3 Weeks in Colombia: Itinerary, Budget, Practical Advice

Today, I propose you this 3 weeks itinerary, inspired by our road trips in Colombia (we stayed 2 months but working in parallel).

With this itinerary, you will explore the Amazonian forest, visit the most beautiful colonial villages, take a nice walk in the mountains, and gild the pill on a Caribbean island. A very busy but relaxing vacation too.

Abstract

Colombia is one of the countries we have had a big crush on. The landscapes are very varied, you can go from the sea to the high mountains in one hour (by plane). The prices are very affordable, the Colombians, not used to see tourists, are extremely nice and happy to see us.
The security in Colombia is rather good, for tourists, compared to the rest of South America in the tourist cities.
Special attention must be paid to personal belongings (no ostentatious jewelry, no phones or cameras without surveillance)
Distances are important in Colombia, you have to make choices, it is impossible to visit all the sites of interest in Colombia in less than 6 weeks
The 4 hours indicated on Google Maps can turn into 6 hours because of numerous works, mountains, and 2 lane roads only
As airplanes are cheap, we recommend that you limit as much as possible your travel by bus (by taking the plane), even if you travel light, or by leaving your luggage at the reception desk of your hotel in Bogotá (or in the bus terminals: 5700COP/24h)
Colombian Spanish is very understandable. Colombia can be a good destination to learn Spanish (during a trip around the world)
Payment by credit card is widespread in supermarkets, restaurants… To withdraw, you have to choose the right bank, otherwise you risk paying up to 2% fees (+ fees of your French bank)

Recommended itinerary

Click on the links to access the corresponding travel books (or practical guides)

Day 1: Arrival in Bogota around 7:30 pm. Rest & acclimatization to the altitudeDay
2: Visit of the gold museum, Bolivar square, Monserrate, Botero museum. Night in BogotaDay
3: Flight to Pereira
.
Bus to Salento, a small colorful village in the coffee zone. Visit of a coffee farm around Salento. Visit of Salento. Overnight in SalentoDay
4:
Visit of the
Cocora
Valley,
where grow the incredible wax palm trees, pride of Colombia
.
Overnight in Salento.
Day 5: Bus at 8am to Medellín (the trip takes 8 hours but the landscapes are sumptuous, sit on the right). Night in Medellín.
Day 6: Visit downtown Medellín, once the most dangerous city in the world, which has since been transformed. Parque Arvi (the metrocable that leads to it gives you a breathtaking view of the city)
Day 7: Visit Comuna 13 in Medellin, transformed by the graffiti & the local fruit & vegetable market Minorista (or replace the local market with the very touristy Escobar Tour)Day
8: Bus

to Guatapé,

a

small colorful village too quiet.

Visit of the Piedra del Penol for the incredible view and of Guatapé. Return by bus and overnight in Medellín
Day 9: Flight to the Caribbean island San Andrés
,
a small paradise on earth
.
On the program: Swimming with the rays, snorkeling, sunbathing.
Day 12: Flight to Cartagena de Indias, a beautiful colonial city (in the Top 15 of the essential visits of all South America according to Lonely Planet). Night in Cartagena de Indias.
Day 13: Visit of Cartagena de Indias.
Day 14: 2 days trek in Amazonia + 2 days of transportation in total (early morning flight to Leticia). Flight to Bogotá and night in Bogotá on the 17th day.
Day 18: Visit of the surroundings of Bogotá: Laguna de Guatavita (at the origin of the legend of El Dorado, the lake would have been filled with gold) then Visit of the salt cathedral in Zipaquirá (to zap if you have already visited the same thing in Poland). Night in Bogotá.
Day 19 : Visit the flower market in Bogotá and the Emerald Museum. Last shopping : Purchase of a Colombian emerald. Return to France. Day 20: Arrival in France.

Photos

Comments on the itinerary

This program is very different from the one proposed by the travel guides, because we limit as much as possible the long bus trips and replace them by plane. The plane in Colombia isn’t very expensive and allows you to save between 7 or 8 hours of travel time each time. There is only one long bus trip (between Salento and Medellín) because we consider the plane trip (coming back to Pereira by bus) to be more of a headache than the bus.
As you can see on the map, the route is in the form of a loop, you can start in Medellín, or Bogotá. You can also visit the Amazon at the beginning, or at the end of your stay in Colombia, as you wish. For us, a visit to the Colombian Amazon is a must
We have completely skipped the Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona. Even if it isn’t the same, we have replaced the beaches of Tayrona with the paradisiacal beaches of the Caribbean island San Andrés. We wanted to include San Andrés in the program because it’s rare to find such a Caribbean island so inexpensive (both for transportation and the cost of living there)
I was advised to go to Cano Cristales, but given the distance, and the cost (count at least 330€/person), I preferred to spend my money in the Amazon. If you’re interested, you can read the Virtual Trip bloggers’ guide here

Estimated budget

3860€ for two people = 1930€ per person ALL included (plane, transport, hotel, food…). Excluding shopping

OUT OF PLANE (Paris/Bogota A/R) : count 2460€ for two people, or 1230€ per person

see the detailed budget at the end of the article

Return ticket / Outbound ticket

Attention, you must have a return ticket or a ticket to leave the territory. We had to show it before boarding the plane to Colombia. The Colombian immigration did not ask for this ticket, but the company in Miami required it.

We rented a ticket via bestonward and it went well.

Vaccine before coming to Colombia

Ask your doctor for advice. He or she will probably ask you to get the vaccine for :

hepatitis B
yellow fever if you go to Amazonia

Security in Colombia

Safety in Colombia is quite good for tourists, compared to the rest of South America in tourist cities. The police and military are very present, with anti-explosive and anti-drug sniffer dogs everywhere.

Special attention must be paid to personal belongings (no ostentatious jewelry, no unattended telephones or cameras). Colombians wear almost no jewelry. Observe the premises and only take out your telephones when others do. JB had his cell phone stolen at the entrance of the subway in Medellín, but it was without any violence, just a pickpocket with a very talented accomplice.

There are still gangs, so still limit late night outings in the favelas. However, we are very, very far from the image of an ultra dangerous and catastrophic country that the Narcos series reflects.

When you take the long-distance buses, you are normally given a numbered ticket for your luggage. If this isn’t done, look at the trunk every time the bus stops. For local buses where there is no trunk, keep your luggage on your lap.

SIM/Wifi card in Colombia

SIM cards being cheap (12€ for 1.5Go, valid for one month), I advise you to buy some (see our dedicated article). Free Wifi are available everywhere in town but generally very slow, and it’s especially when you know you need it that you don’t get it 🙂

From one building to another, Wifi can be high speed or slow. If you need a good Internet connection, ask your hotel or Airbnb host to do a speed test.

What to bring to Colombia?

For San Andrés: All this can be bought on the spot: bathing suits, snorkeling equipment, sun cream, hat, sunglasses…
For Bogotá: the city is more than 2500m away and the heating is almost absent, it is recommended to come with warm clothes
For other cities: summer outfit OK
For the Amazon: see our dedicated article
To be able to cover a maximum of different temperatures without overloading you with luggage, we recommend you leave with only merino wool tee-shirts (2 short sleeves, 2 long sleeves) + 1 technical pants, 1 technical shorts + 1 vest + 1 raincoat first price + 1 waterproof bag to protect your stuff from the rain.
You can have your clothes washed for a very cheap price (4000COP per kg), don’t come with too many clothes.
- if you’re on a world tour, you can get inspired by JB’s (men’s) clothes here, and my clothes here

Leave your ostentatious jewelry and reflex devices at home. Come with a bare minimum (many just come with a GoPro)

Transportation in Colombia

In Colombia, distances are important, but there are still comfortable, long-distance buses that connect tourist destinations, despite a rather narrow road (only 2 lanes) and a lot of work. The buses aren’t as comfortable as in Argentina but it is very acceptable compared to Bolivia for example. In Colombia, you can stop any bus (even long distance) by hailing, and get off wherever you want.

In small towns, there are jeeps that leave as soon as it is full for trips between 30mn and 1h30. These jeeps also serve as “cab”. Rates are cheap, 4000COP, 6000COP… depending on the destination. You can also stop any jeep by hailing.

In large cities, public buses are numerous and listed by Google Maps. Some accept cash payment directly to the driver, others require a pre-paid card (you can always arrange with the locals to badge their card for you, and you pay them in cash). In Medellín there is even the metro.

Cabs systematically put on the meter, which limits disputes and scams. No need to negotiate the fare. Don’t hesitate to round up (13,200COP to 14,000COP) for example. But if you aren’t comfortable, you can take Uber or Cabify, an equivalent service.

Attention to BogotaThe counter indicates the “units” and there is a table of corresponding units. In addition, there are additional charges (pick up at night, on Sundays and holidays, or from a terminal / from the airport …) – so it is better to ask at the end of the trip how much it costs.

Plane tickets within Colombia are cheap (count 19€ to 45€ max one way, without checked luggage), so if you travel light, it is better to pay 19€ to get to Medellín-Bogotá by plane rather than taking an 11h bus. In October, there are often storms at the end of the day in Medellín and Bogotá, if possible, to avoid delays, choose a plane that takes off in the morning.

LATAM, the most expensive company, does not always serve food on the plane. Always travel with a snack and a bottle of water.
VivaAir : low cost and very strict about luggage, they even measured the size and weighed our tiny cabin bag. The plane always leaves on time.
Easyfly : low cost. Often delays or even cancels flights
Avianca : The oldest airline operating on the American continent. Not cheap but good service. The plane always leaves on time. Conscientious approach. For example, JB’s father had to fly from Medellín to London via Bogotá. His plane to Bogotá was 2 hours late (because of the storm in Bogotá, the plane couldn’t get back to Medellín in time). Even though the delay was not their fault, the employees automatically put him on another plane so that he wouldn’t miss his connection.

By plane we went to Bogota, Salento (via Pereira) and San Andrés. If you have a seat near the window, then this is the grail. Whatever your destination, the view is always incredible in Colombia.

We were advised against renting a car in Antioquia because there are roads closed at certain times of the day and there are no detour signs. If you like surprises and adventure, why not. That said, in Cartagena, we were told that the roads are beautiful, fast and there are no surprise closures.

Withdrawal in Colombia

Before coming, I recommend you to ask for a free international payment card (sponsorship here) because you will use it a lot.

With our international cards (without paying fees to French banks), the withdrawal costs us between 1.8% and 2.5% of the amount withdrawn (provided that you withdraw a maximum of 700,000COP to 800,000COP) in most banks.

at Servibanca: withdrawal of 780,000COP, 14500COP of fees (1.8%)
at Banco Popular: withdrawal of 600,000COP, 13200COP in fees (2.2%)
at the airport of Medellín: withdrawal of 580,000COP, 14520COP fee (2.5%)

Attention NEVER accept the conversion into euros proposed by the distributors (more info here)

We still found a bank without any fees: Davivienda, where we could withdraw with the international card N26 (or Revolut) up to 2 million pesos at a time, without any fees.

Unfortunately, this bank isn’t compatible with my Boursorama Ultim card. The Ultim is little accepted at ATMs in Colombia (I asked other travelers), I would say that only 1 bank out of 5 accepts it. But for payments, no problem.

Payment in Colombia

The credit card is accepted everywhere, in supermarkets, restaurants, bus terminal… For payment, we are often asked “ahorros o corriente?”, answer “ahorros” (it’s pronounced a bit like “euros” hehe). And specify right away that it is“debito“. At the moment of payment, the Colombian TPE will ask for the last 4 digits of your card, so don’t be afraid if the server looks a little too carefully at the digits of your credit card.

In most restaurants, they will ask you if you would like the service to be included, basically if you agree to pay the 10% tip. It is customary to accept if the service has been satisfactory. If you say no, a manager will probably come and ask you why the service was unsatisfactory. If no one talks about service, you aren’t obliged to leave a tip (or the waiter, seeing that you are a tourist, has included it automatically, you will see propina on the bill).

Accommodation

The hostels are very clean, beautiful and well located. Most of them offer very hearty breakfasts, allowing you to enjoy local fruits. If you want to save money, don’t hesitate. Private rooms in the hostels aren’t expensive, if you are two, it will cost you almost the same to choose a private room as to pay 2 beds in a dormitory.

However, the hotels are cheap and the rooms are very large compared to the price, so if your budget allows it, don’t hesitate.

Our favorite hotels

in Bogotá : Hotel Regina(Booking link) – 33€ per night including breakfast (buffet), we like it very much, the decoration is top, the location is ideal, in the heart of the candelaria, the historical center of the city

in Medellín : we highly recommend the neighborhood El Poblado, but more specifically Manila, very safe, very clean, very quiet, with lots of good restaurants, youth hostels and Spanish schools. Some addresses in Manila :
- Noah Boutique Hostels (Booking link): 9€/person in a 4-bedroom dormitory
- ADN Algo de Nosostros(Booking link): 26€ per private double room and private bathroom

in Salento : I highly recommend the hostel El Zorzal (Booking link), very close to the bus terminal, 3mn walk from the city center, with a great view on the mountains, very quiet, hot water, hammocks in the garden, hearty breakfast. The hostel has private rooms and dormitories. If you opt for a private room, ask for the room upstairs, with mountain view (21€). It has a small balcony in addition.

What to eat in Colombia?

Grilled trout(trucha asada), salted slippers(empanadas), lemon juice (natural limonada), chicharron (fried pork with the skin on, yum), lots of fruit (take a trip to the market or supermarket to test all the fruit you don’t know about), bandeja paisa (a typical Antioquia dish), their tasteless cornbread… the motto is: taste it all! Try itall!

It won’t always be fantastic (they like frying a bit too much) but you will discover new flavours. The water in Colombia is drinkable, which greatly limits the risk of food poisoning, even with street food.

You can opt for a menu del dia in a bui bui des mercados for 4500COP (there is always lunch even if it isn’t marked: soup + dish + drink) or à la carte: between 25 000 to 30 000COP in a restaurant for tourists.

If you don’t like bui bui but want to save money anyway, hypermarkets like Exito or Carulla have a catering service (with the possibility to eat on the spot). You can have lunch for 15 000COP maximum.

If you are really lazy about leaving your hotel, services like Uber Eats(referral code: eats-rlz9u) or Rappi (referral code: e3w14998653) deliver to your home – or to your hotel (charge €1 to €1.2 for delivery).

Our practical guides and travel books

For more practical information and photos, see all our articles on Colombia here

Our vlogs

Our vlogs in Colombia are on Youtube. You can access the playlist by clicking here

Detailed budget