Join us on an over 50 years of age small group shared tour of Colombia in 2023. Enjoying the company of like-minded travelers, exploring this amazing country in either a high-end shared tour or a comfort shared tour (All of which can be purchased as a private tour!).
Traveling solo, as a couple, or with friends, you’re guaranteed to have an amazing and unforgettable experience!
On the evening of the day of your arrival, you will enjoy a fabulous Welcome Dinner in a fine Bogotá restaurant. This will allow you to meet your fellow travelers and sense the spirit and excitement that is about to come into existence!
With a rich history, Bogota It is a fascinating city to explore. This sprawling city is far larger than most imagine. The perfect starting point for the adventure.
You will experience the pulsating center of Bogotá including candlemas, the neighborhood where the Colombian capital was founded. The colonial architecture mixes with urban art in the historic center of Bogotá, the bohemian neighborhood of La Candelaria.
Brimming with art, history, and good food, take a colorful stroll along the cobbled streets to discover it among museums, restaurants, and shops that connect the past, present, and avant-garde. The streets are full of amazing colonial buildings along with the opulent Presidential Palace and seat of Government.
Continue on with a visit to the famous Museo D´Oro (Gold Museum) which is stunning. On display is an extraordinary selection of pre-Hispanic gold work. It is the largest collection in the world with more than thirty thousand pieces of gold artifacts and twenty thousand pieces of ceramics, textiles, and so on from pre-Columbian cultures that is now Colombia.
One of the most recognizable attractions in Bogota is Monserrate Hill, a hill towering above the city with a church perched on its top. In 1620 the construction of a hermitage in honor of the Virgin of Monserrat was begun and affords spectacular views. To reach the monastery of Monserrate, you ascend the heights either by climbing, cable car, or funicular.
Two shared group tour options of the Colombian Highlights, exclusively for those over 50. Both of which can be purchased as a private tour!
#one. Comfort 16-day Highlights of Colombia #2. high end 15-day Colombian Highlights
Departing from Bogotá we arrive in the Eje Cafetero – Coffee Zone, for a day of relaxation after the hustle and bustle of the capital city. If there is something that visitors to Colombia fall in love with, it is the variety of its landscapes. Here at Saint Rose of Cabal hot springs abound at the entrance to Los Nevados National Park. Thermal waters arise from the depths of the earth spontaneously, with a high concentration of minerals. An impressive landscape surrounds the thermals. Snow-capped mountains, lush flora, and the 95-meter-high branching waterfall that flows into natural pools of hot and cold waters.
You are right in the middle of the Eje Cafetero when driving into Viterbo. The entrance is dramatic and impressive. An avenue covered by massive Saman trees welcomes you to the pueblo (town). This is an important area for coffee production and you will be able to visit a traditional coffee and cocoa farm (farm) to see the entire process from planting to finally enjoying a cup of the freshest coffee, along with making your very own chocolate. Not far away is the town of Belalcázar. The Cristo Rey monument is the largest of its kind in the world. For those of you willing to climb the 152 steps inside the figure of Christ, the reward will be an incredible view in all directions.
salento It is one of the most famous towns in all of Colombia, as well as the most charming. Mountains with infinite green tones, the product of incredible flora species including wax palms, endless coffee bushes, bananas, and others surround you.
Salento is a paradise stopped in time whose houses with balconies remain intact, displaying rainbow colors of overflowing flowers.
The buildings are a representation of the typical country houses that populate this area, along with warm and friendly people. Salento has retained its old-world charm with a distinctly laid-back attitude.
The Cocora Valley It is the primary location of the distinctive wax palm, which is Colombia’s national tree, also found in a couple of other places. It is the tallest wax palm in the world. To get to the Cocora Valley, we jump on one of the many Willys Jeeps found in the town square, Plaza Bolivar.
Like Salento, filandia It is characterized by its colorful colonial architecture, a small and traditional pueblo in the Coffee Zone, close to Salento. Filandia is surrounded by some epic scenery with lush rolling green hills, grazing horses, and misty snow-capped mountain backdrops with dusty dirt tracks leading to centuries-old coffee haciendas. For the very best views, we will go to the mirador (lookout) on the outskirts of the town.
Traveling on to Medellin, we are in the most modern and dynamic city in Colombia, the city of eternal spring. You will understand the turbulent history of the city and appreciate the amazing progress made over the last 15 years.
Medellín is one of the most visited destinations in Colombia throughout the year. Its climate, surrounding towns, the warmth of its people, and its nightlife make it an unmissable attraction for travelers from all over the world.
Once one of the most dangerous of neighborhoods in Medellín, commune 13, which clings to the mountainside above the San Javier metro station, has undergone an impressive metamorphosis in recent times and is now safe to visit. The nucleus of a trip to the Comuna is the area around the escalators, the outdoor escalators that provide access to homes in marginalized barrios that were formerly isolated from the rest of the city.
Medellin is also famous for its festivals. From Colombia Moda (Fashion Week) in July to Feria de las Flores (Flower Festival) in August, to the International Jazz Festival in September, to the most spectacular of Christmas light displays in December, there is rarely a dull moment in the city.
guatape is a sensational area created from the flooding of two towns to create a dam. Cobblestone streets are adorned with houses painted in multiple colors. El Peñon de Guatapé, or La Piedra del Peñol, is a 220m/722´ high monolith located between the municipalities of Guatapé and El Peñol and has 702 steps to climb to the top! A wonder of nature, from where you can see a panoramic view of the reservoir of more than 2,200 hectares/5,436 acres. Once there the views are literally out of this world. The lake and numerous tiny islands make for a spectacular sight. This is a bucket-list experience everybody needs to have at least once in their lifetime.
The highlight here will undoubtedly be the helicopter ride over this wonderful giant rock and beautiful surrounding area. (Only available in the high end 15-day Colombian Highlights)
Of course, Cartagena and the Caribbean coast are something really special, so next, you’re in a plane and traveling North to a paradise like non-other!
Cartagena – A city of colorful colonial architecture, and vibrant culture with sensational beaches and islands. The walled city of Cartagena de Indias, a UNESCO heritage site, is unique in its beauty that fascinates travelers from all over the world. The city is divided into two parts, the old town or walled city and a more modern area full of skyscrapers. This slice of Caribbean paradise offers colonial charm and history, with lots of fantastic restaurants, great shopping, and bustling nightlife.
The Rosario Islands are a small archipelago of some 28 islands, located offshore from Cartagena. Your day of island hopping will be like no other. An ideal place to enjoy the magic of the Caribbean without the crowds.
A privileged place in nature, pure white sandy beaches of coral formation, reflect a sea of contrasts with distinct blues and greens. You can dive into crystal-clear water, snorkel, or just relax. There is nothing more carefree than a day at the beach.
The downtown area is bustling with restaurants, bars, and Santa Marta, our next stop, is pure flavor. The city’s diversity is unmistakable. It is a destination that truly embraces its visitors and makes them feel at home.
A city that has made culture and expression an inspiration for singers, painters, and writers. The beauty of its beaches, the friendliness of its people, and the colors of its sunsets all make Santa Marta one of the main tourist destinations for both locals and foreigners.
Lost to memory for 400 years before its accidental rediscovery in the 1970s, The Lost City (The Lost City of Colombia) is stunning in its scale and complexity. Some of which date to the seventh century, with terraces, plazas, canals, storehouses, stone paths, and staircases, many of them remarkably preserved. But exploring Ciudad Perdida is a hard-earned prize as the only way to reach the site is by completing the nearly 30-mile round-trip trek, over a course of 4-5 days, through the unbearably hot, mountainous, mosquito-infested Colombian rainforest. However, we have a helicopter waiting to fly over The Lost City for you, which will be truly memorable. See a world from long ago from a totally different perspective. (Only available in the high end 15-day Colombian Highlights)
Cabo San Juan in Tayrona Park will be your next haven on this phenomenal tour. Stroll barefoot on a beach of soft, white sand with gentle waves of turquoise, crystalline waters lapping at your feet, enveloping you with a sense of peace and tranquility.
This is arguably one of the outstanding areas in Tayrona National Park. This stunning park, located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, offers nature lovers a unique experience with outstanding landscapes and unforgettable sunsets, where you can immerse yourself in the incredible serenity that abounds there.
The Lost City of Taironaka (Only available in the Comfort 16-day Highlights of Colombia) will be an amazing discovery. It is reached by crossing forests full of exotic fauna and flora, hanging bridges, mountains, and waterfalls. In the midst of a tropical forest are found the ruins of the great Tayrona Empire.
The Taironaka Reserve is located near the Don Diego River where the Tairona people lived in a flourishing society in the times before the Spanish conquest. They were an advanced civilization that lived in stone structures in the jungle. Their descendants, the Kogui people, have inhabited the same mountain area where they have been able to maintain their traditional way of life to this day. The Taironaka Reserve is an archaeological site that has preserved artifacts from this pre-Colombian culture, where old stone terraces, walkways, drainage systems, and old mountain pathways can still be seen.
In the evening you will have a final opportunity to share photos and memories with your fellow travelers at a fantastic farewell dinner in one of Santa Marta’s incredible restaurants.
