Overview
Book online and enjoy exclusive savings on G Adventures 9 Day Journeys: Explore Colombia. Luxurious mountains, quaint colonial towns, irresistible coffee—discover Colombia’s abundant charms on this incredible journey. Observe the rebirth of Medellín’s most notorious neighbourhood; wander the cobblestoned streets of Cartagena, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site; and venture into the picturesque coffee growing region of Armenia. Round out your experience alongside local artisans who turn coconuts into handicrafts, and sway to this South American nation’s infectious rhythms of salsa.
Trip Length
9 Days
Trip Starts
Bogota
Trip Ends
Cartagena
Departures
Jun 2026 to Dec 2027
Countries Visited:
Operator
G Adventures
Trip Style
National Geographic Journeys
Budget
Affordable
Age Range
6-99 Years
Max. Group Size
16
Pace
Moderate
Guide Style
Fully Guided
Tour Code
SMENG
Itinerary
Arrive at any time. Arrival transfer is included. Modern Bogotá offers visitors a wide variety of activities combined with the picturesque beauty of its cultural and architectural past. Colonial churches and pre-Columbian art contrast with the futuristic high-rise buildings of a busy metropolis. If you arrive early, take a walk around some of the interesting neighbourhoods including La Candelaria, La Macarena, Parque de la 93, La Zona T, La Zona Rosa (bars and restaurants), La Zona G (international cuisine), or visit the Monserrate Santuary and enjoy great views of the city.
Accommodation:
NH Pavillion Royal Bogotá
Included Experiences
- Arrival Day and Welcome Meeting: The adventure begins tonight. Feel free to explore before your welcome meeting, but make sure you’re back in time to meet the group. Check for the meeting time on the welcome note at the hotel. After introductions, your Expedition Leader will review the details of your tour. Please note that normal check-in times apply at our start hotels, but you can usually store your luggage for the day if you arrive early.
Optional Experiences
- Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral Visit: Take some time and visit Zipaquirá, a city in central Colombia just northeast of Bogotá, known for its subterranean Salt Cathedral. You will have the opportunity to see this impressive structure for yourself on a tour. The church is 180 metres underground and will offer you a unique perspective into what the daily lives of miners looked like at one time. It was they who created this small chapel carved out of rock salt. Visit the structure, admire from the Viacrucis to the Corus and appreciate the grandeur of the world's largest underground cross. Please note this activity starts at 8:00AM. We recommend booking prenights to make sure you are in Bogotá on time for this morning start.
Catch a flight to Armenia, one of Colombia’s coffee capitals. Head to a small, family-run coffee farm in nearby Montenegro, and meet with a coffee expert to learn about the different stages of coffee production, from bean to cup. Continue on to a traditional hacienda on a working coffee farm, where we’ll spend two nights.
Accommodation:
Hacienda La Combia
Included Meals:
Breakfast, Dinner
Included Experiences
- Plane: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
- Hacienda Stay: Spend the night in a traditional hacienda (Spanish for "estate") and coffee farm and get a closer look at life in Colombia’s beautiful coffee region.
- Colombian Coffee Farm Visit: Immerse yourself into coffee culture with a visit to a family-run working coffee farm. Spend the afternoon with a coffee expert learning the processes of plant growth, reproduction, harvest, post harvest, and drying. This hands-on experience allows us insight into why Colombian coffee is considered some of the best in the world.
Set out on a full-day excursion to Salento, a charming coffee-growing town set amid verdant mountains, and venture to the nearby Cocora Valley for a hike. This breathtaking protected landscape harbours groves of gigantic wax palm, Colombia’s national tree and the tallest type of palm in the world. Later, during an immersive coffee tasting, sip espresso and watch a demonstration of latte art by a local barista. Then enjoy free time to explore Salento, strolling its quaint streets and browsing the local craft stalls.
Accommodation:
Hacienda La Combia
Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Experiences
- Salento and Cocora Valley Excursion: Visit Salento, a charming town typical to Colombia’s coffee region, and enjoy hiking the beautiful landscape of the Cocora Valley. Spend the rest of your visit strolling the quaint streets of Salento—this is a great place to appreciate traditional architecture and shop for gifts.
- Colombian Coffee Immersion and Tasting: Continue our coffee immersion with a visit to a speciality coffee shop. Here we embark on a sensory exercise to understand the difference between high quality coffees and commercial coffees, an espresso tasting and the correct preparation of a milk-based coffee where the barista demonstrates the proper art of the latte. This hands-on experience allows us to understand why Colombian coffee is considered some of the best in the world and better understand the part it plays in the culture of this region. And finally, a tasting of the various brews will round out our day.
- Free Time: Enjoy some free time to explore the town.
- Hacienda Stay: Spend the night in a traditional hacienda (Spanish for "estate") and coffee farm and get a closer look at life in Colombia’s beautiful coffee region.
This morning, fly to Medellín. Surrounded by lush hills and fragrant flower farms, this thriving city is currently in the midst of a resurgence. Settle into your hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure.
Accommodation:
Ecohub Hotel
Included Meals:
Breakfast
Included Experiences
- Plane: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
Alongside a local guide, embark on an eye-opening tour of Comuna 13—formerly one of Colombia’s most dangerous neighbourhoods. Ride on the cable cars and outdoor escalators that span the sprawling hillside, and learn how public transport and art and music programs have transformed the area into a peaceful, vibrant community. Afterward, opt for a historical tour of Medellín, visit some of the city’s museums, or go shopping.
Accommodation:
Ecohub Hotel
Included Meals:
Breakfast
Included Experiences
- Medellín Community Walk: Discover another side of Medellín as you travel on the city’s innovative transportation system and head to Comuna 13 – a community transformed. Once controlled by the cartels, this community is a shining example of Colombia's progress in overcoming its notorious past. Meet a local guide and begin the journey upward with a ride on the city’s unique public cable cars. Head farther up the hillside to the outdoor electric escalators that serve Comuna 13. The extensive escalator system has renewed the impoverished district, which clings to a steep hillside, and provided much relief to residents whose daily commutes have become safer and faster. Arrive at the top to explore this welcoming and safe urban neighbourhood and enjoy panoramic views of the city.
- Free Time: Free time to explore the city or set out on an optional excursion.
Optional Experiences
- Nutibara Hill (Cerro Nutibara) Visit: For a breath of fresh air 80m (263 ft) above the city, visit Nutibara Hill. Ride a colourful bus, take a taxi, or climb winding paths through the greenery to get to the top of the hill and enjoy great views of the city. Pueblito Paisa waits at the summit: stroll through this replica of a traditional Antioquian town and enjoy the charm of whitewashed buildings, bright-coloured doors and tiled roofs. Try some local food here or shop for souvenirs.
- Santa Fe de Antioquia Visit: Explore the quaint streets of Santa Fe de Antioquia – a national monument – on foot and admire the original colonial architecture and Andean landscape. Take photos of traditional Antioquian homes and get lost in the charm of the past. Explore the town’s beautiful churches and cross the Cauca River on the Bridge of the West, a suspension bridge built in 1887.
- Medellín City Tour: Really get to know Colombia’s second largest city with a neighbourhood tour. Medellín has been revitalized since the issues of the 80s and 90s and is now one of South America’s most innovative and artistic cities. Explore the city’s varied barrios filled with shops, green parks, museums, churches, markets, and delicious cuisine.
Enjoy a free day to continue exploring Medellín. Choose to visit nearby Guatapé, located on the shores of a scenic reservoir. Wander amid the town’s brightly decorated houses, and opt to climb a steep flight of stairs to the summit of El Peñol, a towering monolith that affords breathtaking views of the reservoir’s sparkling waters and lush green isles.
Accommodation:
Ecohub Hotel
Included Meals:
Breakfast
Included Experiences
- Free Time: Get out and explore this vibrant city!
Optional Experiences
- El Peñol Stone (La Piedra Del Peñol) Visit: Formed approximately 70 million years ago, El Peñón de Guatapé, also known as El Peñol, is a giant monolith rising 2,135m (7,005 ft) above sea level. Climb the 649 steps that have been built into one side of this famous rock and enjoy breathtaking views of the Guatapé Dam and surrounding area from the peak.
- Guatapé Dam Visit: Visit this hydroelectric dam created by flooding a valley. The Guatapé Dam has greatly changed the natural landscape, which now has the look of lush islets in a blue lake with 500km (310 mi) of shoreline.
- Nutibara Hill (Cerro Nutibara) Visit: For a breath of fresh air 80m (263 ft) above the city, visit Nutibara Hill. Ride a colourful bus, take a taxi, or climb winding paths through the greenery to get to the top of the hill and enjoy great views of the city. Pueblito Paisa waits at the summit: stroll through this replica of a traditional Antioquian town and enjoy the charm of whitewashed buildings, bright-coloured doors and tiled roofs. Try some local food here or shop for souvenirs.
- Guatapé Day Trip: Begin the day trip to Guatapé in the morning around 8:30 AM. Leave Medellin and pass through the town of Peñol and see its famous replica, a scaled imitation of the old town square where the group can enjoy an exspansive view over the reservoir and admire the colonial style of the town's architecture. Next up, climb the 700 steps that lead to the top of Piedra del Peñol. This enormous monolith offers epic 360-degree views of the surrounding landscape. Sit down for a typical lunch before continuing onwards to the town of Guatapé, where the group will learn more about its rich culture and history. After touring the town enjoy a relaxing, private boat ride on the reservoir and appreciate the islands from a whole new angle. Make a pit stop at a private island for some free time to immerse yourself in the beautiful surroundings—think meditation or water sports.
- Santa Fe de Antioquia Visit: Explore the quaint streets of Santa Fe de Antioquia – a national monument – on foot and admire the original colonial architecture and Andean landscape. Take photos of traditional Antioquian homes and get lost in the charm of the past. Explore the town’s beautiful churches and cross the Cauca River on the Bridge of the West, a suspension bridge built in 1887.
Catch a flight to the fabled city of Cartagena, perched on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. In the afternoon go on an excursion to the nearby beach of La Boquilla and visit an arts workshop run by women who transform coconuts into jewellery, crafts, and other art. As we listen to their stories and learn their techniques, try your hand at creating a souvenir out of natural materials. Later, head to the Saborarte Restaurant for a hands-on cooking class. As we learn to make Caribbean and Colombian specialities, hear how the restaurant amplifies cooking traditions while working with household mothers and small market producers.
Accommodation:
GHL Armeria Real Hotel
Included Meals:
Breakfast, Dinner
Included Experiences
- Plane: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
- Coconut Workshop: The project DAMARTES (Damas y Madres del Arte – ‘Women and Mothers of Art’) is an association composed of mothers and grandmothers who in 2008, took part in a crafts workshop sponsored by the foundation ProBoquilla. They have now started their own social enterprise producing jewelry, vases, art and accessories out of coconuts. Meet these incredible women and join them in a Coconut Workshop located on the beach of La Boquilla.
- Damartes Beachside Coconut Workshop & Social Enterprise Introduction: Since 2024, Planeterra and G Adventures have been supporting the association of DAMARTES (Damas y Madres del Arte – ‘Women and Mothers of Art’) to uplift their impact. Their work portrays an excellent example of how tourism can support gender equality and sustainability in direct and impactful ways. Learn more about the history of this organization and meet the incredible mothers and grandmothers who have worked hard to build their own social enterprise. Gather alongside the women on the beach of La Boquilla and learn how to create jewelry, vases, art, and other accessories from coconuts. Travel home with a unique souvenir and the knowledge that your presence here has made a difference and positive impact on the local community.
- Colombian Caribbean Cooking Experience: Visit Saborarte Restaurant in the Getsemani area for a hands-on cooking class. Learn to make Caribbean–Colombian specialities with the experts, hear how the restaurant amplifies cooking traditions while working with household mothers and small market producers. After, enjoy your creations for dinner.
Enjoy a walking tour of Cartagena. Visit the old town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, discovering atmospheric plazas, soaring churches, and important historic landmarks. Spend the rest of the day on your own soaking up the tropical charm of Cartagena. Opt to visit Cartagena’s Gold Museum, showcasing intricate pre-Colombian ornaments and pottery, or choose to learn the basics of Colombian salsa, known as Cali style, during a private lesson with two local dancers.
Accommodation:
GHL Armeria Real Hotel
Included Meals:
Breakfast, Dinner
Included Experiences
- Cartagena City Tour: Learn more about Cartagena’s history from a bilingual guide on a tour of this lively city. Travel between sights by private transport and visit the clock tower, Plaza Bolivar, and the Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas. Take in sweeping views of the city from the hilltop Convento De La Popa and enjoy a walking tour from San Pedro Claver Church to Santo Domingo Church.
- Free Time: Get out and explore this tropical city.
Optional Experiences
- Gold Museum Visit: Head to Plaza Bolivar and pay a visit to this well-curated and informative museum. Admire the intricate, pre-Columbian gold works and pottery of the indigenous Zenú people while learning about their history and traditions—all on display in a charming colonial home.
- Museum of Modern Art (Museo de Arte Moderno) Visit: Housed in two historic buildings, one a former weapons storehouse, is the collection of the Museo de Arte Moderno de Cartagena. Stroll through the unique space and admire Latin American paintings from the 1950s along with contemporary Colombian art.
- Palace of Inquisition (Museum) Visit: Visit the museum and learn about the Spanish Inquisition in Colombia. Explore this fine example of colonial and Baroque architecture and see artifacts and torture equipment on display.
- Playa Blanca Visit: Take a boat to the island of Baru and visit idyllic Playa Blanca. Relax on the white sand, go for a swim, or snorkel in the warm water. To refuel head to one of the charming beach shack restaurants.
- Night Exploration on Chiva: Get ready to party and explore the city by chiva bus. These colourful vehicles are a national symbol and feature open sides making it easy to truly experience vibrant Cartagena as you go. Drink, dance and enjoy Colombian music on this fun-filled ride.
Depart at any time.
Included Meals:
Breakfast
Trip Inclusions
- Immerse yourself in Armenia's coffee culture.
- Visit the transformed Comuna 13 neighbourhood.
- Explore the historical highlights of Cartagena.
- Take some time to explore the culinary specialities of the region.
- Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Colombian Coffee Farm Visit, Salento
- Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Medellín Community Walk, Medellín
- Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Coconut Workshop, Cartagena
- Your G for Good Moment: Damartes Beachside Coconut Workshop & Social Enterprise Introduction, Cartagena
- Your Foodie Moment: Colombian Coffee Immersion and Tasting, Salento
- Your Foodie Moment: Colombian Caribbean Cooking Experience, Cartagena
- Arrival transfer
- Excursion to Salento and Cocora Valley
- Coffee tasting
- Cartagena city tour
- Internal flights
- All transport between destinations and to/from included activities
- Bus, private vehicle, jeep, plane, walking
- National Geographic Expedition Leader throughout, local guides
- Hotels – 6 nts, Hacienda/farm – 2 nts
- 8 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 4 dinners
- Accommodation, itinerary and inclusions subject to change.
- Price is for land, cruise and internal flights as specified. Flights not specified are not included.
Operator
G Adventures came from a desire to deliver authentic and responsible small group travel adventures that were equally life-changing for travellers and the communities they visit. And we’re been doing just that for almost 30 years. Our award-winning trips span seven continents and over 100 countries, giving you meaningful more experiences with people, cultures, landscapes and wildlife, as well as offering you the freedom and flexibility to explore on your own.
On all of our tours, you get to know locals every step of the way, from the places you visit and stay to where you eat and drink. You’ll also get to experience our ‘G for Good’ social impact initiatives on-trip, including our industry-leading ‘Ripple Score’. This score measures, as a percentage, the amount of money that stays in the local community through on-trip services like accommodation, restaurants and transport.
On all of our tours, you get to know locals every step of the way, from the places you visit and stay to where you eat and drink. You’ll also get to experience our ‘G for Good’ social impact initiatives on-trip, including our industry-leading ‘Ripple Score’. This score measures, as a percentage, the amount of money that stays in the local community through on-trip services like accommodation, restaurants and transport.
Trip Style: National Geographic Journeys
These small group tours combine meaningful cultural experiences with upgraded comfort and expert insight. Many itineraries include visits to community projects supported by G Adventures or National Geographic, offering a chance to connect with people and places in a more impactful way.
With more inclusions than other travel styles, character-filled accommodations and exclusive pre-trip reading to set the scene, these adventures are ideal for travelers who want to explore thoughtfully and return inspired.
Dates & Pricing
USD
Saturday
16 May 2026
16 May 26
Bogota
Sunday
24 May 2026
24 May 26
Cartagena
Details
Definite Departure
Our Price
US$3,349
Twin Share (Per Personpp)
Sold Out
Note
A definite departure means minimum numbers have been reached for this departure to operate. Your Global Journeys Travel Advisor will check the availability of your departure date when you Inquire. Additional savings may apply. T&C’s apply.
A definite departure means minimum numbers have been reached for this departure to operate. Your Global Journeys Travel Advisor will check the availability of your departure date when you Inquire. Additional savings may apply. T&C’s apply.
Note
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Pricing and trip details are correct at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by G Adventures. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from the cruise-line and should be treated as indicative only. Cabin inclusions, upholsteries and room layout may differ to the image(s) shown depending on the ship selected and your sailing dates.
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Pricing and trip details are correct at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by G Adventures. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from the cruise-line and should be treated as indicative only. Cabin inclusions, upholsteries and room layout may differ to the image(s) shown depending on the ship selected and your sailing dates.
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