Coffee, Salsa & the Most Biodiverse Country on Earth
Duration
14 days
Best Time
Dec–Mar & Jul–Aug
Daily Budget
$60–120
Difficulty
Moderate
✨ Why Visit Colombia
The case for going
Colombia's transformation is one of travel's great stories. The most biodiverse country on Earth per square kilometre now welcomes visitors to its colonial cities, coffee highlands, lost cities in the jungle, and some of the most extraordinary landscapes in South America.
📅 Day-by-Day Itinerary
📅 Bogotá
La Candelaria's colonial streets and the Gold Museum (the world's finest pre-Columbian gold collection — 55,000 pieces). Monserrate mountain cable car for city views. The salt cathedral at Zipaquirá — a full cathedral carved underground in a salt mine.
📅 Coffee Region — Salento
The paisas' heartland — cobblestoned Salento, Valle de Cocora with its wax palms (Colombia's national tree, the tallest in the world), and coffee farm tours. Drink the coffee that actually tastes like the bag says it should.
📅 Medellín
Pablo Escobar's former city is now Latin America's most innovative urban success story. The Metrocable to Parque Arví — connecting hillside comunas to the city. Fernando Botero's sculptures. The extraordinary transformation of El Poblado.
📅 Cartagena
The most beautiful colonial city in the Americas — yellow and red walls, bougainvillea, and Caribbean blue through every archway. Evening: rooftop bars in Getsemaní. Day trip to the Rosario Islands for snorkelling.
📅 Ciudad Perdida Trek
The most rewarding multi-day hike in South America — 5 days through jungle to a lost city older than Machu Picchu, up 1,200 stone steps through the Sierra Nevada. Only 90 permits issued per day. The Kogi indigenous people still live nearby.
🏨 Where to Stay
Casa San Agustín, Cartagena
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Three colonial mansions united — pool in the courtyard, walled city location
💡 Key tips: Colombia is safe for tourists in the main destinations — use common sense as you would anywhere. Taxis: always use apps (InDriver, Cabify) rather than hailing on the street. Ciudad Perdida permits fill up — book 2 months ahead in high season. Altitude in Bogotá (2,640m) — take it easy on day 1. Coffee here costs pennies and is the best in the world.
