Grand Colombia Tour, Incl River Of Five Colours (133692),Holiday Packages to Bogota

Package Overview

This Grand Colombia Tour covers this fascinating country in depth including Bogota, the Salt Cathedral & colonial town of Villa de Leyva, the fascinating River of Five Colours in La Macarena, Medellin, the archaeological site at San Agustin, the Cocora Valley & coffee region & magnificent Cartagena. All transfers, English speaking guides & specified sightseeing included.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Colombia Tour • Bogata & Salt Cathedral • Villa de Leyva • River of Five Colours, Cano Cristales
• Medellin • Tatacoa Desert • San Agustin Archaeological Site • Cocora Valley + Salento
• Coffee Tour • Cartagena

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Day wise Itinerary

Day 1 : Arrival

You will be met at Bogota Airport and transferred to your hotel in this sprawling high altitude city.

Check in and relax in this capital city of Colombia.
Day 2 : Bogotá

Today enjoy a half day tour of Bogotá, including a walking tour through the cobbled alleys of La Candelaria, the historic Old Town.

We start with an early morning visit to Paloquemao Market, one of the largest and most important in the country where you can see a large variety of flowers, exotic fruit, meat, seafood, cheese and medicinal herbs.

We then visit the Historic Quarter, starting from the church of El Carmen. Here you will see many beautifully preserved Spanish colonial houses and churches that date back centuries, such as the church of Santa Clara that today contains the Museum of Colonial Art. View the library of Luis Angel Arango as we head for the main square - Plaza Bolívar - where you can see a statue honouring Simon Bolivar, a Venezuelan military leader who played a key role in the revolution against Spanish rule.

Enjoy views of the Cathedral, Teatro Colón (the neoclassical performance hall) and the 17th-century Church of San Francisco. View the presidential residence, Casa del Nariño, which has an observatory in its gardens, the Congress Palace, the Palace of Justice and the Cardinal's Palace.

We then visit the Museo del Oro, the most important gold museum in the world, with a splendid collection of over 36,000 pre-Colombian gold and emerald pieces. Galleries on three levels display exquisitely crafted pieces dating back nearly 2,500 years. Visit the vault-like room on the top floor where the most treasured pieces are displayed, as well as the Offering Room, where you enter a black circular area that is gradually illuminated, with indigenous music playing in the background.

Our tour ends with a visit to the Museo de Botero. Housed in a renovated colonial mansion, this museum showcases the art of Fernando Botero, Colombia’s most famous contemporary artist renowned for his proportionally exaggerated fat figures. Around 120 pieces of his work are display, including sculptures, paintings and drawings. In addition to his own work, his personal collection by Picasso, Renoir, Dalí, Degas, Chagall, Matisse, Monet and Giacometti are also on show.

Note: When visiting churches and monasteries, women must not wear shorts or miniskirts and men must not wear shorts. The Gold Museum is closed Mondays and Museo de Botero is closed Tuesdays.
Day 3 : Villa De Leyva

Today we leave Bogotá and travel 4-hours to the beautiful town of Villa de Leyva, considered one of the most beautiful villages in Colombia.

Our first stop is at the small town of Zipaquirá, which was founded on 1600 and still conserves its colonial heritage. Here we visit the amazing Salt Cathedral - a Roman Catholic church built in the tunnels of a salt mine 200 metres underground. Here you will find 14 small chapels, that represent the Stations of the Cross and Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, a sanctuary and a main cathedral. The icons, ornaments and architectural details are all hand carved in the halite rock, with some marble sculptures.

We continue to the colonial town of Ráquira (meaning 'City of Pots'), probably the most colorful town in Colombia, with its vividly coloured facades and attractive buildings. This town specialises in fine handmade ceramics and here you will find many different craft shops and artisans selling their artwork and pottery. In the colourful shops around the main square, you will find everything from ceramic bowls, vases, pitchers, children’s toys, piggy banks and dwarfs to Christmas decorations. You will also have the opportunity to observe the process of making traditional pottery.

Finally we arrive at Villa de Leyva, one of the most charming colonial villages in all of Colombia and steeped in atmosphere. Declared a national monument in 1954, this photogenic village has been preserved in its entirety, including its stone paved streets and whitewashed buildings, with terracotta tiled roofs, pine green doors and balconies decorated with flowers. In the evening enjoy walking through the cobbled streets and vast main square.
Day 4 : Santo Ecce Homo Conven

This morning we visit the El Fósil paleontological museum, where you can view the ancient remains of a marine reptile called Kronosaurus Boyecensis, which lived on earth over 120 million years ago and resembles a giant alligator.

Afterwards we visit the nearby Santo Ecce Homo Convent, founded by Dominican monks in 1620. This large stone-and-adobe building has a lovely courtyard and floors, paved with local stones that contain ammonites (extinct marine molluscs) and other fossils.

We also make a brief stop at the site of the Battle of Boyaca Bridge, where Simon Bolivar defeated the Spanish forces and assured the independence of Colombia in 1819, before driving 4-hours back to Bogota.
Day 5 : La Macarena

Transfer to Bogoto Airport for your flight to La Macarena.

You will be met in this town that is the gateway to the magnificent Caño Cristales ('Crystal Channel') and the amazing River of Five Colours.

After checking into your hotel enjoy either a boat ride along the Guayabero River to Cristalitos, or a 6-mile (10-km) relatively flat hike to Caño Piedra, with included picnic lunch (this excursion depends on the allocation of permits, but you will have the opportunity to do the other excursion on your last day).

Note: There are scheduled flights from Bogota to La Macarena on Mondays, Thursdays & Saturdays. On other days of the week a surcharge of £90 per person applies. Ensure you carry sufficient cash, as there are no cash machines in this remote region and be aware that your driver will only speak Spanish.
Day 6 : Rio Guayabero

This morning transfer to the port at Rio Guayabero to take a boat over the Guayabero River, continuing 20-minutes by road to Cajuche Spring.

From here we hike to Caño Cristales - one of the most beautiful fast-flowing rivers in the world, with many rapids, waterfalls and 'giant's kettles' - small circular pits formed by pebbles and chunks of rocks rotating in the swirling waters. From the end of July until November each year (during the rainy season), the river is coloured in stiking shades of red, yellow, green, blue and black. This is due to its unique plant life, which change colour according to the light and water conditions. Depending upon the permit allocated we will hike to either the central, left or right arm of the river, with picnic lunch included.

In the evening enjoy the local music, dance and food of the region.

Note: Your guide will only speak Spanish. Be sure to wear good walking shoes and avoid touching or stepping on aquatic plants. Bring a sun hat and towel. Sunblock cannot be used if you wish to swim in the river, so rather wear light long sleeved tops and trousers that will dry quickly. A yellow fever certificate is mandatory for travel to this region and must be presented on arrival.
Day 7 : Guayabero River

Depending on the excursion you did on your arrival, this morning either hike to Caño Piedra or take a boat ride along the Guayabero River to Cristalitos.

In the afternoon transfer to La Macarena Airport for your flight to Bogota and onward connecting flight.

Note: There are scheduled flights from Bogota to La Macarena on Mondays, Thursdays & Saturdays. On other days of the week a surcharge of £90 per person applies.

You will be met at Medellin Airport and transferred to your hotel in this cosmopolitan 'City of Eternal Spring', the second largest city in Colombia known for its pleasant climate all year round.

Check in and relax among the mountain scenery, filled with flowers and colourful colonial towns. Once the centre of the narcotics trade in this country, the friendly residents of Medellin have embraced social transformation and this city is now a major centre of art, fashion and culture. It is also a significant international flower-producing region.
Day 8 : Medellin City

Today enjoy a half day private tour of Medellin City, which will highlight the social transformation that has occurred in this city that was once the capital of the drug trafficking industry.

We start with a visit to the El Poblado district, where we visit three places linked to the infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar - the Monaco Building, La Virgen de los Sicarios (Out Lady of the Assasins) and his tomb in the Central Cemetery. Your guide will explain the social problems generated by the powerful Medellin Cartel in the ten years leading up to Escobar’s death in 1994.

We then travel along the Avenida del Rio to the downtown área and Plaza de Botero, with its amazing display of 23 sculptures donated by Ferrnando Botero to his home town. We continue to Pies Descalzos Park and the Museum of Antioquia, with its vast collection of pre-Hispanic, republican and contemporary art.

We then transfer by Metro Cable to the Santo Domingo Savio neighbourhood. Here we visit the stunningly designed Spain Library Park and enjoy an interpreted tour. We also visit the rocky Cerro Nutibara, the highest point in the city. Here you can see a replica of an ancient Paisa town, learn about their culture and enjoy a typical local snack in the central square.

Our tour ends in the trendy Parque Lleras area. Here you will have the opportunity to feel the festive atmosphere of Medellin and its people and find the best bars and restaurants in town. Lunch is for your own account today.
Day 9 : Neiva

Transfer to Medellin International Airport for your onward flight.

Note: Airport departure tax of $8 per person is payable locally.

You will be met at Neiva Airport situated in the Magdalena River Valley.

Check into your hotel in this regional capital city, established during Spanish colonial times on the strategic trade route to Peru.
Day 10 : Tatacoa Desert

Depart early from Neiva today to visit the spectacular Tatacoa Desert (meaning 'rattlesnake'). Known by the local people as the Valley of Sorrows, this region of dry clay canyons has amazing ocher and grey sandstone formations and is today a dry tropical forest that is rich is fossils

Afterwards your guide will introduce you to more of the beauty of western Colombia as you drive 5-hours to the town of San Agustin. Situated in the Andes Mountains, at the intersection of the western and central Cordillera ranges at over 5,500 ft (1,700 m), this is the birthplace of the Magdalena River and home to an astonishing pre-Colombian archaeological site.
Day 11 : San Agustin Archaeological Park

This morning we explore the San Agustin Archaeological Park, one of the most important archeological sites in Colombia.

This UNESCO World Heritage site contains the largest collection of religious monuments and megalithic sculptures in South America and is considered the world's largest ancient cemetery. Two indigenous cultures lived in the adjacent valleys of the Magdalena and Cauca Rivers. Divided by uncrossable peaks, the rivers were their highways and it was here at the headwaters of both rivers that they met to trade, worship and to bury their dead. The result is more than 500 elaborate stone sculptures and tombs, mostly carved between AD 100 and 1200 by a northern Andean culture that pre-dated the Incas. Gods, animals, warriors and human faces were skilfully carved out of volcanic rock, in styles ranging from abstract to realistic, with the largest being over 23 ft (7 m) tall and weighing several tons.

Within the archaeological park there are several ceremonial sites, such as the Mesitas (small tables) A, B, C and D with their strange statues guarding the tombs; the Lavaplatas spring (a set of carved rocks on the bed of a creek) and the Alto del Lavaplatas megaliths at the top of the hill. At the entrance to the park you can walk through the beautiful Forest of Statues (El Bosque de las Estatuas). There is also a small archaeological museum.

After lunch (own account) we travel on horseback to the nearby El Tablón and La Chaquira sites, where you can see more examples of these pre-Columbian statues.

Note: The Archaeological Park is closed every Tuesday.
Day 12 : Pereira

This morning transfer 5-hours to Nieva Airport for your onward flight.

You will be met at Pereira Airport and transferred to your hotel.

Check in and relax in this gateway to Colombia's coffee-producing region.
Day 13 : Cocora Valley

Today enjoy a full day jeep excursion to the Cocora Valley and Salento, high in the Colombian Andes.

We travel 1-hour to the striking landscapes of the Cocora Valley, where Colombia's national symbol - the gigantic wax palm - can be seen. These are the largest palm trees in the world, measuring up to 190 ft (58 m) tall and living for more than 120 years. After tasting a traditional local cocktail called a 'canelazo', take a guided walk in this magnificent cloud forest and wonder at the biodiversity of its flora and fauna.

After an included lunch at a local restaurant, we visit the sleepy little town of Salento, one of the first settlements in Quindío state that has preserved its colonial architecture. Here you can explore the Plaza de Bolivar with its colourful balconies and the main street, Calle Real, with its many craft workshops before we return to Pereira.
Day 14 : Coffee Tour

This morning enjoy a Coffee Tour that will give you insight into the lifestyle of workers on a coffee farm and teach you more about the history of coffee growing in Colombia.

Follow the production process, as coffee beans are harvested and brought to the cooperative where they are pulped and dried. You will have the opportunity to sort, toast and grind the coffee before enjoying an excellent cup of Colombian coffee.

Afterwards transfer to Pereira Airport for your onward flight.

Note: Your guide today will only speak Spanish. Airport departure tax of $8 per person is payable locally.

You will be met at Cartagena Airport and transferred to this tropical port city, situated on the Caribbean coast.

Check into your hotel in this colourful city, whose magnificent 16th century walled Old Town is a World Heritage Site.
Day 15 : Cartagena

Enjoy a half day private walking tour of beautiful Cartagena today, starting with a visit to the Convento de la Popa, the highest point in the city with spectacular views over Cartagena Bay. This 17th century Augustinian monastery served as a fortress during colonial times.

We then visit the Castle of San Felipe located on San Lazaro Hill, the largest Spanish military building in the New World dating back to 1536. It was built to guard the city’s landward side from invasion and has a complex system of tunnels connected with strategic points, used to distribute provisions and for a possible evacuation. The tunnels were built so that any noise would echo along them, making internal communications easier and allowing the citizens to hear even the slightest sound of an enemy advance.

Afterwards we walk through Las Bóvedas, a series of 23 vaults built in the 18th century and considered the last major military colonial construction within the city walls. The vaults were used as storerooms for munitions and provisions by the Spaniards and later they became jail cells. Nowadays they are used as crafts markets where you can find handicrafts, antiques, galleries, jewellery, clothing and souvenirs.

Our last stop is the church and monastery of San Pedro Claver, built in the early 17th century by the Jesuits. Pedro Claver, a Jesuit priest, was a defender and protector of slaves and lived in this monastery until his death. Your afternoon is at leisure.

Note: Shorts and short skirts should not be worn when visiting churches, monasteries and religious shrines.
Day 16 : Departure

Transfer to Cartagena Airport for your flight home.

Note: Airport departure tax of $38 pp (international) is payable locally.

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Inclusions

Hotel
Sightseeing

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Price & Rates

No of pax	Age Limit	Price per pax (Rs)
Adult	Above 12 years	$ 4416 / Adult

* Mentioned prices may vary depending upon date of travel, hotel availability, surge pricing and seasonal rush.

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Package Start From

Bogota, Colombia, South America

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Terms & Conditions

Payment Terms & Methods :
* Some Advance Percentage of total booking amount
* Airfare/Transport fare to be paid full at one time in advance.

Cancellation & Refund Policy :
* Upon cancellation, refund will be made after deducting the Retention Amount.
* Retention Amount varies as per the number of days left before your package start date.

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