Colours of Colombia

Day 1 : Bogota

On arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel with the remainder of the day at leisure.

Day 2 : Bogota

This morning visit Paloquemao’s Market, one of the largest of the country. Here you will find a large variety of flowers, exotic fruits, vegetables, meat, seafood, cheese, medicinal herbs as well as typical food- a unique cultural experience, tasting some fruits and enjoying a small snack during the visit.

Continue to the historical heart of Bogotá, La Candelaria, and its splendid colonial architecture. Enjoy a stroll around Plaza de Bolivar, Bogotá’s main square, flanked by prominent colonial and Republican-era landmarks. Then head east to Monserrate Hill, and the Catholic church at the top which has been a pilgrimage site since 1657. On a clear day enjoy a spectacular view of the city. Continue to visit the Bogotá Gold Museum, the world’s largest pre-Columbian gold collection, followed by a visit to Botero’s Museum, its works all donated by Fernando Botero, Colombia’s most famous contemporary artist.

Day 3 : Bogota

Your tour today visits the amazing Zipaquira underground salt cathedral. Here you experience the extraordinary architecture carved inside the Halite Mountains in an active salt mine, whose deposits were formed 250 million years ago. You will find 14 small chapels that represent the Stations of the Cross and Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, a sanctuary and the main cathedral. After the tour return to Bogota and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Day 4 : Bogota > Medellin

Today fly from Bogota to Medellin to enjoy three nights in the “city of eternal spring”, renowned for its pleasant year-round climate. Medellin offers mountain scenery filled with flowers, colourful colonial towns and one of the best places to go shopping in Colombia.

Day 5 : Medellin

In recent years an innovative program of urban development has changed Medellín from a city renowned for its associations with Pablo Escobar, into a modern example of urban transformation. Get an insight into the history of the city visiting the Pueblito Paisa, with views over the city. Explore the famous Botero Plaza with an exhibition of the Colombian artist Fernando Botero, whose sculptures have become a landmark of the city. Take the Metro Cable up to Santo Domingo. This cable car was constructed to make the inner city more accessible to people from the outskirts. In the Comuna 13 district with its unique Electric Escalators you will observe another innovative project that improved the life quality of the people of Medellín.

Day 6 : Medellin

Start the day in the small village of Santa Elena, located high up in the mountains of Antioquia less than an hour outside of Medellín. We visit an organic flower farm, enjoy the local food and get in touch with the traditional culture of the mountain villages of Antioquia. Later, travel through the green hills to the Peñol Boulder in Guatapé to climb the 220m high monolith via a staircase of 740 steps. In Guatapé we enjoy breath-taking views over the stunning surroundings full of green mountains and blue lakes. Guatapé is famous for its colourful paintings decorating the houses of the village.

Day 7 : Medellin > Cartagena

You will be met by your English-speaking guide and transferred to the airport for your flight to Cartagena. With its breathtaking colonial architecture, horse-drawn carriages and narrow cobbled streets, the city of Cartagena de Indias is one of the most exciting destinations in Colombia. This Caribbean colonial jewel was the first Spanish colony on the South American mainland and one of the main ports for the Spanish fleet which turned the city into an important center of trade in the 16th century. It is a city full of history which has been an inspiration for artists, writers, historians and musicians.

Day 8 : Cartagena

Today begins with a visit to the Convento de la Popa for the best views over Cartagena, built in the 17th century by the Augustinian Monks. Continue with a visit to the “Castillo de San Felipe”. This castle was built by the Spaniards in the 1600s and it is the strongest fortress ever built in a Spanish colony. Afterwards, walk through Las Bóvedas – its 23 vaults were built in the 18th century originally used by the Spaniards as storerooms for munitions and provisions, later on becoming jail cells. Nowadays, they are used as crafts markets where you can find handicrafts, antiques, galleries, jewelry, clothing, souvenirs and more.

Lastly, visit the Iglesia y Convento San Pedro de Claver; this convent was founded in the early 17th century by San Ignacio de Loyola. San Pedro Claver was a Jesuit priest who spent his life ministering to the enslaved people brought from Africa. This baroque church has an imposing stone facade and inside there are fine stained-glass windows and a high altar made of Italian marble. You will also find a beautiful cloister surrounded with trees, a museum and the place where San Pedro Claver lived and died.

Day 9 : Cartagena

Today you visit La Boquilla, an old fishing village just twenty minutes north of the city. This community was once a slave colony and it has been home to many Afro-Colombian inhabitants. Here you’ll find a stretch of beach located at a narrow peninsula flanked by the clear waters of the Caribbean Sea on one side and the Ciénaga de la Virgen – a large lake and mangrove swamp – on the other. You will go on board a traditional wooden canoe steered by an indigenous person to navigate around the mangrove swamps and observe the fauna and flora that inhabit this unique ecosystem.

After this visit, young people from the drum school will perform a drumming experience showcasing the traditional rhythms of the Colombian Caribbean Coast, inviting you to actively participate in a drumming workshop featuring traditional styles such as La Cumbia, El Bullerengue, El Mapalé, La Champeta and many more.

Day 10 : Cartagena

After breakfast you will be met and transferred to the airport for your onward travels.