Treasures of Southern Colombia

Upon arrival at the airport, you will be greeted by your guide and transferred to your hotel.

Welcome to Bogotá! Located at 2,640 meters (8,660 feet) in the Andes, it is the cultural, economic, and political center of Colombia. With 8 million of inhabitants, Bogotá is a dynamic and modern metropole with numerous attractions, cultural events, and a thriving nightlife. The historic district can be found at La Candelaria, a pleasant quarter of cafés, churches, and museums.

After breakfast at your hotel, you will have a whole day to explore some of the most attractive places of Bogotá.
Visit Bogotá’s largest food market: Paloquemao! This typical market serves as the supplier for most of the city's best restaurants, being a real labyrinth of odors and flavors.

Continue exploring La Candelaria, the heart of the historical center and first neighborhood of the city. This is a lovely historic quarter full of churches, renowned museums, and cafés.

In the afternoon, visit the Gold Museum (closed on Mondays) to see the world's largest collection of pre-Columbian gold objects. Next stop is the Botero Museum (closed on Tuesdays) where, paintings and sculptures of Colombia's most celebrated artist are exhibited with a private collection of Picasso and Braque.

Flight Bogotá – Neiva.

Visit the Tatacoa desert. This is the second largest desert in Colombia, and it has two large distinct geographical zones. The “Cuzco” sector, where the erosion carved canyons, ravines and labyrinths of ocher and glowing colors, and the “Los Hoyos” sector, where the ground is tinged with gray and anthracites.
Hike through this unusual dark red or light gray landscape dotted with small canyons.

Transfer to your hotel.

Transfer to San Augustin. You will be going along the Río Magdalena, emerging in the mountains, and opening into the Caribbean Sea.

On the way, make a stop in a traditional coffee plantation where you will be explained the whole process, from the harvest to the cup. This immersion will show you how the grains are selected, but also the drying and roasting process, until obtaining the final product. Finish the visit with a good cup of coffee.

Visit the Archaeological Park of San Agustín (closed on Tuesdays). This fascinating archaeological park, with more than 300 massive statues and sacred tombs, is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. You can discover El Bosque, a small museum, and the Mesitas where ancient dwellings, tombs, statues with remarkable finishing and artificial mounds are housed.
You will then visit the archaeological site of Alto de La Piedras to discover beautiful statues. In the middle of tombs decorated with geometric forms, some of them are among the most known of San Agustín.

This morning you will travel to Popayan and check in at your hotel.
Popayan is considered as the religious capital of Colombia with the largest number of churches per inhabitants. It is one of the best-preserved colonial cities in the country although partially destroyed by an earthquake in the 1980s.
In the afternoon, you will visit the village of Popayan, and discover its baroque churches (Of San Francisco and Ermita), the Basilica Cathedral and the sumptuous stone streets. Discover the city and its colonial houses with white walls, wrought iron balconies and flowering bushes.
End this visit with the tasting of the famous “aplanchadas” at Doña Chepa. This sweet donut is a specialty of Popayan.

This is time to travel to the Coffee Triangle. On your way, take a break to visit the Finca El Diamante. You will be welcomed on the property surrounded by vegetation to take a break.
Taste the buffalo cheese they prepare at the hacienda, then walk through a forest of “guaduas”, a Colombian bamboo. With a little luck, you will have the chance to observe some birds, while walking along the river. Have lunch outside to taste a typical dish of the region, and continue your ride to the Coffee Region.

Today, you will discover the Cocora Valley. First, take a beautiful walk along the Quindío River that will allow you to discover the cloudy rainforest and admire the wax palms, the Colombian national tree, impressive by its height that can reach 70 meters.
Head to the village of Salento to enjoy its colonial architecture with its colorful balconies. Continue with the small village of Filandia known for its colorful houses and its square surrounded by coffee shops.

In the morning, you will be transferred to the airport of Pereira for your flight to Cartagena. You will be picked up and driven to your hotel for checking in.

Welcome to Cartagena! Go back in time and relive some of the highlights of the city’s history with a walking tour. Cartagena has suffered repeated attacks from pirates, like the notably Captain Francis Drake. Discover the church and the monastery San Pedro Claver, the Cathedral also called Minor Basilica and the colonial houses which border the alleys of the historical center. End the visit with a homemade ice cream.

Free day. Additional activities in option.

In the morning, visit the Bazurto Market (from Monday to Saturday).
During this culinary journey, you will be visiting the colorful, authentic, and hectic alleyways of the market to discover the gastronomic and cultural tradition of the city. Enjoy breakfast with your guide at a restaurant in Getsemani.

Cartagena’s cuisine is one of the richest and most varied in Colombia and one of the most original in America thanks to its history and the fusion of three communities: indigenous, Spanish and African. Each of them brought its products and its eating habits. The result is marvelous.

In the afternoon, you will be transferred to the airport.

National and international flights (not included).

¡Hasta luego!