How difficult is the Tayrona hike?

The main trail from the park entrance to Cabo San Juan takes about 2 hours each way. It's hilly and can be muddy after rain, but it's not technical. Wear proper shoes (not flip-flops) and bring water. There's a horse service for part of the trail if you prefer.

Is Villa de Leyva worth the detour from Bogota?

It's one of the highlights of the trip for most people. The plaza is absurdly large and the town feels like stepping back 300 years. The drive from Bogota takes about 3.5 hours through the Boyaca highlands, pretty landscape with very few tourists outside holiday weekends.

How many domestic flights are there?

Three: Bogota to Pereira, Pereira to Medellin, and Medellin to Santa Marta. Each is about 60-90 minutes. We can book them for you on Avianca or LATAM, expect to pay around £50-100 per flight.

Can I combine this with beach time at the end?

Absolutely. Extra nights in Cartagena are easy to add, and you can take a day boat to the Rosario Islands for snorkelling. Alternatively, add San Andres island for 3-4 nights of pure Caribbean beach time before flying home.

A collage of three vibrant Colombian scenes: a street lined with colorful buildings and umbrellas, a brightly decorated bus, and a cobblestone street with colorful houses.

SALT · WAX PALMS · CARIBBEAN

Colombia & Its Different Cultures

Name: Colombia & Its Different Cultures
Brand: Travelfab
Rating: 4.7 (3 reviews)

11 days / 10 nights, Colombia packs an absurd amount of variety into one country. This trip is design

ColombiaTailor-Made11 days / 10 nightsPrice on enquiry

Colombia packs an absurd amount of variety into one country. This trip is designed to show you as many sides of it as possible, Bogota's bike lanes and gold vaults, a tejo bar where you throw gunpowder-wrapped rocks, the colonial freeze-frame of Villa de Leyva, wax palms taller than most buildings, Medellin's outdoor escalators, Tayrona's jungle beaches, and Cartagena's candy-coloured streets. It's a lot. That's the point.

WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL

Trip highlights

Ride through Bogota on a guided bike tour covering parks, markets and street art

Play tejo, Colombia's national sport, where you throw metal discs at gunpowder targets

Visit the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira, carved 200 metres underground in a working salt mine

Wander Villa de Leyva's enormous cobblestone plaza, one of the largest in South America

Hike among 60-metre wax palms in the Cocora Valley and visit a working coffee farm in Salento

Explore Tayrona's jungle-fringed beaches on the Caribbean coast

DAY BY DAY

Your itinerary

Route map of Colombia & Its Different Cultures: 1 Bogotá (2 nights), 2 Villa de Leyva (1 nights), 3 Coffee Region (Salento) (2 nights), 4 Medellín (2 nights), 5 Santa Marta (2 nights), 6 Cartagena (1 nights). Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Day 1: Arrive Bogota

Airport transfer and check-in. Take it easy at 2,640m. If you're up for it, walk the Zona Rosa neighbourhood for dinner, it's flat and close to most hotels.

Day 2: Bogota Bike Tour & Gold Museum

Morning guided bike tour through Bogota, covering La Candelaria, parks, fruit markets and street art. The city has one of the world's best cycling networks. Afternoon at the Gold Museum (free, and the collection is extraordinary). Evening tejo experience at a local bar, Colombia's national sport involves throwing heavy metal discs at gunpowder-filled targets. It's loud, social and involves beer.

Day 3: Salt Cathedral & Villa de Leyva

Morning excursion to Zipaquira for the Salt Cathedral, a full cathedral carved 200 metres inside a salt mine. It's far more impressive than it sounds. Continue north to Villa de Leyva, a colonial town preserved almost exactly as it was in the 1700s. Check in and walk the enormous cobblestone plaza before dinner.

Day 4: Fly to Pereira, Coffee Region

Morning transfer back towards Bogota for the flight to Pereira. Check in to a traditional finca in the coffee zone. Afternoon at leisure, hammock on the veranda, hummingbirds in the garden, coffee from the farm next door.

Day 5: Cocora Valley & Salento

Drive to the Cocora Valley and hike among the towering wax palms, the tallest palm species on earth, some over 60m. The trail goes through cloud forest with good birding. Afternoon in Salento for coffee tasting at a working farm and browsing the artisan shops. Return to your finca.

Day 6: Fly to Medellin

Transfer to Pereira airport for the flight to Medellin. Check in at El Poblado. Afternoon free to explore the neighbourhood, restaurants, wine bars, and the Parque Lleras area.

Day 7: Medellin Transformation Tour & Comuna 13

Full-day Medellin experience. Morning covering the city's transformation story: the metro cable, the library parks built in former conflict zones, and Plaza Botero. Afternoon guided graffiti tour of Comuna 13, the outdoor escalators, the art, the music, and the personal stories from local guides who grew up there.

Day 8: Fly to Santa Marta, Tayrona

Morning flight to Santa Marta. Transfer to accommodation near Tayrona National Park. Afternoon at the beach or exploring the town of Taganga.

Day 9: Tayrona National Park

Full day in Tayrona. Hike from the park entrance through jungle to Cabo San Juan beach, a spectacular bay with boulders, palm trees and howler monkeys overhead. Swim, have lunch at the beach restaurant, and hike back. The round trip takes about 5 hours including beach time. Optional: stay at the park's basic camping or hammock accommodations.

Day 10: Transfer to Cartagena

Morning drive along the coast to Cartagena (about 4 hours). Check in and spend the afternoon exploring the walled city. Guided walking tour covering the Clock Tower, the main plazas, and San Pedro Claver. Walk the old city walls at sunset for your last evening in Colombia.

Day 11: Departure

Breakfast, then transfer to Cartagena airport for your departure flight.

What's Included

10 nights lodging with daily breakfast in hotels and fincas
Private transfers throughout the itinerary
Guided bike tour in Bogota
Tejo experience with local guide
Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira entrance
Cocora Valley hike and coffee farm visit
Medellin transformation and Comuna 13 guided tours
Cartagena walking tour
Medical assistance card for the duration of the trip
English-speaking local guides on all excursions

What's Not Included

International flights to/from Colombia
Domestic flights: Bogota-Pereira, Pereira-Medellin, Medellin-Santa Marta
Lunches and dinners
Optional Tayrona National Park guided tour
Tayrona park entrance fee (approx. £15)
Travel insurance
Personal expenses and gratuities

Frequently Asked Questions

Tejo is Colombia's national sport. You throw a heavy metal disc (like a small puck) at a clay board with gunpowder-filled paper triangles on it. When you hit one, it explodes with a small bang. It's played in bars with beer and snacks. The gunpowder is tiny, think Christmas cracker level. Your guide explains everything and it's good fun.

Interested in This Trip?

We price this trip to your dates and your party, with your UK flights booked by us, so the whole holiday is ATOL protected. Tell us who is travelling and when, and we will send you a tailor-made quote.

Make an Enquiry

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Tailor-Made Holiday

Price on enquirytailored to your trip

Private holiday

Flexible dates

11 days / 10 nights (suggested)

Fully customisable

No commitment, we respond within 24 hours

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Tailor-Made Holiday

Price on enquirytailored to your trip

Private holiday

Flexible dates

11 days / 10 nights (suggested)

Fully customisable

No commitment, we respond within 24 hours

Call us

Real reviews

What our customers say

From travellers who visited Colombia with us

“

Colombia had been on my list for years and it didn't disappoint. Medellín's transformation is remarkable, the cable cars over the hillside barrios, the botanical gardens, and some of the best street food I've had anywhere. The only small hiccup was a delayed internal flight but Travelfab's team sorted alternative arrangements within the hour. Genuinely impressive service and a brilliant country.

Nigel P.

“

We spent two weeks in Colombia and honestly didn't want to leave. The combination of Bogotá's energy, the tranquility of the coffee triangle, and finishing up in Cartagena was perfect pacing. Our guide in Salento took us to a small family finca where we picked and roasted our own coffee, a memory we'll treasure. Travelfab's local contacts made all the difference; we felt looked after the whole time.

Emma & Dan S.

“

Colombia was a revelation. Cartagena is stunning, the Cocora Valley with its towering wax palms was surreal, and the coffee region was pure bliss. We felt completely safe throughout.

Laura & Ben C.

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