Heritage SafarisA taste of the diverse culture, charm and natural beauty that South America’s best kept secret, Colombia, has to offer. Visit the vibrant capital Bogotá, relax in the scenic Coffee Region, experience colorful and innovative Medellin and explore the romantic colonial Cartagena on coastal Caribbean, on primarily private guided tours and experienced in a combination of boutique, luxury, historic and eco-friendly accommodations.
Starting Price US$ 4,500
Day 1 Arrival Bogotá
Day 2 Bogotá Paloquemao’s Market - Historic Colonial La Candaleria - Monserrate Hill - Gold Museum - Botero Museum - Evening Café Gairo (Dinner/Live Music)
Day 3 Bogotá Zipaquirá Underground Salt Cathedral - Usaquén district & Sunday Flea Market
Day 4 Bogotá Flight to Pereira - Coffee Tour at Finca del Caf
Day 5 Pereira Cocora Valley – Salento
Day 6 Pereira Flight to Medellin – Private Medellin City Tour
Day 7 Medellin Comuna 13 Graffiti Tour & Local Artists – Jardin Botanico
Day 8 Medellin Comuna 13 Graffiti Tour & Local Artists – Jardin Botanico
Day 9 Medellin Santa Elena Village & Visit an organic Flower Farm - Flight to Cartagena - ‘Real Food, Real Places & Real People’ Eats Walking Tour
Day 10 Cartagena Guided City Tour Half Day; Visit Convento de la Popa, Castillo de San Felipe, Las Bóvedas, & Iglesia y Convento San Pedro de Claver – Late Afternoon ‘Crazy Salsa Dance Lesson’ Full Day Tour
Day 11 Cartagena Free Day - Optional Rosario Islands Full Day Tour (Extra Cost) – Evening ‘Cande Restaurant’ Latin Dance Show & Dinner (Not Included)
Day 12 Departure Day Room Check-out 11 AM – Luggage Storage & Day Use of Hotel Facilities – Transfer to Cartagena Airport – International Flight Departure
You will be met by our representative at Bogota Airport and transferred to your hotel.
Overnight EK Hotel (on B basis)
Begin today’s tour of vibrant Bogotá with a visit to the Paloquemao’s Market which offers a great insight into the life and customs of the people from Bogotá. You will find a large variety of flowers, exotic fruits, vegetables, meat, seafood, cheese, medicinal herbs as well as typical food. Everything is fresh and arrives daily to Bogotá from all regions of Colombia.
Afterwards visit the famous and well preserved historical colonial quarter of La Candelaria with its splendid colonial architecture. Continuing to the east on top of forested mountains you will visit Monserrate Hill, a site of worship since 1657 with its white catholic hill top church. The tour then follows with visits to ‘Museo del Oro (the most important gold museum in the world) and to the Botero Museum displaying the unique ‘proportionally exaggerated’ works of Fernando Botero, Colombia’s most famous contemporary artist. To end the day you will experience a fusion of ‘Live Latin Music Entertainment’ while dining at the ‘Gaira Café’.
Overnight EK Hotel (BL basis)
Begin your day with a panoramic view of the city and the vast plateau of the northern area of Bogotá. Following take an underground tour of Zipaquirá’s famous Salt Cathedral to experience the extraordinary architecture and engineer of this remarkable underground mine carved inside an active salt mine formed 250 million years ago, under the Halite Mountains. In the afternoon visit the ancient village, Usaquén, now a colonial district of Bogota with a bohemian atmosphere full of restaurants, cafes, bars, shops and local handcrafts. Walk the narrow cobbled streets and observe the beautiful multicolored façade houses with exceptional architecture and gardens.
Overnight EK Hotel (BL basis)
This morning you will take a flight from Bogotá to Pereira, a coffee-growing mountainous region of Colombia, famous for its Arabica beans. Following lunch at a local restaurant you will indulge in “An Experience from the Seed to Palate” Coffee Tour at the Finca del Café Coffee Plantation. Afterwards arrive at the lovely Sazagua Boutique Hotel where you will spend the next 2 nights.
The Sazagua Boutique Hotel, Restaurant & Spa is located nearby Pereira in the heart of the coffee hub declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2011. This lovely property has 15 exclusive rooms all surrounded by native trees, exotic birds, lush gardens and a large collection of tropical palms and flowers. The restaurant has a wide gastronomic offer with an emphasis on local cuisine using totally native products. Try one of the Colombian cooking classes dictated by the hotel’s chef.
Overnight Sazagua Boutique Hotel (BL basis)
Drive 1 hour to the beautiful Cocora Valley home to the wax palm, Colombia’s national tree and the tallest variety of palm tree in the world. Walk through the misty forest while your guide explains to you the importance of protecting and conserving this beautiful ecosystem. A typical lunch with smoked trout is included at the Cocora Valley. Next visit the town of Salento founded in 1842 and still preserving its colonial bahareque architecture with buildings awash in harmonious color, especially along Calle Real, the main street lined end to end with restaurants, bars, handicrafts shops and souvenir stores.
Overnight Sazagua Boutique Hotel (BL basis)
This morning take a flight from Pereira to Medellin, the city of eternal spring and hailed as “the most innovative city in the world”. Enjoy a half day guided tour of this fascinating city by a local expert guide. Explore downtown Medellín and the historical centre. Listen to local musicians and the traditional “Guasca” music while visiting the Parque Berrío, the famous Botero Plaza now a landmark of the city. Take the Metro Cable up to Santo Domingo, which was once a notorious area of gang violence in Medellín. The cable car was constructed to make the inner city more accessible to people from the outskirts, and allows visitors a glimpse into the lives of the marginalized population. While enjoying the spectacular view you learn more about the transformation of Medellín from one of the most dangerous cities in the world into a fascinating melting pot of cultures with possibly the friendliest and warmest people in the world.
Overnight Hotel Park 10 (BL basis)
With your local guide drive 1.5 hours to Peñol Boulder which 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. Following visit the village of Guatapé is famous for its church and its beautiful, colorful paintings that decorate the houses of the village. 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. Return drive to Medellin.
Overnight Hotel Park 10 (BL basis)
The City of Medellín offers a great variety of urban arts due to the city’s transformation over the last 20 years. Nowadays, the city is so full of countless street art expressions that the local authorities declared urban art a cultural landmark of Medellín. 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. Afternoon tour to Jardín Botanico (botanical gardens) with over 1,000 different living plant species and home to a tropical forest, a small lake, a desert garden, a butterfly farm and much more. And there is a decent variety of birds if you are into bird watching.
Overnight Hotel Park 10 (BL basis)
Following breakfast & hotel check-out drive 1 hour to the small village of Santa Elena in the mountains of Antioquia. It is home to a great variety of traditional flower farmers. The flower arrangements of the Flower Festival (“Feria de Flores”), called “silletas”, have an impressive history and are today a cultural symbol of Medellín. On this tour visit an organic flower farm and experience the traditional peasant culture of Santa Elena. Afterwards proceed to Medellin Airport and depart on a flight to colonial Cartagena.
In the late afternoon depart with a local guide for an exciting and fun 2 hour foodie walking tour. Included are a variety of typical snacks for tasting. Enjoy this delicious and colorful experience where you will be able to taste some of the local flavors of the city and learn about its culture. This walking tour through the inner walled section of the colonial city will let you experience Cartagena like a local resident in a neighborhood where people live, eat and shop.
Overnight Sofitel Santa Clara Cartagena Hotel (B basis)
Enjoy a half day guided Cartagena City Tour that begins with a visit to the “Convento de la Popa”, the city’s highest point where you can enjoy the best view of the beautiful city of Cartagena. This convent was built in the 17th century by the Augustinian Monks. Then visit the “Castillo de San Felipe”, a castle built by the Spaniards in the 1600s and once the greatest and strongest fortress ever built in a Spanish colony. Located at the top of San Lázaro hill, its purpose was to protect and guard the city’s landward side from any attack or invasion. Explore a few of its complex system of tunnels connected with strategic points. Afterwards, a walk through “Las Bóvedas”,the 23 vaults built in the 18th century and considered the last major colonial construction made within the city walls for military purposes. At the end of the tour you will visit the “Iglesia y Convento San Pedro de Claver”; a convent founded in the early 17th century by San Ignacio de Loyola.
Late afternoon experience a fun 1 hour ‘Crazy Salsa’ dance class to feel the energy and joy of Latin dancing in the Colombia Caribbean.
Overnight Sofitel Santa Clara Cartagena Hotel (B basis
Enjoy a free day to further explore Colonial Cartagena on your won or just relax at Santa Clara’s lovely roof top pool and spa enjoying the panoramic views of the ocean and colonial walled city.
Overnight Sofitel Santa Clara Cartagena Hotel (B basis)
Room Check-out 11 AM – Luggage Storage & Day Use of Hotel Facilities – Transfer to Cartagena Airport – International Flight Departure. B
Flexible departures (any day)
Tours with experienced local English speaking guides & Spanish speaking drivers
Transport and exclusive use of air conditioned & comfortable vehicles
All accommodations and meals as indicated in the itinerary
Visits as indicated
Transfers as indicated in the itinerary
All park entrance fees to the various game reserves and parks
Mineral water in the vehicle during transfers & tours
International flights
Domestic Flights (Bogota-Pereira-Medellin-Cartagena) – Approx. US$ 250 pp
(Subject to Airfares at Time of Booking)
Canadian Passport Holder entry tax (171,000 Colombian Pesos / Approx. CAD$95)
Travel & Medical Insurance
Any extras not mentioned above such as meals and activities
All beverages with the exception of mineral water on board the transfer & tour vehicle
Laundry
Increases in park fees, government taxes and levies
Any items of personal nature such as beverages, laundry, telephone calls, etc
Starting price.
Group of 2: From US$ 4,500 per person sharing
Feb – mid March / Aug-Sept
