Wildlife Of Amazon Colombia & Tayrona Park Tour (133364),Holiday Packages to Bogota

Package Overview

Explore the birding & wildlife of Colombia on this wonderful private tour that includes both the Amazon & the rainforests of Tayrona National Park, as well as the Cocora Valley & the Otun Quimbaya Reserve. Also visit the Gold Museum in Bogota, the charming colonial town of Villa de Levya & the Salt Cathedral, as well as photogentoc Cartagena. English speaking guides, all transfers & specified sightseeing included.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Bogota • Salt Cathedral • Cocora Valley • Otun Quimbaya Reserve
• Amazon Colombia • Calanoa Reserve • Tarapoto Lakes • Birding
• Rainforests • Tayrona National Park

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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 : La Candelaria

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 Convent

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 to Bogotá Airport for your onward flight.

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

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 5 : 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 6 : Otun Quimbaya Reserve

Today travel 1.5-hours to Risaralda in the heart of the Andean Mountains to visit the lush Otun Quimbaya Reserve.

Admire the landscape of the Otun valley, and enjoy a 2-hour level walk through this amazing flora and fauna sanctuary, where you can view more of Colombia's iconic wax palms and see a great variety of birds, butterflies and small mammals.

After lunch at a local restaurant (pay locally), you will have some free time to enjoy this rainforest and sub-Andean forest, before we return to Pereira.
Day 7 : 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 Leticia Airport and transferred to your hotel

In the afternoon your guide will take you to Tabatinga, where the Amazon enters Brazil. Enjoy walking along the esplanade and observing this mighty river, before returning to Leticia, where we visit Orellana Park, with its lively salsa bars and street market. We also visit a pharmacy of medicinal plants and Santander Park, where every evening you can hear and see thousands of parrots.

Note: A yellow fever vaccination will be required if travelling to this region.
Day 8 : Calanoa Reserve

This morning transfer by speedboat up the Amazon River to your lodge in the beautiful Calanoa Reserve.

The next few days are devoted to explore the birds and wildlife of the amazing Amazon Basin - a 2,7-million sq. mile (6.7 million sq. km) conservation area that is the largest in the world, spreading across eight countries - Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela.

Your guide will accompany you along the many trails that wind through the rainforest and navigate the waterways by motorised canoe. As you walk through woods and past waterfalls, you can marvel at the magnificent trees and the extraordinary variety of orchids, bromeliads, ferns, begonias, lichens and mosses that grow here.

You may see caimans (related to alligators), turtles, woolly monkeys, tufted brown capuchin monkeys, a variety of frogs and many other forest reptiles and insects. You may also be fortunate enough to see some of the colourful birds of the rainforest such as parrots, the brilliant golden-headed quetzal, grey-breasted mountain toucan, blue-crowned motmot, umbrella bird, blue-banded toucanet, fruit-eating tanager, red-crested cotinga, banded-tail fruit-eater and a variety of flycatchers.

You can canoe along the Matamata River in search of hoatzin (stinkbird), otters, macaws and other lakeside wildlife. You can also visit the indigenous Mocagua community, where you can learn more about their medicinal plants and take a tour of their village with its colourful painted houses.

In the evening enjoy a night walk to experience the nocturnal sights and sounds of the jungle.

Note: A headlamp is essential in the Amazon.
Day 9 : Amazon River

This morning transfer 1.5-hours by speedboat up the Amazon River to the tiny Amazonian village of Puerto Narino.

At the Natutama Foundation you can learn more about the wildlife of the Amazon River - including river dolphins, manatees and alligators.

After an included lunch we visit the Tarapoto Lakes, where you can see pink and grey dolphins and try your hand at artisanal fishing, using traditional fishing techniques. We finish the day with a visit to the Ticuna indigenous community, before returning by speedboat to your lodge.
Day 10 : Amazon Basin

Today is devoted to exploring more of the birds and wildlife of the amazing Amazon Basin - a 2,7-million sq. mile (6.7 million sq. km) conservation area that is the largest in the world, spreading across eight countries - Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela.

Your guide will accompany you along the many trails that wind through the rainforest and navigate the waterways by motorised canoe. As you walk through woods and past waterfalls, you can marvel at the magnificent trees and the extraordinary variety of orchids, bromeliads, ferns, begonias, lichens and mosses that grow here.

You may see caimans (related to alligators), turtles, woolly monkeys, tufted brown capuchin monkeys, a variety of frogs and many other forest reptiles and insects. You may also be fortunate enough to see some of the colourful birds of the rainforest such as the brilliant golden-headed quetzal, grey-breasted mountain toucan, blue-crowned motmot, umbrella bird, blue-banded toucanet, fruit-eating tanager, red-crested cotinga, banded-tail fruit-eater and a variety of flycatchers.

Activities vary by lodge but can include visiting a parrotclay lick to see these colourful birds or a peccary clay lick frequented by forest pigs, canoe rides in search of hoatzin (stinkbird), otters, macaws and other lakeside wildlife, piranha fishing, learning about traditional and medicinal plants, visiting a local village or a night walk in the jungle.

Note: A headlamp is essential in the Amazon.
Day 11 : Cartagena

This morning depart from the Amazon and transfer by speeboat back to Leticia.

Here you will be met and transferred to Leticia Airport for your onward flight.

Note: 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 12 : 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 13 : Tayrona National Park

This morning we travel 5-hours from Cartagena to Tayrona National Park, spectacularly situated on the Caribbean coast, where a dense rainforest plunges into the Atlantic Ocean. Covering an area of over 15,000 hectares, this is one of the most famous reserves in Colombia.

As we leave Cartagena you will see El Totumo Mud Volcano, whose small crater contains a pool of therapeutic mud.

We continue along the Caribbean coast, travelling through small local villages and past the busy Caribbean port of Santa Marta. This is the oldest city in Colombia, founded by the Spanish in 1525 when the country was known as New Granada.

On arrival in Tayrona National Park, check into your jungle lodge.

Note: A yellow fever vaccination will be required if travelling to this region.
Day 14 : Tayrona National Park

Today enjoy a 4-hour guided hike in Tayrona National Park.

We walk along miles and miles of magnificent black, yellow and white sandy beaches to famous Cañaveral and Arrecifes Beaches and all the way to Cape San Juan. In these rainforests you will see many different species of birds, monkeys, squirrels, peccary and other wildlife in their natural habitat.

You may not swim at Arrecifes Beach due to its strong currents, but you can swim at Piscina Natural (Natural Pool) beach. A picnic lunch is included today.

Note: When hiking, wear good walking shoes & carry a small backpack with water, sandals, swimming costume, insect repellent and sunscreen.
Day 15 : Tayrona National Park

At leisure to relax and explore Tayrona National Park with your guide.

Various walks are available, including a 4-hour coastal hike along miles and miles of magnificent black, yellow and white sandy beaches to famous Cañaveral and Arrecifes Beaches, until you reach glorious Cape San Juan. In these rainforests you will see many different species of birds, monkeys, squirrels, peccary and other wildlife in their natural habitat.

You may not swim at Arrecifes Beach due to its strong currents, but you can swim at Piscina Natural (Natural Pool) beach.

Note: When hiking, wear good walking shoes & carry a small backpack with water, sandals, swimming costume, insect repellent and sunscreen.
Day 16 : Departure

Transfer 1.5-hours to Santa Marta Airport for your flight home.

Note: Airport departure tax of $38 per person (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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