Tour Overview
Colombia is more of a country for the traveler than the tourist. It is one of the few countries in Latin America that has not yet been overrun with tourists. In Colombia you still have the feeling there are things to discover, something your neighbors or friends haven’t done. For most travelers, Colombia is a land of myths, of emeralds and the mysterious El Dorado. And it’s the land that bears the name of Columbus- who never got as far as Colombia. Colombia’s geography is among the most varied in South America, as are its flora and fauna. It is a country of amazing natural and cultural diversity and contrast- it’s as if Colombia were several countries rolled up into one. Colombia is one of the world’s most exotic, sensual, wild, complex and fascinating countries. Come travel to Colombia. Your reward will be the discovery of a fascinating country, which most travelers rave about!
Day 1: Arrive Bogota, Colombia
Today when you arrive in Bogotá, you will be met and driven to your hotel.
Nestled high in the Andes Mountains at 8,646 feet, Bogotá is a city of contrasts. It is a city of sleek skyscrapers standing next to colonial churches. It is a city of a mixture of Spanish, English and Indian influences. It is a city of wild traffic and calm oasis's reflecting a bygone day. Over the past 50 years, Bogotá has grown 20-fold to its present population of about six million. It is a bustling, metropolis that is the quintessence of all things Colombian.
The Crowne Plaza Tequendama is the icon of hospitality in Bogotá. Famous for its comfort and excellent service, the hotel is located in an exclusive international center of town, only 12 minutes from the airport. It offers 643 well appointed rooms, equipped with all the amenities that provide everything you need right at your fingertips.
Crowne Plaza Tequendama
Day 2: Bogota
After breakfast at hotel this morning, enjoy a private city tour with your English-speaking guide. This is a three-hour excursion that visits the colonial area of “La Candelaria”, the historical center of the city. Continue on and visit Bolivar Square, the heart of Bogotá. In the middle of the square is a bronze statue of Simon Bolivar (cast in 1846), the first monument erected in the city. Visit the cathedral, the Chapel of El Sagrario, the Cardinal’s Palace, and the Capitolio or Congress Building. T hen continue on to the Gold Museum that boasts a collection of more than 25,000 pieces of pre-Colombian artifacts; arguably the most important gold museum in the world. Do not miss the famous Balsa Muisca and ponder the people that created that mysterious golden world long before Columbus crossed the Atlantic. Then, go on and ascent by cable car to the sanctuary of Monserrate. Monserrate is a mountain that dominates the city of Bogotá. It rises to 10,341 feet where there is a church built in the 17th century with a shrine devoted to "El Señor Caído" (Fallen Lord).
We’ll take a break for lunch at the Casa Vieja before continuing on to visit the Gold Museum. Housed in a moden building facing Plaza de Santander, the Gold Museum houses more than 34,000 gold pieces from all the major pre-Hispanic cultures ub Colombia. It is arguably the most imprtant gold museum in the world. Most of the gold objects are displayed in a large strongroom on the top floor- a breathtaking sight. Don’t miss the famous Balsa Muisca and ponder the genius of people who created that mysterious golden world long before Columbus crossed the Atlantic.
Next, we will visit the Usaquen section of the city. It is characterized by a large number of restaurants and bars, and still retains the colonial architecture of its time. Usaquén is an area of cuisine where you will find a wide variety of restaurants. Just as it is a residential and commercial area, it has the best selling antiques and crafts traditional to the city of Bogotá. Some of the main attractions in Usaquén include Hacienda Santa Barbara and Unicentro, which are popular shopping malls in Bogotá. Some fleamarkets are the "in" places of the city and main attractions in Bogotá.
You’ll return to your hotel in the late afternoon in time for dinner.
Breakfast, Lunch
Crowne Plaza Tequendama
Day 3: Bogota- Zipaquira- Villa de Leyva
After an early breakfast at hotel, depart Bogotá heading towards Zipaquira, about an hours drive north of the city.
Zipaquira is noted for its salt mines, which date back to the Muisca period and are located in the mountains just west of town. In the heart of the mountain lies the Catedral De Sal a Zipaquira, an underground salt cathedral carved out including the stages of Christ death. This cathedral honors the path Christ traveled on his way final crucifixion. This truly wondrous construction was developed with precise ingenuity and unconditional spirituality. Enjoy the artistic impression and the awesome wonder that is one of Colombia's prized man-made possessions. In a country as beautiful as it, Colombia honors its heritage and faith with this divinely inspiring and brilliant tribute to sacrifice and worship.
Stop for lunch at a typical local restaurant before continuing on to Villa de Leyva, a small colonial town almost untouched by modern times, where you can still dive into the past. The town was proclaimed a national monument in the mid 1950’s in order to maintain its beauty.
Check into your hotel, the Hotel la Posada de San Antonio. This mid-19th Century mansion on Parque Nariño is now the very fine Hotel La Posada de San Antonio. It has the feel of a country squire mansion, with a pool table in the library, chapel, many antiques and conservative décor. Don Quixote makes frequent appearances throughout the inn. Off the cobbled courtyard is the posada's restaurant. All rooms are super-spacious with king-sized beds and private bath (hot water, of course). At its country annex are conference facilities, swimming pool, horseback riding and other special services. The rooms here are bright and airy, for one to three persons. Hotel La Posada de San Antonio offers wedding and honeymoon packages.
Breakfast, Lunch
Hotel la Posada de San Antonio
Day 4: Villa de Leyva- Bogota- Cartagena
After breakfast at the hotel your guide will meet you for a city tour. First, visit the Museo Paleontologico, which has a rare collection of locally found fossils dating from the period when the area was a seabed (100-150 million years ago. Its main exhibit is a fossil of a Kronosaurus, a water reptile predator of which there are only two fossils in the world- the other is in Australia.
Then continue on to La Candelaria. This tiny village set among arid hills, is noted for the Monasterio de La Candelaria. The monastery was founded in 1597 by Augustine monks and completed in 1600. Have a look about the chapel and note the 16th century painting of the Virgen de La Candelaria over the altar. Also see the small museum, library and courtyard, flanked by the cloister with 17th century canvasses hanging on its walls.
Some of these were allegedly painted by Gregorio Vasquez de Arce y Ceballos and the Figueroa Brothers.
After a stop for you to have lunch, return to Bogotá to catch a flight to Cartagena not included in the land cost.
Check into your hotel with the balance of the day at your leisure.
Located on the north side of Cartagena de Indias, in front of the Caribbean Ocean and only ten minutes trip from the Old City and vie minutes trip from the Rafael Núñez International Airport is Hotel Las Americas Global Resort.
Find a world full of pleasant sensations at Las Américas in the middle of astounding nature, quiet beaches and near the colonial section of the city. Experience all of the Cartagena’s magic and tropical enchantment reflected off the details of the excellent 5-star service.
Breakfast, Lunch
Hotel Las Americas
Day 5: Cartagena
Take the morning to enjoy the beach or the many amenities of the resort.
Later in the afternoon, meet your guide for a tour of the city. Cartagena is legendary for both its history and beauty. It is Colombia’s most fascinating city and unique in South America; it is a living museum of Spanish colonial architecture and is listed on UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites.
Visit the modern residential neighborhood of Bocagrande and then on to the walled Old City that still maintains all the charm of the colonial days with its narrow streets flanked by charming balconies and heavy doors. Enter via the Clock Gate, which is the main entrance to the old town and visit the Church of San Pedro
Claver, the oldest church in Cartagena, was built with brick and rocks from the ocean as a way to express the magnificence of religious art. Inside there are fine stained glass windows and the altar is made of Italian marble. The remains of San Pedro Claver are kept in a glass coffin in the altar. Your next stop is the Castle of San Felipe, the greatest and strongest fortress ever built by the Spaniards in their colonies.
The original fort was constructed between 1639 and 1657 on top of San Lazaro Hill. The fortress is regarded as the masterpiece of Spanish military engineering in the Americas. Finally, visit the Convent de la Popa, which is perched on top of a hill that dominates the entire urban area. A beautiful image of La Virgen de la Candelaria, the patroness of the city, is in the convent’s chapel.
Breakfast
Hotel Las Americas
Day 6: Cartagena- Islas Del Rosario
Today, take off for a full day adventure to the Rosario Islands.
After breakfast, your guide will meet you and take you the jetty to begin your trip to the islands. The archipelago consists of 27 small coral islands including some tiny islets just big enough for a single house. The islands are surrounded by coral reefs, where the color of the sea ranges from turquoise to purple. Relax and enjoy the sea air, beautiful coral reefs and the abundant marine life including sharks and dolphins.
Have lunch at Isla Majagua before returning to the hotel late afternoon.
Breakfast, Lunch
Hotel Las Americas Global Resort
Day 7: Depart Cartagena
Enjoy your last day in the city as you see fit. Later in the afternoon, you will be transferred to the airport for departing flight. Price not included in the land cost.
Breakfast
Options & Upgrades
Extensions in Colombia:
Coffee Zone Extension
Zona Cafetera, the region comprising the three small departments of Caldas, Risaralda and Quindio, is, as it’s name suggests, Colombia’s coffee-growing heartland. This is where the best coffee in the world is grown. Come and discover the secrets of a great gourmet coffee and experience and enjoy its climates and landscapes. Experience first hand the life on a coffee plantation. Learn the fantastic and mythological history of coffee crops and of the Antioquia colonization.
Day 1: Bogota- Armenia- Malaga Farm
After breakfast, transfer to the airport with your guide and driver to catch the flight to Armenia. (AV 9941 departs Bogotá at 10:43am and arrives in Armenia at 11:35am.)
When you arrive you will be driven to the Malaga Farm House. Located about a mile from Pueblo Tapao on the road to the Parque Nacional del Café and 15 minutes from Armenia is a typical farm of two colorful floors, with room for 45 people.
During the afternoon enjoy a full-day visit to the Parque Nacional del Café- the National Park of Coffee. Established on the site of an old coffee hacienda and opened in 1995, the park is a 25-hectare coffee theme park. It provides and easy and attractive insight into Colombia’s coffee world, featuring its diverse aspects. The park is quite clearly divided into two parts. The first is the theme park proper, dedicated to the coffee, and there’s a lot to see here. The other part, at the far back, is a large amusement park, with a collection of attractions such as a roller coaster, water slide, go-kart racetrack and a carousel.
Here you can enjoy your day by choosing among the different types of attractions, such as the roller coaster or the cable car, or if you prefer, the National Museum of Coffee or the gardens with different varieties of coffee.
In the late afternoon you will return to the farm for dinner and overnight.
Dinner
Malaga Farm House
Day 2: Malaga Farm- Cocora Valley
Enjoy a typical breakfast at the farmhouse before heading off to explore Salento and the Cocora Valley.
Founded in 1850, Salento is perhaps the oldest town in Quindio, and it’s just about the smallest. One local saying charmingly summarizes it as: ‘the town of short streets and long memories’. Salento is a lovely place, which gives the impression that the 21st century got lost somewhere down the road. Its plaza and main street boast many fine old houses, and its proximity to Los Nevados gives the town a noticeable mountain atmosphere and appearance.
You’ll stop to enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before continuing on to the Cocora Valley. Here you will see hills covered with palma de cera, a very special kind of palm with a life span of 200 years and the world’s tallest palm. It’s an astonishing sight- you won’t find that kind of landscape anywhere else in the world.
In the late afternoon you will return to the farm for dinner and overnight.
Breakfast
Malaga Farm House
Day 3: Armenia
After breakfast, we will head to the farm La Chapolera located in Calarca, about 20 minutes from Armenia, and take in the incredible landscapes en route. Here we join a guided tour through the coffee culture, where you can experience first hand the life on a coffee plantation. Learn the fantastic and mythological history of coffee crops and of the Antioquia colonization.
From the sowing of the seed to the joy of the harvest, you get to wear your own collector’s outfit and experience a unique adventure involving all the traditional steps in making the best coffee in the world.
During the tour you will have the opportunity to participate in all the stages of coffee making and to wear the same garments the locals do.
In the late afternoon you will head back to the farm, arriving in time for dinner.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Hotel la Posada de San Antonio
Day 4: Armenia- Bogota
In Colombia’s hearth between the departments of Valle, Risaralda and Quindio is the La Vieja River, born in the heights of the central mountain chain. Here we will find some typical bamboo- cut during the waning moon and then handmade into a paddleboat. You will learn about the history of the ancient fishermen and their fish and traditions. This fun and exciting getaway among the rapids, with millenary trees and the sounds of birds as a backdrop, will be an adventure you wont soon forget!
At the appropriate time, you will be driven to the airport for your flight back to Bogotá and onwards.
Breakfast
Cost:
$850 per person, double occupancy.
$695 per person, double occupancy, based on four persons traveling together.
$495 Single Room Supplemant.
Inclusions:
· Transfers airport/hotel/airport,
· Accommodations in Standard double rooms in the hotel mentioned, or similar, with daily breakfast.
· Lunches and dinners as mentioned in the itinerary.
· Tours as described with English-speaking guide
· All entrance fees
· Applicable taxes and service fees
Exclusions:
· International flights
· Domestic flights: Bogotá-Armenia-Bogotá (currently USD $250) Subject to change
· Domestic flight airport taxes (currently USD $8 per person/per flight)
· Airport taxes (currently USD $37/person)
· Beverages
· Personal expenses or items not mentioned in inclusions
· Travel insurance
· Gratuities
San Agustin Extension
San Agustin is one of South America’s most important archaeological sites. This area was inhabited by a mysterious pre-Colombian civilization, which left behind hundreds of freestanding monumental statues carved in stone. There is still little known about the San Agustin culture and its enigmatic stone statues. Some archaeologists have drawn parallels between these monuments and the statues on Easter Island, but most experts relate San Agustin to the pre-Colombian Mesoamerican and Andean cultures. The park covers an area in which several important archaeological sites have been found close to each other. There are in total about 130 statues in the park, some of the best examples of San Agustin statuary.
Day 1: Bogota- Nieva- San Agustin
After breakfast you will depart your hotel in Bogotá early to catch the flight to Neiva.
AV 9285 departing Bogotá at 8:00am and arriving in Neiva at 8:55am. (Not included in the tour cost)
Once there, the transfer to San Agustin is a 5-hour bus ride. En route, we will stop and visit a local coffee farm.
San Agustin is a truly sacred place, for its history and its thousands of years of secrets. In addition, it is considered the greatest archaeological site in Colombia. It has more than 300 sacred statues, temples, tombs and sarcophagi, constructed over 2,500 years ago.
Once there, you will visit the monuments, see the beautiful landscapes and travel back thousands of years into the past to try and gain an understanding of the amazing mysteries here.
You’ll enjoy lunch at a typical local restaurant before arriving at your hotel for check-in.
In the midst of a spectacular natural setting, is the Hotel San Agustin Internacional, an ideal place to relax and enjoy the climate and landscape. This hotel invites you to dream, to convey their thoughts and reflect on the value of cultural diversity, bringing together the best architectural designs from around the world.
Enjoy dinner at your hotel this evening.
Lunch, Dinner
Hotel San Agustin Internacional
Day 2: San Agustin
After breakfast at the hotel, meet your guide for a full-day tour to the archaeological park at San Agustin.
Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995, there is still little known about the San Agustin culture and its enigmatic stone statues. Some archaeologists have drawn parallels between these monuments and the statues on Easter Island, but most experts relate San Agustin to the pre-Colombian Mesoamerican and Andean cultures. The park covers an area in which several important archaeological sites have been found close to each other. There are in total about 130 statues in the park, some of the best examples of San Agustin statuary.
Visit the mesitas A, B, C and d as well as the forest of the statues and the archaeological museum, as well as the Ceremonial Font, where ceremonies were performed.
At the entrance of the park is the museum, which features smaller statues, pottery, utensils, jewellery and other objects, along with background information about the culture. It’s a useful first stop to learn about the people who created this strange cult of statuary.
In front of the museum is Mesita D, one of four burial sites identified by consecutive letters of the alphabet. The statues here date from the earlier phase of the culture’s development and are noted for their cruder design and less polished appearance.
Just south of the museum is the so-called Forest of the Statues where 35 statues of different origin have been placed along a footpath that snakes through the woods.
Mesita A has two mounds, each with a central figure accompanied by a statue of a warrior on each side.
Nearby, Mesita B is the most important of all. It has three mounds and several freestanding figures, of which the most outstanding are a 12-foot high statue known as The Bishop, unusual for the human faces carved on both top and bottom, and a statue depicting an eagle with a serpent in its talons. The path continues to Mesita C, which features yet another cluster of statues.
In the afternoon, take a horseback ride to enjoy the local landscapes. Then, on the way back to the hotel, stop for a visit at the ethnographic museum, which holds a unique exposition of invaluable crafts that date from 250 BC.
Lunch and dinner will be at the hotel today.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Hotel San Agustin Internacional
Day 3: San Agustin
After breakfast today, depart with your guide for a full-day tour of San Jose de Isnos (Quechua for Sacred Rock), declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995. Visit the Alto de Los Idolos and the Alto de las Piedras.
The Alto de Los Idolos was established on the site where a large number of large stone sarcophagi and statues have been excavated. The largest statue in the San Agustin area, about 21 feet high, is here.
The Alto de las Piedras contain tombs lined with stone slabs painted red, black and yellow. One of the most famous statues, known as Doble Yo is here; look carefully as there are actually four figures carved in this statue. You’ll also find here an intriguing statue representing a female figure in an advanced stage of pregnancy.
Apart from its archaeological wealth, the region is also noted for its natural beauty, and features two spectacular waterfalls, Salto de Bordones and Salto de Mortino, which we will be lucky enough to see today.
After your tour, you will return to the hotel for lunch and dinner.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Hotel San Agustin Internacional
Day 4: San Agustin- Bogota
After breakfast depart for Nieva to catch your flight to Bogotá. You will arrive in Bogotá in the afternoon and will be assisted with your departure flight home.
Breakfast
Cost:
$995 per person, double occupancy
$895 per person, double occupancy, based on four persons traveling together.
$195 Single Room Supplement.
Inclusions:
· Accommodations in double standard rooms in the hotel mentioned or similar with breakfast daily.
· Lunches and dinners as mentioned in the program.
· Tours as described with English-speaking guides, including entrance fees.
· Transfers airport/hotel/airport.
· Porterage of one bag per person.
Exclusions:
· International flights
· Domestic flights: Bogotá-Nieva-Bogotá (currently USD $250) Subject to change
· Domestic flight airport taxes (currently USD $8 per person/per flight)
· Airport taxes (currently USD $37/person)
· Beverages
· Personal expenses or items not mentioned in inclusions
· Travel insurance
· Gratuities
