7 Days
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
Head out on an exploration of the Colombian capital
Day 3
Discover the local urban art scene, and enjoy an interactive graffiti workshop
Day 4
Fly to Cartagena. Head out on a Barbacoco Treasure Hunt inside the walled city
Day 5
Enjoy a tour of Colombia’s Caribbean jewel
Day 6
Discover the National Aviary Park and enjoy a Snorkeling Adventure at Playa Blanca
Day 7
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 family journey with a stay in Bogota.
Begin with a walk in the historic center of Bogota, known as La Candelaria. Visit 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 such as textiles and artworks, collection that has been built over four centuries.
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.
No visit to Bogota would be complete without a stop at 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. Walk around the market and try some of the exotic fruits, local doughs, and Colombian cheeses, as well as some of the local candy and ice cream that is produced in Colombia.
Today, you get to discover the local urban art scene, and enjoy an interactive graffiti workshop.
Head to historic center to discover a different side of Bogota. This antiquated neighborhood is aligned on one side with old “stately homes” with iron windows, thick and sturdy wooden doors, balconies, and internal patios with beautiful yet hidden gardens, and on the other side with a great variety of colorful graffiti murals. The beautiful murals have become an artistic, social, and political form of expression of the city inhabitants. Walk along to admire the different colorful styles of each artist and understand the local graffiti movement.
Next, join a local artist at a studio for a fun and interactive workshop where you will learn the basic techniques of graffiti art, and will be able to put your skills to the test as you design your own mural.
Head out on an adventure especially designed for children that introduces the history and culture of Cartagena while searching for the treasure of the infamous Pirate “Barbacoco” with the help of a treasure map that guides the way. The treasure is a trunk composed of pretend precious stones and faux pearls.
The activity is to follow the map to find the treasure and a tour of the Walled City, where pirate games are played such as “Walk the Plank”, just as the pirates did, throwing their victims into shark infested waters; “Arm the Cannons” where they will pretend to arm cannons on a small ship; “Rings of the Sword” which consists of throwing rings over a sword at a distance; and “Wooden Leg”, a three-legged race with a craft activity to make pirate hooks, patches or hat. At each stop, the children will either make or win a part of their costume and by the end of the activity will have the full fancy costume.
At the end of the tour, enjoy a sunset picnic that includes juices, fresh fruit, mini arepas, and other local snacks. During the picnic, the guide will explain about the food, the recipes, cooking methods and history of what they are eating and understand the importance of Cartagena’s gastronomy.
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” and also visit the Zenú Gold Museum, inaugurated in 1982 by the Bank of the Republic, which has a gold and ceramics collection from the main pre-Columbian cultures.
Within the main content of the museum’s halls are the most important cultural manifestations of the Zenú indigenous culture. 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.
Travel to Baru Island and begin your discovery of the National Aviary Park. The reserve is the perfect place for nature and animal lovers. Learn about and admire the more than 2,000 exotic and tropical birds that inhabit Colombia. The collection of birds at the reserve was created over 15 years ago to bring attention to the preservation of some of these beautiful species that were close to extinction. The park has been a great success and has allowed the population of turkeys, ducks, emus, arucos, parrots, eagles, and many other bird species to flourish.
Head to one of Cartagena’s most beautiful beaches, Playa Blanca, to enjoy a snorkeling adventure. Once underwater, you will be able to see some of the local sea life, including beautiful and colorful corals, and a great variety of fish, and perhaps a couple of playful dolphins. Enjoy a picnic lunch on the beach.
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
