.

 

Don’t forget to keep your eyes open while driving around because the surroundings are wonderfully green, with all kind of plantations on the hillsides, and with hidden waterfalls between the bushes and forests.

 

Accommodation: Akawanka Lodge

Day 7: MORE OF SAN AGUSTIN & FLIGHT BOGOTÁ

You will have the morning to enjoy the last moments in San Agustin so you will take advantage of this time to visit some more archaeological sites and natural attractions in the surroundings with an experienced guide.

 

In the afternoon you it will be time to set course to the airport of Pitalito so you can take a flight back to Bogotá.

 

The night will be spend in a comfortable hotel near the airport because you will have to take another flight to go to the precious coffee zone the next day.

 

Accommodation: Hotel Movich

Day 8: COFFEE ZONE & COFFEE TOUR

In the morning, you will leave the airport of Bogotá with a flight to the astonishingly beautiful coffee zone of Colombia. Next, you will be brought to your accommodation at 45 minutes from the airport.

 

Your hotel will be a traditional coffee hacienda. It is surrounded by a gorgeous garden and an active coffee plantation. You will be able to enjoy an outdoor pool with Jacuzzi, and visit the different viewpoints over the plantations and the green mountains that are so characteristic for this region.

 

In the afternoon, you will take a great coffee tour. Your English-speaking guide will take you through all the different steps in the process of making coffee. You will see the whole process, from the bean to the cup. The tour takes about 3 hours.

 

Accommodation: Hotel Finca del Cafe

Day 9: SALENTO & THE COCORA VALLEY

 

In the morning you will leave your beautiful hacienda to pay a visit to the Cocora Valley with a guide. You will make an amazingly beautiful walk in the valley that is dotted with large palm trees. These peculiar trees are the national tree of Colombia, the Quindio Wax Palm tree, and they can get as high as 60 meters.

 

Afterwards you will visit Salento, a colonial town nested at the feet of the Cocora valley and where you will have the opportunity to walk around and take pictures of the cute colorful houses.

 

You will finish your tour with a visit to Filandia, a local coffee village that is famous for its beautiful local arts and crafts. Around 17:00 you will be taken to one of the best places on earth for birdwatching, where you will spend the night.

 

Accommodation: Tinamu Birding Reserve

Day 10: BIRD WATCHING & TRANSPORT CARTAGENA

Today is bird watching day! Your day will start at 06:00 with a discovery walk in the reserve since the earlier the better to spot birds. You will be guided and accompanied by a bird specialist.

 

At 08:00 you will have breakfast and half an hour later it will be time for the next guided walk in the reserve with your bird watching specialist.

 

Around 12:00 it will be time for lunch and afterwards you will go for a third bird watching walk in the reserve or you could opt to relax in the gardens watching the hummingbirds feed.

 

Each trail is specifically made for bird watching and there have been at least 220 different bird species spotted in the reserve. Your guide is a true specialist and will give you as much explanation as possible.

 

By nightfall you will be brought to the airport of Pereira (a 1 hour ride), so you can take a flight to Cartagena, the Pearl of the Caribbean.

 

Accommodation: Hotel 3 Banderas

Day 11: ROSARIO ISLAND TOUR

Explore Colombia’s turquoise Caribbean sea by taking this exciting Rosario Islands tour near Cartagena.

 

Imagine yourself on a white sand island dotted by palm trees and surrounded by turquoise water, holding a cocktail. No, this is not a dream, it can become reality on the Island tour to the Rosarios islands.

 

You will leave Cartagena in the morning and be back around 4 P.M. At one of the islands you will be served a typical Caribbean lunch and have access to two private and gorgeous beaches.

 

Accommodation:  Hotel Boutique 3 Banderas.

Day 12: CARTAGENA WALKING TOUR & TRANSPORT TO TAYRONA

Today you will be guided around in the pearl of the Caribbean. An English-speaking guide takes you to the most beautiful and important places of interest in the city. Enjoy the narrow, colorful little streets and learn more about the Spanish domination it had to deal with.

 

You will be picked up at your hotel around 14:00 and be transported to the Tayrona Area. This is a drive of about 5 hours near the coastline and through many little villages.

 

Your hotel has direct access to a gorgeous beach, an outdoor pool, and a great restaurant.

 

After you installed yourself it is time to enjoy the sea, the swimming pool, and all facilities that your beach hotel has to offer.

 

Accommodation: Hotel Villa Maria Tayrona

Day 13: TAYRONA NATIONAL PARK

Today could be the perfect day to visit Tayrona National Park. The hotel can arrange for you to be brought to the entrance of the park so you spend the day discovering the beautiful beaches and jungle walk at your own pace.

 

However, it is also perfectly possible to spend your day on the pristine beach in front of the hotel and to use the facilities of the place.

 

The hotel can also help you with explaining and leading you to two gorgeous walks in the surroundings. 

 

Accommodation: Hotel Villa Maria Tayrona

Day 14: TRANSPORT BOGOTÁ & VILLA DE LEYVA

On this day you will fly in the morning from Tayrona Area to Bogotá. A driver will pick you up in the airport and bring you to Villa de Leyva.

 

This is a drive of about 4 hours and after arrival you can already discover the beauty of this sleepy but gorgeous colonial village.

 

The white colored village has one of South-America’s biggest squares and is home to many great restaurants in its cobblestone streets.

 

Accommodation: La Posada de San Antonio

Day 15: VILLA DE LEYVA

In the morning, you will be picked up by an English-speaking guide. He will take you on a trip back in time to the prehistory of Villa de Leyva.

 

On your way you will learn where once the prehistoric sea was located and you will see weird rock formations and natural phenomena like Pozo Azules.

 

You will also visit a couple of museums that are dedicated to the study of the many fossils found in the region. One of them exhibits a giant Kronosaurus.

 

Furthermore, you will discover a museum about the colonial history of the area and a gorgeous working monastery. Additionally, you will visit “El Infiernito”, which is a sacred place for the local indigenous people.

 

At the end of the tour you will pay a visit to the Terracota house to see how local natural materials are used for house building.

 

Accommodation: La Posada de San Antonio

Day 16: SALT CATHEDRAL OF ZIPAQUIRA

A driver will pick you up in the morning and bring you back to Colombia’s capital. On your way to Bogotá you will make a stop in Zipaquira where you will pay a visit to an impressive underground salt cathedral.

 

It is a 120-meters deep salt mine that is decorated with crosses and statues made of salt.

 

Zipaquira is a 2,5 hours drive from Villa de Leyva and from there it is another 2 hours to bustling Bogotá.

 

After arriving and settling down in your hotel it is time to mentally prepare yourself for your last moments in Colombia.

 

Accommodation: Hotel Casa Deco

Day 17: BOGOTÁ & END OF TRIP!

Depending on what time you have your international flight back you will have the morning free to enjoy Bogota.

 

You will be able to visit the places you didn´t have the chance for on your first day or to revisit the most beautiful spots.

 

At the appropriate time you will be taken to the international airport of Bogotá. This means that the end of your trip has come.

 

We are sure you are going to fly home with good memories of this magical country with its impressive lush nature, kind people, and beautiful beaches and mountains!

TRAVELLING WITH LULO

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION

What is Included:

 

All local flights.

Land transport, tours, and accommodation as mentioned in the itinerary.

Breakfast in each hotel.

Premium Travel Insurance (Click here to see what is included)

24/7 support from the Lulo Colombia staff.

The use of one of Lulo’s mobile phones on your trip.

A local SIM card with emergency credit.

A travel application with access to all details of your trip.

What is Not Included:

 

International flight.

Not mentioned services and meals.

Trip Information

 

Price based on group of 2.

Price is subject to change, depending on availability of hotels and flights.

Click here to read about our Flexible Booking and Cancellation Policies.

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