Colombia: Classic Experience

Welcome to Colombia!

On your arrival in Bogota, you will be greeted and a private transfer will be waiting for you to take you to your hotel. You can start to explore the city on your own. Bogotá is Colombia’s capital city with approximately 8 million people and is a cosmopolitan center of sophistication and has become an epicenter of business, politics and entertainment. Bogotá has a thriving nightlife, superb al fresco dining and bar culture as well as international shopping.

Today you will explore the capital of Bogotá during a walking tour with an English speaking guide. The area of modern Bogotá was first populated by indigenous groups who migrated from Mesoamerica. Among these groups were the Música's who settled in what is now the neighborhoods of Cundinamarca and Boyacá. With the arrival of the Spanish, the area became a major settlement, founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada. The city later became the capital of the Spanish provinces and the seat of the Viceroyalty of New Granada. When independence came, Bogotá became the capital of Gran Colombia and later the capital of the Republic of Colombia. Located at 2,600 meters above sea level, Bogotá is a city of over 8 million inhabitants.  Bogotá has 2 different sectors for tourism. The first is the old Candelaria Historic District scattered with traditional colonial houses and cobblestoned streets. The second sector and by contrast, the north of the city boasts modernity and innovation. Tourists will find government buildings, as well as a variety of trendy shops, restaurants and bars. Bogotá's historic city Centre "La Candelaria" with its impressive churches, the State Palace and the "Plaza Bolívar" will be explored with the company of your guide to explain each building’s history in detail. Furthermore, you can visit the world famous gold museum "Museo del Oro", the Emerald Museum and the museum of the famous Colombian artist Botero.

VISIT TO PALOQUEMAO MARKET (2 hours)

Discover the flavors and scents that identify the Colombia's capital. You will scroll around one of the most important markets in Bogotá, the iconic Paloquemao Market. Taste the flavors and stare the colors of exotic Colombian fruits and discover how kind are the peasants and the people that work every day to offer vegetables and fruits available for you. 

Please note that the Gold Museum is closed on Mondays, the Emerald Museum on Sundays and the Botero Museum on Tuesdays.

Today a private transfer will be waiting for you at your hotel to take you to the Bogota Airport for your flight to Pereira. On your arrival, a private transfer will be waiting for you to take you to your hotel. Once you have taken some time to settle in get ready to go to San Alberto for a coffee excursion. In the midst of the benedict coffee plantations and surrounded by a magical landscape, you will discover the magic behind the Quintuple Selection coffee, you will enjoy an exquisite coffee after a tour along the plantation where the coffee crops are located, while learning about every detail that makes San Alberto a unique product. The tour ends with a tasting session in the quality laboratory, where people will learn to differentiate the quality of coffee through the methodology used by the experts. San Alberto coffee ambassador diploma.

Today enjoy a day trip to Salento, there you will take a Jeep Willys, which is the traditional vehicle of this region, for a 23 kilometer trip along the old road that connected Salento with Ibague and Bogotá. The road is gravel and is used by mountain bike enthusiasts and farmers of the region. On the way you will witness the lush landscapes of the Central Mountain Range and the National Park of the Nevados. You will ascend approximately 3340m and stop to enjoy the impressive view of Paramillo del Quindio. Then we will start the descent and on the way you will appreciate a wax palm valley until arriving to our destination, La Carbonera Farm. On the farm you will take a one hour walk among the wax palms, one of the highest palms in the world, up to 70 meters. Once at the main house of the farm you will rest and enjoy a typical drink of sugar cane water with Colombian cheese. After this amazing tour, we will return by Willys Jeep to the starting point of the hike where we will have lunch. For the return to Salento there are two options, you can choose either a 12-kilometer hike until you reach Salento. The path you will go along passes near the eastern side of the mountain and on the way you will learn about some myths and legends of the region or return by Willys Jeep. 

Today, a private transfer will be waiting for you at the hotel to take you to the Pereira Airport for your flight to Cartagena. On your arrival someone will be waiting for you at the airport with your name on a sign to take you to your new hotel. Enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure. 

After breakfast, you will enjoy going on a half day city tour of Cartagena. The tour will begin with a visit to the Fort of San Felipe de Barajas, the largest fortification built by the Spanish in their colonies. On a one-hour tour we will learn to appreciate this masterpiece of military architecture in coral stone and learn about the defense strategy of the city in relation to its topography. Then we will go to the historical center to visit the San Pedro Clavér Convent Museum, former Jesuit Cloister (1605) and home of the so-called "Slave of the Slaves". To finish, we will go on a tour of approximately 2 hours through the main squares, churches and streets of the city. We will also walk to the city walls to have the best views of the city and to learn about the most important bastions.

Note: after the visit to San Felipe Castle and before returning to the Old Town, as an option you can visit the La Popa and its old monastery located at 150 meters above sea level. This is the highest point of the city where the panoramic view of the city can be seen. If you visit La Popa, the visit to San Pedro Claver Monastery is skipped. The visit to La Popa has an additional cost. It does not apply to groups of more than 15 people.

Today you will be taken from your hotel to the harbor in Cartagena. Enjoy a boat transportation to San Pedro de Majagua Hotel. The Rosario Islands is located about 40km (about 1 hour by boat) southwest of Cartagena and consist of 27 islands and 20 hectares of coral islands and reefs. Some of them are not accessible as they are mainly mangroves and coconut trees. During this day trip you will have enough time to explore the beautiful nature and relax on the beach. There you will be served a typical lunch.

The boat from Cartagena to Majagua leaves La Bodeguita Dock at 8:30 am. It is recommended to arrive at 8:00 am.

The boat returns from Majagua to Cartagena at 2:30 pm.

After your breakfast, a private transfer will be waiting for you to take you to the airport for your flight back home.