15 Days Colombia Self Drive

You have the possibility to book your flights separately or to contact us quickly and easily via WhatsApp for a personal flight offer.

Welcome to Bogotá! After your arrival at Bogotá airport, a private shuttle will take you to your first hotel. Depending on when you arrive, you will have time to explore the vibrant capital of Colombia - a fascinating chaos of new and old, historic and modern, a rapidly growing metropolis. So there is a lot to discover! But don't worry. You'll still have plenty of time to explore the capital the next day.

Airport transfer (approx. 15km/30 min.)

Hotel Casa de la Vega

Your highlight today: Experience Bogota on a culinary highlight tour

After your first evening in Colombia and a restful night, you can look forward to a day trip through the city's markets and a street food tour! You have the option to join a city tour or explore the surroundings on your own. Thanks to the different climates, regions and cultures, Colombia awaits you not only with a great diversity of dances, music, dialects and ethnicities, but also with delicious culinary specialties. The program includes the wholesale market "Paloquemao", where you can taste Colombia's almost endless range of fruits and vegetables. Afterwards, you will take the cable car up to Monserrate, Bogota's pilgrimage mountain. From up here you can enjoy the view over the metropolis of nine million people and the surrounding green plateaus. The tour ends at the large Plaza de Bolivar with the surrounding government buildings. From here it is only a stone's throw to the colonial old town of La Candelaria, as well as to Bogota's oldest church, the Iglesia de San Francisco.

Optional, not included: Half day city tour incl. Paloquemao - with German speaking guide

Breakfast

private transfer

 Hotel de la Vega

Your highlight today: Experience a spectacular desert experience!

Today the adventurous part of the trip begins! You will be taken from the hotel to the rental car station. There you will get your rental car and drive downhill leaving the savannah of Bogotá behind you. On the way to the hot country, the vegetation becomes more and more tropical and one mountain range follows the next until the wide Magdalena Valley stretches out in front of you. If you want to be adventurous and save some distance, you can take the ferry in Aipe and cross the wide Magdalena River with your vehicle. The last drive in the desert is through gravel roads and is only recommended in dry conditions.

Near the capital of the department of Huila, Neiva, lies the Tatacoa Desert. This bizarre landscape is one of the most spectacular in the country, with its eroded cliffs and gullies formed by desert winds and erratic rains. Due to its dry, clear conditions, low pollution, and its location near the equator, the Tatacoa Desert is an excellent place for stargazing.

Optional: Tour through the Tatacoa Desert with English speaking guide

Breakfast

private transfer (approx. 280km /6,5 hours)

Hotel Yararaka

Your highlight today: Marvel at ancient stone statues and tombs!

Today you will drive south along the eastern bank of the Magdalena River. It is worth stopping along the way at one of the viewpoints to admire the picturesque scenery of the meandering river and reservoir. You can also pay a short visit to the villages of Gigante, Hobo, Garzón and others along the route.

Arriving in San Agustín, one of the most important archaeological sites in South America, you can admire some of the most remarkable and important ancient stone figures and tombs of the region. Therefore, it is recommended to make a trip to the archaeological park San Agustin & La Chaquira.

Optional, not included: Archaeological sites

Breakfast

private transfer (approx. 260km /6 hours)

Hotel Yuma

Your highlight today: Discover the old town of Popayán!

Today you will drive along the border of the Puracé National Park at an altitude of almost 3,000 meters. Here you will have the opportunity to see the unique páramo landscape with the emblematic frailejones. On a clear day you can see the snow-capped peaks of the Nevados del Huila. Once you arrive in the city of Popayán, you can admire the old town with its white colonial buildings. It is considered one of the most beautiful in South America.

Breakfast

private transfer (approx. 140km /4 hours)

Hotel La Plazuela Popayán

Your highlight today: The most beautiful village in Colombia will enchant you!

Today's drive is between the Central and Western Cordilleras along the Cauca Valley. Here you will find large sugar cane plantations along the route. It is one of the most comfortable driving routes. Arriving in Salento, the most beautiful village in Colombia awaits you with its colorfully painted shutters, walls and doors. As the gateway to the famous Cocora Valley, home of wax palms, numerous coffee farms and treks in the Los Nevados Nature Reserve, Salento is a convenient base that is not short of cafes, bars, restaurants and craft stores.

Breakfast

private transfer (approx. 340 km/6 hours)

Hotel Salento Real

Your highlight today: Learn on the coffee tour how it is made!

Today you will travel from Salento to Manizales. On the way you can stop and relax in the hot springs of Santa Rosa de Cabal. Once you arrive at your accommodation, you can explore it. It is located on an authentic working coffee farm. It is nestled in the vast mountains of the Colombian coffee region, with a 100-year tradition of growing the finest specialties. You can join the hotel's local coffee tour, relax by the pool, or wander through the gardens.

Breakfast

private transfer (approx. 90 km/2,5 hours)

Hacienda Venecia

Your highlight today: The "City of Eternal Spring" awaits you.

Today it's worth leaving early to avoid possible traffic jams along the way. After arriving in Medellin, you will drop off the rental car and then drive to the hotel. Arrived in Medellín, the capital of the department of Antioquia, is located in the northwest of Colombia in the center of the Aburrá Valley. Because of its pleasantly warm temperatures all year round, Medellín is also known as the "City of Eternal Spring". Medellín stands out as the host of various events, fairs, such as the world-renowned Flower Fair, and as the cultural center of the country, gaining notoriety as one of the most important cultural centers in Colombia.

Breakfast

private transfer (approx. 215 km/5 hours)

La Campana Hotel Boutique

Your highlight today: Discover the Islas del Rosario!

In Cartagena, colonial chic meets Caribbean flair. Here, old city walls and fortresses tell of gold treasures and pirates, while cobblestone alleyways, leafy plazas and colorfully whitewashed house facades take you straight to the novels of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The old town, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has been perfectly restored, is best explored on foot, in a horse-drawn carriage or by bicycle - in any case slowly and enjoyably. From the city walls, the view alternates between the sea of terracotta roofs and the Caribbean Sea. The nearby Rosary Islands are straight out of a postcard fantasy and their white sandy beaches and clear Caribbean Sea invite you to relax. Here you will have 3 days to explore and enjoy your last days in Colombia. Optionally there are many excursions on site for you.

Optional:

• Half day excursion Medellín
• Half day city tour with La Popa and San Felipe with German speaking tour guide
• Tour Islas del Rosario incl. lunch

Breakfast

private transfer (about 20 km/40 minutes)

Flight from Medellín to Cartagena

Hotel Casa Villa Colonial

And already the adventure comes to an end. The last days were a wonderful experience, with great nature and many new impressions. Enjoy a last breakfast before you head to the airport to start your next adventure. The Colombia trip is over today, but maybe we will see you again soon? We are already looking forward to seeing you.

 Breakfast

 private transfer (approx. 15 min.)

If you book your flights separately, you can flexibly plan your return flight on the day of departure.

We'd love to have you back for the next adventure!