Colombia Highlights

Walk the quaint cobbled streets of Villa de Leyva with your private local guide, arriving to the enormous plaza, which is home to the area’s main church. Visit the house of Antonio Nariño, an important leader in Colombia’s independence movement, then head to the Monastery of Carmelitas Descalzas, still occupied by a secretive sect of nuns. Your tour will include several other historic buildings in the village, including the Museo de Fosil, El Infiernito, and the Casa Terrocata.

Fly to Armenia, in the heart of Colombia’s coffee region. Many Colombians consider this region the heart and soul of their country; here, rural life continues as it has for centuries, based on harvesting coffee, plantains, and other fruits. Upon arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel, a countryside hacienda.

Spend the day at San Alberto Plantation for a coffee tour and tasting. The journey out will take you through some stunning scenery: carpeted rolling hills of lush green coffee, plantain and yucca. Experience the entire process of coffee harvesting and processing, from seedling to harvest to toasting to cup. Learn about the lives of the regional coffee growers and finish the tour with a guided tasting of some of Colombia’s finest brews.

Drive into the Cocora Valley, part of Los Nevados National Park and one of the few natural habitats of the magnificent Wax Palm, the national symbol of Colombia. Stop to sample some rich Colombian coffee in Filandia, a traditional pueblo filled with brightly painted houses. Here you will learn about the culture and people of the region and how small villages like Filandia form the backbone of rural agricultural life.

Continue further into the valley, passing through rolling mountain scenery. The area has been declared a natural monument to protect the Wax Palms, and is full of lush vegetation. Enter Salento, a picturesque town ringed by distant snowcapped mountains and boasting fine houses with a traditional architectural style. Finish your tour with another taste of local coffee at Café Jesus Martin, where you will learn the art of decorating latte foam.

Fly over the rolling hills of coffee country out to Santa Marta, the oldest town in Colombia. The small city boasts a privileged location, neighboring the Sierra Nevada and Tayrona National Park and the popular fishing village of Taganga. The beaches are clean and wide, and the town has a relaxed, Caribbean feeling. Transfer into Tayrona National Park, an idyllic coastal nature preserve with pristine Caribbean beaches backed by jungle-clad mountains.

Today you have free to relax and explore Tayrona National Park on your own. We can also arrange a private guide to take you on a hike to different beaches and a local historical site, or snorkeling in the azure waters of the park.

Enjoy a scenic private transfer to the historic walled city of Cartagena. Founded in 1533, Cartagena was once the primary Caribbean port for Spanish explorers, who would store plundered riches in the city. Due to this activity, the city was a frequent target for attacks by pirates and buccaneers, including England’s Sir Francis Drake. After Drake’s attack in 1586, the city’s famous walls and fortifications were constructed (over the course of 200 years), and still stand today as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Walk the captivating city of Cartagena with your local guide. The city has a colorful history of piracy and treasure, and combines fascinating elements of African, indigenous, and European cultures, creating a unique atmosphere unlike any other city in the world. Your tour will take you through the old town under the Puerta Del Reloj (clock tower gate), an iconic symbol of Cartagena, into the Plaza de los Coches. Your guide will share the city’s fascinating history and legends with you as you continue into the Plaza San Pedro Claver and Plaza Bolivar, ending with a visit to the San Felipe Fortress.

Relax and explore the city at your leisure, or let us arrange another excursion in the area, such as a boat trip to the Rosario Islands or a salsa lesson with a local teacher.

Today you will say goodbye to your local guide and head to the airport for your flight home or to your next destination.