10 Days | A Signature Luxury Journey
Welcome to Colombia! Prepare to be amazed by beauty, culture, and wildlife during this once in a lifetime trip!
Day 1
Arrival into Bogota, Colombia
Day 2
Explore key sites in Bogota, and heighten your senses during a molecular coffee tasting
Day 3
Gain insight into local cuisine during an exploration of Paloquemao Market, and an Ajiaco Workshop
Day 4
Fly to Medellin, the city of eternal spring
Day 5
Learn about Medellin’s history during a social transformation tour. Enjoy a nature hike at Arvi Park
Day 6
Venture outside the city to visit Guatape and Peñol Rock
Day 7
Fly to Cartagena. Enjoy a tour of Colombia’s Caribbean jewel
Day 8
Enjoy a foodie experience inside Cartagena’s colorful historic center. Indulge yourself in a private salsa lesson in a colonial mansion
Day 9
Embark on a private boat to the beautiful Rosario Islands
Day 10
Depart Colombia
Desire a perfect trip? With the help of our travel specialists, this journey can be customized around your specific interests, tastes and preferences. We will provide helpful tips and honest advice based on first-hand knowledge of the destination.
CONTACT US ABOUT THIS TRIPOn arrival, begin your journey with a stay in Bogota.
Wake up your senses with a special molecular coffee workshop and explore the main sites in Colombia’s Capital.
Immerse yourself into the world of specialty coffees during a visit to a local café. Explore an array of flavors of coffee through innovative textures and brewing methods. Learn local brewing cupping techniques while enjoying delicious coffee sampling.
Head to the historic center of Bogota known as La Candelaria. This archaic suburb has great significance in the country’s history due to its cultural heritage and is also a great example of Spanish colonial time architecture. Visit the main square Plaza de Bolivar, where a statue of the great emancipator Simon Bolivar is located. The Cathedral, on the eastern side of the plaza, is constructed on the same spot where the first church was built in Bogotá in 1539 and houses an important collection of religious artifacts including a textiles and artworks collection that has been built over four centuries. Stop to admire other sites such as the Palacio de Justicia, the Mayor of Bogotá’s offices called the Edificio Liévano, the oldest school in the county called San Bartolome and the Casa de los Comuneros.
The visit continues with the Botero Museum, a colonial house exhibiting some of Fernando Botero’s works of art and in addition pieces from his own personal collection that includes works by Picasso, Renoir, Dalí Matisse, Monet, and Giacometti. Next is the Gold Museum which has a permanent exhibition of some 32,000 pieces of gold, 20,000 stones, ceramics, and textiles all precious to the Quimbaya, Calima, Tayrona, Sinu, Muisca, Tolima, Tumaco and Magdalena cultures.
Head to La Plaza de Mercado Paloquemao, one of the biggest and most recognized local markets in Bogotá, where all traditional produce and ingredients of Colombian cuisine can be found. Try some of the exotic fruits, local doughs, and Colombian cheeses sold by the vendors. Learn local cooking techniques and visit the flower market and the popular food stalls to get a true local experience.
Join a local chef at the market to learn how to prepare and cook the famous Ajiaco soup. Each region of Colombia has its own specialties and characteristic dishes. In Bogota, Ajiaco is a local favorite and can found at all the markets, restaurants, and sold by local street vendors. Enjoy a fun interactive culinary experience, and after, your delicious creation.
Fly to Medellin, Colombia’s heart and soul. Upon arrival, you will be assisted to the hotel.
Explore the highlights of Colombia’s second most important city. Visit the Plaza de Botero where there are 23 sculptures by the famous local artist Fernando Botero. Continue to one of the oldest parts of the city and the Plazuela de San Ignacio to see the baroque San Ignacio church and statues of historical figures. Visit the Comuma 13 and its electric stairs, another one of the places that best represent this transformation and see some graffiti that symbolizes a form of expression of the community.
Take the metro cable car, that joins the north-east area with the city center, and travel to Arvi Park, a natural reserve located on the outskirts of the city. Take a 30-minute ride by cable car through the Arvi reserve and visit a farmer’s market. From the metro cable see the barrio (neighborhood) of Santo Domingo Savio, which used to be one of the most unsafe suburbs of Medellín. Located some 7km from the city center, it is a clear example of the social transformation that has taken place in the last few years.
Venture and explore the charming villages and gorgeous scenery found in the surrounding Colombian region of Antioquia. Explore the sprawling mansions and rural environment of El Retiro on the outskirts of Medellín. Then visit El Peñol, a village that was displaced by the creation of the man-made lake Guatapé, before climbing the 700+ stairs of the massive El Peñol Rock. Enjoy a lakeside lunch in Guatapé before driving back past a series of quaint towns on your way back to the city.
Start with a visit to the San Felipe Fortress, erected in honor of the poet from Cartagena, Don Luis Carlos López, made famous for his sonnet “A mi ciudad nativa” It was built on San Lázaro hill to defend the city from pirate attacks. Walk around the fortress and learn how the castle was constructed, the engineering feats, the tunnels, underground galleries, and passageways.
Then continue on to the Ciudad Vieja (old city) to visit the Convent and Church of San Pedro Claver which was built in the middle of the XVII century and owes its name to the “apóstol de los esclavos”. Pay a visit to the handicrafts zone of the Bovedas, a collection of archways built into the city wall of Cartagena and that were used until the end of the 1700s to house armaments and then later as a prison in the XIX century. Nowadays it is an artisan center where one can appreciate local handcraft.
Sample delicious local favorites during your foodie experience. Enjoy a fun and exciting private salsa lesson.
Immerse yourself in Cartagena’s local history and culture, starting in Bolivar Park, shaded by large trees and featuring four fountains, the park has a statue of the great Liberator at the center. Around the square is the Gold Museum, which exhibits a fine collection of archeological objects dating back to the pre-Hispanic period; and the Inquisition Palace, recognized for its large baroque style door. The Inquisition held its meetings here and it was also the prison and torture chambers for presumed heretics, opponents of the Catholic Church.
Cartagena’s vibrant historic center hosts a huge variety of cuisine, combining Spanish flavors with African influences brought across by the slaves and migrants of 19th century. Locals have taken over this culinary tradition and culinary artisans are found throughout the streets of Cartagena. You will stop at several different establishments to sample the local fair. In addition, you will learn about Cartagena’s typical food by tasting 15 different types of food, all prepared by local cooks in different places along the streets.
Experience the vibrant culture of Cartagena during a private salsa lesson in a colonial mansion. Have fun learning the basic steps alongside your instructor!
Venture out on a private boat to explore the beautiful Rosario Islands.
The Archipiélago del Rosario is located approximately one hour from Cartagena. The national park is ringed by coral reefs and lapped by clear blue waters and is the habitat for a large variety of marine fauna. The park covers 120,000 hectares and comprises the underwater shelf and the coral reefs to the west of the island of Barú, the reef that shields the Nuestra Señora del Rosario archipelago as well as the islands of Tesoro, Rosario, Múcura and Maravilla.
The 23 coral islands and islets were formed some 5,000 years ago, due to ancient volcanic activity that pushed up the continental shelf and created these coral reefs. Three ecosystems thrive here: coastal lagoons, the mangroves surrounding them, and a tropical forest. Free time for snorkeling and relaxation is scheduled and lunch is included during the excursion.
Transfer to the airport for your departure flight from Colombia.
With the help of our travel specialists, create a perfect trip planned around your specific interests, tastes and preferences. We will provide helpful tips and honest advice based on first-hand knowledge of the destination.
CONTACT US ABOUT THIS TRIP
