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Colombia, From Bogota to Cartagena

Essential Colombia, with Cartagena as an optional extra 3*

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Deal negotiated for you

  • The 12-day/11-night tour or 14-day/13-night tour if the Cartagena trip extension is chosen
  • Accommodation as listed in the programme (or similar)
  • Meals as listed in the programme
  • Flights departing from the city of your choice
  • Bucaramanga - Pereira flight (day 6)
  • Pereira - Medellin flight (day 9)
  • Medellin - Cartagena flight (day 11)
  • Transfer to cities and sites mentioned in the programme
  • Activities and admissions to sites mentioned in the programme
  • 24-hour on-site assistance
  • The service of professional local guides specialising in each visited region
Customise your trip on the Options page.

Your stay starts here

Essential Colombia, with Cartagena as an optional extra 3*

Let yourself be enchanted by the vibrant breath of Colombia, where every sunrise heralds a new adventure and every alley reveals a fascinating story.

This tour takes you to discover the hidden treasures of this fascinating country, between the dynamic capital Bogotá, the authenticity of Salento in the heart of the coffee region, the surprising transformation of Medellín and the colonial beauty of Cartagena de Indias.

Throughout your stay, you'll be accommodated in simple but comfortable lodgings, equipped with all the amenities you need for a pleasant trip.

Your itinerary day by day:

Day 1: Welcome to Colombia!

Day 2: Bogota

Day 3: Bogota - Villa de Leyva

Day 4: Villa de Leyva - Barichara

Day 5: Barichara

Day 6: ✈ Barichara - Bucaramanga Airport - Pereira Airport - Salento

Day 7: Salento

Day 8: Salento

Day 9: ✈ Salento - Pereira Airport - Medellin Airport - Medellin

Day 10: Medellin - Guatapé - Medellin

Day 11: ✈ Head for Cartagena

Day 12: Cartagena - Cartagena Airport

When booking, you can also extend your stay by adding 2 days/2 nights in Cartagena! Select 13 nights.

Day 12: Cartagena

Day 13: Cartagena - La Boquilla

Day 14: Cartagena - Cartagena Airport

Please note that the order of visits may be modified due to local constraints (travel time, weather conditions etc...) but all visits mentioned in the program will be carried out.

Your detailed itinerary

Day 1 | Bogotá Airport - Bogotá

Arrival at Bogota airport, the Andean capital, welcome and transfer to your hotel. Check-in at your hotel for 3 nights on a breakfast basis.

Journey time: approx. 30 min.

Hotel: BH Bicentenario 4* (or similar)

Day 2 | Walking tour of Bogotá

Discover Bogota the "rolos" way. The walking tour of the capital takes us to the city's most authentic and historic spots.

La Candelaria, the historic center, is full of charm, with its brightly-colored houses, carved wooden balconies and flower-filled patios. On the program: Plaça Bolivar, Plaça del Chorro with its artists and colonial houses.

Duration: 3 to 4 hours.

Hotel: BH Bicentenario 4* (or similar)

Day 3 - Historical tour of Villa de Leyva

Breakfast included at the hotel then departure by private transport from Bogota to Villa de Leyva.

Journey time: approx. 3h30.

Guided walking tour through the historic center of the town, with the great Plaza Mayor, its cafés and handicraft shops, a wool weaving workshop, a relic of Spanish colonization where you can learn how the mill worked and what life was like for the local population at the time. Carmelitas descalzas (Discalced Carmelites): a community of Carmelite nuns has lived here in permanent seclusion since the convent was founded in 1645. They devote themselves entirely to manual labor and prayer.

Length of guided tour: 3h.

Hotel: Campanario de La Villa 3* (or similar)

Day 4 - Cultural and artistic walking tour of Barichara

Breakfast included at the hotel followed by private transport from Villa de Leyva to Barichara along the Andes route.

Journey time: approx. 4 hours.

Visit the town of Barichara, situated at an altitude of 1340 m. Numerous artists and craftsmen have made their home in this haven of peace, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Stroll along its cobbled streets, churches and parks, and enjoy the view over the Suárez Canyon. The tour ends with a visit to one of the region's artisan workshops: painting, paper, sculpture or tobacco, depending on your openings.

Length of guided tour: 4 hours.

Hotel: Mission Santa Barbara 3* (or similar)

Day 5 - Barichara

Breakfast included at hotel, then free day in Barichara.

Hotel: Mission Santa Barbara 3* (or similar)

Day 6 - ✈ Head to the coffee region

Breakfast included at the hotel, then transport from Barichara to Bucaramanga airport via the majestic landscapes of the Chicamocha Canyon.

Journey time: approx. 4 hours.

Domestic flight to Pereira.

Maximum baggage weight is 23kg, any excess will incur an additional cost to be paid directly at the airport.

Private transfer from Pereira airport to Salento.

Journey time: approx. 1 hour.

Hotel: Salento Real 3* (or similar)

Day 7 - Tour of Cocora Valley and Bosques de Niebla

Breakfast included at the hotel, then depart Salento in Jeep Willys in the early morning for Valle del Cocora. Following in our guide's footsteps on a hike, we discover an extraordinary valley where wax palms, the national tree, give the landscape a surreal dimension. We then discover les bosques de niebla, a very special ecosystem in which we can observe some of the region's characteristic birds.

Return to Salento for lunch.

Area covered: 9 km - Altitude: 2150 - 2900 m. - Climate humidity: 75% - Willys Jeep: 1h - Walk: 4h

Hotel: Salento Real 3* (or similar)

Day 8 - Salento

Breakfast included at the hotel, then start your free day in Salento.

Hotel: Salento Real 3* (or similar)

Day 9 - ✈ Head to Medellín

Breakfast included at hotel then transport from Salento to Pereira airport.

Journey time: approx. 1 hour.

Domestic flight to Medellin

Maximum baggage weight is 15kg, any excess will incur an additional cost to be paid directly at the airport.

A car will take you from Medellin Enrique Olaya Herrera airport to the hotel.

Journey time: approx. 15 min.

Hotel: Dix 3* (or similar)

Day 10 - Guatape

Breakfast included at the hotel, followed by a private transfer from Medellín to Guatape, waiting time and return to Medellín.

You'll have free time to explore this charming little village on your own, so why not set off to climb the rock known as Piedra el Peñol? "Piedra del Peñol" is a 220-metre-high monolith, an enormous granite mass composed of quartz, feldspar, and mica that was climbed in 1954 by a local Luis Eduardo Villegas López. Guatape has gained in popularity over the years, not only because of its unusual rock, but also because from the top of the steps you'll find an extraordinary landscape of lagoons on which you can sail (or try your hand at some other water sports!).

We should also mention the charm of the colourful village, which is classified as a natural and environmental heritage site..

Hotel: three-star Dix (or similar)

Day 11: ✈ Head to Cartagena

Breakfast included at the hotel, then private transport to take you from the hotel to Medellin Jose Maria Cordoba airport.

Journey time: approx. 1 hour.

Domestic flight and reception at Cartagena airport.

Maximum baggage weight is 23kg; excess weight will incur an additional charge payable directly at the airport.

Transfer to your hotel in the center of this enchanting colonial city.

Travel time: approx. 20 min.

Hotel: Casa Relax 3* (or similar)

Day 12 - Cartagena

If you select the 12 days/11 nights option, your stay is coming to an end... Transport from your hotel to Cartagena airport. Journey time: approx. 20 minutes.

If you select the 14 days/13 nights option, breakfast is included at the hotel, then enjoy a free day in Cartagena.

Hotel: Casa Relax 3* (or similar)

Day 13: Cartagena - La Boquilla

If you select the 14 days/13 nights option, breakfast is included at the hotel.

For those who love adventure and encounters with local people, far from the beaten track, we set off early in the morning from our hotel, directing you to La Boquilla. Arrival in this fishing village, home to an Afro-Carthaginian community. The locals share their traditional fishing techniques with us: net and crab fishing. We then discover the secrets of coastal cuisine and learn how to cook fish and crabs accompanied by coconut rice. We can then enjoy the fruits of your catch with the family of the fisherman accompanying us. Return to Cartagena in the early afternoon.

Journey time: 20 min. Tour duration: approx. 6 hrs.

Hotel: Casa Relax 3* (or similar)

Day 14 - Cartagena - Cartagena Airport

If you select the 14 days/13 nights option, breakfast is included at the hotel.

Your stay is coming to an end... Transfer from your hotel to Cartagena airport. Travel time: approx. 20 minutes.

Your accommodation

During your stay, you will be accommodated as follows:

Bogotá: 2 nights at Hotel BH Bicentenario 4* (or similar)

Villa de Leyva: 1 night at hotel Campanario de La Villa 3* (or similar)

Barichara: 2 nights at hotel Mission Santa Barbara 3* (or similar)

Salento: 3 nights at hotel Salento Real 3* (or similar)

Medellin: 2 nights at hotel Dix 3* (or similar)

Cartagena: 1 night at hotel Casa Relax 3* (or similar) if you select 11 nights, or 2 nights if you select 13 nights

Your accommodation

During your stay, you'll enjoy the breakfast-included package from day 2 to day 10, and lunch is only included on day 7.

If you select the 14 days/13 nights option, you'll enjoy the breakfast-included package from day 2 to day 13; lunch is only included on days 7 and 13.

Useful information

  • As indicated, hotels are rated 3*, 4* or 5* according to local standards. The services provided may not be equivalent to 3*, 4* or 5* French standards.
  • Please note that the order of visits may be modified due to local constraints (travel time, weather conditions etc...) but all visits mentioned in the program will be carried out.
  • Please note that breakfast is not guaranteed if you leave the hotel early in the morning.

Transport included
This price includes :
  • Booking fees
  • The 12-day/11-night tour or 14-day/13-night tour if the Cartagena extension is chosen
  • Accommodation as listed in the programme (or similar)
  • Meals as listed in the programme
  • Transportation to cities and sites mentioned in the program
  • Activities and admissions to sites as mentioned in the programme
  • Barichara - Salento flight (day 6)
  • Salento - Medellin flight (day 9)
  • Medellin - Cartagena flight if the Cartagena trip extension is selected (day 11)
  • 24-hour on-site assistance
  • Professional tour guides specialising in each region visited
  • Flights departing from the city of your choice
  • Mandatory airport taxes
This price does not include :
  • Personal insurance (unless taken out at time of booking)
  • Personal expenses and gratuities
  • Excursions not included in the booking or purchased separately
  • Meals and drinks not mentioned in the description
  • And, more generally, everything not mentioned in the "This price includes" section above
  • Admission fees to national parks, individual tourist taxes (San Andrés, Leticia, Nuqui, Bahía Solano, La Macarena airports and Cartagena pier).

Useful information

Useful information

Practical details

If you are travelling alone, you will be asked to pay a surcharge for a single room. This additional charge will be automatically included in your quote.
Child rates will be applied for children from 2 to 12 years old in the case where the child shares the room with two adults. If the child is travelling with just one adult, the surcharge may be applied on an adult basis. If your child or children do not fit into the age group mentioned above, the rate will be communicated to you at the time of processing your order. If the room is equipped with a bunk bed, the bed height is not suitable for children under 6 years of age.
For safety reasons, the wellbeing facilities of most establishments are not accessible to children under 16 years old. Similarly, it is possible that some amenities or services require an additional charge or are unavailable for exceptional reasons.
Unless otherwise stated in the service description, activities and any additional services available at destination are provided in the language of the destination country and in English.
The opening times and hours of the activities, restaurants and bars are provided as an indication only and may be subject to change. Contact the reception desk in order to be informed of any changes.
Appropriate dress is required. We remind you that gambling may involve risks of isolation, indebtedness, and dependency...
Any additional special requirements the traveller may request which are not included in the travel service description will be communicated to our service provider. Sending this information does not imply acceptance and PerfectStay.com cannot be held responsible for the fulfilment of these special requests. Only the service provider of PerfectStay.com can access this request on location and any additional costs may be paid locally by the traveller.
Unless expressly stated in the description of the services and accommodation, the hotel is not suitable for people with reduced mobility.

Travel documents

Once your reservation has been made, you will receive a confirmation e-mail before your travel documents are sent.
Regarding the transport documents (in the case of a reservation with transport included), we will provide you with all the information relating to check-in and luggage in the "Your travel documents" email, allowing you to leave with peace of mind.
To take advantage of all your reserved services (hotels, transfers, activities, etc.), you will receive one or more exchange vouchers to be presented to each supplier.
The contact details of the establishment will be specified in these documents, to help make your arrival at your destination as straight-forward as possible.

Transportation

Choose an offer and, according to your preferences, opt for a seat in economy, business or first class.
See the 'View flight info' section for details on each trip.
In order to best organise your time in the airport, we advise that you arrive 2 hours before boarding for a medium-haul flight, or 3 hours before boarding for a long-haul flight (more than 5 hours). Take advantage of your early arrival to pass through security and check your luggage.
You will be informed whether or not luggage is included at the time of your booking.
You will have the opportunity to add additional luggage for a fee.
There are several different cities that are typically offered as departure points. Your arrival destination will show in your travel documents.
Depending on the flight schedule, some arrivals or returns may be made at night with early arrival or late departure. You will not always be able to have your room available immediately and will need to refer to the check-in and check-out conditions of the hotel.
In the event that your transfer is not included in your hotel reservation, it may be offered at the time of your reservation as an additional option. Unless specifically mentioned, transfers may be made in groups of 15 to 55 people.
Important: the modification or the cancellation of a booking is only possible within the limits and including the fees outlined in our general conditions of sale.
Thank you for kindly taking note of the CO2 emissions produced by your means of transport: https://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx

Formalities

The following details apply to any British citizen who, during a trip sold by PerfectStay goes to a foreign country. The following is a resource directing you to information related to your travel formalities (identification documents, vaccines, VISA, safety, travel advice, etc.), and may be subject to change. Please note that Brexit negotiations are likely to include travel document modifications, therefore please regularly check most updated information. Please see official resource for British citizens wishing to travel:
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

The official UK Foreign Travel site has updates on safety and security, including incidents such as pickpocketing and robbery, along with larger incidents such as measuring the risk of terrorism.
Detailed country by country here:
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

If you are travelling with minors, please be sure to verify whether or not you will require a consent: https://www.gov.uk/permission-take-child-abroad

Please note that these details serve as a guiding resource in order to ensure that you have access to important information in order to pursue the necessary travel formalities required before travelling abroad with PerfectStay. Please note that PerfectStay will not engage in obtaining travel documents for you, such as visas, and you are solely responsible for knowing the potential health risks you may face in the course of your travels for which you may require vaccinations or medications. PerfectStay is not responsible for ensuring your travel formalities are properly undertaken and will only act as an intermediary directing you to resources which have been known to provide reliable information concerning travel formalities specific to British citizens.

Vaccination

For information concerning travel health requirements (vaccinations, health risks, etc.) please see the following resources:
https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/countries
https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations.aspx
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/travel-vaccinations/

Visa

For the latest information on which travel documents (visas, passports, etc.) British citizens will require by destination, please see the following resources:
https://visacentral.co.uk/visa-quick-check
https://www.passportindex.org/comparebyPassport.php?p1=uk&fl=&s=yes
https://www.travisa.com/Visa_Search

Identity

Please be sure to verify that your necessary Identification documents (passport and/or ID card dependent upon the country to which you will be travelling) have valid expiration dates, i.e. verify your ID documents have not yet expired. Also, be sure to remember to bring these necessary documents with you. It is also recommended to make copies of all travel documents in the event of an emergency.

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Book with Confidence

All the holidays offers displayed on this website are financially protected by the ABTA and ATOL schemes.
They are sold by ATOL (#11475) and ABTA (#Y6608) holder Perfectstay Travel Ltd.

ATOL number 11475

All the flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. The flight-inclusive holidays displayed on this website are sold by ATOL (#11475) holder Perfectstay Travel Ltd. Please see our booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: https://www.caa.co.uk

ABTA number Y6608

As a member of ABTA (#Y6608), you can be assured that you are receiving the highest level of service and are offered excellent choice and value. If your holiday is not inclusive of flights then ABTA will financially protect your holiday similar to ATOL, unless you are already abroad in which case you be returned to the point where your contracted arrangements with us commenced. Find out more: http://www.abta.com