Typically, Kevin and I love to take a 2 week vacation. For most Americans, taking 2 full weeks of vacation is often seen as extravagant (as our European friends know, this barely scratches the surface to truly get away). This year, however, we were both short on time due to work commitments, schedules, life…You know the drill. Obviously, we would have loved to stay longer in Colombia. But we were surprised at how much we could cover with just 10 days in Colombia. Flights go just about everywhere and are cheap! So, for my overworked friends, below is a 10-day itinerary covering many of the best places to visit in Colombia I’ve included our original plans along with the “revised version” because of our flight to the coffee region got cancelled due to bad weather (and the plane couldn’t land, taking us back to Bogota!).
Day 1: Arrival in Bogota, 10 Days in Colombia
Hotel: Hotel De La Opera ($115 a night)
Note on hotel: This is an incredible hotel with lap pool and free spa. However, the neighborhood (Candelaria) gets a little dicey at night. Later in the trip, we stayed in the northern part of Bogota (called Zona Rosa). This section is so much safer.
Kevin enjoys the common area in the Hotel De Opera, first class if you have to stay in Candelabra
Day 2: More Fun in Bogota
MORNING
- Breakfast at La Puerta Falsa, Colombia’s longest-running business — Get the Tamales, hot chocoloate and Ajiacao (a corn soup with meat and avocados).
Now that you’re full, take the cable up to Monserrate, Bogotá’s highest peak. Avoid this place on Sundays when the admission is free and lines wrap around as far as you can see - Visit Museo del Oro (the gold museum), open 9 am- 7 pm
AFTERNOON
- Visit the Museo Botero (Art Museum for all things rotund, you gotta see the “fat Mona Lisa, it still makes me laugh), open 9 am-7 pm
- Head to Plaza de Bolívar, see pigeons/architecture
EVENING
- Dinner at Andres DC aka Carne De Res – Reservations are essential
Breakfast at Puerto Falsa and enjoying the typical Colombian food (this is the Ajiacao, a must order)
Day 3: Bogota/Zipaquira/Villa De Leyva – Best Places to Visit in Colombia
Hotel: Hotel la Posada de San Antonio ($116 total, great location/okay hotel)
- Go to morning market at Usaquén (only if it’s Sunday, shift schedule accordingly)
- Rent a car (if you’re brave!) and drive to Zipaquira Salt Cathedral (about 1 hour without traffic, but expect at least 2 hours drive)
- Continue your drive to Villa De Leyva, get dinner at one of the many restaurants near the main square)
Kevin checks out the wares at the Usaquen Market, a long 30-minute drive from the historic Candelaria district
Braving the traffic out of Bogota, bring your nerves!
Day 4: Villa De Leyva/Bogota
- Scenic cycle ride with Cyclotours in Villa De Leyva (3-4 hour bike ride) – we did the Little Dino Tour: Self Guided; 10 AM – 2 PM; Approx $12 pp.
- If you have time, check out the winery on the edge of town called Marques De Villa De Leyva… stick to the white wine, trust me!
- Drive to Bogota (3.5 hours); About 6:30 PM arrive Bogota (overnight)
- Hotel: Click Clack Hotel ($125 a night, located in Bogota’s Zona Rosa – best part of Bogota)
Wheee, riding through town on the rented bike. We were out for 3 hours and it flew by!
Day 5: Bogota
City (we intended to visit): Pereira in Coffee Country
City (in actuality): Bogota, and stayed at the Click Clack Hotel again
- Our original plan was to fly to Pereira in the coffee country, hire a driver to take us to Hotel Salento Real Eje Cafetero. Go horseback riding through Cocora Valley, then visit the hot springs called Termales de Santa Rosa.
- However, bad weather grounded us, and we scrapped those plans and grabbed dinner in Zona Rosa and watched Captain America at the Cine Colombia.
Then it was back to the Click Clack Hotel, not a shabby place to be stuck!
The modern/trendy Click Clack Hotel in Bogota
Day 6: Bogota, then Medellin
City (intended): Salento, then Medellin
City (in actuality): Bogota, then Medellin
- If we were still in coffee country, we’d take a tour of a coffee farm then head up to Medellin.
- Our new plan turned out to be the best thing we did in Bogota – a full day tour with Bogota Bike tour. This tour covers graffiti, history, a coffee factory, the red light district, a game of tejo (a game you throw disks at a clay board and try to hit the gun powder to explode!) and a fruit market. It really covers a lot!
- In the evening, we took a flight to Medellin on Avianca. And stayed at a hotel in El Poblado, which I won’t even include because it was the worst hotel on our trip! There are plenty of options, but stay in El Poblado for the best vibe.
Kevin is ready to go on the Bogota Bike Tour, our favorite experience – it’s a long day!
Day 7: Full day in Medellin
- Start it off at 10 AM with a Pablo Escobar Historical Tour of Medellín ($150 for 2 people). I’d recommend “Don’t Say His Name Tour.”
Ride the Medellin Metrocable, it’s so much fun! - Visit Botero Square and check out the rotund sculptures
- Then walk to Versailles, nearby and a fantastic lunch spot
- Take the metro back to El Poblado – and relax at Cafe Velvet (open late)
- In the evening, check out the cool bar scene. I’d recommend Burdo Restaurant
- Hotel: Overnight in El Poblado neighborhood
Along the Pablo Escobar Tour, we stopped at “House of Memories Museum” (Museo Casa de la Memoria), which gives such a deeper understanding of Colombia’s troubled history
Day 8: Full day in Cartagena
- Fly to Cartagena in the AM
Food & Culture Tour (Cartagena Connections): Depart 2:30-5 PM ($30 PP) – Finishes up in Getsemani neighborhood - Climb the fortified walls and walk the periphery of the Old City
– Drinks at Café Del Mar (time this for sunset, everyone comes here to watch and pay for the overpriced drinks! But that view!)
– Trace the stone wall back toward Puerta del Reloj; Plaza De La Trinidad - Café Havana – live music
- Hotel: Hotel Bantu – 2 nights ($220 per night for Superior Room), doesn’t get any better than this!
The air conditioning was strong and the room incredibly spacious at Hotel Bantu
Day 9: Full day in Cartagena
- 9 AM-12 PM Volcano Mud Tour that I wrote about here (Cartagena Tour Guides)
- Get freeze pop in Cartagena at La Paletteria (Calle 35 & Carrera 4)
- Dinner: 1621 Restaurant
Inside the muddy volcano
Day 10: Final Day, Sad to Say Goodbye
- Fly from Cartagena back home
Adios Colombia – Can’t believe we did all this in 10 days!
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