Complete Colombia Intensive - 13 Days
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An extended version of the Colombia Express tour, this tour adds Santa Marta + more special private experiences, including:
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Day 1: Bogota
You will have a private transfer with English-speaking guide from the airport to your hotel in Bogotá. Please be aware of the sign with your name on it. You will spend the night in Hotel BH La Quinta (Standard Room). Included: insurance , bottle of water , arrival transfer , room at your hotel Day 2: Bogota La Candelaria - Historic District - Colombian food tasting - Artisanal Draft Beer Experience private transport in Bogota with English-speaking guide WALKING TOUR CANDELARIA (3 hours) This tour gives you an entire idea about Colombia's capital context. You will never get bored because we will talk about different topics, interact with locals, visit the most important spots in the city and get the max of the artistic and historical value of all the streets and alleys we walk through. Candelaria district is the oldest and most important neighborhood in Bogotá. We will talk about history, geography as well as the current social and political situation in Colombia. We get involved with our culture by drinking chicha, a traditional fermented drink that is part of our indigenous heritage. Also, we will try some local snacks (arepas) made with corn, when finally ending up playing the gunpowder game, better known as Tejo, a funny drinking game played in the pre-hispanic times. COLOMBIAN REGIONAL CUISINE TOUR (3,5 hours) Colombia is the second most bio-diverse country in the world and this diversity is also expressed in our cuisine. Thousands of varieties of vegetables, fruits, tubers, meats, and flavors. In this tour, you will experience Colombia through your mouth by having 8 different foods from the 5 Colombian different regions: Amazon, Andes, Caribbean coast, Pacific coast, and Orinoquia. Join us in this delicious and cultural experience learning about the gourmet background of each region by filling up your belly. All restaurants are located in Candelaria District (walking tour) one of the tour stations is a family house where you will learn how to cook tasty empanadas. It is recommended to start at 13:30 hrs. ARTISANAL DRAFT BEER TOUR (3,5 hours) Bogotá has become the scene of craft breweries in Colombia, more than 100 artisanal brands are proof for it. In this tour, you won´t try all of them, but at least 5 of the most authentic ones. Starting at the square where Bogotá was founded by the Spaniards, we will begin our drinking adventure, traveling in time, by having a chicha, a 15th centuries old drink, fermented by our indigenous people. Then you won´t get thirsty again having 5 glasses of cold craft beer from different and locally recognized breweries. All of it is being run by young entrepreneurs trying to set the Colombian identity in a beer. You will try ales, stouts, ambers, and lagers with a little piece of the local flavors. All breweries are located in Candelaria district which creates the perfect atmosphere to enjoy the history of our drinking culture. It is recommended to start at 17:30 hrs. You will spend the night in Hotel BH La Quinta (Standard Room). Included: transportation (private) , private excursion , local guide , breakfast , room at your selected hotel, lunch Day 3: Bogota - Sumapaz - Emerald Workshop THE BIGGEST PARAMO ON EARTH: SUMAPAZ (6-7 hours) Have you ever heard about the best-kept secret of Bogotá - "El Dorado"?. This is the jewel of the crown. Let me introduce you to the biggest Páramo in the world: Sumapaz, the heaven's door. If you want to knock at its door, we will take you there. This adventure is about the importance of water, wild animals, endemic plants, mountains and about where the oldest guerrilla FARC was born ideologically. We've got all the ingredients in our highlight spot in the city; the only part that is missing is you! So what is exactly a Paramo? People describe it as a moorland, wetland or high plateau. Certainly, it ́s all of it. Besides, it is an unique kind of ecosystem only found in Colombia, Perú, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Costa Rica. We invite you to hike 6 kilometers through its endemic vegetation at 3.600mts high above the sea level. You will get to know the best of rural Bogotá, you will have the opportunity to try a typical lunch in addition to some fruits. This is a responsible and conscious tour where you will support local families living in rural Bogotá, who are guardians and protectors for many decades of this fragile ecosystem. Ecotourism has become an interesting option to generate income and new dynamics, instead of agricultural activities that affect the ecosystem. It is recommended to start at 7:30 am. EMERALD WORKSHOP (3 hours) Colombia is most known as the coffee country, well, we got much more history linked to the “green gold”. Emeralds are part of the selected group of precious stones and 60% of emeralds in the world are originally from Colombia. Become part of the Emerald legend, by creating a ring with your own hands. This tour starts by having an introduction about the importance of emeralds for pre-colonial and colonial culture. We will see the most magnificent jewel crown in the country with more than 1.400 emeralds and 5kg gold. Then we will work on your new ring, where you will decide everything, from the design, the stone, and material to the personal advice of a professional designer who will teach you how to do every single step. You will spend the night in Hotel BH La Quinta (Standard Room). Included: English speaking guide , private excursions , local guide , snack , transportation (private) , Activity , breakfast , room at your selected hotel 
Medellin
Day 4: Bogota- Medellin - Medellin Panoramic View
private transfer from your hotel to the airport in Bogotá. a domestic flight from Bogota to Medellin (not included). You will have a private transfer from the airport to your selected hotel in Medellin. Please be aware of the sign with your name on it. CASA DE LA MEMORIA & "LA SIERRA" - MEDELLIN SOCIAL & URBAN CHANGES (4 hours) Private Service Back in the early 1990s, Medellín was considered the most dangerous city in the world, but in 2002 Medellín began to change. Nevertheless, this unique transformation is an ongoing process of social and urban change. The museum “Casa de la Memoria” is an investigation center of the urban conflict of the last decades and offers exclusive insights into this controversial part of the city’s history. Unlike other memory museums in the world, concerned with finding ways to heal the relationship of a country about its past (war or dictatorship), the “Casa de la Memoria” is concerned with the memory of a conflict still alive. It is nowadays a place of hope and a landmark of social transformation in Medellín. Afterwards take the new cable car up to “La Sierra”, a neighborhood almost exclusively known for gang violence just a few years ago. Key to the city’s progress have been a number of urban planning and public transport initiatives combined with social transformation projects. These projects aim to reduce crime and fight poverty by reconnecting the city’́s poorest neighborhoods with the city center. Furthermore, the creation of public parks and libraries aim to improve education and local recreation. You will spend the night at Hotel Diez (Standard Room). Included: bottle of water , departure transfer , arrival transfer , private excursion , local guide , insurance , snack , transportation (private) , English speaking guide , breakfast , room at your selected hotel Day 5: MEDELLIN - HISTORY OF TRANSFORMATION + GRAFITTI TOUR (5 hours) Private Service The City of Medellin offers a great variety of urban arts due to the city’s transformation of the last 20 years. Nowadays, the city is so full of countless artistic expressions of street art that the local authorities declared urban art a cultural landmark of Medellin. Graffiti is not only about strong artistic and cultural elements, it is a way of political expression. See the graffiti of the Comuna 13 guided by some of the local artists themselves. This tour gives you an insight on history and daily life in this area and the importance of street art for social communication and identity.
You will have an English speaking guide included. You will spend the night at Hotel Diez (Standard Room). Included: private excursion , local guide , insurance , snack , transportation (private) , breakfast , room at your selected hotel 
Guatape
Day 6: GUATAPÉ & PIEDRA DEL PEÑOL (10 hours) Private Service
The Peñol Boulder is one of the most spectacular destinations in the surrounding area of Medellín. The 200-meter-high monolith can be climbed through a staircase of 740 steps. Enjoy breath-taking views over the stunning surroundings full of green mountains and blue lakes. The village of Guatapé is famous for its church and its beautiful, colorful paintings that decorate the houses of the village. On this day trip we will take you on a scenic drive through the Eastern Highlands of Antioquia. You can climb the Peñol Boulder, enjoy a delicious typical Colombian lunch on the waterfront of the Guatapé reservoir, explore the lake on a boat ride and take time to stroll and relax. You will spend the night at Hotel Diez (Standard Room). Included: boat ticket , entrance fees , local guide , insurance , lunch menu , transportation (private) , English speaking guide , breakfast , room at your selected hotel Day 7: Medellin- Santa Marta You will have a private transfer from your selected hotel to the airport in Medellin. a domestic flight from Medellin to Santa Marta (not included). You will have a private transfer from the airport to your hotel in Santa Marta. Please be aware of the sign with your name on it. You will spend the night at Hotel Boutique Casa Verano (Standard room) Included: departure transfer , arrival transfer , breakfast , room at your selected hotel 
Tayrona
Day 8: TAYRONA NATIONAL PARK - BAHÍA NEGUANJE & PLAYA CRISTAL (10 hours) or Alternative Private Service
The foothills of the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta, the highest coastal mountain range on earth, dip their toes right into the sea, in which bays and coves of singular beauty are to be found. The white sandy beaches in this park are boarded on one site by tropical dry forests and on the other side by the crystal clear and blue waters of the Caribbean Sea, making the Tayrona Park one of the most beautiful in the country. We leave Santa Marta to take the scenic coastal road and reach the western entrance of the park approximately 30 minutes later. From here we take an unpaved road through the tropical dry forest of the foothills of the Sierra to the bay of Neguanje. (Approx. 1 hour). And from here it’s about a further 20 minutes’ walk to reach our final destination, the most beautiful Playa Cristal beach. As its name suggests, the water here is crystal clear and we have plenty of time to relax and enjoy the Caribbean Sea. At about 4pm we start our return to Santa Marta. Notes: -For tourists who do not want or cannot manage the walk, we can take a boat from Neguanje Bay to Playa Cristal and back. This transfer has a minimal additional cost and lasts approximately 8 minutes. -Tayrona National Park is closed during the entire month of February, so this tour gets replaced with a day tour to Minca Valley. or MINCA, MARINKA VALLEY & COFFEE FARM LA VICTORIA (4 - 5 hours) Private Service Minca is a small town located 20 kilometers from Santa Marta and 600 meters above the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Its ever-changing temperature and the flowing of the Minca river endow it with an exuberant vegetation and make it home to numerous exotic birds, many of them endemic. From Santa Marta you leave in a 4x4 car to first visit the coffee farm La Victoria, located 900 meters above the sea, and about 1 hour from Santa Marta. The coffee farm La Victoria makes the most of their coffee in Colombia. The German Micky Weber, owner of the farm, managed to make use of machines dating from the year 1892, turning the place into a real living museum. Their ideas led the farm to self-sufficiency - from electricity to crop fertilizer, everything is produced on the farm. On a tour of approx. 2 hours you will learn all about the ingenious process of coffee La Victoria 1892, from the production to the cup of coffee. You will also have the opportunity to visit a very special draft beer brewery. The Nevada Beer is produced in the old chapel of the Victoria Farm and uses only water from its own springs. The beer’s taste is, undoubtedly, as exquisite and exotic as its history. With some luck, you also meet Jonas, founder and master brewer from Bavaria, Germany. After a good coffee and/or beer, you continue in the 4x4 and stop to visit Don Camaritas, famous for preparing the best sausages and smoked fish of the region in their traditional oven. You continue towards the beautiful Marinka Valley and visit the Waterfall of Arimaka, where you will have time for a refreshing swim surrounded only by nature. Once arriving in Minca, you have a short tour through this small town of art and nature lovers, and then return to Santa Marta. You will have an English speaking guide included. You will spend the night at Hotel Boutique Casa Verano (Standard room) Included: bottle of water , entrance fees , local guide , insurance , transportation (private), lunch , breakfast , room at your selected hotel |
2023 Price per person: Notes All hotels are subject to availability. INCLUDED
The prices shown are without the extra 19% VAT on top as foreign tourists do not have to pay this tax. We can therefore only guarantee this price if we have copies of the passengers´ passports as proof of their nationality. NOT INCLUDED
Candelaria
Day 9: NATURAL RESERVE TAIRONAKA AND OPTION LOS COCOS BEACH (9 hours) Private Service
Taironaka is an authentic natural paradise located on the banks of the Don Diego River and in the foothills of the imposing Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. This extinct indigenous settlement still has trails and terraces of the Tayrona civilization and today it is still frequented by their descendants, the Koguis. The reserve marvels the visitor with its exuberant flora and offers the opportunity to enjoy a river of crystal clear waters. From Santa Marta you will be taken along the interesting coastal road until reaching the Don Diego river bank after approx. 90 minutes. From here, you will continue by boat upstream until reaching the reserve. As a welcome you will enjoy some delicious “patacones” with a traditional panela water. You will visit the small Tayrona Museum to learn a little about the history and way of life of this culture until today. You will get to visit a typical bungalow of the Koguis Indians called bohío and you continue walking to pre-Hispanic terraces to a small viewpoint (roundtrip aprox. 45-60 min). We have time to enjoy a swim in the Don Diego River or take one of the optional activities. Around 4 pm, return to Santa Marta. HIKE TO DON DIEGUITO RIVER AND TUBING You will walk along a path of exuberant nature bordering the Don Diego River. After approx. 1 hour you will reach the mouth of the Don Dieguito River in Don Diego River. Here you can enjoy a bath at the union of the rivers, one of the hot waters, and one of the somewhat cold waters. After taking your lunch (lunch-packet) you will go tubing down the Don Diego River on floats to reach the reserve in approx. 30 minutes. Included: floats, float guide, and lunch-packet You will spend the night at Hotel Boutique Casa Verano (Standard room) Included: boat ticket , bottle of water , English speaking guide , entrance fees , local guide , insurance , snack , transportation (private) , box lunch , equipment rental , breakfast , room at your selected hotel Day 10: Santa Marta- Cartagena You will have a private transport from Santa Marta to Cartagena. CITY TOUR CARTAGENA (2 hours) Private Service Cartagena de Indias is without a doubt one of the most beautiful cities in America. Its historic downtown, walled by the fortifications built in the colonial time, still preserves its original architecture and nowadays the walled city is shown in an endless number of colors that fill it with life and Caribbean charm. His fascinating history as one of the pearls of that time, a place where treasures were stored and the largest port for slaves, gives Cartagena, the city declared heritage of humanity by UNESCO, enormous importance. Stories about severe pirates attacks remain present in numerous fortresses that remain intact until today. The city tour starts visiting the hill of La Popa, an old Augustinian convent located at 150 meters in the highest point of the city. From here we have the best view of Cartagena and we can learn the strategies applied to defend the city in the colonial times in relationship with the surrounding topography. Then we visit the greatest fortress ever built by the Spaniards in their colonies, San Felipe the Barajas. In an one hour tour, we can appreciate this military architecture masterpiece built in Coraline stone. Then we explore the historic downtown, wherein a walk of about 2 hours we meet the most representative and beautiful squares, churches and streets. Overnight in Hotel Casa La Factoria (Classic Room - Queen Bed). Included: transportation (private) , entrance fees , local guide , insurance , English speaking guide , breakfast , room at your hotel Day 11: Cartagena - Mangroves - Drum Workshop TOUR THROUGH THE MANGROVES (3 hours) Private Service This tour leads us to the small fishermen village La Boquilla and we highly recommend it for nature lovers. On the beach of La Boquilla, we will see the two facets of the city, because in one of the poorest parts of Cartagena, 5 star hotels and luxurious apartments are built at the moment. After arriving in the fisher village of La Boquilla (about 30 minutes from the Cartagena city center), you will get on the canoe and cross the mangrove forest and the lagoon Ciénaga de Juan Polo. You will go through some natural mangrove tunnels (Tunnel of Friendship, Love and Luck). At the lagoon, you will see fishermen working. The perfect word for describing this gorgeous scenario is peace. The mangrove forest offers great flora and fauna. Among other things, you may see different species of birds and crabs and with a little luck, a coon or a green parrot may appear on the riverbanks. After the canoe tour, you will receive a cold coconut. Then, you will take a walk through the village and along the beach whereas the English- speaking guide will tell you more about the daily life of the people that live mainly of fishing. We will get to a restaurant, where we can have lunch and try the typical local dish: fried fish with coconut rice, plantain and salad. DRUM WORKSHOP (3 hours) La Boquilla is an afro-descendant fishermen village that for more than 200 years until today they still continue in a heroic struggle of cultural resistance to preserve their ancestral traditions, where drums play a leading role. Today we invite you to an exciting tour to observe and play these Afro Colombian wild drums in their habitat, for this reason: Play it even if you don´t play, dance even if you don´t dance, sing even if you don´t sing. Together We can! Our Drum Workshop of about an hour duration, is a unique opportunity to connect yourself with the typical rhythms of Afro Colombian folk music such as Cumbia, Mapalé and Champeta, through immersion by playing traditional drums. The team of Batambora Drum Workshop School invites you to live an extraordinary experience; frst a little theory, then the presentation and interaction: execution of Drums. BATAMBORA is a project led by a group of pushing young people from the Afro descendant community of La Boquilla, who are committed to human and economic development that is aimed at rescuing and preserving the cultural traditions of the African heritage. We love to support young people who make a difference, we invite you to live it!. Overnight in Hotel Casa La Factoria (Classic Room - Queen Bed). Included: English speaking guide , private excursion , transportation (private) , lunch , Activity , local guide , breakfast, room at your hotel 
Day 12: PALENQUE DE SAN BASILIO - COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE (6 hours) Private Service
This tour will take you to the so-called "corner of Africa" in Colombia. This town, a reflection of the difficult reality of most Afro-descendants in Colombia, is a bastion of culture and history. It is the only survivor of the 12 palenques formed on the slopes of the Montes de María at the beginning of the 17th century. Slaves who managed to escape once brought to America, followed the legend of Benkos Biohó, founder of Palenque. Music and a formidable defense strategy led him to officially become the first free people of Spanish America in 1713. Tradition, historical pride and the Palenquero, a unique language of this site, live to this day. After 2 hours of walking we arrive at the central park of the village. A specialized guide of the community teaches us some basic words in their language, the Palenquero. With the help of a translator we learn all about the exciting and brave history of this town. We will learn to play some of their instruments recognizing the warning sounds they used in the defense of their freedom. After a brief tour of the town, we appreciated the talent of the students of the Batata music school, who gave us 3 songs and dances. Their rhythms, among them the Mapalé and the Bullerengue, have a great influence on the musical identity of the Colombian Caribbean. After bidding farewell to our local guide and the musicians, we're going back to Cartagena. Overnight in Hotel Casa La Factoria (Classic Room - Queen Bed). Included: English speaking guide , private excursion , local guide , transportation (private) , breakfast , room at your hotel, lunch Day 13: Cartagena You will have a private transfer from your hotel to the airport Hotels:
Hotel BH La Quinta Bogota
The hotel is housed in a beautifully restored private residence, and many home-style comforts remain. The lobby features several intimate areas for socialising, with overstuffed armchairs placed invitingly close to the fireplace and a lovely wood-panelled library. Two private meeting rooms are available, and the El Comedor Restaurant offers a splendid gourmet dining experience – ideal for everything from informal business breakfasts and casual lunch dates to after-work cocktails and elegant dinners. Hotel Diez Medellin
Presenting a unique blend of traditional and modern architecture crafted by some of the finest local artisans, our hotel is a celebration of Colombia's cultural diversity. In addition to the 115 contemporary and well-equipped rooms and suites, the hotel features the wonderful Nirvana Spa, a fit area and seven sophisticated meeting rooms and private events for up to 500 guests. Dining options include four outstanding restaurants, a vibrant café bar and a magnificent outdoor terrace with panoramic views of the Medellín cityscape. Hotel Boutique Casa Verano Santa Marta
Hotel Casa La Factoria by Faranda Cartagena
The hotel features a Spa, outdoor swimming pool, viewpoint bar, gourmet restaurant specializing in Nikkei cuisine, room service, a lobby bar, rooftop terrace, free Wi-Fi and a wealth of other facilities. On top of that, the hotel also boasts an unbeatable location. Guests can reach the Plaza de Santo Domingo and the nearby gastronomic area within a short walk. An excellent starting point for your vacation to the magical city of Cartagena. |
