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Colombian Adventure: Hot Springs & Bogotá Streets
8 Days Medellin to Bogota
Overview
From friendly locals to vibrant neighbourhoods, misty mountains, and endless coffee-covered hills, this eight-day adventure from Medellín to Bogotá is packed with everything that makes Colombia unforgettable. Start your journey in an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise, then kick back in a small town bubbling with volcanic thermal pools. Wander through the lush green beauty of the Cocora Valley, where the landscape feels straight out of a dream. With grand colonial architecture, epic views from a towering granite rock, and a mix of hidden gems, you’ll experience the true heart of Colombia — far from read more the usual tourist trail.
Trip Length
8 Days
Trip Starts
Medellin
Trip Ends
Bogota
Departures
Nov 2026 to Jan 2028
Countries Visited:
Trip Style
18-to-Thirtysomethings
Budget
Affordable
Age Range
18-39 Years
Max. Group Size
16
Pace
Moderate
Guide Style
Fully Guided
Tour Code
SMMO
Itinerary
Arrive at any time. After a welcome meeting at the hotel in the evening, choose to join your fellow travellers for an optional group dinner and check out the infamous city of Medellín, which has transformed into one of Latin America’s safest destinations. Get to know your group over a few optional drinks and get ready for the epic adventure ahead.
Accommodation:
Viajero Medellin
Included Experiences
- Meet Your CEO and Group: Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.
- Connect With New Friends: Connect with new friends on your first night out in a new destination. Only available on 18-to-Thirtysomethings tours.
Travel from Medellín to Guatapé, where the town sits on the shores of the man-made reservoir, and is home to the climbable granite stone called El Peñol Rock. Climb the staircase in the rock and from the top, enjoy epic views of mountains and lakes in the distance. Then, enjoy a CEO-led orientation walk of the town and spend the remainder of the day free for optional activities in the area. Consider pre-booking a boat trip out onto the lake for some fun on the water.
Accommodation:
Hotel Bambu
Included Meals:
Breakfast
Included Experiences
- CEO-led Orientation Walk of Guatapé: Walk around the town of Guatapé with your CEO and get to know the lay of the land. Pass by sites like the Community Historical Museum, Calle de los Paraguas, and Plazoleta de Los Zócalos.
- Free Time: Spend free time in Guatapé this afternoon to enjoy some of the optional activities available in the area.
- 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.
Optional Experiences
- Hiking - Guatape: Take off on your own along the gorgeous hiking trails in Guatapé and enjoy the lush green valleys of rural Colombia. Opt to try the looping trails of Pisto Reto Quimbaya or Camino del Sinsonte.
- Lake Activities - Guatape: With the beautiful reservoir right in town, there's no doubt you should take advantage of the lake front and try some optional activities on your own like kayaking or a boat cruise.
The entire day is yours to adventure is the funky outdoorsy town. Walk the streets adorned with brilliantly painted frescoes (called Zócalos locally) each one telling a story. Choose to prebook a boat excursion on the lake or try kayaking along the shores. Maybe even climb El Peñol again. There are also loads of restaurants and street food to try like arepas and fresh cheeses.
Accommodation:
Hotel Bambu
Included Meals:
Breakfast
Included Experiences
- Free Time: The whole day is yours to enjoy the gorgeous landscape of Guatapé. Choose to head out on the man-made reservoir by boat, kayak along the shores of the lake, or choose to try some of the local specialty treats at various cafés and restaurants.
Optional Experiences
- Hiking - Guatape: Take off on your own along the gorgeous hiking trails in Guatapé and enjoy the lush green valleys of rural Colombia. Opt to try the looping trails of Pisto Reto Quimbaya or Camino del Sinsonte.
- Lake Activities - Guatape: With the beautiful reservoir right in town, there's no doubt you should take advantage of the lake front and try some optional activities on your own like kayaking or a boat cruise.
- Boat Trip on Lake Guatapé: Hop on a boat tour of this man-made lake. Cruise through the water with a local guide who will point out significant features along the way. Like the cross in the lake that marks the location of the church of the original town of El Peñol. The town was relocated in the 1970's after the construction of the hydroelectric dam created the lake.
Transfer by private vehicle in the morning from Guatapé to Santa Rosa de Cabal with a stop en route to grab lunch on your own. The town hosts natural hot springs fed by nearby active volcanoes and is nestled at the base of the Nevado del Ruiz Volcano. Picture clouds clinging to the sides of these ultra green mountains and feel in a different, lost world out here in the jungle amid coffee plantations and thermal pools. Upon arrival in the late afternoon there will be some free time before an included visit to the hot springs for a relaxing evening.
Accommodation:
Hotel Suite Santa Rosa
Included Meals:
Breakfast
Included Experiences
- Free Time: Enjoy a few hours of free time to explore the small town of Santa Rosa de Cabal on your own.
- Santa Rosa de Cabal Hot Springs Entrance Fee: Visit the outdoor hot springs surrounded by lush jungle and beautiful nature in Santa Rosa de Cabal. Soak in one of multiple man-made pools and relax in this mineral water flowing directly from the mountains.
After breakfast at the hotel the group will travel to Cocora Valley. Along the way stop to enjoy a hike through the area where the wax palm, Colombia’s national tree grows up to 197ft. Be on the lookout during the hike for the yellow-eared parrot that calls this place home. Arrive in Salento in the afternoon and enjoy exploring on your own and getting a feel of this majestically green and hilly landscape.
Accommodation:
El Rancho de Salento
Included Meals:
Breakfast
Included Experiences
- Entrance Fee Cocora Valley: Head into the Cocora Valley and take in magnificent views and the towering wax palms for which it is known. Get active with a hike through the area and learn more about this fertile region.
- Free Time: Take advantage of free time to get to known this Andean town west of Bogotá. The town is the gateway to the snow-capped peaks of Los Nevados National Natural Park. There's plenty to see as you walk around and load of different outdoor activities of coffee farm visits you can choose from.
Optional Experiences
- Play Tejo: Try your hand at the game of Tejo, played by the locals of Salento. This Colombia game is trickier than it looks. It's a great way to get a group together and have some fun.
- Visit Santa Rita La Cascada: Choose to hike 5km to the beautiful Santa Rita la Cascada to experience a lovely patch of nature and enjoy a great place to cool down and swim.
- Walk down Calle Real: The most famous street in Salento is Calle Real! It's lined with two-story white houses that have their windows, balconies, and doorways painted different bright colours. Walk around and take photos as you explore Salento a bit on your own.
Spend a free morning in Salento and choose to join some optional activities in this gorgeous area. Grab some lunch on your own before the transfer to Armenia where the group will then board a public bus to Bogota. Arrive in the evening and choose to have some dinner together or on your own.
Accommodation:
Hotel Grace Chapinero
Included Meals:
Breakfast
Included Experiences
- Free Time: Enjoy a slow, free morning to yourself in Salento before a long transfer day to Bogotá. Try optional activities in the area like visiting a coffee farm for some delicious, fresh brew.
- Local Bus: Sit back and scan the scenery on your local bus ride to Bogotá.
Optional Experiences
- Visit Santa Rita La Cascada: Choose to hike 5km to the beautiful Santa Rita la Cascada to experience a lovely patch of nature and enjoy a great place to cool down and swim.
- Walk down Calle Real: The most famous street in Salento is Calle Real! It's lined with two-story white houses that have their windows, balconies, and doorways painted different bright colours. Walk around and take photos as you explore Salento a bit on your own.
Set off to explore Bogotá today on a walking tour of the charming La Candelaria neighborhood and listen to fascinating tales about the town's origin, legends, and other key historical moments. Then there will be free time for lunch and the remainder of the afternoon is open for optional activities in the area like, visiting museums or going on a cable car ride for panoramic views of the city. In the evening attend a farewell dinner with the group at a local restaurant.
Accommodation:
Hotel Grace Chapinero
Included Meals:
Breakfast, Dinner
Included Experiences
- La Candelaria Orientation Walk: Take a CEO-led walk through the historic and cultural heart of the city. Admire the colonial architecture juxtaposed by vibrant graffiti murals ass you pass museums and shops. Listen to fascinating tales about the town's origin, legends, and other key historical moments. This area is a must-visit for any culture and history lover, offering a laid-back way to take in Bogota's cultural gems.
- Free Time: Enjoy time on your own in Bogotá and partake in one of the many optional activities available locally for you to purchase.
- Big Night Out: Enjoy a night out on the town with your travel friends and truly let your hair down in the lively Colombia city of Bogotá.
Optional Experiences
- Monserrate Hill Cable Car: Ride the cable car up the hill for spectacular views of the city.
- National Museum of Colombia Visit: Visit the largest museum in the country and one of the oldest on the continent. Built in 1823 and originally used as a prison, the National Museum of Colombia houses a collection of over 20,000 pieces. Explore exhibits of archeological and ethnographic artifacts and admire works of art by masters including Andrés de Santa María and Fernando Botero.
- 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.
Depart at any time.
Included Meals:
Breakfast
Trip Inclusions
- Visit and climb up El Peñol Rock in Guatapé.
- Relax and soak in the warm soothing thermal waters in Santa Rosa de Cabal.
- Enjoy a hike through the stunning scenery and talle wax palms in the Cocora Valley.
- Set out on a walking tour of the charming La Candelaria neighbourhood in Bogotá.
- Your Welcome Moment: Meet Your CEO and Group
- Your First Night Out Moment: Connect With New Friends
- Your Big Night Out Moment: Bogotá
- CEO-led orientation walk of Guatapé
- Climb El Peñol
- Santa Rosa de Cabal hot springs visit
- Moderate hike in the Cocora Valley
- Walking tour of La Candelaria neighbourhood in Bogotá
- Free time for optional activities in Guatapé, Santa Rosa de Cabal, Salento, and Bogotá
- Transport between destinations and to/from included activities
- Private vehicle, public bus, walking
- CEO (Chief Experience Officer) throughout
- Hotels (7 Nights)
- A variety of styles of hotels are used on this trip. In many instances, they might not be like what you are used to back home as service and efficiency can vary.
- Some nights on this tour will be multi-share. This may involve 4-6 group members sharing a room. The majority of accommodation will have shared bathroom facilities.
- Where we use multi-share hostels, rooming requests of any kind cannot be taken. For private accommodation please see tours in our Classic Travel Style.
- Please note that hot water shortages and power outages can be fairly common in Ecuador (even in upgraded hotels and private homes). We appreciate your patience and understanding that these occurrences are outside of our control.
- 7 breakfasts, 1 dinner
- 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, more giving you meaningful 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: 18-to-Thirtysomethings
Built for young travellers ready to break free from the everyday grind, these trips bring together a safe and supportive group of like-minded people in their twenties and early thirties.
Connect on the First Night Out, explore with a Chief Experience Officer (CEO), enjoy free time, and celebrate unforgettable moments with new friends - without breaking the bank. Travel confidently, respectfully, and affordably.
Dates & Pricing
AUD
Sunday
26 Jul 2026
26 Jul 26
Medellin
Sunday
02 Aug 2026
02 Aug 26
Bogota
Details
Definite Departure
Our Price
A$1,929
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 Enquire. 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 Enquire. 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.
