Magic of Colombia

Day-01          Arrive at Bogotá (early morning arrival)

You will be received by your local host and guide at the airport who will transfer you to your hotel in Bogotá. After check-in and a short rest, get ready to start an exciting adventure in Bogotá.

 AM: Tour of the Historical Center + Visit to the Gold Museum

After breakfast, your guide will pick you up in the hotel lobby to discover Colombia’s vibrant capital city! While you stroll through the streets of the historic old town, La Candelaria, your guide will colour in the lines of history and culture with interesting stories of your surroundings. Visit Plaza Bolivar with its church and government buildings. Plaza Bolivar’s plan originated with the Muisca people whose astronomical genius ensured that the sun would forever rise over special monuments during the solstices and equinoxes of the year. Furthermore, you will also visit the world-famous Gold Museum (closed on Mondays), which has one of the largest and most amazing collections. Another not-to-be-missed site is the Botero Museum (closed on Tuesdays), featuring the works of the famous Colombian artist.

PM: Food Tour of Colombia’s Regional Cuisine

Colombia is one of the most bio-diverse countries in the world. Rich in vegetables, tubers, meats and flavours, this diversity is particularly expressive in its local cuisine. On this tour you will try a variety of dishes from five different Colombian regions: the Amazon, The Andes, The Caribbean Coast, The Pacific Coast and Orinoquia.  Let’s savour the authentic flavour of each region! All restaurants are in the Candelaria District (walking district).  On one of our stops, we will visit a family home, where you will learn how to cook tasty empanadas. The tour includes five main tastings, one fruit tasting, one coffee tasting and one hot chocolate tasting.  After dinner, overnight at the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner.

Day-02     Morning Bogota: Salt Mines
                   PM Fly to Medellín

After breakfast, this morning you will leave Bogotá heading north to visit the famous salt cathedral Zipaquirá. The cathedral is carved out of salt and is one of the most important architectural works of art in Colombia! This is a very unusual yet impressive cathedral, with many religious sculptures made of salt and marble. On the underground path, you will learn the history of the construction of this unique building as well as the meaning of the individual sculptures.

In the afternoon, you fly to Medellín, where you will check into your hotel.

We will have dinner at a local restaurant.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner.

 Day-03 Full day tour of Medellín

AM: Casa de la Memoria & La Sierra or Transformation Tour:

After breakfast, you will visit the museum “Casa de la Memoria”, an investigation centre of the urban conflict spanning the last few decades. The museum offers exclusive insights into the cartels, a controversial part of the city’s history. It is both a memorial to lives lost and a place of hope, healing and social transformation in Medellín.

Afterward take the new cable car up to “La Sierra”, a neighbourhood, notorious for its gang violence in the past. Urban planning and public transport initiatives, combined with social transformation projects, have been key to the city’s progress. These projects aim to reduce crime and fight poverty by reconnecting the city’s poorest neighbourhoods with the city center. Furthermore, the creation of public parks and libraries aim to improve education and local recreation.

PM Flower Art Workshop

This afternoon, we will travel to the small village of Santa Elena, located about an hour outside of Medellín, in the mountains of Antioquia (over 2000 m high). It is home to a great variety of traditional flower farmers. The flower arrangements of the Flower Festival (“Feria de Flores”), called “silletas” have an impressive history and are today a cultural symbol of Medellín. On this tour, we visit an organic flower farm and experience the traditional peasant culture of Santa Elena.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

 Day-04          AM fly to Armenia/Pereira (Coffee Region):
                          Coffee & Plantain Workshop

This morning after breakfast, we will be transferred to the airport to take our local flight to Armenia or Pereira (depending on the schedule). This is the heart of the Coffee Region. Upon arrival, we will meet with our local guide who will join us on this full-day adventure to discover the process of making coffee.

At a local farm, you will learn how to prepare the typical snack, “Patacones con Hogao”, which are plantains with a delicious tomato-onion dip. After lunch, we have time to complete our tour of the coffee region. An expert will explain the entire process from picking the right coffee bean to the different methods of preparing exquisite high-quality Colombian coffee.

Tonight, dinner has been booked at a local restaurant.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner.

 Day-05     4×4 Jeep Tour to Wax Palm Forest

After breakfast this morning, we board our 4×4 Jeeps, which take us along the old road that connects Salento with Ibagué and Bogotá. The Wax Palm Forest is home to the tallest palm trees in the world! Taking a gravel road, we will enjoy some of the most beautiful views of Cordillera Central and the Nevados National Park.

The highest point of today’s tour is at 3,340m. We will make several stops along the way to enjoy the scenery. After about 2 hours we will reach the breathtaking Wax Palm Forest and take a short hike. In a typical Finca (farmstead), we enjoy a local snack and a small picnic surrounded by a pastoral landscape. The hike can be adapted to your needs, and we can keep it short if you like. We will head back to Salento in our Jeeps, enjoying these great landscapes and listening to the myths & stories of this area.

PM: Walking tour of Salento–Try out some Tejo!: Before leaving Salento, you must try the ancient sport of Tejo. Believed to date back to pre-Columbian times, Tejo is a unique sport of skill and accuracy. Aim your ‘tejo’ (disc) carefully, throw it at the target and…see if it explodes!

We will bring you to a local restaurant for dinner. Our guide will assist you to order from the menu. Enjoy your dinner as you reflect on the day’s events. Overnight in Hotel.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch.

Day-06         3–4-hour Drive to Cali. City Tour

After breakfast, begin the 4-hour journey to Cali. Once there,

enjoy a tour of the most recognized places of salsa culture. We will visit the Barrio Obrero, the neighbourhood that gave birth to Cali’s identity and the tradition of Cali’s Salsa. During the first half of the 20^th century, a unique Afro-Latin culture developed in this neighbourhood. The dance style and music is fun and exuberant. Visit two of the most important museums in the city. The Photographic Museum of Salsa has a great exhibition of photographs by Carlos Molina, the photographer of salsa musicians, performers and its history. The museum showcases Cali as “The World’s Capital of Salsa”. We also visit the Jairo Varela Museum where you can learn the history of the creator of the group, Jairo Varela, considered the greatest contributor to the Colombian salsa style. A dance school opens its doors to us! See for yourself where the best performers in the world are trained from an early age. (Depending on the day of the week, we may be able to visit an amazing salsa show).

Overnight in hotel

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner.

 Day-07           AM Flight to Cartagena

This morning we take a flight to Cartagena. You will feel the rich heritage of this African-Colombian community through this afternoon’s drumming workshop.

 PM       Drum Workshop with locals in La Boquilla fishermen’s village

This afternoon, we immerse ourselves in the music of La Boquilla, a fishing village founded by African descendants. For more than 200 years, the villagers have engaged in a heroic struggle of cultural preservation through their traditional musical instruments. Today we invite you on an exciting tour to observe and play Afro-Colombian drums! The community encourages you to play even if you don ́t play, dance. If you don ́t dance, sing. If you don ́t sing, then do it anyways, because together we can! The Drum Workshop takes about an hour. It is a unique opportunity to connect with the typical rhythms of Afro-Colombian folk music such as Cumbia, Mapalé and Champeta. The team of Batambora Drum Workshop School invites you to live an extraordinary experience: first a little theory, then the presentation and interaction. BATAMBORA is a project led by a group of young enthusiastic community members of La Boquilla. They are committed to human and economic development that is aimed at rescuing and preserving the cultural traditions of African heritage. We love to support young people who make a difference.

Overnight in hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day-08       AM: Excursion to San Basilio de Palenque

A corner of Africa in America! Around 400 years ago, Benkos Bioho (with others) escaped slavery and founded what is now known as San Basilio de Palenque, the first slavery-free town in Colombia. Bioho managed to get a treaty with the Spanish for his people, even though he himself died for his efforts. The Palenquera language, traditions and rituals have remained intact, since the people had had no connection with the outside world for centuries. Their refuge remained isolated until the 1970’s, when the famous boxer, “Kid Pambelé”, placed this settlement on the map.

Located about an hour’s drive from Cartagena, this African corner, declared by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, offers a window on African-descendant history in Colombia and in South America. In San Basilio de Palenque a local guide will receive us and we will learn a little of the Palenquero dialect, history, and culture. Through the work of the spinners, who prepare the corn to feed their families, and through the artisans, who weave beautiful stories, we get even closer to the culture. After exploring the village and its surroundings we will enjoy a delicious lunch in the Palenquera style.

 PM: García Márquez Food Tour

“García Márquez’s literary menu” is a gastronomic tour in Cartagena de Indias. Inspired by the famous Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez, this tour serves traditional samples of local food and drinks from Colombian-Caribbean cuisine. People who prepare this food for you are the custodians of this traditional ancestral knowledge. During this experience, you will taste the flavors that inspired Gabriel García Márquez’s work. The tour (approx. 2-3 hours) will take you through the must-see places in Cartagena de Indias. At each stop, you will taste some of the snacks, dishes, or drinks that Gabo served his characters. Taken from passages from his books, the traditional cuisine and history of the Colombian Caribbean come to life before you.

The tour is accompanied by your own food concierge. You will walk through 9 of García Márquez’s must-see places in the historic center, e.g., Plaza de los Coches, Plaza de la Aduana, Plaza de Bolívar and Plaza de la Proclamación. This experience includes 6 tasting stops, including one for Colombian coffee and a drink of local rum. After you eat your way through this literary journey, we will transfer you to the airport for your flight back to Bogotá. Once in Bogota we will transfer you to your hotel for overnight.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner.

Day-9         Bogotá – Toronto

After breakfast, we will transfer you to the airport and wish you well on your journey home.

Services include:

• Accommodation: Our unique select hotels/guest houses with clean rooms, reliable service and safe for foreign travellers.Meals: Meals as mentioned in the program outline, are included
• Meals: As mentioned in the program.
• All entrance fees for sites are included in the tour with the exception of those that are mentioned otherwise.
• Air-conditioned transport throughout the tour (as per sightseeing program and hotel transfers).
• Experienced and professional chauffeurs.
• Sightseeing as mentioned with the tour details.
• English speaking guide and/or trip leaders.

Services do not include:

• Entry visas (if applicable).
• If you book your flights yourself, you may be required to pay an additional cost for the airport transfers. Please contact our office to confirm.
• International Airfare (except mentioned otherwise).
• Domestic Airfare (except mentioned otherwise).
• Personal expenses such as phone calls, drinks, use of mini-bar at the hotels, laundry or personal medications.
• Any expenses that may arise due to unforeseen natural or political situation.
• Insurance: We strongly recommend that all clients consider buying Trip Cancellation/Interruption + Medical Travel Insurance. Contact our office for a quote.
• Tips and gratuities to porters, guides, drivers and trip leaders.

NOTE:

• This trip may only operate with a minimum number of participants.
• Sudden changes in the foreign currency rates can impact the prices. We can only protect our prices as long as they do not change over 5%.