Itinerary
Classic Colombia
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Claudia Pinto Basto
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Classic Colombia
Our Classic Colombia tour will take you on a tour of one of the world’s most biodiverse countries. Bursting with colour and charisma is the port of Cartagena known as the jewel of the Caribbean. View the UNESCO-protected walled city from the Fortress of San Felipe. Explore the crystalline waters and beautiful beaches of the nearby Rosarios Islands. Visit a plantation and learn what creates the characteristic taste of Colombian coffee. Explore the barrios (neighbourhoods) of Bogotá, one of the highest capital cities in the world. Hop aboard a teleferico (cable car) to the peak of Monserrat. Visit the Gold Museum which houses one of the most impressive collections of pre-Columbian art in the world and experience a cathedral built inside a salt mine.
Arrive in Bogotá, Colombia
Arrive in Bogotá, capital of Colombia, where you will be met by your A&K representative at El Dorado International Airport and transferred to your hotel. Enjoy your first glimpse of this city of contrasts where skyscrapers stand side by side with old, single-story houses. Colombia's capital city is a bustling metropolis and one of the highest capital cities in the world.
Bogotá
Today join your private guide to visit Bogotá’s museums and markets. Bask in this cultural experience, sampling fruits at Paloquemao market. Continue to the colonial quarter of La Candelaria. Pause at Plaza de Bolivar, named for Simón Bolívar, who was instrumental in winning Colombia’s independence from Spain. At Botero Museum, view artworks including those by Colombian artist Fernando Botero, together with works from Picasso and Renoir. Continue to the celebrated Gold Museum. With over 34,000 pieces, it is the world's largest collection of pre-Hispanic gold artefacts. After a stop for lunch, take a trip to Monserrate. This 3,160-metre peak can be reached by funicular railway or cable car and has views over the city.
Bogotá - Coffee Zone
Fly to Colombia’s best-known coffee production region, recently named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Join your guide for a tour of the renowned coffee plantation of Hacienda San Alberto to learn about the coffee production process from start to finish including the harvest, the drying in the sun and treatment in this land of volcanic terrain along the Central Andes Mountain Range. Then, enjoy a tasting of locally grown coffees curated by experts. Later, continue to Pereira and check in to your hotel.
Cocora Valley
Journey to the verdant Cocora Valley, home to the wax palm, Colombia’s protected national tree. Enjoy a canelazo cocktail and traditional smoked trout lunch. In Cocora National Park, visit the misty forest that serves as home to the tall, slender palm species, and learn about efforts to conserve this ecosystem. The afternoon ends in Filandia, another city full of balconies and a much quieter and cooler place. Here you can learn how the baskets` with which the coffee is collected are made. Then, the unmissable viewpoint, a 27-metre-tall structure that offers a panoramic view of the entire coffee region. On a clear day you can also see the "Nevado del Tolima".
Coffee Zone – Medellin
Take a journey from the countryside of Colombia to the city of eternal spring, Medellin. The city boasts cable cars and escalators connecting the upper barrios with the centre of the city now filled with artists, designers, and award-winning gastronomy. The main plazas are scattered with artwork, the most famous arguable being Botero’s Torso de Mujer. For those wanting to escape the city and visit the surrounding lakes and rolling hills a visit to Guatape and Peñol is a must. Learn more about the rejuvenation that has occurred in this city.
Medellin
Explore the highlights of Colombia's second most important city. Start with a visit to the Parque San Antonio ('La Plazoleta'), where there are 23 sculptures by the famous local artist Fernando Botero. Continue to the Museum of Antioquia, and its exhibitions of art dating from pre-Columbian times and move on to baroque San Ignacio church and statues of historical figures before you board the Metrocable gondola. Visit the neighbourhood of Comuna 13, which has been drastically changed through its social transformation project. Finish the day by visiting a few Medellin's beautiful public parks, including the modern Parque de las Luces.
Guatape and El Peñol rock
Head east of the city to the picturesque resort town of Guatape, famed for its colourful pastel painted buildings and cobblestoned streets next to the interconnecting lakes of the stunning reservoir. Along the way, admire the breath-taking landscape of Antioquia. Dating back to the 1970s, the reservoir was created to provide hydroelectricity. In the middle of the reservoir is the Peñol rock, thought to be a meteorite due to its enormous size. For the adventurous you can climb the 654 steps of the magnificent Peñol rock to enjoy glorious views over this stunning landscape. After lunch, explore the area further on a boat trip around the reservoir. In the afternoon, return to Medellin.
Medellin – Cartagena
Board a morning flight to Cartagena, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known as the jewel of the Caribbean. You will be met upon arrival and transferred to your hotel. Stroll the town by day and explore the museums, galleries, and emerald factories. For some dramatic panoramas of the city and the coast, head to La Popa church and the Fortress of San Felipe. Discover brilliant dishes showcasing the heritage and pride of these cultures served in small stalls in every corner of the old city. At night you can head to one of many live music venues or perhaps sip a sundowner at a bar overlooking the ocean.
Cartagena
Today, head to Convento de La Popa, built on the city’s highest point and take in the views. Continue to Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas, the strongest fortress built in a Spanish colony, and stop at the galleries and boutiques in Las Bóveda. Then, visit the Iglesia y Convento San Pedro de Claver, a convent founded in the 17th century by San Ignacio de Loyola. After lunch, explore the colourful and historic colonial centre of Cartagena, starting in Parque Bolivar. On the square is the Museo del Oro, which exhibits a fine collection of archaeological objects; and the Museum of the Inquisition, recognisable for its baroque door. Your tour continues to the Santo Domingo church, the Cathedral and ends at the Museum of the city's fortifications.
Rosario Islands
All day excursion by boat to the Archipielago del Rosario, 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 which you will be able to enjoy as you snorkel and relax from your private boat.
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