12-day hiking tour of incredible Colombia
This 12-day hiking tour of Colombia takes you on a true adventure through diverse landscapes and habitats. Beginning in the heights of the Andean Mountains, travel to the verdant coffee region and on to the jungles of the Caribbean Coast. Challenge yourself to summit a 4,793m peak in Los Nevados National Park, then set off on a four-day jungle hike to reach the enigmatic Lost City of the ancient Tayrona people. You'll meet friendly Colombian locals on the way, from the city slickers of Bogota to indigenous Kogi villagers living deep in the Sierra Nevada hills.
Please be aware, due to technical limitations, the map displayed for this itinerary may not fully reflect your route. A more accurate version will be provided at the time of planning.
Services
Included:
- 11 nights accommodation in double rooms in three-star hotels or basic rural rooms during hikes
- 11 breakfasts, eight lunches, five dinners
- Airport transfers as per the itinerary
- Private land transfers with an Spanish-speaking driver as per the itinerary
- Activities & admission fees to sites as per the itinerary
- English-speaking guides on excursions
Excluded:
- International flights
- Travel insurance
- Visa fees
- Any meals & drinks not mentioned in the itinerary
- Any activities not mentioned in the itinerary
- Personal expenses
- Tips & gratuities
Optional:
- N/A
Itinerary at a Glance
Bogota
Welcome to Bogota
Bogota - Chingaza - Bogota
Hiking in the Andes
Bogota - Pereira - Salento
Hiking the Cocora Valley
Salento - Nevados
The heights of the Coffee Region
Nevados
Reaching the summit
Nevados - Salento
Back to Salento
Salento - Santa Marta - Tayrona
Journey to the Caribbean
Tayrona
First steps with the Kogi
Tayrona
Wild river swimming
Tayrona
Finding the Lost City
Tayrona
Return to the coast
Tayrona - Santa Marta - Bogota
Goodbye Colombia
Detailed Itinerary
Bogota
Day 1: Welcome to Bogota
Upon arrival at Bogota El Dorado International Airport, you will be welcomed at the arrivals gate and transferred to your hotel in the pretty Candelaria district of Bogota.
Enjoy a free day to relax after your journey and perhaps take a stroll around the area for a first impression of Colombia's capital city.
Bogota - Chingaza - Bogota
Day 2: Hiking in the Andes
After breakfast, depart for Chingaza National Park, which is a few hours' drive away from Bogota.
Covering an area of 76,000 hectares, the park is home to a wide variety of plant and animal species, including the Andean condor. Enjoy a rich high-altitude ecosystem of lagoons and Andes on a 3-4 hour hike that takes you some 3,000m above sea level through some rough, but beautiful terrain.
Stop along the way for a picnic lunch.
Bogota - Pereira - Salento
Day 3: Hiking the Cocora Valley
Board a domestic flight to Pereira, a region known as the Coffee Triangle. It is famous for growing and producing the majority of Colombian coffee, which many consider to be the best coffee in the world.
After checking in at your hotel in Salento, take a tour to discover the typical villages and landscapes of the region. This tour begins with a jeep trip through the heart of the green Cocora Valley, where your 3-hour forest hike begins.
Salento - Nevados
Day 4: The heights of the Coffee Region
Start the day early for your second Cocora hike. This time, you will be starting the trek high at 2,400m above sea level.
Walk through the beautiful landscapes of the coffee region to Paramo de Romales where you can stop for lunch. By late afternoon, you will arrive at the Rancheria La Primavera finca at an altitude of 3,700m.
Dinner will be served at the ranch before you settle down for a good night’s sleep.
Nevados
Day 5: Reaching the summit
After a hearty breakfast, set out on a challenging hike through Los Nevados National Park. There, you will climb to a mountain summit at 4,793m. Admire incredible views along the way and from the top. Well done for taking on this challenge!
Finally, return to the finca where you'll spend another night.
Nevados - Salento
Day 6: Back to Salento
After a good rest and a tasty breakfast, begin your hike back down to Cocora. Discover some new places along the way, including the Laguna de la Virgen, and then stop for lunch at a site called El Almorzadero.
Back in Cocora, a jeep will take you to Salento. The rest of the afternoon is free for you to enjoy the sights of this traditional town.
Salento - Santa Marta - Tayrona
Day 7: Journey to the Caribbean
Transfer to Pereira Airport for your domestic flight to Santa Marta on the Caribbean Coast. From there, you will be transferred to your hotel close to Tayrona National Park.
Spend the rest of the day enjoying the beautiful landscapes of the Sierra Nevada, between the coast and the jungle-clad hills, at your own pace. Relax on the beach or perhaps take a stroll along the nearby jungle paths.
Tayrona
Day 8: First steps with the Kogi
In the morning, travel by jeep to the village of El Mamey, the starting point of the Lost City trek.
After lunch in the village and accompanied by a local guide, begin your hike through these tropical landscapes. This is the start of four days of walking towards the enigmatic Lost City, a sacred site for the local Kogi people.
Today you will be walking along forest paths for 4-5 hours to reach your first camp. All of your meals as well as overnight stays in hammocks or basic bedrooms are included.
Tayrona
Day 9: Wild river swimming
Depart early after breakfast for a hike into the heart of the upper valley formed by the Rio Buritaca.
Along the way, you will pass by small indigenous villages and meet some of the Kogi people. Stop for lunch by the river and dive in for a relaxing swim. Then, set off again to reach your campsite for the night. Today’s hike takes around six hours in total.
Tayrona
Day 10: Finding the Lost City
Today, you will finally reach your goal: the famous Lost City!
A climb of 1,200 stone steps leads you to the archaeological site of Teyuna. Most of the 140 terraces, connected by stairs and served by complex water distribution systems, were rediscovered in the 1970s. On these platforms stood the buildings of the ancient lost civilization of the Tayrona people, whose descendants still live in these mountains to this day.
After your visit, return to camp for lunch and then set off on a hike to your final campsite.
Tayrona
Day 11: Return to the coast
This final day of the hike involves a 3-4 hour trek back to El Mamey village. Enjoy a tasty lunch in the village and before transferring by car to Tayrona.
Spend a free afternoon relaxing on the beaches of Tayrona, taking a stroll, and resting after your jungle hike.
Tayrona - Santa Marta - Bogota
Day 12: Goodbye Colombia
Following breakfast, you will be transferred to Santa Marta's airport for your domestic flight to Bogota. There, board your connecting flight for your journey home. Have a safe flight and come back soon!
