10 Routes in Colombia

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Routes in Colombia: from city trips to a month-long backpacking trip. Here you will find inspiration to plan your itinerary in Colombia. Let us inspire you with 10 itineraries in Colombia for a 1, 2 and 3 weeks and a month trip.

1 Week

1) Medellín-Guatapé-Jardín

A nice mix of city, nature and local vibes in colorful villages, with the “bonus” of a climb to the Rock El Peñol

Day 1: Arrival in Medellín Day 2: Medellín Day 3: Day trip Guatapé and el Peñol Day 4: Bus to Jardín Day 5-6: Jardín Day 7: Bus to Medellín View our travel guides Medellín, Jardín and Guatapé for info and tips.
This trip can be combined well with a trip to the coffee triangle. From Medellín you can be in Manizales in about 5 hours by bus.
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2) Medellín-Chocó (Pacific)

From city of eternal spring to humid jungle, miles of beaches and whales off shore (in season).

Day 1: Arrival in Medellín Day 2: Medellín Day 3: Flight to Nuquí, boat to ecolodge Day 4-6: Activities from the ecolodge Day 7: Boat to Nuquí, flight to Medellín Alternative to Nuquí is Bahía Solano. View our travel guides Medellín, Nuquí and Bahía Solano for info and tips.

3) Bogotá-Amazone

From modern metropolis to the Amazon, with ancient traditions of Native American communities

Day 1: Arrival in Bogotá Day 2: Bogotá Day 3: Flight to Leticia, boat to ecolodge or your accommodation in eco-village Puerto Nariño Day 4-6: Activities from the lodge Day 7: Boat to Leticia, flight to Bogotá
Prefer to acclimate before heading into the jungle? Then book a night in Leticia. At Mundo Amazónico, get a taste of the culture and nature of the Amazon.
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4) Bogotá-San José del Guaviare

From metropolis Bogotá to emerging eco-destination Guaviare, in the transition area between the Llanos and the Amazonas.

Day 1: Arrival in Bogotá
Day 2: Bogotá
Day 3: *Flightto San José del Guaviare
Day 4-6: Activity program with local tour operator
Day 7: Flight to Bogotá

 

2 weeks

5) Bogotá-Coffee Triangle

A beautiful route in Colombia city culture and coffee culture in atmospheric villages. The Eje Cafetero is set in rolling countryside with coffee plantations, thermal baths and nature parks off the beaten track.

Day 1: Arrival in Bogotá
Day 2-3: Bogotá
Day 4: Flight Bogotá-Armenia*, cab to Salento Day 5: Salento Day 6: Valle de Cocora Day 7: Bus to Pereira, chiva to eco-lodge at Santuario Otún Quimbaya Day 9 : Chiva to Pereira, bus to Santa Rosa de Cabal.

Accommodation nearby Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal Day 10: Bus/taxi to coffee inca in Manizales Day 12: **Private transfer to hotel near PNN los Nevados (4000m) Day 13: Car ride with guide PNN los Nevados Day 14: Flight Manizales-Bogotá * Alternative to Armenia is Pereira
** Check the travel guide Coffee Triangle for more info Note: Check the current situation of possible volcanic activity, before planning a trip to PNN los Nevados.

#Tip 1: Instead of flying back from Manizales to Bogotá, you can take the bus to Medellín and extend your trip. You can get there in about 5 hours from Manizales. #Tip 2: The coffee triangle is also great to explore by car; the roads are generally good and traffic is a lot less hectic than around big cities like Bogotá and Medellín. On the dirt roads in the mountains, a higher car or 4×4 is recommended.
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6)From Bogotá to Barichara

Colombia’s most beautiful colonial cities, a red river and extreme sports in spectacular nature. This is the area north of Bogotá at its best.

Day 1: Arrival in Bogotá
Day 2-3: Bogotá
Day 4:
Bus to salt cathedral of Zipaquirá, bus to Villa de Leyva Day 5: Santuario de Flora y Fauna Iguaque Day 6: Villa de Leyva Day 7: Bus to Oiba, jeep to Guadalupe
Day 8: Quebrada las Gachas
Day 9: Jeep to Oiba,
bus to San Gil
Day 10-11: San Gil and Chicamocha park

Day 12: Bus to Barichara
Day 13: Barichara: Hike to Guane
Day 14: Bus to Bogotá*

View travel guides Bogotá, Villa de Leyva, San Gil and Barichara, for info and tips.

*Alternative to the bus back to Bogotá, is a bus ride to Bucaramanga through the Chicamocha Gorge, the “Grand Canyon” of Colombia. There catch the plane to Bogotá or travel further within Colombia (see bonus itinerary 4 weeks Colombia).
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7) Cali-southwest Colombia

A varied trip with plenty of ingredients: salsa, archaeological sites, colonial architecture, still unknown natural parks and the Tatacoa “desert”

Day 1: Arrival in Cali Day 2-3: Cali Day 4: Bus to Silvia*-. Popayán Day 5: PNN Puracé Day 6: Termales Aquatibia, overnight at hotel Coconuco Day 7: Bus to San Agustín

Day 8 Parque Arqueológico de San Agustín
Day 9: San Agustín Day 10: Bus to Villavieja (via Neiva)

Day 11: The Tatacoa desert Day 12: Bus Villavieja to Bogotá Day 13-14 Bogotá *Silvia is most fun on Tuesdays, when the Guambiano Indians sell their produce in the market.

Tip #1
Do you have the time during this roundtrip or travel further to Ecuador? Then you can also take a trip to Pasto from Popayán. Tip #2
This trip combines well with a visit to the coffee triangle. A bus ride from Salento to Cali takes about 5h.
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8) Bogotá – Llanos Orientales

Scenic route from the Andes Mountains to the lowlands to spot wildlife; a journey through 3 different ecosystems

Day 1: Arrival in Bogotá
Day 2-3: Bogotá Day 4: Bus to Villa de Leyva Day 5: Villa de Leyva Day 6: Bus to Paipa, visit thermal baths Day 7: Bus to Sogamoso* Day 8: Hike to the Ocetá páramo Day 9: Bus to Yopal for overnight stay

Day 10: Private transfer to ecolodge in nature reserve Day 11-12: Activities from ecolodge Day 13: Private transfer to Yopal Day 14: Flight to Bogotá

*Alternativeto an overnight stay in Sogamoso is the colonial village of Mongui.
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3 weeks

9) Caribbean Coast Highlights

An exploration of the diverse nature and culture of this area, including the desert-like La Guajira, habitat of the indigenous Wayúu.

Day 1: Arrival in Cartagena
Day 2-3: Cartagena
Day 4: Flight to San Andrés Island Day 5-6: San Andrés and/or Providencia Day 7: Flight to Cartagena. Bus to Santa Marta for overnight stay Day 8-11: Trekking to Ciudad Perdida Day 12: Bus to Tayrona National Park.

Overnight outside the park Day 13: Overnight in PNN Tayrona Day 14: Bus to Minca

Day 15: Minca
Day 16: Bus to Riohacha for overnight Day 17-19: Tour Cabo de la Vela-Punta Gallinas Day 20: Bus to Palomino for overnight Day 21: Bus to St Marta

 

4 weeks or longer

10) Backpacking trip through diverse Colombia

During this trip you will see many highlights of Colombia, learn to dance in the “city of salsa” and have time to relax in mountain villages and on coffee finas.

Day 1-3: Bogotá
Day 4-5:Villavieja-Tatacoa “desert” Day 6-7: San Agustín-Archeological Park

Day 8: Popayán
Day 9-10: Cali Day 11-12 Coffee Triangle: Salento-Valle de Cocora Day 13: Manizales Day 14-16: Medellín-Guatapé Day 17: Flight to St Marta, overnight Riohacha Day 18-20: Tour Cabo de la Vela-Punta Gallinas by 4×4 Day 21: Overnight stay Palomino

Day 22-23: Tayrona National Park
Day 24-25: Minca
Day 26-28: Cartagena

Tip #1
Replace mountain village of Minca with Guachaca beach, if you want to add some more beach to your trip. There are some nice accommodations here such as the Tayrona Tented lodge and Playa Pikua ecolodge. Guachaca Beach is a 7 km drive from Tayrona National Park and 45 km from Santa Marta. Tip #2
Extend your trip in Popayán with a visit to Pasto, go hiking in the beautiful nature, take a boat ride on Laguna de la Cocha and visit the extraordinary Santuario de las Lajas cathedral.
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Bonus tip: extra round trip 4 weeks Colombia

A trip filled with nature, culture and adventure activities. In between all the action, it’s relaxing on a coffee finca, in a thermal pool and on the beach.

Day 1-3: Bogotá Day 4: Zipaquirá salt cathedral, bus to Villa de Leyva
Day 5: Villa de Leyva
Day 6-8: San Gil, extreme sports Day 9-10: Barichara, hike to Guane Day 11: Via Chicamocha gorge to Bucaramanga, flight to St Marta for overnight stay

Day 12-14: Ciudad Perdida trekking Day 15-16: Costeño Beach Day 17-18: Tayrona National Park

Day 19-21: Cartagena
Day 22: Flight to Medellín Day 23-24: Medellín-Guatapé Day 25: Coffee Triangle: Manizales Day 26: Santa Rosa de Cabal, thermal baths Day 27-28 Salento-Valle de Cocora Day 29: Bus to Armenia or Pereira, flight to Bogotá

#ToColombia Tips

Here you will find more itineraries in Colombia.

Click on the links for information about the different regions in Colombia, what to do in Colombia and general information about Colombia, such as climate, best travel period, transportation and safety.