📌1. Start of the trip

In the morning, you will depart from Germany and arrive in Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, in the late afternoon. Our guide will be waiting for you at the airport and will transfer you to your lovely hotel in the historic La Candelaria district. Welcome to Colombia!

📌2. Bogotá – City Tour

We begin the day with a visit to Monserrate (3,200 m), Bogotá's iconic mountain, which offers a magnificent panoramic view of this metropolis of 8 million inhabitants. Next, we will visit the historic La Candelaria district, with its restored colonial buildings, artists' cafes, and picturesque cobblestone streets. Following this, we will visit the world-famous Gold Museum, which, with some 38,000 pieces, houses the world's most important collection of pre-Columbian art.

Those who still have energy in the evening can take a stroll on their own through the narrow streets of La Candelaria's old town.

📌3 Bogotá – Zipaquirá – Villa de Leyva

Get ready for a stroll through the colorful Paloquemao Market. Here, you'll also have the opportunity to sample a wide variety of exotic fruits and juices. The market is most impressive in the morning, as it's busiest then. Next, we'll visit the stunning Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá, located in an underground salt mine. Passing through the charming pottery town of Ráquira, which we'll admire in the afternoon, we'll head to our final destination of the day: Villa de Leyva, where we'll check into our hotel for the night. During an evening walk along the perfectly preserved cobblestone streets, past the whitewashed mansions, you'll feel transported back to the 17th century. After a long day of travel, we'll have dinner.

📌4 Villa de Leyva

In the morning, we'll take a bike tour through the beautiful surroundings of Villa de Leyva. Our destination is a local wool factory. At this small family business, we'll learn about the natural wool production process firsthand and even have the opportunity to participate.

In the afternoon, we'll trade our bicycles for real horses and ride in true Western style through the surrounding karst hills.* Our route includes the pre-Columbian astronomical observatory "El Infiernito" (Little Hell) and a fossil museum, where we can admire prehistoric artifacts from the region. We'll end the evening in the tranquil town of Villa de Leyva.

If you prefer not to ride a horse, private transportation to the "El Infiernito" astronomical observatory and the fossil museum is available.

📌5 Villa de Leyva – Juan Curí Waterfall – Barichara

In the morning, we depart from Villa de Leyva and travel through the province of Santander. The landscape suddenly becomes more tropical, and the vegetation more lush. Palm groves and tobacco plantations line our route. The region is known for its guava candy, "Bocadillo." We'll discover how Colombia's favorite sweet treat is made during a visit to a small artisan workshop. Our route also includes the pre-Columbian astronomical observatory "El Infiernito" (Little Hell) and a fossil museum, where we can admire prehistoric artifacts from the region. We'll end the afternoon in the tranquil town of Villa de Leyva.

If you don't wish to ride a horse, a private transfer to the "El Infiernito" astronomical observatory and the fossil museum is available.

After this pleasant culinary break, we'll resume our afternoon activities. About 50 km from our destination for the day, Barichara, we'll take a short hike through an idyllic tropical landscape to the Juan Curí waterfall. Through several cascades, the water plunges approximately 80 meters into a round natural pool. Its cool water offers a welcome refreshment in this humid and warm climate. Around us rise steep walls covered in lush vegetation: a beautiful place and, at the same time, a perfect photographic subject.

Late in the afternoon, we finally arrive in Barichara. This picturesque town stands majestically on a plateau overlooking the deep valley of the Suárez River. During a stroll through the cobblestone streets, among meticulously maintained single-story colonial houses, whose immaculate white facades are adorned with turquoise-painted shutters, we soak up the authentic colonial atmosphere of the place. It's easy to believe that the main square, lined with perfectly preserved stately homes, has already served as the backdrop for several historical films.

📌6 Barichara – Hike along the Camino Real

Today we hiked along the historic trade route, the Camino Real, on a steep descent to the neighboring town of Guane (2-hour hike). Since the sun is already quite strong here in the morning, we brought plenty of water, sunscreen, and a hat. The well-preserved cobblestone path was part of an extensive network of roads during the colonial era, connecting the capital, Bogotá, with the Caribbean coast. The panoramic views over the Suárez River valley that we enjoyed along the way were magnificent. From time to time, we encountered tobacco farmers who, as always, were transporting their harvest on the backs of donkeys. The landscape through which our path wound has an almost Mediterranean feel.

In the quiet town of Guane, time seems to have stood still. People play dominoes in the small main square, chickens and pigs scamper through the narrow streets, and everywhere we looked, we saw smiling children who gazed at us with curiosity.

Late in the afternoon, we finally arrived in Barichara. This picturesque town stands majestically on a plateau overlooking the deep valley of the Suárez River. Back in Barichara, we have a guided tour of the old town scheduled. During a stroll along the cobblestone streets and through the main square, our guide will delve into the town's eventful history. The afternoon is free.

A tip for dinner: if the local specialty, roasted ants ("big-bottomed ants"), seems too exotic, we recommend the delicious grilled Santander-style arepas, which are offered in practically every restaurant.

📌7 Barichara – Chicamocha Canyon Tour – Girón

Today, a very special experience awaits us: a cable car ride through the Chicamocha Canyon. This gorge, still relatively unknown internationally, can certainly rival the Grand Canyon in the United States in terms of scenic beauty. The scenic cable car ride offers magnificent views of the surrounding steep canyon walls, and during the half-hour, 6-kilometer journey, we pass through three different vegetation zones. Once on the other side of the canyon, we'll have lunch at one of the typical Colombian restaurants before the tour bus picks us up again and we continue our day's journey to Bucaramanga. In the late afternoon, we'll check into our hotel in the beautiful colonial town of Girón.

📌8 Bucaramanga – Pereira – Coffee Region

In the morning, we bid farewell to the province of Santander. A short flight takes us from the nearby Bucaramanga airport to Pereira, in the heart of Colombia's coffee region. On our way from Pereira to Armenia, we travel through the enchanting landscape of vibrant green hills in the "coffee zone." At altitudes between 1,000 and 1,800 meters, around 10% of the world's coffee is grown here. The volcanic soils, especially rich in nutrients, and the high humidity provide ideal conditions for growing the popular Arabica variety. In the afternoon, we arrive at our beautiful farm, Hacienda Combia. The rest of the day is free.

📌9 Coffee Farm - The Coffee Process at Hacienda Combia

At Hacienda Combia, we'll experience the coffee process from start to finish. Inside the historic plantation, we'll learn everything there is to know about coffee production and see the craftsmanship that goes into every cup.

To finish, of course, we'll also have the opportunity to taste a "tinto" (black coffee). By the way, Colombians always drink their coffee black with plenty of sugar. The afternoon is free at our comfortable hacienda hotel. There's also the option to visit the nearby botanical garden on your own.

📌10 Day Trip to Cocora Valley and Salento

In the morning, we'll head to the nearby Cocora Valley. Here, we'll begin our hike through the picturesque Acaime Nature Reserve. Along the way, we'll marvel at the numerous wax palms, some reaching up to 60 meters in height, for which the valley owes its fame. We soon arrive at a dense cloud forest where stunted trees are covered in bromeliads and lichens, giving the lush vegetation an almost mystical appearance. Here, we'll visit a nature conservation initiative and plant our own Quindío wax palm. If it's in season, we'll instead visit an avocado plantation and learn many interesting things about growing this fruit, which is also so popular here. Back in the valley, we'll visit the idyllic little town of Salento, with its colorful houses and artisan workshops.

📌11 Coffee Region – Popayán

Today we say goodbye to the coffee region and continue our journey south. In the tropical Cauca Valley, we'll visit a sugar mill and learn how sugarcane is processed. After about six hours of travel, we arrive in Popayán. Founded in 1537 by the Spanish conquistador Sebastián de Belcázar, Popayán is considered one of the most beautiful colonial cities in the country. Once settled into our beautiful colonial hotel in the historic center, we still have time to explore the old town on our own.

📌12 Popayán – San Agustín

During an extensive tour of the city early in the morning, we discover why Popayán is popularly known as "the White City." Around midday, we continue on to San Agustín, arguably the most important pre-Columbian archaeological site in Colombia. Crossing the verdant plains of the páramo, deep ravines, and steep-sided volcanic cones, we travel through the stunning natural landscape of Puracé National Park. In the afternoon, we arrive at our lodge in San Agustín.

📌13 San Agustín Archaeological Park

Today, we have a visit scheduled to the San Agustín World Heritage Site. With its nearly 500 sculptures of gods carved from volcanic rock and basalt, the archaeological park is one of the most important and, at the same time, most mysterious pre-Columbian sites in South America. As part of a guided tour, we will admire the monumental funerary complexes and statues, situated atop lush green hills, which once formed part of an imposing ceremonial precinct. The fountain, artistically carved from a single stone—the "Lavapatas Ceremonial Fountain"—is a testament to the hydraulic knowledge and engineering prowess of the sculptors of that era. In the afternoon, we will hike through the verdant tropical vegetation to the archaeological sites of El Tablón and La Chaquira. Optionally, you can travel the trail on horseback (not included in the price, approximately USD 45).

📌14 Archaeological Sites of Alto de los Ídolos and Alto de las Piedras – Neiva

This morning we set off early for the equally fascinating archaeological sites of Alto de los Ídolos and Alto de las Piedras, which also belong to the San Agustín culture. Both sites are located on artificial platforms, from which we enjoyed breathtaking panoramic views of the Magdalena River valley and the surrounding mountainous landscape. A large number of expertly carved stone figures are grouped around the burial mounds and, originally, likely served as guardians of the priests buried there. On the way, we made a brief stop at the mouth of the Magdalena River and admired the country's most important waterway, which at this point is barely 3 meters wide. After passing through small forests and fertile fields, we continued our journey at midday through the Magdalena Valley to the small town of Rivera. Before checking into our hotel today, we'll visit the Rivera hot springs, located in a tropical park. We'll have plenty of time to relax and unwind in the wonderful, warm thermal waters before ending the evening at our cozy hotel.

📌15 Neiva – Santa Marta – Palomino

After a good night's rest, we continue our journey to the Caribbean coast. We take a domestic flight via Bogotá to Santa Marta. A two-hour transfer then takes us to the small fishing village of Palomino on the Caribbean coast. Nestled in a lush coconut grove, our idyllic lodge overlooks the turquoise sea. We'll spend three nights in this wonderful place, soaking up the Caribbean atmosphere.

📌16 Day Trip to Tayrona National Park

What would a visit to the Caribbean be without a trip to Tayrona National Park? Within this area of ​​approximately 150 square kilometers lies the most beautiful and diverse stretch of the entire Colombian Caribbean coast. The rugged foothills of the Sierra Nevada extend into the sea like long fingers. Dense tropical rainforest covers the hills and stretches down to the shore. Scattered across the white Caribbean beach, fringed with palm trees, are enormous round boulders, like abandoned dinosaur eggs. From the visitor center, we begin our hike, at the end of which one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean awaits us. A narrow trail through the jungle, amidst dense vegetation, leads us to the beach. With a bit of luck, we might spot parrots, howler monkeys, and numerous species of butterflies along the way. In Arrecifes Bay, we'll have ample time to swim and relax before beginning our return journey to Palomino in the afternoon. Note: The hike is of moderate difficulty. The heat can be somewhat oppressive here. Hiking time: 4 hours, approx. 6 km. Level: Moderate. Only gentle ups and downs.

📌17 Palomino – Free Day

Today is a free day. Palomino's white-sand, palm-fringed beach invites you to take long walks along the shore. Enjoy a refreshing swim in its crystal-clear waters, while behind you rise the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada, some reaching over 5,000 meters.

📌18 Palomino - Cartagena

After breakfast, we continue our journey along the Caribbean coast and arrive in Cartagena, the "Pearl of the Caribbean," in the afternoon. After checking into our beautiful colonial hotel, the rest of the day is free. Relax at your hotel or explore the historic center on your own.

📌19 Guided Tour of Cartagena

On a half-day guided tour, immerse yourself in the atmosphere and history of Cartagena's beautifully restored Old Town. In colonial times, Cartagena was the quintessential Caribbean port city. Nowhere else was more money made from the trade of sugarcane, gold, and slaves, and no port was raided so frequently by pirates. The vestiges of the past are still visible today. The entire old town, with its fortified walls, monumental fortifications, opulent mansions, sprawling convents, and baroque churches, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. To this day, the city remains a melting pot of cultures. Creole-Spanish, Indigenous, and African influences characterize the cityscape. The colorful mix of inhabitants, the pervasive aroma of Caribbean cuisine, and the fiery rhythms of local cumbia music guarantee a constant and positive sensory overload. The afternoon is free. Enjoy Cartagena's wonderful atmosphere with another stroll through the labyrinth of historic alleyways.

📌20 Cartagena – Bogotá – Return flight