After backpacking Colombia for 1.5 months, I quickly fell in love with this beautiful country. There is so much to see in Colombia that it’s difficult to pick what to do. There are beautiful mountain ranges like the Sierra Nevada’s and islands like Isla Rosario and then incredible cities like Medellin and Cartagena. This itinerary includes the best of everything with hikes, beaches, cities, and more. You’ll be able to experience all of the culture Colombia has to offer. This itinerary flies into Medellin and out of Cartagena since those are the biggest airports besides Bogota but most people will need to fly in and out of Bogota.
If you only have a week to travel, you can also choose between the mainland option (Medellin and Salento) or the coast (Cartagena and Tayrona).
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Medellin: 3 days
Where to stay: Poblado neighborhood
What to do:
- Take a free walking tour and learn the history of Medellin and Colombia. It’s impossible to visit Medellin without doing this. It’ll remove all of the preconceived notions you once had about Colombia when you hear about it firsthand from a local guide.
- Take a tour of Comuna 13 which was once the most dangerous neighborhood’s in the world.
Day trip to Guatape
Guatape: 1 day
Fly to Pereira
Salento: 3 days
Fly from Pereira to Santa Marta
Tayrona Park: 2 days
Cartagena:
Fly home
