Best Colombia Itinerary for Culture and Architecture Lovers

Day 2: EXPLORING BOGOTÁ

After breakfast, you will discover La Candelaria, the charming colonial old town of Bogotá. Your English-speaking guide will take you to discover the best places of this colourful area in a 3.5 hours-long walking tour. Along the walk, you will visit iconic places such as the Plaza Bolivar and Chorro de Quevedo. Your guide will give you explanations and facts about the history of Bogotá, as well as its current situation.

After this tour, you will have time to have lunch and discover the great Botero Museum on your own.

Day 3:  DISCOVERING BOGOTÁ

At 10:30, you will start the famous Bogota Bike Tour and discover some of the most amazing things this city has to offer. You won´t only visit the most touristic spots but will also be introduced to a coffee factory, a local fruit market where you will try some exotic fruits, and a tejo place where you will learn more about the “national sport” of Colombia. (click here for more info about this tour)

After the tour we advise you to pay a visit to the two most iconic museums of Bogotá: The Gold Museum and the Botero Museum. The gold museum not only for its impressive collection of golden artifacts, but also to try some ajiaco, the typical potato soup from Bogotá, in their restaurant.

Day 4: TRANSPORT TO TATACOA DESERT

Today your Colombia itinerary will have some free hours in the morning. We recommend you visit Monserrate to enjoy the gorgeous views of all Bogotá.

At 11:30 am you will be picked up in the lobby of your hotel and taken to the airport of Bogotá to catch a flight to Neiva.

Upon arrival in Neiva, you will be picked up and taken to your hotel. It is a 1.5-hours’ drive through beautiful landscapes.

Your hotel is located in the middle of the desert and has different pleasant swimming pools with views over the desert. Furthermore, you will not spend the night in a normal room but you will do some glamping in some special sort of fancy tents that are specially constructed to be able to fully enjoy the starry nights in the desert.

Day 5: TATACOA DESERT TOUR + TRANSPORT TO SAN AGUSTIN

After breakfast it is time to start the Tatacoa desert tour. Together with a local guide, who lives with his family in the desert, you will discover the peculiar landscapes one of Colombia´s most arid zones. You will notice that part of the desert has a specific reddish color while other parts of the desert are rather yellowish. Both of them are home to many giant cacti and weird rocks. This tour lasts around 4 hours.

After this great tour, you will leave this dry area and go to a greener part of Colombia: San Agustin. It is a 6.5-hours´drive through gorgeous mountain sceneries.

Day 6:  THE ARCHEOLOGICAL MYSTERIES OF SAN AGUSTIN

Next on this Colombia Itinerary are the archaeological wonders of San Agustin. An English speaking guide will pick you up at the reception of your hotel and guide you around the archaeological sites of the San Agustin region for the full day.You will start the day with a visit to the archaeological park of San Agustin. Here you can learn more about the mysterious pre-columbian San Agustin culture. The park is an open air museum and makes part of UNESCO world heritage.

After this visit it will be time to go to some locations near San Agustin where archaeologists found many statues and burial sites that belong to the San Agustin culture. You will visit several archaeological sites, including the famous statue ´El doble Yo´.

Don´t forget to look around you on your way because the surroundings are beautifully green and with different types of plantations and some hidden waterfalls.

Day 7:  MORE SAN AGUSTIN 

Today this Colombia itinerary will visit more archaeological and nature attractions in the surroundings of San Agustin.

 
You will first visit 2 other archaeological sites located in gorgeous settings: El Tablón y La Chaquira.

Afterwards, you will pay a visit to the strait of the Magdalena river. This is the spot in which the biggest river of Colombia passes through its narrowest point.

Day 8: TRANSPORT TO TIERRADENTRO

After breakfast, you will be driven to Tierradentro. It is a drive of about 6 hours through beautiful mountains and countryside landscapes.

You will stop for lunch in the way and arrive in Tierradentro before sunset.

Day 9:  TIERRADENTRO ARCHAEOLOGICAL TOUR

Tierradentro is one of the most off the beaten track, but absolutely beautiful destinations of Colombia.

The underground tombs that are scattered in the mountains of Tierradentro and its surroundings are an archaeological highlight for many.

But, not only the sculpted tombs are impressive, but the fantastic mountainous scenery as well.

This full day tour will guide you on a fantastic but hilly hike around the park to the various well-hidden archaeological sites.

Day 10:  TRANSPORT TO POPAYAN & SILVIA INDIGENOUS MARKET

You will leave Tierradentro after breakfast and head towards Popayan, an essential destination in any Colombia Itinerary. In the way, you will make a stop to discover the indigenous market of Silvia.

Every Tuesday the Guambiano people come together in the traditional market of the Andean village of Silvia. This small village is hidden away in the mountains and managed to keep its authenticity and traditions alive.

They mainly sell and buy local produce, farming supplies and textile. An incredible spectacle as they still wear their traditional clothing.

You will arrive in Popayan during the afternoon so you can still enjoy this beautiful white colonial city and visit its famous churches.

Day 11:  PARAMO AND CONDORS

Today you will get the chance to visit an ecosystem that is unique to Colombia, a Paramo, and be able to feed wild condors.

You won´t be able to get any closer to the magnificent Andean Condor than on this tour. Three free condors live in the reserve and are used to be fed on a specific feeding rock.

An indigenous guide will take you there early in the morning and if weather permits and with a little luck the condors will make an appearance and feed on the rock just 3 meters from your viewing area.

Afterward you will make a beautiful walk in the Paramo´s of the surroundings before heading back to Popayan.

Day 12: TRANSPORT TO THE COFFEE ZONE

After breakfast it is time to set course to the coffee zone, one of the most popular destination of any Colombia Itinerary. A driver will pick you up at your accommodation and make sure you get there before the dark sets in. This is a drive of more or less 6 hours.

Your hotel will be a traditional coffee haciendaand is surrounded by a gorgeous garden. You will be able to enjoy the green mountains that are so characteristic for this region. Right after your arrival you can already start taking in the beauty of the exotic flowers and birds that are richly present.

Day 13: COCORA VALLEY

In the morning you will leave your beautiful hacienda to pay a visit to the Cocora Valley. 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.

Day 14: TRANSPORT TO JARDIN & FREE TIME

In the morning, you will be transported to the cute village of Jardin in the department of Antioquia. It is a 5-hours´ drive through the mountains.

Upon arrival in Jardin, and after checking in in the hotel, you will have some hours to enjoy this colonial town.

Day 15 – FREE TIME IN JARDIN + TRANSPORT TO SANTA FE DE ANTIOQUIA

You will have the entire morning and part of the afternoon free in this Colombia itinerary so you can do some of the nice hikes in the surroundings of Jardin.

At 4 pm, you will be driven from Jardin to another cute colonial village: Santa Fe de Antioquia. It is a 3-hours´drive so you should arrive in Santa Fe de Antioquia right in time to have dinner in one of the nice restaurants and enjoy the cosy streets in the evening.

Day 16: FREE TIME IN SANTA FE DE ANTIOQUIA + TRANSPORT TO MEDELLIN

You will have almost the entire day to enjoy Santa Fe de Antioquia. It is one of the most beautiful of all colonial towns in Colombia, the weather is pleasant and its people are very friendly.

Around 5 pm, you will be driven to Medellin. You will spend the night in the modern neighbourhood of El Poblado, the best place in Medellin to stay.

Day 17: VISIT TO GUATAPÉ & PIEDRA DE PEÑOL

After breakfast a driver will pick you up and bring you to the gorgeous surroundings of Medellin, more specificly to the colorful village of Guatape and the impressive Peñol Rock.

This tour will take as long as you want. You can agree on the ideal schedule with your guide when he picks you up. It includes lunch and in the late afternoon you will be back in Medellin.

Day 18: MEDELLIN CITY TOUR

It´s now time to discover Medellin in your Colombia itinerary. Your English-speaking guide will take you to the most important places of the city, tell you stories about every spot and take you on a visit to the Comuna 13 neighbourhood where you will be able to witness how a place that used to be covered in violence by drug traffickers and guerrilla fighters, has changed to a cosy and promising place.

This tour takes the entire day and includes a typical Colombian lunch.

Day 19: FLIGHT TO BOGOTA + TRANSFER TO VILLA DE LEYVA

You will leave Medellin early in the morning by taking a plane to Bogotá. From the airport of Bogotá, you will be driven to the colonial village of Villa de Leyva.

On the way there, you will visit the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá, the Basilica de Chiquinquirá and the pottery village of Raquira.

You will arrive in the evening in Villa de Levya so you can go to one of the many gourmet restaurants for a nice dinner and enjoy this cute village in the dark.

Day 20: TIME TRIP TOUR IN SURROUNDINGS OF VILLA DE LEYVA

You will be picked up by an English speaking guide at your hotel in the moring. 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 place, an old monastery, and “El Infiernito“, which is a sacred place for the local Muisca indegenous 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. This is definitely a highlight in your Colombia itinerary.

Day 21 : TRANSPORT TO BARICHARA + FREE TIME

Today you will be taken to Barichara. It is a beautiful drive of around 4.5 hours.
 

In the afternoon, you will have some time to enjoy this gorgeous town, its views over the surrounding mountains, its colonial churches and its cosy restaurants and shops.

Day 22: GUANE WALK + TRANSPORT TO BUCARAMANGA

One of the main attractions of Barichara is the walk to Guane. It is an amazing walk through nature following a path that was used by indigenous tribes before the times of the colony.

You will have the morning to do this walk. After lunch, you will be driven to Bucaramanga, a cosy city full of parks where you will spend the night before continuing your route towards Mompox of this Colombia itinerary.

Day 23: TRANSPORT TO MOMPOX + FREE TIME

You will leave Bucaramanga early in the morning. It is a 7-hours´drive to Mompox.

Around 2 pm you should already be in Mompox so you can enjoy the afternoon in this gorgeous town that seems to be frozen in the times of the colony. Each corner of this cute village will remind you of Gabriel Garcia Marques and his famous books.

Day 24: FREE MORNING IN MOMPOX & TRANSPORT TO CARTAGENA

You will have until around 3 pm to enjoy Mompox. You can spend your time visiting the places in town you did not manage to visit the day before.

Alternatively, the surrounding area of Mompox is mainly composed by wetlands full of birds and wild life. A boat tour through the Magdalena river and the adjacent wetlands could be the perfect activity before leaving to Cartagena.

At 3 pm you will be driven to Cartagena. It takes around 5 hours of continuous driving.

Day 25: BAZURTO MARKET + FREE TIME CARTAGENA

Today it is time to discover the real face of Cartagena. You are expected at 10:30 for a tour that will bring you to the Bazurto market or ´People Market´ of Cartagena. This  special, and also a bit messy, place is very animated and full of colors, interesting food, smells, and energies of the many vendors who sell their products at this market.  You will get a real impression of the typical warmth of the people living at the Colombia´s coast.

It might feel a bit unorganized at the beginning but it is the ultimate chance to see the real face of Cartagena and its people. In this guided tour of 3,5 hour in English you will be introduced to typical dishes, ingredients, and fruits and vegetables from the region. Additionally, you will meet charming locals and have the chance to take unique pictures.

You will have the afternoon free to discover Cartagena on your own.

Day 26: FREE DAY CARTAGENA

Time to discover the pearl of the Caribbean! You will have the day to get to know the many faces of Cartagena. Learn about its history by getting lost in the streets and visiting the museums, try its delicious sea food in the many great restaurants, and take pictures of the colorful colonial buildings that never bore.

Day 27: CARTAGENA & END OF TRIP

At the right time, your driver will pick you up and take you to the airport so you can take your flight back to Europe.

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 mountains!