Highlights of Colombia

Arrive into Bogota and transfer to Hotel de la Opera, located in the historic La Candelaria district.

Spend two days exploring Bogota and the surrounding areas. With a guide, spend the day exploring the city, including the Baroque and Spanish colonial architecture and plazas in La Candelaria, and Plaza de Bolivar. See the work of artist Fernando Botero at the Botero Museum, which also houses pieces from his collection including works by Picasso, Matisse and Monet. Entrance to the Gold Museum is also included.

Enroute to Villa de Leyva, visit Zipaquirá’s Salt Cathedral which houses a 16-metre high salt carved cross, the largest of its kind in the world. Continue to Villa de Leyva, a photogenic whitewashed village founded in 1572, centered around a 150,000 square foot plaza.

After breakfast, visit the pre-Hispanic archaeological site of Infiernito where 2,200 year-old stone megaliths stand proud. In the afternoon, continue to the Fossil Museum to see the fossil of a kronosaurus marine reptile that lived over 120 million years ago.

Return to Bogota airport and fly to Armenia where you will be met and transferred to your accommodation. Spend the next three nights at Hacienda Bambusa, the insipration behind Disney’s Encanto.

Spend two days exploring the coffee region, including a guided tour through the Cocora Valley, catching a ride on a WWII Willy’s Jeep and learning about the Colombian coffee making process from plantation to cup. Stand beside the world’s tallest palm trees, reaching up to 60 metres high, and look out for the yellow-eared parrot nesting in the palms. Visit the mountain towns of Salento and Filandia to see the colourful houses and quaint cobbled streets before taking a short walk to the viewpoint above the towns.

Transfer around an hour to Pereira for flights to Cartagena, where you’ll spend the next three nights.

Accompanied by a guide, wander the charming avenues and colourful cobbled streets of Old Town Cartagena, visiting the locations behind the inspiration of author Gabriel Garcia Marquez and stopping at Las Bovedas where 15-metre thick walls enclose 18-century city dungeons. Learn the history behind Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas fortress, built to defend the city from pirates, and look out over the city at the Convento de la Popa.

Transfer to the jetty and board a boat for a short transfer to your island accommodation on Isla Baru.

Spend two days at leisure on Isla Baru on the Rosario Islands, around a 45-minute boat transfer from Cartagena. Hotel Las Islas offers free bikes to explore the island, as well as kayaks and snorkelling equipment for viewing the marine life and colourful coral gardens in the Corals National Natural Park. Optional boat trips and beach picnics are also available.

Transfer by boat back to Cartagena where you will be driven to the airport for onward travel back to Bogota.