Style : Group tour
8 Day Classic Colombia tour
Bogota Cartagena 8 Day Classic Colombia Trip

8 Day Classic Colombia

Gate 1 Travel
3.8 . Great
72%
Travel Style: Array Mixed
Physical Level: All or most of day hiking or biking, hills included. Moderate
Lodging Level: 3 to 4 star western hotel equivalents. While not all lodging will be 'luxury' they will be quite comfortable by western standards. Comfort (4*)
8 days
From: $ 1,539 $ 192 / day
Checking price

Overview

Highlights (Bullets)

  • Discover Medellin in the beautiful Aburra Valley, named the "City of Eternal Spring"
  • Stay in magical Cartagena, named a UNESCO World Heritage Site - a true cultural treasure!
  • Tour Cartagena's Colonial District, view Bolivar Park, Santo Domingo Church and the Gold Museum
  • Stand before the impressive collection of pre-Columbian gold pieces at the Gold Museum
  • Visit La Candelaria District renowned for its perfectly preserved Colonial architecture
  • View the paintings and sculptures of Fernando Botero, the famed Colombian artist
†Transfers are available for purchase for land only or on alternative flight dates

Short Description

3 Medellin, 2 Cartagena, 2 Bogota

Style Group tour
See all the highlights and popular spots on a classic tour.
Itinerary Focus Classic Highlights
3 to 4 star western hotel equivalents. While not all lodging will be 'luxury' they will be quite comfortable by western standards.
Lodging Level Comfort (4*)
Flight & Transport Inclusions All internal ground transport
Start City N/A
End City N/A

Destinations

N/A

Attractions & Cities Visited

Bogota Cartagena

Activities & Interests

N/A

N/A
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Itinerary

DAY 1, Friday - Depart for Colombia
Depart for Colombia. Arrive in Medellín, named the "City of Eternal Spring" because of its year-round mild temperatures; transfer to the hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure
Overnight: Medellín

DAY 2, Saturday - Medellín City Tour
This morning, take a tour of the city. Arrive at Botero Plaza, accented by the artist's metal sculptures and home to the Museo de Antioquia with its collection of Botero's paintings. Continue to Barefoot Park, a zen-inspired public area that encompasses a small bamboo forest and sandy areas. Return to your hotel in the afternoon. The rest of the day is free, or join the optional tour to the Santa Elena area, one of the most typical "Antioqueño" towns, where the "Silleteros" tradition, linked to the flower production of the area, was born. Tonight, attend an orientation meeting with your Tour Manager, followed by dinner
Optional: Half Day Santa Elena (PM)
Overnight: Medellín
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 3, Sunday - Full Day in Medellín
Spend a full day at leisure, or join the full day optional Guatapé & Piedra del Peñol. Drive through the Eastern Highlands of Antioquia to the Peñol Rock (La Piedra del Peñol), a 656-foot high monolith, with the opportunity to climb more than 700 stairs to reach the top for panoramic views of Guatapé Lake and the surrounding mountains. Continue with a visit to the town of Guatapé. After lunch, take a boat ride on Lake Guatapé. Return to the hotel in Medellin
Optional: Full Day Guatapé & Piedra del Peñol
Overnight: Medellín
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 4, Monday - Flight to Cartagena
Depart Medellín on a flight to Cartagena. Embark on a city tour this afternoon. See expansive views of the city as you make your way to the San Felipe castle-fortress. At the walled city, walk through the multicolored houses and buildings of the Old City of Cartagena. Then, on to "The Vaults", archways built in the late 1700's, within the walled city that were used to store armaments. Remainder of the day is at leisure
Overnight: Cartagena
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 5, Tuesday - Full Day in Cartagena
Today is at leisure, or participate in the optional Emerald Jewelry Workshop. Learn the art of jewelry making from trained craftsmen at FEJOCAR, a private non-profit jewelry school. Upon completion of the class, you will receive a diploma and one piece of jewelry that you designed. In the afternoon, perhaps participate in the optional half day Bird-watching at the Colombian National Aviary. During the tour, enjoy a refreshing drink or ice cream before returning to Cartagena
Optional: Emerald Jewelry Workshop (AM)
Optional: Half Day Bird-watching at the Colombian National Aviary (PM)
Overnight: Cartagena
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 6, Wednesday - Flight to Bogota
A morning flight takes you to the city of Bogota. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure, or join the optional tour to the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira, built within the chambers of a salt mine, located more than 500 feet beneath the surface. After your visit stop by the café, located in one of the underground tunnels, to have a delicious Colombian coffee before returning to Bogota
Optional: Half Day Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira (PM)
Overnight: Bogota ▲
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 7, Thursday - Bogota City Tour
This morning, embark on a city tour of Bogota. Visit the colonial section of La Candelaria. Stop at Plaza de Bolivar, Palace of Congress, the Cardinal's Palace and the colonial church of El Sagrario. Afterward, on to the Gold Museum with its collection of pre-Hispanic native gold crafts. Then, time permitting, stop to play an energetic local game of Tejo*, the national sport of Colombia. Learn how to play and try your hand at throwing the disk. This afternoon, spend time at leisure, or take the optional Funicular Train Ride** that transports you up to Monserrate Mountain, offering panoramic views of downtown Bogota. Tonight at dinner, bid farewell to your Tour Manager
*Colombian laws prohibit all people under 18 from entering places where tejo is played
**Funicular train ride may be substituted with a cable car ride without notice 
Optional: Monserrate Funicular Train Ride (PM)
Overnight: Bogota
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 8, Friday - Depart Colombia
Transfer to the airport for your departure flight
Meals: Breakfast

▲ Due to the high elevation, travel in the Colombian highlands may cause some passengers to experience the temporary effects of altitude sickness. If you have any concerns about traveling to higher than your accustomed elevation, please consult your healthcare provider.

Availability

Checking price
Price From $ 1,539
Price Per Day: $ 192 per day
Checking price
Start DateEnd DateLand OnlyLand + Air Travel 
Apr-14-2023Apr-22-2023$ 1,149$ 1,659 Reserve
Apr-28-2023May-06-2023$ 1,049$ 1,539 Reserve
May-12-2023May-20-2023$ 1,049$ 1,559 Reserve
May-26-2023Jun-03-2023$ 1,049$ 1,559 Reserve
Jun-09-2023Jun-17-2023$ 1,049$ 1,619 Reserve
Jun-23-2023Jul-01-2023$ 1,049$ 1,619 Reserve
Jul-07-2023Jul-15-2023$ 1,049$ 1,609 Reserve
Sep-22-2023Sep-30-2023$ 1,049$ 1,559 Reserve
Oct-06-2023Oct-14-2023$ 1,049$ 1,559 Reserve
Oct-13-2023Oct-21-2023$ 1,099$ 1,589 Reserve
Nov-03-2023Nov-11-2023$ 1,099$ 1,589 Reserve
Nov-17-2023Nov-25-2023$ 1,099$ 1,599 Reserve
Nov-24-2023Dec-02-2023$ 1,099$ 1,599 Reserve
Dec-01-2023Dec-09-2023$ 1,099$ 1,899 Reserve
Dec-08-2023Dec-16-2023$ 1,099$ 1,899 Reserve
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Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Gate 1 Travel.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

655 Gate 1 Travel Travel Reviews & Ratings

72%
3.8 out of 5 (100+ reviews)
Excellent 433
Great 20
Average 19
Disappointing 22
Terrible 161
Value
3.8
Guide
3.8
Activities
3.8
Lodging
3.8
Transportation
3.8
Meals
3.8

8 Day Classic Colombia

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Company Reviews

We loved Gate1 until our flight that we booked through them was cancelled. We have gone on 5 trips and loved them all but we learned the hard way about their policy. They own the flight until the flight. If flight is cancelled, they simply cancel the flig

3.0
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Meals2.0
We loved Gate1 until our flight that we booked through them was cancelled. We have gone on 5 trips and loved them all but we learned the hard way about their policy. They own the flight until the flight. If flight is cancelled, they simply cancel the flights for the entire trip and rebook at last minute rates. They called us to tell us it would be $2200 more and we would need to arrive a day early (meaning lose another day of work) and pay an additional $220 for hotel. This became no longer an Affordable Trip to Italy. You will be sitting in the last row of airplane next to the bathrooms if Gate 1 books your flight.
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One of the best !!!!

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One of the best !!!!
We have been traveling with Gate1Travel many times and always enjoyed its tour guides. Not always the cheapest but the best customer service! Henry Maaravi (Israel tour guide) was the best so far! We also know many others have traveled with Gate1Travel and were impressed with the quality of the resources provided.
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Horiabel can not reach the company.

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Horiabel can not reach the company.

I’ve taken many trips over the years…

4.0
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Lodging4.0
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Meals4.0
I’ve taken many trips over the years with Gate 1 prior to Covid. All were exquisitely memorable and wonderful experiences! However I booked one trip where they paid for my travel because it was included. I learned from that one experience to always book my own travel. Fortunately I chose to book different return flights from China. My travel partner was stuck 3 days in the airport while I had the best experiences getting to my destination even though my flight cancelled due to a flat tire, the airline placed us in two hotels with meals and arrived in less than two days. I also learned never book travel insurance through Gate1 the hard way. Note that even if you use outside insurance they give you a hard time providing documentation. Post Covid our flights cancelled to Fiji due to a cyclone. Our travel insurance company paid us in full after 30 days. Do your homework. Protect yourself while traveling.
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TRAVELING WITH GATE1 IS NOT FOR THE…

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We planned two trips with Gate1, but never left our house neither time. It is a chaotic experience.

Our first mishap was a trip planned to Portugal with a non-stop flight from Newark, New Jersey to Portugal. The airlines pulled the plug on the direct flight and Gate1 found another flight with stopover in Germany before traveling on to Portugal. I avoid any stops when traveling overseas. It increases the chance of being stuck in a country where you change planes, so I refused the offer of a trip around the world before reaching Portugal. Gate1 did not find another direct flight for me and told me my money was NON-REFUNDABLE. To avoid losing my money I booked a trip to Ecuador instead.

Gate1 charged me an additional $100 to book the trip to Ecuador because it was to a different destination. After booking to Ecuador, 2 days before departure, an earthquake shook Ecuador. Gate1 did not send out any information to let us know what the status of the trip was, total silence on their part. The earthquake occurred on a Saturday and the departure date is on a Monday.

We were leaving our house on Sunday to fly to Miami a day before our flight to Ecuador. I received no communications from them on what the status of the trip was in light of the earthquake. W didn't now whether to proceed or stay home.

We called Gate1and found lines busy multiple times with high call volume. In the absence of any communication from Gate1 we cancelled our flights to Miami. We paid for airfare from North Carolina and booked a hotel in Miami.

We lost money on the hotel reservation and had to pay for the stay anyway. I finally got Gate1 on the phone Sunday noon only to find out that the trip was still on as far as they were concerned. They could/should have communicated that to us without our having to call them to find out. We had cancelled the flight to Miami and the hotel by now. My husband and I discussed the safety concerns and decided to cancel.

Gate 1 suggested I rebook our flight to Miami on the same day of travel. There was no way we could make it to Charlotte, NC. (2.5-hour drive from our house) and get to the airport in time to catch the last flight to Miami. Gate1 then tried to convince me to book a flight from Asheville to Miami with a 2.5-hour layover in Atlanta arriving in Miami at 1 AM in the morning. I do not have any faith in making connecting flights on time with airlines anymore. A million things can go wrong and prevent a connection. Not to mention that the airfare would have cost us over $1,200.00 to book at the last minute. We had already spent $897.00 for airfare.

The agent then told me if I could find and book a flight by 5:30 she would hold our trip. I called back at 5:07 pm and Gate1 was closed. I decided the situation could not be salvaged and cancelled the trip. You may get your money back if Gate1 cancels the trip. You get nothing if you cancel the trip close to the departure date.

Gate1 told me that my money for the trip is non-refundable because I cancelled the trip. Ok. I get that. However, Gate1 was very lax in communicating with customers in an emergency where a natural disaster has occurred in a country, they planned to take customers to. Had they sent out an email regarding the status of the trip, we could have made a more informed decision, but we were left in the dark to speculate the worst and made our decision based on lack of information from Gate1

After Gate1’s failure to communicate promptly about the situation in Ecuador, they put all the responsibility and stress on me to rectify the problem. They waited until the last minute to say whether the trip was a go and left us hanging on wondering what was happening, and what to do.

I am done with Gate1. I will never use their service or recommend them to anyone. If things go well, you can probably have a good experience, but when things go wrong, their systems are designed to protect them, not you. They need to do a better job of communicating with customers at every juncture of the trip, especially when natural disasters occur in the area where they will be traveling to. Gate1 told me they had people on the ground in Ecuador who were keeping them informed of the situation. It would be nice if Gate1 can do the same for their customers
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Very poor customer service of 4 trips…

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Very poor customer service of 4 trips with Gate 1, two resulted in canceled return flights, stranded in Ecuador and again in africa. While travel agencies have no control over airline cancelations, they should at least help to get another flight. Both times i was stranded, no one from Gate 1 would assist. I had to find my own last minute flight home, pay for transportation to airport, etc. All my original flights were booked thru and by Gate 1. They have ZERO customer service and do not care if you cannot get home. Burned twice by Gate 1.
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Details

Optional Activities

Full Day Guatape & Piedra del Penol
Depart from Medellin this morning, on a scenic drive through the Eastern Highlands of Antioquia. Arrive at one of the area's top attractions, the Peñol Rock (La Piedra del Peñol), a 656 foot high monolith. You'll have the opportunity to climb more than 700 stairs to reach the top of this spectacular landmark and enjoy panoramic views of Guatapé Lake and the surrounding mountains. Continue with a visit to the town of Guatapé. Tour the iconic sites of the town like the historic church, town square and traditional colored streets. After lunch on your own, enjoy a boat ride on Lake Guatapé, one of the country's largest lakes. Time to stroll along the boardwalk and relax at one of the cafes. Return to the hotel in Medellin. Entrance fees to the Peñol Boulder and boat ride on the lake are included.

Approximate tour duration is 10 hours.

OnDay : 3
Price : $85

Half Day Bird-watching at the Colombian National Aviary
Depart Cartagena and travel south for about an hour through the picturesque countryside to the Colombia National Aviary, which houses more than 1,750 birds, representing 135 species. It’s the second biggest aviary in Latin America, and sixth in the world. This fascinating place, with its unique flora and fauna, aims to educate and create awareness about the diversity of birds found in Colombia. Take a walking tour through the three ecosystems, tropical rainforest, seaboard and desert. At the end of the tour, enjoy a typical Colombian coffee before returning to Cartagena.

Approximate tour duration is 4 hours.

OnDay : 5
Price : $66

Half Day Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira
Drive north from Bogota towards Zipaquira. Traveling through the Sabana de Bogota, you'll see the many greenhouses used for the cultivation of carnations and roses, an important industry in this region. Next, arrive at the impressive Salt Cathedral, built within the tunnels of a salt mine at 500 feet beneath the surface, a true feat of engineering. Begin the tour in a tunnel that passes the 14 Stations of the Cross and continues to a lit dome. Later, see the enormous cross carved into the rock and the three naves of the Cathedral representing the birth, life and death of Christ. In the central nave is the main altar, with a huge salt cross created by the Colombian artist Carlos Enrique Rodriguez. After your visit stop by the Café, located in one of the underground tunnels to have a delicious Colombian coffee before returning to Bogota.

Approximate tour duration is 5 hours

OnDay : 6
Price : $56

Half Day Santa Elena
Depart for Santa Elena, a small colonial town high in a mountainside near Medellin. It is one of the most typical "Antioqueño" towns, where the "Silleteros" tradition, linked to the flower production of the area, was born. Tour the area where the well-known floral arrangements have become a famous symbol of Medellin. Explore a quaint family-run organic flower hacienda and immerse yourself in the euphoric sights and smells of the plants. Marvel at the spectacular flower sculptures and diverse species of plants. At the end of the tour, enjoy a typical Colombian coffee. Afterwards, return to the hotel in Medellin. Approximate tour duration is 4 hours.

OnDay : 2
Price : $50

Monserrate Funicular Train Ride
Board the Funicular Train that takes you up to Monserrate Mountain. After a short hike, reach the top of Monserrate. At more than 10,000 feet above sea level, see outstanding views of downtown Bogota. Visit the 17th century church and the "El Señor Caído" shrine that welcomes pilgrims all year long.
*This Optional Tour is not recommended for people who have difficulty walking, fear of confined space or heights, or who have heart conditions.

Approximate tour duration is 2 hours.

OnDay : 7
Price : $29

Emerald Jewelry Workshop
Upon arrival, meet your main instructor and watch a video about Colombian emeralds to learn fascinating facts regarding these gemstones, including how they are mined and carved. Colombia is the world's largest producer of emeralds. A hands-on class follows, where you use 925 sterling silver wire and Colombian emeralds to create three pieces of jewelry, a pair of earrings, a bracelet and a ring. At the conclusion of the class you will receive a diploma and one piece of jewelry that you created.

Approximate tour duration is 3 hours.

OnDay : 5
Price : $25

Flight & Transport Inclusions

All internal ground transport

Group Size

Small Group - 24 max

Additional Information


Additional Information:
Land only price does not include arrival/departure transfers, but does include flights Medellin-Cartagena & Cartagena-Bogota.

Trip ID#:

gate1-CO-8DAFFCO-PKG-23

What's excluded

Not Included: Optional tours and gratuities.
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