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

8 Day Classic Colombia

Gate 1 Travel
3.7 . Great
70%
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 
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.

716 Gate 1 Travel Travel Reviews & Ratings

70%
3.7 out of 5 (100+ reviews)
Excellent 444
Great 25
Average 30
Disappointing 28
Terrible 189
Value
3.7
Guide
3.7
Activities
3.7
Lodging
3.7
Transportation
3.7
Meals
3.7

8 Day Classic Colombia

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Our trip to Morocco from 8/31/2023…

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Our trip to Morocco from 8/31/2023-9/7/2023 was a pleasant surprise. I will give our trip a 5 star rating. Our guide Mohammed and his team made our trip so easy and wonderful. When we reached Casablanca we were greeted by Mohammed and his team outside the airport arrival doors. Throughout the trip, Mohammed and his team were on top of everything. They really cared for us. Mohammed is an excellent guide. We traveled to Rabbat, Fez, Marrakesch, and Casablanca in a private air conditioned Gate1travel bus. All the hotels were very good with the exception of Rabbat Hotel which was average but it had the best breakfast and location. Our return to the Casablanca airport was great. Mohammed boarded us on the bus. When we reached the airport there were several people to help us. There was a very nice gentleman who helped us with our luggage and all the way to the ticket counter. For the price and service provided by Gate1, we give our trip a 5 * rating. We cannot praise enough Mohammed and his team making our trip a pleasure. Mohammed and his team is a great asset to Gate1 Travel in Morroco!
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VERY BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE

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Booked a tour online but we wanted to speak with someone - not just click buttons on a computer. This was all too hard for gate1 consultants who were tardy at responding to emails. Whilst waiting for a response about how to make the payment (because it was in USD), our booking fell over (even though we'd emailed the consultant to ask her to hold the booking because we were in the Northern Territory outback without mobile range for 2 days) and then the tour was booked out. We'd already booked our fares from Australia. The consultant called Nicole was most unhelpful throughout the process and is totally unsuited to that type of job. I'd never look at any of their tours because I see the reviews are very negative and I can see why. They need to pull their socks up before they go broke......
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Today 25/8/2023 when i was in Monas

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Today 25/8/2023 when i was in Monas , your agent(Is a man staff) never Line up to enter the Monas . Time is about 9am to 10am…i hope he can say apologize to other who Line up imfront of his Group…thank you
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Southern England

3.0
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We toured Southern England. Our guide, Mark, was delightful. Our accommodations were awful. In Stratford-Upon-Avon, where it was in the mid-80’s, we had no air conditioning in our rooms. There were major traffic issues.

I’d you don’t mind substandard accommodations, go for it.
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This service is entirely unacceptable.

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This service is entirely unacceptable. I noticed that my name has an error and have been going back and forth calling every single day to speak with someone in regards to correcting this egregious mistake. Each day i speak with a new person and they inform me that they have corrected the issue and that it takes about 24 hours for the change to be reflected. Each 24 hours that pass, there is no change. It is exhausting having to jump through hoops for a simple mistake that 1- should never have happened and 2 should have been corrected after the initial phone conversation. Yesterday, was the 5th time i spoke with someone, Clinton Foley, at which point i required that i receive a confirmation email proving that amendments were being processed. Today was the last time i spoke with someone and again the name is an error. My trip is 2 weeks away and instead of preparing and getting excited for this experience i am left with a sour taste in my mouth and dont even want to continue my business further with gate 1 if simple issues like this cannot be resolved with me calling DAILY. Escalate this to the highest personnel and fix this mistake immediately.
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Not too bad for price, but...

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I have gone on 10 Gate 1 tours. They have been reasonably priced, with overall decent service. The hotels are mostly fine. Usually, they choose at least one cheap hotel for the trip that might not be as nice as some of the others.

I was not totally happy with our most recent trip on land and the Rhine River. I don't usually write emails or letters to companies unless their product of service is either outstanding and I want to compliment them, or it's poor or something has gone wrong, but I felt compelled to write to Gate 1.

I will tell you that on our most recent trip there was a very sick woman on our bus who coughed and coughed and coughed throughout the entire trip from Bruges, Belgium to Paris. Long story short, nobody wanted to sit near her on the bus, and when our table asked that she not sit with us because she was sick, the tour manager just came over and shoved a table next to us so she could sit with us. We protested, so he moved her a small distance away from us.

I wrote to Gate 1, who told me that "half of the group was sick," which was simply not true. The tour manager told Gate 1 that he wanted to put her with us "to ensure group harmony." So, Gate 1, "group harmony" is more important than our catching an infection? Why couldn't the tour manager have told everybody at the beginning of the tour that it will not be anything personal if he or she suggests that sick people isolate themselves whenever possible? I told Gate 1 that I would never travel with that tour manager again, and since they seemed to make excuses for the tour manager's actions, I am seriously considering not taking any more Gate 1 tours.
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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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