Colombia Holidays
The abundant colonial wealth of Cartagena, small villages, cosmopolitan cities and coffee plantations
12 Night Itinerary from £3,973
Santa Fe Tour
Abundant colonial wealth was shipped to Spain from Cartagena, where you stay in beautiful character hotels. Explore vibrant Bogota and visit coffee plantations
Select your preferred departure date
Tour Route
- Bogota - 2 Nights
- Villa de Leyva - 2 Nights
- Return to Bogota - 1 Night
- Coffee Region - 2 Nights
- Cocora Valley & Salento - 1 Night
- Medelin - 1 Night
- Cartagena - 3 Nights
Travel Highlights
- Journey from the Andes to the Caribbean coast, via the lush coffee region
- Explore the vibrant capital Bogota with our local expert guide
- Drive through stunning scenery to the 'heritage town' of Villa de Leyva
- Visit the famous Pereira Coffee Region and tour an historic coffee hacienda
- Admire the towering wax palms and verdant landscapes of the Cocora Valley
- Explore culturally-rich Medelin with its many architectural gems
- Stroll the colourful streets of Cartagena, one of the continent's most attractive cities
- Enjoy the tiny islands, inviting beaches and Cartagena's Caribbean vibe
This itinerary can be tailored to your preferences by our specialist advisors, who can provide a guaranteed price based on your choice of route, duration, flights, hotels, transport and excursions.
Tour Itinerary
Bogota - 2 Nights
Day 1 - Fly to Bogota
Day 2 - Day at leisure in Bogota
Day 3 - Full day tour of Bogota
- Full Description
- Accommodation
Tuesday, 30 November 2021
Fly to Bogota
Depart in the evening on the overnight direct flight to Bogota.
Wednesday, 01 December 2021
Day at leisure in Bogota
After arriving early morning, you will be met by your guide and transferred to your chosen hotel for 2 nights. This is also the opportunity for our guide to provide you with expert local advice, explain your programme and answer any questions you may have. The rest of the day is at leisure to relax and explore Bogota on your own. Bogota is a vibrant capital steeped in history, with colonial churches and squares, surrounded by the peaks of the Andes.
Thursday, 02 December 2021
Full day tour of Bogota
Enjoy a fascinating full day tour of Bogota. We drive through the colonial neighbourhood of La Candelaria and make stops for photographs at Plaza de Bolivar, the main square and heart of Bogota. We continue on foot through the streets where you will see the library of Luis Angel Arango, cathedral, Congress Palace, Cardinal's Palace, the colonial churches of El Sagrario and San Agustin, House of Independence, Palace of Justice and the City Hall. We visit the famous Gold Museum, which houses the world greatest collection of pre-hispanic Indian gold crafts. The galleries on 3 levels display pieces dating back nearly 2500 years. Afterwards, we visit the Fernando Botero Museum which contains around 120 paintings and sculptures of this famous contemporary Colombian artist. His work is well-known for the 'proportionally exaggerated' fat figures. In addition to his work, his personal collection includes pieces by Picasso, Renoir, Dalí, Degas, Chagall, Matisse, Monet and Giacometti.
Cite Hotel Bogota
Bogota - First Boutique
Cite Hotel is situated very close to the Virrey and Calle 85 and is located in the business and entertainment centre of Bogota, overlooking Virrey Park. The rooms of Hotel Cite have wooden floors and large windows with park views. They are all equipped with air conditioning, cable TV with DVD player, minibar and safe. The hotel's gourmet French Bistro is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Room service is also available. Guests can make use of the free gym access, located within walking distance from the hotel. Chico is a great choice for travellers interested in nightlife, restaurants and gourmet food.
Villa de Leyva - 2 Nights
Day 4 - Travel to Villa De Leyva
- Full Description
Friday, 03 December 2021
Travel to Villa De Leyva
We journey north through the plateau of Bogotá, taking in magnificent mountain scenery to our first stop, the town of Sutatausa. We visit the colonial church to admire the excellently kept and unique wall paintings made by an anonymous artist during the XVII century. The paintings show, among others, a native woman dressed with Indian textiles, which probably were used to assist the Sunday service. Enjoy an included lunch at a local restaurant.
Continue to the town of Ráquira, famous for its pottery and colony of artisans. We also visit to one of the factories where clay pots, decorations and handicrafts are made by the people of the village. We overnight in Villa de Leyva.
Saturday, 04 December 2021
Tour of Villa de Leyva
Villa de Leyva was founded in 1572 and still exudes a grand yet faded colonial charm. We take a walking tour of the town, enjoying the colonial architecture, large square and relaxed ambiance. In the afternoon we return to Bogota for a 1 night stay.
Return to Bogota - 1 Night
Day 5 - Return to Bogota
- Full Description
Sunday, 05 December 2021
Return to Bogota
Villa de Leyva was founded in 1572 and still exudes a grand yet faded colonial charm. We take a walking tour of the town, enjoying the colonial architecture, large square and relaxed ambiance. In the afternoon we return to Bogota for a 1 night stay.
Coffee Region - 2 Nights
Day 6 - Travel to Pereira
Day 7 - Tour and coffee tasting at Hacienda San Alberto
- Full Description
Monday, 06 December 2021
Travel to Pereira
Take a morning flight to Pereira, you will be met by one of our representatives and taken to the historical Hacienda for a 3 night stay.
Tuesday, 07 December 2021
Tour and coffee tasting at Hacienda San Alberto
About an hour outside of Pereira lies the town of Buenavista, the smallest municipality in Colombia. There, up in the hills you will find a premium coffee producer: Hacienda San Alberto. San Alberto has been producing coffee since the early 1970's, so it came as no surprise when they decided to open their doors to the public and share this experience with the coffee lovers around the world. We will tour around the beautiful Hacienda and learn all about the coffee process from start to finish. You will become familiarised with the coffee bean germination process, visit the coffee nursery, walk around the coffee plantations and visit the processing plant. Afterwards enjoy a coffee tasting accompanied by coffee experts. A sip of coffee will never be the same again, you will learn to identify the characteristics and qualities that are present in a good cup of coffee.
Cocora Valley & Salento - 1 Night
Day 8 - Cocora Valley and Salento
- Full Description
Wednesday, 08 December 2021
Cocora Valley and Salento
Today we visit beautiful Cocora Valley located in the department of Quindío. This majestic valley is home to the wax palm, Colombia's national tree and the tallest variety of palm tree in the world. These palms can measure up to 190 feet tall and live for more than 120 years. You will be amazed by the natural beauty and diversity of fauna and flora that you will encounter throughout the valley. On arrival, you will be welcomed with a typical cocktail called "Canelazo". Afterwards you will visit the misty forest where our guide will explain to you the importance of protecting and conserving this beautiful ecosystem. It is a great opportunity to take some pictures.
The tour continues with the "Ritual de la Palma", a way to help preserve the wax palms. Visitors from all around the world have helped plant future wax palms at the park, you will also be able to grow your own palm tree for eternity.
Lunch at a local restaurant, with smoked trout, is included today.
We continue to the town of Salento. Founded in 1842, Salento was one of the first settlements in the Quindío state and still today it preserves its colonial bahareque architecture. Salento's centuries old buildings are awash in harmonious colour, especially along Calle Real, the main street with restaurants, bars, handicrafts shops and souvenir shops.
Medelin - 1 Night
Day 9 - Fly to Medelin
Day 10 - Explore Medelin
- Full Description
Thursday, 09 December 2021
Explore Medelin
A full day to explore this notorious city, made famous by the exploits of the drug barons in the 1980's such as Pablo Escobar.
Cartagena - 3 Nights
Day 9 - Travel to Cartagena
Days 10-11 - At leisure in Cartagena
Day 12 - Transfer to the airport and flight home
Day 13 - Arrive Home
- Full Description
- Accommodation
Friday, 10 December 2021
Travel to Cartagena
We fly to Cartagena, via Bogota. In the afternoon, enjoy a guided tour exploring the historic city. Sights will include Bocagrande, the modern residential district and the Convent of La Popa, built at the beginning of the seventeenth century on a hill of the same name with magnificent views of the city and the bay. Continue to San Felipe's Fort, built to protect the city where we have time to walk along the streets to admire the old Spanish colonial architecture and beautiful balconies filled with flowers.
Saturday, 11 December 2021
At leisure in Cartagena
Explore Cartagena at your leisure - it is a wonderful city to enjoy relaxed independent exploration. Or perhaps take a full day excursion to Baru Island or Islas del Rosario.
Sunday, 12 December 2021
At leisure in Cartagena
Further day at leisure.
Monday, 13 December 2021
Return
Transfer to the airport for your overnight flight home, via Bogota.
Tuesday, 14 December 2021
Arrive in the UK
La Passion Hotel
Cartagena - Luxury Boutique
This luxury boutique hotel located in the old colonial part of Cartagena is more than a hotel, La Passion is a whole concept of services, where the greatest luxury is making you feel at home. French owner Thierry and his colombian wife will personally look after you during your stay making each and every guest feel unique with their personalise service. From the moment you enter La Passion is like taking you back in time, the hotel is maintains its old features of an old colonial house with a modern twist including modern art and certain artefacts the owners have collected during their travels in Africa & Asia. There is a stunning roof terrace from where you can admire the colonial city wiles having a delicious organic breakfast. There is a small outdoor pool ideal to relax and refresh yourself during the hottest times of the day. Each room is spacious and many have their own private balcony from where you can watch the world go by or even have your breakfast served wiles you enjoy the beauty of this fascinating colonial city.
Hotel Agua
Cartagena - First Hotel
Hotel AGUA a typical colonial house dating back to the XVII century,has been completely renovated and conditioned with excellent modern facilities and personalised service that will make guests feel like a home away from home. This luxury boutique hotel has only 6 rooms each decorated differently always with luxury amenities, king size or twin beds, private bathroom and bath. The Hotel has a small pool and relaxing area on the rooftop and the communal areas are very pleasant and peaceful ideal for reading or enjoying the sounds of soulful latin american music in the background. Agua has an excellent location walking distance from many art galleries and excellent restaurants. It also has a sister Hotel Agua Baru where one can spend the day relaxing by the beach or even spend a few nights combined with your stay in Cartagena.
Casa del Curato
Cartagena - Tourist Hotel
The Casa del Curato is a simple hotel, lovingly restored from a colonial townhouse within the walled city. The rooms are small but comfortable, each with air conditioning and private facilities, mostly looking into the central courtyard. Two suites have balconies looking out onto the street, and one looks over the swimming pool and the rear courtyard.
Price Guidelines
| Season | Low Season | High Season |
|---|---|---|
| Travel Dates | 1 Jan - 30 June, 6 Sept - 17 Dec | 1 July - 5 Sep, 18 Dec - 31 Dec |
| Room Arrangement | First | First |
| Multiple Travellers - Twin Room | £3,973 | £4,318 |
| Multiple Travellers - Own Room | £4,835 | £5,180 |
Prices are a guideline and per person. Please request a quote for Special Events, Christmas, New Year's Eve & Easter.
What's Included
- 13 Days / 10 Nights
- International flights (2 overnight)
- Internal flights
- Accommodation as shown on the itinerary
- Breakfast everyday and meals as described on the itinerary
- Transfers to and from airports
- Transport throughout the itinerary
- Excursions listed, all with expert, English-speaking guides
- Prices are per person
- Prices for Special Events, Christmas, New Year's Eve, Easter on request
- Prices do not include the extension to Tayrona National Park
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