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Colombia

The Treasures of Colombia visited in 15 days
Volver Tours / Colombia

Colombia

$5650 per person

After having remained for a long while outside the tourist circuit, Colombia finally opens its doors to foreign tourists.  With three chains of mountains crossing the country and the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea surrounding it from one side, Colombia offers an incredible range of sceneries from the floodplain coastline to the dense Amazonian jungles to the green Andean valleys. Travelling this region, does not consist in just visiting those ecosystems where you will find some of the most diversified fauna and flora in the world but also in discovering a rich and original culture and population.  The history of Colombia which is linked to that of the continent, blends pre-Hispanic Andean traditions, Spanish culture and a modern way of life.

15 days / 14 nights
Discovery
  • Destination
    Colombia
  • Included
    Colombia
  • Not Included
    Nuits en hôtel 4*
    Le billet d’avion
    Departure Taxes
    Assurance
    Les taxes d’aéroport
    Personal Guide
    Breakfast

FROM OUR GALLERY

1
Day 1: Bogota
  • Meet and greet at El Dorado International Airport of Bogota, at an altitude of 2,640 meters.
  • Transfer to your hotel.
  • Free end of day to enjoy, at your own pace, the Colombian capital where modern quarters meet a historical center, urban architecture and green parks. Dinner included.
2
Day 2: Bogota
  • Morning dedicated to the discovery, on foot, of the historical and cultural center of Bogota:
  • La Candelaria quarter, the historical and cultural center of Bogota that has managed to keep a colonial and authentic atmosphere: along the cobbled streets, discover the colored facades, beautiful carved wooden balconies and baroque churches.
  • The Botero Foundation dedicated to Colombian artist Fernando Botero. It houses the artist’s own works (a hundred of drawings, paintings and sculptures) as well as his private collection that includes not less than 85 masterpieces of artists of international renown (Renoir, Dali, Chagall, Picasso, Miro…). Lunch.
  • Afternoon visit to the Gold Museum, one of the most dazzling in the continent. With its 34,000 gold coins, the museum houses the world’s most important pre-Hispanic gold collection honoring the Quimbaya, Taironas, Muiscas and Tolimas civilizations.
  • Return to your hotel
3
Day 3: Bogota - Zipaquira (Salt Cathedral) – Villa de Leyva
  • Departure to Boyaca Department.
  • On the way, you will stop at Zipaquira to visit its famous cathedral, sculpted in the very walls of an ancient salt mine. The building you will currently visit is a replica of the original cathedral, built in 1951 to pay homage to Our Lady of the Rosary. Located 60 meters below, it covers an impressive surface area of 8,500 sqm.
  • Transfer to the hotel and free end of day to enjoy the colonial atmosphere of Villa de Leyva. Settle in your hotel.
4
Day 4: Villa de Leyva
  • In the morning, visit the surroundings of Villa de Leyva:
  • A walk in the heart of the desert will lead you to the turquoise lagoons of Pozo Azul;
  • The small El Fossil Museum that houses the impressive skeleton of a kronosaurus quensladicus, brought to light in 1977;
  • Monquira Archaeological Park, dubbed « El Infiernito » (little hell) by the Spanish, this sacred site of the Muiscas was dedicated to sun-worship and to related fertility and purification rituals; Convent El Santo Ecce Homo, founded in 1620 by Dominican monks. The monastery’s buildings contain many fossils in their stones. The original chapel has an impressive golden altar, with religious objects and artworks from the 16th through the 19th century on display.
  • In the afternoon, walk around the cobbled streets of Villa de Leyva to discover the beautiful facades with whitewashed walls and carved wooden balconies. The art galleries and craft stores punctuate the visit of the churches and colonial residences with their rich historic past.
5
Day 5: Villa de Leyva - Bogota - Cartagena
  • In the morning, departure to Bogota.
  • Transfer to the airport and connecting flight to Cartagena de Indias.
  • Meet and greet in Cartagena de Indias, on the Caribbean coast.
  • Transfer to your hotel and free end of day to discover the unrivalled charm of this amazing colonial city, World Heritage Site.
6
Day 6: Cartagenade Indias
  • Day dedicated to visiting the main historical and cultural sites of Cartagena:
  • La Popa Monastery: perched on a hill that dominates the entire bay, this monastery has a beautiful patio, a colonial museum and a chapel consecrated to the Virgen de la Candelaria.
  • The San Felipe Barajas: Located at the gates of the colonial city, these fortifications represent one of the greatest bastions ever built by the Spanish army.
  • The Palace of the Inquisition: Its construction started in 1706 and was completed 70 years later, in the purest baroque civil architectural style. Today, it displays the terrifying instruments of torture used back then, and houses the Historical Archives and the History Academy of Cartagena. The Cathedral of Santa Catalina Alejandria or the Basilica Menor of which wonderful Florentine dome is an integral part of the city’s silhouette. Built in 1575 and partially destroyed during the attack launched by Francis Drake, its reconstruction was completed in 1612.
  • Free end of afternoon to enjoy the tropical atmosphere of the old town.
7
Day 7: Cartagena
  • Free day to enjoy the many attractions of Cartagena.
  • You can visit the historical city at your own pace and enjoy its unique atmosphere, discover the modern quarter of Bocagrande, immerse yourselves in the picturesque fishing village of La Boquilla, shop around the craft stores of Las Bovedas, relax on the Islands of the Rosary or admire the sunset from the high walls.
  • Overnight at the hotel.
8
Day 8: Tayrona Park
  • In the morning, departure to Tayrona Park, located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada, land of the Kogi people. Settle in near the park.
9
Day 9: Tayrona Park - (Hiking in Pueblito and beach)
  • You will have the whole day to enjoy the amazing Tayrona Park, located between the jungle and the Caribbean Sea. You will head to Pueblito village, on the trail of the Tayrona people. On site, you will discover the archeological remains and will get to meet the current Kogi residents.
  • Then, you will alternate your day between hiking in the tropical forest, swimming in the crystal-clear waters of La Piscina and lunch at Cape San Juan de Guia, lounging at the beaches of Arrecifes.
  • Picnic lunch.
10
Day 10: Tayrona Park - Santa Marta - Eje Cafetero
  • Transfer to Santa Marta Airport for your flight to the Coffee Region via Bogota.
  • Arrival to the Coffee triangle which includes three departments, namely Quindío, Risaralda and Caldas.
  • It is here, on the high Andean plateaus in the west of Colombia, that roughly 10 percent of the world’s coffee supply is grown at altitudes ranging from 800 meters to 1,800 meters. Transfer to your hacienda and lunch.
  • In the afternoon, stop at the heart of a traditional plantation, to discover how Colombian coffee is grown. On site, you will get to stroll between coffee trees and discover the process of harvesting and roasting coffee beans before finally savoring the brew produced on site.
11
Day 11: Cocora Valley ( Hiking) - Slento ( city tour)
  • The entire day is dedicated to the discovery of the typical villages and landscapes of the Coffee Region.
  • The program includes:
  • Departure to El Quindío Botanical Garden. Walk along the tracks of a park covering a surface area of 15 hectares (10 of which are forests), home to over 650 plant species, including many varieties of bamboos, heliconias, palm trees… The park also provides a habitat to numerous bird species which can be observed from a tower located at 22 meters of altitude. Finally, discover the butterfly greenhouse that contains roughly 1,500 species from various habitats in Colombia and elsewhere.
  • Tour in the heart of the green Cocora Valley in a Willys.
  • Hiking between the wax palms (national tree of Colombia)
  • Visit to Salento village: panoramic tours, discovery of the local architecture and typical bamboo-based constructions (guadua).
  • Overnight at the hotel.
 
12
Day 12 : Pereira - Neiva - San Augustin
  • Transfer to the airport for your connecting flight to Neiva, capital of Huila Department. Meet and greet then head to San Augustin.
  • In the afternoon, visit the natural and archeological sites in the surrounding area of San Augustin, as part of an excursion by mountain bike marked by several stops:
  • The Estrecho del Rio Magdalena (2.20-meter wide rocky gorge through which Colombia’s longest river winds its way with unimaginable force)
  • The Mortiño Waterfall (180 meters high) or the Salto Bordones.
  • At the end of the day, settle in your hotel in San Agustin.
13
Day 13 : San Auguston
  • Day dedicated to visiting San Augustin Archeological Park which is a World Heritage Site. The visit will revolve around the following main sites:
  • « Las Mesitas », artificial esplanades that house funerary crypts, figurines and dolmens;
  • The « Bosque de la Estatuas » which is filled with statues representing for the most part anthropomorphous male figures, sometimes with feline traits;
  • The « Fuente de Lavapatas », religious monument carved in the riverbed, considered as a sacred site and reserved for religious ceremonies.
  • « Alto de Lavapatas »: oldest site in San Agustin (3,300 B.C.) guarded by impressive statues (reference to the Double Self), with a unique view over the whole valley as well as the different archeological sites.
  • Horse ride (optional) to La Chaquira and El Tablon sites while you enjoy the enchanting Andean landscapes.
  • Overnight in San Agustin. Meal included.
 
14
Day 14 : San Augustin - Neiva - Bogota
  • Transfer to Neiva Airport for your flight to Bogota.
  • Transfer to the hotel and free end of day in the capital.
15
Day 15 : Bogota
  • Free time in the morning then transfer to the airport for your flight to Bogota.
  • Connection to international return flight.
  • 3 nights Bogota /2 nights Villa de Leyva / 3 nights Cartagena / 2 nights Tayrona Park / 1 night Eje Cafetero / 1 night Salento / 2 nights San Augustin
  • Starting : 5650 USD per person ( Group of 10 persons)
 
  • Highlights of the trip:
  • Discovery of a country and a cultural heritage that are finally available in all safety.
  • Meeting the Colombian people, experiencing their kindness and discovering their rich crafts.
  • Bogota’s Gold Museum.
  • The « Andalusian » patios and the monasteries of the Villa de Leyva.
  • Tayrona National Park that lies between a tropical forest and exotic beaches.
  • The coffee region.
 
  •  Get more with Volver
  • Airplane ticket to all domestic and international flights.
  • Accommodation in 3-star and 4-star privately-run hotels on a bed and breakfast basis.
  • All the lunches and the first dinner.
  • 2 nights in a hacienda at Eje Cafetero (Coffee Region).
  • Entrance fees to all sites
The best time to visit Colombia would be outside the rush season. Please keep in mind that during the most intense touristic seasons that is from December to February and during the Holy Week just before Easter the prices are the most expensive.