DAY 1: ARRIVE IN BOGOTÁ

Upon arrival to Bogotá, we transfer you to your hotel for registration.

Meals Included: –

DAY 2: BOGOTÁ CITY TOUR. VISIT TO THE NEMOCON SALT MINES AND CONTINUE TO VILLA DE LEYVA

Start your day by strolling down “Carrera Septima”, getting to know more about Colombia and its recent history. We make a mandatory stop at the fabulous “Gold Museum”, housing 34,000 pieces of pre-Columbian gold, where we’ll learn about the origins of the “El Dorado Legend”. We continue on our walk and witness the contrasting Graffitti Street Art of the city.

We leave Bogotá and make our way to the salt mines of Nemocon, where we learn about an artisanal mining process. This is the same place where Antonio Banderas filmed part of the film The 33!. We continue our way to the quaint, sleepy town of Villa de Leyva, our last destination for today.

Meals Included: B, L, D

DAY 3: MORNING HIKE TO IGUAQUE NATIONAL PARK. AFTERNOON BIKE RIDE AROUND VILLA DE LEYVA

In the morning we visit Iguaque National Park, a 6,750 hectare flora and fauna sanctuary. Iguaque is a sacred place to the Muisca indigenous people, and according to their legend, mankind originated in the Iguaque Lake. We find ourselves exploring a section of the cloud forest reserve and looking out for some of the hundreds of species of orchids, bromeliads, lichens and ferns, as well as tropical bird, inhabiting this ecosystem.

In the afternoon, we prepare our mountain bikes and explore the area around Villa de Leyva. We ride through the countryside on dirt trails and lazy, paved roads. We reach the Paleontological Museum displaying the most important assortment of fossils in South America with the impressive (and complete) Kronosaurus fossil known to date. Our ride ends at an iconic Dominican monastery, currently a historic building with a beautiful collection of religious and colonial art.

Meals Included: B, L, D

DAY 4: TRAVEL TO BARICHARA. VISIT TO THE JUAN CURI WATERFALL

Barichara welcomes us in the early morning hours, but not before stopping at the town of Socorro, a well-preserved colonial settlement, where we enjoy a typical breakfast of arepas from Santander.

We continue from Barichara to the beautiful waterfall of Juan Curi, where you can either walk around the area and enjoy nature, or add some adventure to your visit with a rappel down the rocky sides of the waterfall. After enjoying our afternoon, we head back to Barichara. We take an early evening stroll along the streets of this quiet colonial village.

Meals Included: B, L, D

DAY 5: 5,000FT DOWNHILL BIKE RIDE & RAFT THE CHICAMOCHA RIVER  

This spectacular bike ride starts at 6,000 feet (2,000 meters) and dives down into the second largest canyon in the world, the Chicamocha Canyon. Biking past waterfalls, coffee and tobacco farms we ride to Jordan, a historic pueblo (town) 1000 feet above sea level. This is one place most tourists don’t have an opportunity to see. We cool off at a refreshing natural pool for a swim and enjoy a fantastic picnic lunch.

Afterwards we experience one of the top activities in Santander… whitewater rafting! The Chicamocha river gives us thrilling rapids and huge waves, starting with some Class III’s and increasing to Class IV towards the end. In the case of wipeouts (always fun!), the river has pools at the end of each rapid, making this a safe, commercial-grade run.

Meals Included: B, L, D

DAY 6: HIKE TO GUANE ON “CAMINO REAL” & COFFEE TASTING

We spend our morning on a 2.5 hour hike through some of the most incredible scenery in the region, exploring one of the best-kept historical and architectural gems: the Royal Road (or famously known as “Camino Real”) from Barichara to Guane. Arriving in Guane is like stepping back in time, literally. Although the original inhabitants are no where to be found, the remains of their culture indicate a truly majestic past. Learn all you can at the anthropology museum and marvel at the evolution of the town from pre-hispanic, to colonial, to modern times.

Afterwards we make our way to “Hacienda el Roble”, and learn how one of the best organics coffees of Colombia is produced, from seed to the ultimate cup of java.

Meals Included: B, L, D

DAY 7: TRAVEL TO SANTA MARTA & FREE AFTERNOON TO ENJOY THE BEACH 

This morning we leave this region and fly to Santa Marta (Gu and the stunning Tayrona region, on the caribbean side of Colombia. The transfer to your hotel will take about 1.5 hours. Day at leisure to enjoy the beach.

Meals Included: B, L, D

DAY 8: HIKE TO PUEBLITO IN TAYRONA NATIONAL PARK

Tayrona National Park is an incredible place, a caribbean jungle filled with surprises. We’ll walk several steep, rough paths before arriving to the paradisiac beach area of Arrecifes.

We continue our hike to the small town of Pueblito. Most of the old town is buried beneath the jungle, but enough remains that we can imagine how it bustled with activity over 500 years earlier. We enjoy a typical lunch of fresh, local seafood.

Meals Included: B, L, D

DAY 9: TRAVEL TO CARTAGENA & LUNCH AT LA CUEVA RESTAURANT & CITY BIKE RIDE

We head out from Tayrona National Park to Cartagena, stopping along the way at the legendary “La Cueva” restaurant, a famous place where Colombian Nobel Prize Winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez started his novel “One Hundred Years of Solitude”.

Late afternoon we grab a city bike and ride the local side of Cartagena, visit the area of Getsemany and its narrow streets, and enjoy the friendliness of its people ’round every corner.

Meals Included: B, L, D

DAY 10: HIGHLIGHTS OF CARTAGENA AND STREET FOOD TOUR

Start your day with a visit to the fortress of San Felipe de Barajas, a masterpiece of Spanish architecture built to defend the city of pirate attacks. We carry on to “La Popa” Monastery, a church located in the highest place of the city where you take in the most breathtaking 360° view of the city.

We make our way back to the walled city and search for the very best of its street food. we won’t miss out on trying the famous “arepas”, and the sweets of el “Portal de los Dulces” among many other specialties of the Caribbean region.

Meals Included: B, L, D

DAY 11: TRANSFER OUT COLOMBIA

Your guide will take you to the airport and assist you with the boarding your international flight.

Meals Included: B

Note: This itinerary is subject to change without notice due to seasonal changes and inclement weather