Get to know Colombia from a local perspective with this immersive 11-day trip that combines the best of main cities, outdoor destinations, and cultural activities. 

Arrive in Bogotá, the buzzing and interesting capital of the country, where you will spend the first three days learning about Colombia's conflicted past, delighting yourself with local treats, and having some fun with the national sport.

Head to San José del Guaviare, a lesser-known region that was recently opened to tourism and whose natural wonders are worth a visit. Not only will you find archaeological heritage from ancient indigenous communities but you will encounter amazing landscapes and natural beauty all around.

Continue to Cartagena, one of Colombia's most renowned cities and where the Caribbean and tropical vibes are always present. Walk around the city, learn about its interesting history and play some African-rooted music before leaving for your next destination.

The trip will end in the stunning Tayrona area. A National Natural Park where the jungle meets the sea and the indigenous traditions and cultures remain alive. Enjoy your last days in Colombia surrounded by tranquil and beautiful landscapes.

 ***This itinerary is 100% customizable. If you want to make any changes to the itinerary, accommodations, or visited places, just let us know and we will be happy to accommodate you and plan your perfect Colombia trip!

Your adventure in Colombia has just started.  A private driver will be waiting at the airport to take you to your accommodations, about 40 minutes away.

The rest of the day is yours to get settled,  explore the neighborhood, drink some Colombian coffee, and start getting familiarized with the culture.

Accommodations:  Situated in the lively downtown of Bogota and within walking distance of attractions like Zone G, the financial district, Zona Rosa, and the up-and-coming Chapinero Alto, Casa Lelyte is brimming with creature comforts. Every room of this boutique hotel features thoughtful touches like a seating area, personal computer, DVD player, and tasteful art and cultural references that bring that oh-so-important sense of place to your stay.  

Meals included: None

Sample the breadth of perspectives and projects playing a part in Colombia’s dramatic rebirth on this weaving peace tour through Bogota’s historic epicenter. Following a thread of peace weavers through town, understand how commodities like coffee, coca, native ingredients, and raw creativity are forming the foundations for lasting peace in Colombia under the contextual lens of your expert guide. Right at lunchtime, head to a restaurant with a native-food rescue philosophy that builds value chains with small producers to reactivate the rural areas and improve their inhabitants' living conditions -is this a part of the Peace Agreement. 

Included Activities:  Visit to some important sights of Bogotá, entrance fees to the visited sights, and lunch.  Most of the tour will be walking though no physical level is required.

Accommodations: Casa Lelyte (3-star hotel) 

Send your palate on a foodie adventure through Bogota’s historic streets, market stalls, and decades-old bakeries, with every stop along the way dishing up a heaping portion of traditional flavor and ingredients, captivating conversations with locals, and glimpses of Bogota culture. You’ll take in just as much architectural eye candy and cultural context as you will local cuisine by the end of this four-hour route.  

Get back to the hotel, have some rest, and get ready for your next adventure.

Early at night, go on a beer-centric tour that will introduce you to one of Colombia’s stranger traditions, the sport of Tejo. Toss cement disks at gunpowder-filled satchels and watch them explode as you and your teammates polish off a crate of beer together. Then, follow it up with a visit to two local pubs, where you’ll have the chance to sample some of Colombia’s more unique artisanal brews and learn how to pick out their distinct flavors and brewing methods.  

Included Activities:  Street food tour samples and transportation between places, all the beer you can drink at night, and a 1-hour game of Tejo.

Accommodations: Casa Lelyte (3-star hotel)

Get up bright and early and head 40 minutes to the airport to catch the first-morning flight to San José del Guaviare.  You'll travel for 1 hour to Colombia's southeastern to discover a hidden gem that was once impossible to travel to due to conflict. The area remains mostly pristine and the landscapes are breathtaking.

Upon arrival, you'll be taken to your hotel to have breakfast and rest for a bit before starting the day.  Put on your hiking shoes, and go hiking in the jungle while admiring the flora and fauna. You'll reach an impressive rock formation named the Gate of Orion, from where you will have amazing views.  Continue your way to the colorful river Caño Sabana and refresh a bit at Tranquilandia.

Included Activities:  3 hours in total of low-medium level hikes in the jungle.

Transportation: 1-hour flight from Bogotá to San José del Guaviare. 30-minute transportation between hotel and sights in Guaviare. 

Accommodation: Aeropuerto hotel, located just a few minutes away from San José's airport. This hotel was recently opened and offers basic lodging services, comfy beds, and a pool. 

The day will start with an early visit to a former Cocaine paste producing farm to better understand the difference between the ancestral coca plant and its varieties, and the toxic, illegal and risky business of t transforming it into cocaine.

Then, hike your way to Cerro Azul hill to be impressed with fascinating views and ancient paintings of indigenous tribes that stretch across entire walls of the hill. Experts are only starting to uncover the meanings of the numerous symbols and stories told by this art.

After returning to San José del Guaviare, have some rest and get ready for a special dinner. This time you'll have the chance to share with the indigenous community Tucano-Oriental, listen to their music, and observe the performance of their traditional dances, all of this while you delight yourself with a traditional recipe from the community that evokes the flavors of the jungle. 

 Included Activities:  2 hours in total of low-medium level hikes in the jungle. Special dinner with an indigenous community.

Transportation: 30-minute transportation between the hotel and sights in Guaviare. 

Accommodation: Aeropuerto hotel,(3-star hotel)

Rise with the sun and hop on your boat for a ride through Guaviare river. Catch the stunning early sunrise and get deep into the jungle among enormous trees and vivid birds before touching land. Then, hike through the jungle to arrive at a magical lagoon inhabited by pink dolphins with which you can swim and interact.

Get back to your hotel,  have lunch, and pack your bags before heading to the airport to catch an afternoon 1-hour flight to Bogotá.  After landing, a driver will take you to the Terminal 1 of El Dorado Airport for you to catch one more flight to your next destination: the vibrant and colorful Cartagena.

Included Activities:  1-hour hike in the jungle, swimming with dolphins.

Transportation:  A 1-hour flight from San José to Bogotá. A 45-minute flight from Bogotá to Cartagena

Accommodation:  Fusing colonial and contemporary style with a touch of indigenous flavor, Casa Pizarro is a beautifully restored period hotel in the bohemian neighborhood of Getsemani. With just 15 rooms, it’s tranquil yet offers plenty of space to enjoy the company of the ones you’re with, be it at the swimming pool, in the jacuzzi, on the rooftop terrace, or for a meal prepared by the hotel chef.   

The days will be yours to sleep in, do some souvenir shopping, or enjoy the hotel's pool and terrace. 

If you want to partake in some additional activities here are some options:

-Rosario Islands Daytrip:  Enjoy a relaxing beach day at one of the white-sanded beaches with crystal-clear waters of Rosario Islands archipelago.  You'll have the day to unwind, sip some piña coladas, and enjoy the views of the Caribbean seas. 

-Gabriel García Márquez Foodie Tour:  This culinary tour takes you on an all-sensory journey through Cartagena’s storybook streets based on the novels of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Following a trail of food-focused references through Cartagena's Old City, sink your teeth into some of the Colombian Caribbean's most delectable treats and watch the pages of books like One Hundred Years of Solitude come alive before your eyes and on your tastebuds.

-Fishing with locals:  Cast a line alongside the fishermen of La Boquilla and learn their age-old methods for line fishing, netting, and trapping between snippets of stories from their day-to-day life in the canoe. Then, fry up your fresh catch at one of La Boquilla’s restaurants under the expert eye of a local cook. 

Included Activities:  no activities scheduled this day.

Accommodation:   Casa Pizarro (3-star hotel)   

The day starts with a visit to la Boquilla, one of Cartagena's most traditional neighborhoods but less visited by tourists.  There, you'll get to connect to the spirit of the Afro-Colombian Caribbean on this music experience with a social impact spin. La Boquilla is one of the few remaining spots in Cartagena actively tapping into drum and dance tradition to keep youth on track and out of trouble. Learn the rhythms yourself at the local music school and feel a part of the revival and transformation unfolding in this special seaside fishing village. 

You'll return to the hotel and have some time to go for a swim in the pool, have a nice lunch or just rest in the hotel.  In the afternoon, your tour guide will pick you up to go for a tour around the city.  Like zooming out then in, this whirlwind Cartagena city tour begins with the panoramic city views the hill-capping La Popa Monastery delivers, then inches you ever-closer to the historic Walled City with a stop first at the Castillo de San Felipe where monumental Cartagena history once unfolded, before concluding with a series of postcard-perfect sights in the charming colonial city center. 

Included Activities:  drumming class + snack. Visit and entrance fees to Cartagena's main sights.

Transportation:  Total 1-hour transportation from and to La Boquilla. In the city tour, there will be some parts walking and some transportation to farther away places.

Accommodation:  Casa Pizarro (3-star hotel)  

Go on a 5-hour private ride through the Caribbean landscapes until reaching the place where the jungle meets the sea and let yourself be amazed by its impressive views. 

The rest of the afternoon will be yours to explore your hotel's surroundings go for a hike or just enjoy the gorgeous grounds.

Included Activities:  no activities included this day.

Transportation:  5-hour transportation between Cartagena and Tayrona. Depending on traffic, it can be a bit longer.

Accommodation:  Originally built as a vacation estate for and by the award-winning architect Simon Velez, Finca Barlovento is a relaxing retreat facing the surf paradise of Playa Los Naranjos with Tayrona National Park at its back. Each of Finca Barlovento’s eco-friendly dwellings is decked out in natural materials and artisan goods sourced from the nearby Sierra Nevada, while its nature-ringed pool, Ayurvedic spa, and renowned Sierra Bar only further distract you from the nearby rafting, hiking, and culture all within easy reach. 

This full-day tour will approach you to one of the indigenous communities that inhabit the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. With Tayrona's exotic birdlife and fauna as your backdrop, experience the culture and lifestyle of an indigenous community. Discover medicinal plants and their purposes in indigenous tradition, soak in the sounds of nature over lunch on a pristine beach void of any tourists, and receive spiritual protection, called an Aseguranza, to keep you safe for the rest of your Colombian journey. 

Get to your hotel right on time to appreciate a stunning sunset, and celebrate at dinner for two weeks well spent in Colombia.

Included Activities:  access to the indigenous community, contribution to the community, public transportation. Beach time.

Transportation: 20-minute motorcycle ride in an open road. 30-minute hike in stone paths of medium difficulty.

Accommodation:  Finca Barlovento (3-star hotel).

Time to say goodbye to this beautiful country. Enjoy your last views on your way to Santa Marta airport where you'll catch your flight back home. Return renewed and inspired by an incredible trip.

Transportation: 1 hour and 40 minutes to Santa Marta airport.