Overview 3-week Colombia Itinerary
| Day 1 | Bogotá: arrival, sunset and nightlife enjoyment with Chiva | Overnight in Bogotá |
| Day 2 | Bogotá: Candelaria, Monserrate and Museums | Overnight in Bogotá |
| Day 3 | Bogotá: explore local experiences / Guatavita & Nemocon | Overnight in Bogotá |
| Day 4 | Bogotá: day trip to Chingaza | Overnight in Bogotá |
| Day 5 | Caño Cristales: arrival, enjoyment of local dance show | Overnight in Caño Cristales |
| Day 6 | Caño Cristales: rainbow river exploration | Overnight in Caño Cristales |
| Day 7 | Caño Cristales: visit a new river and return to Bogotá | Overnight in Bogotá |
| Day 8 | Cali: city tour and cultural immersion | Overnight in Cali |
| Day 9 | Cali: salsa lesson | Overnight in Manizales/Cali |
| Day 10 | Coffee Region: Hot springs and hummingbirds | Overnight in Manizales |
| Day 11 | Coffee Region: Otún and Santa Rosa de Cabal | Overnight in Salento |
| Day 12 | Coffee Region: Salento and Cocora Valley | Overnight in Salento |
| Day 13 | Coffee Region: Filandia and Circasia | Overnight in Pereira |
| Day 14 | Medellín: city tour | Overnight in Medellín |
| Day 15 | Medellín: Comuna 13 and war history | Overnight in Medellín |
| Day 16 | Medellín: day-trip to Guatapé | Overnight in Medellín |
| Day 17 | Santa Marta: beach day for relaxing | Overnight in Santa Marta |
| Day 18 | Tayrona Park: hiking and beach | Overnight in Tayrona |
| Day 19 | Tayrona Park: beach and return to Cartagena | Overnight in Cartagena |
| Day 20 | Cartagena: historic center city tour | Overnight in Cartagena |
| Day 21 | Cartagena: food tour and departure | Overnight in Cartagena |
Day 1: Arrival to Bogotá
Arrive to Bogotá’s International Airport, El Dorado, and take the day off to relax and acclimatize to its altitude of 2,640 meters (8,660 feet). If you have enough energy at night, enjoy Bogotá’s nightlife in Andrés Carne de Res or in a Chiva.
Day 2: Bogotá – Cultural Enjoyment
Start your day strolling in Bogotá’s most colorful neighborhood, La Candelaria, and get a free walking tour to discover all the historic places. Go to some of the best museums, like the Gold Museum, or Botero Museum, and finish your day with sunset at Monserrate, the city’s most famous mountain.
Day 3: Bogotá – Local Experiences and Mysterious Legends
Use this day to enjoy Bogotá like a local, hiking around its mountains, enjoying a picnic in the park, and playing Tejo, Colombia’s National Sport, at night. If you want, you could combine it with some of the best day trips in Bogotá, visiting the Salt Mine in Nemocón or the Guatavita Lake, where you’ll learn about the indigenous traditions, and the mysterious legend of El Dorado. Recommendation: Go to Guatavita early in the morning, and then enjoy Tejo at night.
Day 4: Bogotá – Chingaza
Take this day off to explore nature, and admire one of Colombia’s most representative ecosystems: Páramos. Colombia owns mora than half of the Páramos on the planet, and these are unique and mystical high-altitude ecosystems found in the Andes mountains. These extraordinary landscapes are characterized by vast plains, moss-covered rocks, and Frailejones, which generate enough water to supply most of Bogotá’s water needs.
For more recommendations in Bogotá see:
Day 5: Caño Cristales – La Macarena & Local Music
Take an early flight from Bogotá to La Macarena, and enjoy this small city where you can walk from the airport to your hotel. During the night, you’ll see a local dance show of “Musica Llanera” a specific genre from this region of Colombia.
Day 6: Caño Cristales – River Exploration
Caño Cristales, often referred to as the “River of Five Colors” or the “Liquid Rainbow,” is a one of the most stunning natural wonders. Between the months of June and November, a mesmerizing display of red, blue, green, yellow, and black hues emerges, thanks to the unique aquatic plant, Macarenia clavigera, which flourishes in the pristine waters. As the sun’s rays dance upon the crystal-clear river, the underwater plants create a kaleidoscope, making Caño Cristales a true spectacle of nature’s artistry.
Day 7: Caño Cristales – Caño Cristalitos
After exploring Caño Cristales, you can also go to other similar rivers, such as Caño Cristalitos, to enjoy the colors and surroundings before taking a flight back to Cali/Bogotá.
Day 8: Cali – City Tour
Start your day off by flying to Cali and exploring this small city. A Free Walking Tour around the city center should give you an overview of the most important places and monuments. Enjoy your night by attending one of the best Salsa shows in the world called Delirio.
Day 9: Cali – Salsa Immersion
In this day you can do a cultural immersion to see the importance of salsa in this city. Visit the museum of Grupo Niche to see the full history of this popular salsa group, and also take some salsa lessons, combining different speeds and sub-genres. You can take the night to go to Manizales or rest.
Day 10: Coffee Region – Manizales
Discover Manizales, visit this small city and go to its hot-springs, that hold water from volcanic origin and give you the perfect time for relax. Also, feed hummingbirds, Colombia’s national bird, in Termales del Ruiz.
Day 11: Coffee Region – Otún and Santa Rosa del Cabal
Take a bus to Pereira, and from there explore Santa Rosa del Cabal, some beautiful hot-springs and waterfalls, as well as Otún, one National Park where you can spot monkeys and birds while doing beautiful hikes. Take a bus to Salento at night for sleeping there.
Day 12: Coffee Region – Salento and Cocora Valley
Wake up early to take a spot into one of the Jeeps that will drive you to the Cocora Valley, and wonder around the world’s biggest palm trees. Once you are back, enjoy Colombia’s most colorful town, Salento, and go up to its viewpoint for the sunset.
Day 13: Coffee Region – Filandia and Coffee Tour
Take a Jeep to one of the Coffee Farms near Salento, and explore the exhausting process needed to create a single cup of coffee. Then, leave to Filandia, another colorful colonial town, and walk up to its lookout point to see the beautiful mountains surrouding the region. End your day with a bus back to Pereira.
For more recommendations in the Coffee Region see:
Where to Stay in the Coffee Region
Things to Do in the Coffee Region
Best Restaurants in the Coffee Region
Day 14: Medellín – City Tour
Take an early flight from Pereira to Medellín, and start doing a biking city tour to explore the best of Medellín while cycling around its plazas, streets, and mountains.
Day 15: Medellín – Day-Trip to Guatapé
Get on a car to drive to Guatapé and El Peñol, one of the biggest attractions in the Antioquia region. Hike up the big rock, discover the flooded town, and take photos in the colorful Guatapé before heading back to Medellín.
Day 16: Medellín – Comuna 13 and War History
Instead of doing a Pablo Escobar tour, take a tour in Comuna 13, one of the neighborhoods that was most affected by the drug wars in Colombia. Discover how Medellín is transforming, and help local communities while learning about the dark side of cartels. Travel to Manizales and spend the night there.
For more recommendations in Medellín see:
Day 17: Santa Marta – City Tour
Take an early flight from Medellin to Cartagena, and do a Free Walking Tour in the city; discover the history of this city, and its important link to Simon Bolivar. Relax in the afternoon and enjoy Santa Marta’s nightlife.
Day 18: Tayrona – Hikes and Beach
Go to one of Colombia’s most espectacular Natural Parks, Tayrona. This place mixes beach and jungle, and offers a wide variety of activities on water or land for nature enthusiasts. Enjoy virgin beaches and stunning nature as the sun sets on the Caribbean.
Day 19: Tayrona – Hikes and Beach
Enjoy your last day in Tayrona in the beach or at the jungle, and depart to Cartagena, one of Colombia’s most touristic cities.
Day 20: Cartagena – Historic Center City Tour
Take an early flight from Pereira to Cartagena, and do a Free Walking Tour in the historic city, and discover the colonial history hidden in the colorful facades and cobbled streets.
Day 21: Cartagena – Food Tour
Finish your Colombian trip with a food tour, to discover the best culinary experience of Cartagena’s local food and fruits, and prepare for your departure back home.
For more recommendations in the Cartagena see:
