Welcome to Colombia!

When your flight arrives in Bogota, a Kuoda host will welcome you personally and escort you to the hotel. Instead of navigating a new city after a long flight, let us take care of the transportation logistics. We will drop you off at your hotel so you can refresh and enjoy a peaceful evening before your romantic honeymoon experience begins. Relax with a good night’s rest before exploring Bogota in the morning.

Enjoy a private city tour of Bogota

Today, you will experience the most iconic sites in Colombia’s historic capital city. Admire the world’s largest collection of pre-Hispanic gold while visiting the Gold Museum. Then, see the artistic work of Fernando Botero, Colombia’s most famous painter and sculptor at the Museo Botero.

As we wander through the historic neighborhood of La Candelaria, we will admire the unique architecture and witness spectacular panoramic views of the city from the top of Cerro de Monserrate. Finish the day with a tour of a local roasting coffee plant, where you’ll learn how to taste and differentiate the quality and flavors of different coffees, just like an expert.

Uncover the legend of El Dorado

Today, we will explore Lake Guatavita, a natural paradise and one of the most important sacred sites from pre-Columbian times. The lake is famous for the Legend of El Dorado, which refers to the treasures held deep inside the waters of the lake. The mountains surrounding this site will astound you, surrounding the majestic, sparkling green lake. After the hike, dig into a delicious Colombian meal at a traditional restaurant.

Then, we will visit an actual Muisca community center in the nearby town of Sesquilé. At the Sesquilé settlement, you will learn about how today’s Muiscas are trying to maintain their old traditions, despite adopting modern life and technology. At the end of the day, we will escort you back to your hotel in Bogota.

Flight from Bogota to Pitalito / Travel to San Agustín

Before your flight to Pitalito, enjoy a morning of leisurely exploration around Bogota. We will take care to pick you up at the appropriate time and escort you to the airport for the brief air journey. Pitalito is only 45 minutes from our final destination, San Agustín, so we’ll use this as our connecting city.

After you land, we’ll pick you up from the airport to transfer you to the hotel in San Agustín.

Visit the Magdalena Strait and a coffee plantation

The Magdalena river is the most important river in Colombia and the fifth-largest river basin in South America. It extends from the Andes in the south to the Caribbean Sea in the north, cutting across nearly 949 miles (1,528 kilometers) of land. It winds through many diverse ecosystems including forests, mountains, valleys, and wetlands.

As the source of the Magdalena River is not far from San Agustin, today, we will be able to visit the Magdalena Strait, where the river squeezes through a narrow canyon just under 10 feet (3 meters) in width.

Besides being famous for its noteworthy archaeological sites, this region of Colombia is also important for its high-quality coffee. After visiting the Magdalena Strait, we will go to a coffee farm to learn everything about coffee production, from planting the coffee beans to the picking and roasting process. You’ll learn how to select and pick only the ripe coffee cherries, and test your skills in the tasting and evaluating process.

Tierradentro Archaeological Park

Early in the morning, we will start the journey towards the city of Inzá, where the archaeological park of Tierradentro is located. This spectacular archaeological park holds the largest concentration of pre-Columbian monumental shaft tombs with side chambers known as “hypogea,” carved in the volcanic tuff below hilltops and mountain ridges.

Step into the most interesting tombs in the Alto de Segovia and study the wondrous ancient burial site. Some of these Tierradentro tombs are around 12 meters wide and buried up to 7 meters deep, carved directly into volcanic rock. Sadly, many tombs have deteriorated over time thanks to grave robbers from a distant past. However, some still have visible red and black design motifs inside, which are thought to reproduce the internal decoration of houses from that time. They reveal the social complexity and cultural wealth of a pre-Hispanic society in the northern Andes. These tombs leave an important reminder of their culture and community.

Spend the night in the small indigenous village of San Andrés de Pisimbalá. This little neighborhood has only one main street, a small church, and a few houses, so it will be a one-of-a-kind experience for travelers who enjoy quiet, local opportunities.

Visit the surreal desert of Tatacoa

After breakfast, we will start our journey towards Tatacoa Desert, the second largest arid zone in Colombia. On the way, we’ll pause to admire the landscape and take a stretch break, an essential part of every road trip.

During our visit to Tatacoa Desert, we will see the stunning landscapes of the red desert (Cusco sector), as well as the surreal, moon-like terrain of the grey desert (Los Hoyos sector).

The landscape of the red desert is adorned by amazing labyrinths carved by water and erosion. Here, you can also visit the “Tree of Wishes” (El árbol de Los Deseos). Locals believe that the person who finds a heart-shaped, folded leaf and unfolds it without damaging it, will be allowed to ask for a wish.

When visiting the grey desert with its ashy-colored stones and green specks of foliage, you will feel as if you were on the moon. In this sector, you’ll get to explore the valley of ghosts. In the evening, we will go to the observatory and watch the stars sparkling over the desert. At the end of this adventure, we will go to the hotel in Neiva.

Flight to the Coast of Colombia

This morning you will make the journey from Neiva to Santa Marta. Santa Marta is the oldest colonial city in South America and is full of unique charms. Rich in history and well-preserved colonial architecture, Santa Marta is a stunning locale full of delicious restaurants, bars, and cafes. Your journey here will involve a flight to Bogota first, then catching a connection to the coast. When you touch down in Santa Marta, we’ll pick you up and escort you to the hotel.

Tayrona National Park

Today, you will get to spend some time in Tayrona National Natural Park, home to the most beautiful beaches in Colombia. Hike across the forest to visit various beaches in the park where you can swim or just relax on the sand There are a number of restaurants and bars in the park where you can stop for lunch in the shade, relax and admire the spectacular surroundings.

Indigenous Kogui and the Tairona culture

Today offers another exciting cultural experience in Quebrada del Sol, a town at the foothills of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Here, you’ll have the opportunity to visit an indigenous Kogui community and admire the spectacular landscape.

The Kogui are an indigenous community native to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta region. They are descendants of the Tairona culture, which flourished before the times of the Spanish conquest. Their life in the mountains has allowed them to preserve their traditions despite the rapid modernization of Colombia. During your visit, we will learn about their traditions and the legacy of the Tairona civilization. We will also spend time hiking to the beautiful rivers of Buritaca and Don Diego for an afternoon in nature.

At the end of the tour, we will go back to Santa Marta for a restful evening.

Beautiful sights on the route to Cartagena

After breakfast, we will start our journey towards Cartagena. On the way, we will visit the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, the largest coastal lagoon of Colombia, which holds the title of the first Ramsar site in the country, and is a UNESCO humanity reserve. At the Cienaga, we will go by boat to Venecia, a small fishing Village with colorful houses, where we will learn about the life and culture of this community.

Once we complete this detour, the drive to Cartagena continues, which will take about 3 hours.

Discovering the historic fortress city of Cartagena

In the morning, your guide will meet you as you set off to explore the vast history and beauty of the city of Cartagena. The expedition begins at the Castillo San Felipe, the largest Spanish fortification in the Americas, which dominates Old Town. Built to defend against invaders, pirates, and looters, the walls of San Felipe have stood strong since the 16th century. This is the most well-preserved fortress in South America, and one of the world’s best-walled cities, which explains why it was given the honor of being a UNESCO Heritage Site. .

Old Town is the historic heart and soul of Cartagena. We will walk around its cobbled streets, visiting and passing by the main historical sites. Then, you will have the afternoon to relax at the hotel or carry on exploring the old city, admire its architecture, and immerse yourself in its romantic atmosphere.

A Day at Leisure

You will have plenty to keep you occupied with a free day in Cartagena. The city is an attraction in itself, but there are also plenty of local shops to explore and fine dining to enjoy. If you fancy a good walk, a trip down to the beaches of Boca Grande will let you soak up some sun and see how the locals enjoy their city coastline.

Bid farewell to Colombia

Going home is the worst part of any private Colombia vacation, but at Kuoda, we’ll do our best to make it as smooth and hassle-free as possible. We’ll bring you to the airport for your return flight for the journey home. Buen Viaje!