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 altitudeDay2: Visit of the gold museum, Bolivar square, Monserrate, Botero museum. Night in BogotaDay3: 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 SalentoDay4: Visit of the CocoraValley,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)Day8: Busto Guatapé, asmall 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, … Continue reading 3 Weeks in Colombia: Itinerary, Budget, Practical Advice