Classic Colombia

This Classic Colombia tour is a great way to experience the best of Colombia in a relatively short space of time.

Begin in Bogota, high in the Andes and discover the colonial centre of Bogota, La Candelaria and get a stunning view over the city from Monseratte.

From Bogota visit the perfectly preserved colonial era town of Villa de Leyva, with a stop at the Salt Cathedral on the way.

Fly to the Coffee Zone and spend 3 nights exploring this scenic and fascinating region of Colombia.

Visit the Vallee do Cocora and see the tallest wax palms in the world, discover the coffee growing process and visit the traditional village of Filandia.

Finally spend 3 nights in spectacular Cartagena, a highlight of any tour of Colombia and complete a journey from the Andes, through the Coffee Zone to the Caribbean Coast.

This Colombia tour can be extended with a few days on the beach in Colombia or another Caribbean destination.

Please bear in mind that all of our holidays are tailor made and can be adjusted to suit your interests, time, hotel & airline choice and be tailored to fit your budget.

Day 1: Fly UK to Bogota

Fly to Bogota with KLM via Amsterdam (or with your preferred airline).

On arrival in Bogota you will be met and transferred to your hotel by private car.

Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Day 2: Bogota & Monserrate

After breakfast you will be collected from your hotel for this full day excursion.

In the afternoon enjoy a visit to the historic centre of Bogota known as La Candelaria. This archaic suburb has great significance in the country ́s history due to its cultural heritage and is also a great example of Spanish colonial architecture.

Visit the main square Plaza de Bolivar, where a statue of the great emancipator Simon Bolivar is located. The Cathedral, on the eastern side of the plaza, is constructed on the same spot where the first church was built in Bogotá in 1539 and houses an important collection of religious artifacts.

The Capilla del Sagrario is located just beside the Cathedral and is a gem of religious architecture, housing valuable pieces of colonial religious art.

Around the Plaza de Bolivar are buildings such as the Palacio de Justicia, the Mayor of Bogotá’s offices, the oldest school in the country and the Casa de los Comuneros.

The visit continues with the Botero Museum, a colonial house exhibiting some of Fernando Botero ́s works of art and in addition pieces from his own personal collection that includes works by Picasso, Renoir, Dalí, Matisse, Monet and Giacometti.

Next is the Gold Museum which has a permanent exhibition of some 32,000 pieces of gold, 20,000 stones, ceramics and textiles.

The Gold Museum is considered one of the most important museums of its type internationally and it has been operating since 1939.

End the visit in the Santuario de Monserrate, a symbol of Bogotá. Ride the cable car or funicular up to it, at 500 m above the city. The site offers an incredible panorama of the city on one side and the Andes on the other.

Day 3: Bogotá - Zipaquirá - Villa de Leyva

After breakfast you will be collected from your hotel for this full day excursion.

You'll head north, towards Zipaquirá, through the Bogota Savannah passing through fields full of flowers, one of the most important crops in the area.

After about an hour you'll reach the impressive Salt Cathedral, a true achievement of engineering.

The name Zipaquirá refers to Zipa, the leader of the Muisca tribe and the chief of these rich salt mines.

After touring the cathedral, visit the mine where there is an excellent auditorium. The trip ends at a mirror of water where it is possible to experience the amazing visual effects of water on carved saline rock.

Enjoy lunch in Zipaquira before heading on to Villa de Leyva.

Villa de Leyva, one of the area’s most beautiful towns, was founded in 1572 and played a central role in governing the country. Today, the city is a colonial jewel with an enormous plaza of 14,000 sq. m. surrounded by Spanish style houses, small alleys, cobblestone streets and the XVII century parochial church.

Visit Museo El Fósil, about 6 km away from town, built on the site of the discovery of a 20-metre long 120-million-year-old fossilised marine reptile.

Day 4: Villa de Leyva - Bogotá - Pereira

After breakfast, return to Bogotá, with a break at the Convento del Santo Ecce Homo and learn something of the evangelical history of this region of Colombia.

Transfer to El Dorado Airport in Bogota for the short flight to Pereira in the Zona Cafetera.

On arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel for overnight, with the rest of the day at leisure.

View Itinerary in Detail

To view a sample holiday, click on one of the links below. This will open the itinerary up in a new window.

All of our Colombia Holidays are completely tailor made and we can combine different hotels and airlines to create your ideal Colombia Holiday.

We have many other options so if you have a particular hotel in mind just let us know and we'll put together a price and itinerary for you.