Colombia Explorer

This exclusive tailor-made tour allows you to discover Bogotá, the Coffee Zone, Medellín and the north of Colombia in under two weeks.

Start in Bogotá, high in the Andes and visit the colonial centre, La Candelaria and Monserrate Mountain.

Follow this with a night in the atmospheric old colonial town of Villa de Leyva.

Fly to Colombia's Coffee Region for 3 nights and explore the Cocora Valley and Filandia and learn how coffee is grown.

Then head to Medellín, Colombia’s second city and discover this reinvigorated city in the heart of Colombia.

Fly to Santa Marta and enjoy the turquoise waters in the stunning Tayrona National Park.

Finally spend 3 nights in Cartagena, the cultural highlight of Colombia.

This Colombia tour offers a great balance of city, country and beach and offers a fascinating view of a country still emerging from difficult decades.

As with all of our holidays to Colombia, this one can be tailored to suit your interests, time and budget.

Day 1: Fly UK to Colombia

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: Bogotá and 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: Coffee Region

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: Coffee Region

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.

Fly to Pereira with Latam.

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

Day 5: Coffee Region

After breakfast, leave for the Valle de Cocora which is located in the central mountains of Quindio.

This makes up part of the Parque Nacional de los Nevados where there is excellent birdlife and the Quindian wax palm, the national tree of Colombia, which can reach a staggering height of 60m.

Head into the cloud forest on foot or by horseback and enjoy the biodiversity of flora and fauna.

On the return journey, cross the River Quindio and see the tallest wax palms in the world.

Stop at a trout farm and then enjoy a traditional meal of smoked trout. Enjoy some free time here.

In the afternoon, continue 10 km to Salento for a city tour that visits the Plaza de Bolívar with its colourful balconies, the Calle Real, handicrafts shops and the Cocora viewpoint.

Visit the traditional village of Filandia and enjoy a tour that includes the viewpoint, the colonial homes, the Plaza de Bolivar and the coffee shops.

Here, enjoy some time soaking up the regional atmosphere and perhaps some local spirits before returning to the hotel.

Day 6: Coffee Region

After breakfast, visit the coffee plantations along the steep hillsides.

Take a break in the Alto de La Paz, at a beautiful viewpoint before continuing on to one of the coffee haciendas to see the plantations and the production system in detail.

In the house learn about coffee preparation, toasting and the different qualities and properties of coffee before exploring the coffee plantations and the work of the coffee pickers.

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.