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11 Day Colombian Heart – Over 50 Shared Tour

From USD $3,355.00

Duration: 11 Days (approx.)
Location: Bogota, Bogota/Colombia
Product code: 7 day Colombian Heart 50 Share

Bogotá, the capital and largest city of Colombia, is a point of convergence for people from all over the country. Diverse and multicultural, it combines the old and the new. One can wonder at the charm of its architecture, contrasting styles are mixed, from modern buildings to the veneer of old houses that are authentic colonial gems. The capital is the union of all the best of Colombia.
Barichara is simply the most beautiful town in all of Colombia. With its houses of Tapia (compacted earth), clay-tiled roofs, and cobblestone streets, you'll feel like you have been transported 400 years back in time
Medellín sprawls north and south along a narrow valley, with its skyline reaching for the heavens. High-rise buildings loom large against a backdrop of jagged peaks in every direction. Blessed with a perfect climate it is known as the City of Eternal Spring.
Guatapé combines history, tradition, and sensational landscapes giving amongst the best views in Colombia. An ideal destination to visit at any time of year, the lake was created through the flooding of two pueblos. The vista from the summit of La Piedra (Rock) is totally stunning.

Day 1: Welcome to Bogotá, 2600 meters closer to the stars.

Arrive at any time to be collected from the airport and taken to your accommodation.

On arrival at Bogotá airport, your transportation will be waiting to take you directly to your hotel to check in and enjoy a bit of me-time.

Around 6:30 pm you’ll meet the other group travelers at a Welcome to Bogotá Dinner.

Arriving early to check out more of this region before joining your group?

Click here to find some inspiration and additional experiences you can enjoy in Bogotá

Be sure to ask your travel consultant for your group members' discount before making any reservation.

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Be sure to drink plenty of water to help you adapt to the altitude.

Inside the terminal, there is a small store where you can purchase a pre-paid sim card for your phone. The phone company with the best coverage is called Claro. And the SIM card package you want is “$20,000 paquete” (US$5 package). This will give you more than enough data and be sufficient for calls.
Whenever you are in your hotel, you will have access to WIFI.

Welcome dinner in Bogotá

You'll be collected from your hotel and taken to a wonderful restaurant for a delicious Welcome Dinner. Starting your tour by sharing and getting to know some of your traveling companions on this Colombian adventure.

Day 2: Monserrate, La Candelaria and The Bogotá Gold Museum

You’ll be collected from your accommodation in Bogotá and taken on a guided excursion, where you’ll encounter the most important historical locations within La Candelaria. Just some of the stops on your tour through Bogotá's oldest neighborhood will be Bolivar Plaza, Casa Nariño (The Presidents House), Palace of Justice, Catedral Primada de Colombia, Iglesia de San Francisco, Colón Theater, Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Séptima (Carrera 7), and the Chorro de Quevedo Plaza.

During your time in La Candelaria, you'll be enjoying a few hours of strolling through El Museo del Oro (Gold Museum) of Bogotá. This grand 3-story museum displays a selection of pre-Columbian gold, other metal alloys, and a mix of pottery, stone, shell, wood, and textile objects/textiles. All are made by ancient indigenous Colombian cultures. With over 55,000 pieces of gold artifacts, this is the largest collection of gold artifacts in the world.

Once you have visited this amazing museum and seen the many beautiful sites La Candelaria has to offer, it will be time for you to ascend to the great height of 10,341 ft (3152m) and the summit of Monserrate; almost 2,000 ft higher than Bogotá. As well as learning the historical importance of this mountain to the indigenous Musica, you’ll also enjoy time wandering through the artisan markets, visit a beautiful 17th-century monastery and enjoy some of the most spectacular panoramic views of the capital city of this great nation.

Day 3: Salt Mine town Zipaquira, Artisan town Raquira & Colonial town Villa de Leyva

You’ll be picked up from your hotel in Bogotá and be taken directly to the salt mine of Zipaquirá, where you’ll uncover the ingenuity of the people who 590 ft (180 m) underground converted this ancient salt mine into the amazing church that receives as many as 3000 people every Sunday of the year.
Once you’ve finished your tour, taken many many photos and come to understand how important this location has been for hundreds of years to the locals of this area you’ll take the short trip to the town of Zipaquirá where you’ll wander the streets of Zipaquirá checking out the grand Plaza (main square), Independence Square and one of the oldest churches you can find in Colombia.

Next, travel onto Ráquira, a small artisan town and a dream location for anyone wishing to do a bit of shopping. You'll find everything here from hammocks to pottery and all Colombian-made. For those interested in taking photos and not shopping, there are some fantastic streets and a wonderful town plaza full of life-size (and larger) clay statues.

Lastly, arrive in Villa de Leyva, a beautiful colonial town with cobblestone streets and 16th century architecture. You will be escorted to your hotel, and then you are free to enjoy the evening dining at a nice restaurant.

Day 4: Villa de Leyva Full Day Tour

Awake in this peaceful colonial city feeling like you're back in the 16th century. Following a delicious breakfast at your hotel, your guide will collect you to begin your tour of this unique location. Starting with a 2-hour stroll around the beautiful cobblestone streets leading to the largest plaza in Colombia and visiting the Monasterio Del Santo Eccehomo - Declared part of Colombia’s architectural heritage in 1998, the initial convent was founded in 1620. This is simply a beautiful monastery built on a hillside and consisting of a wonderful cloister, church, cemetery, and plaza, with wonderful views.

Following a stop for lunch at one of the many fantastic restaurants, you'll explore 2 more sites; The Terracotta House - Explore the largest piece of pottery in the world. Wander through the many rooms taking photos from many angles; and The Fossil Museum - See, touch, and feel the bones of dinosaurs that once ruled this world.

Finishing up in the early afternoon the remainder of the afternoon will be free for you to enjoy a bit of "Me Time".

Day 5: El Socorro - discover how it all began

Departing after enjoying breakfast and freshening up, you'll start your journey to Barichara making a stop at a beautiful and important town called Socorro. This is actually where the very first steps toward independence occurred.

Barichara - the most beautiful town in Colombia

Next, it's onto what has consistently been voted the most stunning and beautiful town in Colombia; Barichara is renowned for its colonial architecture, peaceful cobbled roads, artisan workshops, adobe houses, and the craft shops within.

You'll enjoy a wonderful night's rest here before exploring the town in the morning.

Day 6: Barichara to Guane Hike & Gastronomical Tour

Hiking from Barichara to Guane is one of the must-do hikes during your stay in Santander, Colombia. And the only way to make this an even more fantastic experience is to finish up with a wonderful 3-hour gastronomical tour through Barichara!

Originally built by the Guane Indians more than 600 yrs ago, the 5.5 km (3.4ml) Camino Real walking trail running between Barichara and Guane in the Santander region of Colombia, was later adapted and reformed in 1864 by the German engineer Geo Von Lengerke into the hiking trail you’ll enjoy today.

During your 2-hour medium-intensity walk along this route, you’ll be taking the same steps as a countless number of indigenous and travelers from all over the world before.

Upon reaching Guane, you will visit the Mirador (look-out), with a wonderful view of the Suarez River and Suarez Canyon far below. In addition to this, you’ll visit the Archaeological and Paleontological Museum, where you’ll uncover a collection of more than 10,000 fossils millions of years old, a 700-year-old mummy, ceramics, necklaces, and other objects made by the Guane Indians.

Following this wonderful tour, you’ll be enjoying a 40 min Tuk-Tuk ride back to Barichara to arrive in time to start your food tour of Barichara.

Your starter will be an Arepa (a type of flatbread made from corn flour) Santandereana (from Santander). This arepa is best described as peeled corn arepa that is cooked on charcoal. It is very flavorsome, as Chicharrón (cooked pork belly) is included within the Areapa mixture.

Next, it’s onto a restaurant that specializes in tasty Chorizo sausages which are cooked with panela (a product made from sugar cane), or a traditional alcoholic sugar cane juice, known as Guarapo. Once again, these are very flavorful and absolutely lovely to try.

Following this, it’s onto another restaurant where the "Carne Oriada" (Sun-dried red meat) is prepared. This is another flavorsome dish, which has an almost jerky-like consistency. At this stop, you’ll also get the chance to try some delicious marinated and oven-cooked goat.

Day 7: Free day in Barichara

Enjoy a free day in the most beautiful town of Colombia OR check the optional tours.

Day 8: Transfer to Bucaramanga airport

You’ll have an early start today and travel back to Bucaramanga for an early afternoon flight to Medellin.

Flight Bucaramanga to Medellín

Enjoy a flight to Medellín, arriving in mid to late afternoon, with a short stop in Bogotà on the way.

Once here you’ll be collected and taken to your hotel.

Day 9: Fruit Tasting, Comuna 13, and City Tour

You'll start your day with a cable car ride over the hundreds of houses in Comuna 13. Many of these houses and settlements belong to many displaced people from rural areas. Due to a complicated internal conflict between the FARC, Colombian Military, Paramilitaries, and Drug Traffickers, over 7 million people have been displaced in Colombia.

Next, you get to venture inside Comuna 13, something that would certainly have been unimaginable 15 years ago due to the violence and lack of security. Not only is this location the most significant street art district in Medellin, but it is also additionally where the very first open-air electrical escalators in the world were mounted. You’ll ride these escalators and get the chance to learn the meanings behind much of the graffiti.

Following this unbelievable tour of the graffiti, you’ll be off to enjoy a fruit tasting of some of the most amazing tropical fruits at Plaza la America. This place has almost every fruit you can imagine and many we guarantee you’ve never seen before!

Continuing your journey, you’ll be visiting Parques del Río. The place that connects East and West Medellin through the Medellin River. Located in the center of the city, it's well known for its infrastructure, vegetation, and wonderful resting areas. Here you’ll find a unique sculpture from the swiss artist Ugo Rondinone named Colores de la montaña, the only one made for public areas in Latin America.

Following this, you’ll continue your journey and visit a location full of surprises. Where not only will you find the Medellin Civic Center, administrative buildings like the Medellín City Hall, and the Park of Lights, along with some of the most important heritage buildings in Medellin's history. Not only this but you'll also see the Eternal Flame, a monument to freedom of speech, the biggest vertical garden in Medellín, the giant Monumento a la Raza by Rodrigo Arenas Betancourt, and other interesting sculptures and places.

Carrying on to your next stop of Parque San Antonio, you’ll find 4 of Botero's sculptures. The most important ones are The Hurt Bird and the Peace Bird. One of the sculptures was destroyed after a terrorist attack in 1995, and the other one, an exact replica of the first one brought to Medellin in 2000.

Next, it’s off for a stop at Botero Plaza, an iconic place additionally referred to as Sculptures Park. This urban space displays 23 sculptures of the renowned son of Medellin and Master Sculptor Fernando Botero.

After wandering through and marveling at this al fresco gallery, you’ll move onto the Cultural Palace, a beautiful neo-Gothic style building, and a visit to the very first church built in Medellin during the colonial period; the Candelaria in 1776, along with the second oldest church la Iglesia de la Veracruz, built-in 1803.

The last stop on today’s tour will be the Parque Memorial Inflexion. Previously known as The Monaco Building (one of the personal apartment buildings of Pablo Escobar), which was bombed by the Cali Cartel in 1990 and torn down by the city in 2019.

Day 10: Guatape Rock with Coffee Plantation Day Trip

You'll enjoy a beautiful scenic drive to an outstanding coffee farm in Antioquia, where you will experience a full tour and an explanation of how the whole process of growing the perfect coffee bean occurs. You’ll come to understand the process of planting, handpicking the ripest beans, de-pulping, washing, sorting into classifications, drying, roasting, and finally making the perfect brew.

Carrying on with your tour, you'll be stopping at a replica of Old Peñol's town plaza. The original town was actually sunk and is now at the bottom of the manmade Peñol-Guatape reservoir. The only piece still visible is the spiral from the church tower.

Next on today's adventure will be La Piedra (The Rock or better known as Guatape Rock). This is simply a wonderful and huge stone standing tall and overlooking Lake Guatape far below. Once here you'll have the opportunity to climb the 740 steps up to the very top, with breathtaking views every step of the way.

Following this, you will make a stop in Guatape town (The City of Zocalos) where you’ll walk the streets of this beautiful town and learn what is the Zocalo tradition and why it started.

Farewell dinner in Medellin

Around 7 pm you’ll be meeting with your new friends for a final group dinner to share photos and laughs before saying your goodbyes tomorrow.

Day 11: Today it is Farewell to Medellín and to Colombia!

Hablamos pronto, safe travels home, and visit again soon!

We’ll have transport waiting to take you to the airport at your desired time.

Not ready to leave yet?

Click here to find some inspiration and additional tours you can enjoy before departing this region. Remember to ask your travel consultant for your group members' discount before making any reservations!

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