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1. Day 1 Arrive Bogota, Colombia

   Meet Andean Discovery staff and transport to hotel

   Bienvenidos a Colombia!

   Upon evening arrival in Bogotá, an Andean Discovery staff member will welcome your family to Colombia. After a quick drive, you’ll be dropped at your hotel, conveniently located near the airport.

   Meals: On your own

   Standard Lodging: Marriott Courtyard Hotel

   Superior Lodging: Bogotá Marriott Hotel

2. Day 2 Explore the Coffee Triangle

   Visit the Andean forest and interact with rural communities

   This morning, you’ll be transferred to the airport so you can begin your Colombian adventure in the tropical mountains of the famous Coffee Triangle. A quick flight over the Andes will bring you to Pereira, one of three cities that form the Coffee Triangle.

   Today, we will explore a fragile Andean forest in one of Colombia’s most pristine national parks, the Otun-Quimbaya Flora and Fauna Sanctuary. Located alongside the Otún river, the sanctuary protects diverse Andean species that are disappearing elsewhere. A local naturalist guide will explain why Colombia has the highest number of bird species on the planet, as you see them in the foliage and hear their song. As you wander down the trail to a beautiful waterfall, look up and keep an eye out for red howler monkeys that may peering down at you.

   After a morning in the breezy, humid sanctuary, get ready for an artistic afternoon. Your will visit with a family of rural artisans who will teach you to build rain sticks with local, sustainable materials, including Guadua bamboo. Later this afternoon, check in at your hacienda where the natural adventures will continue. Before dining on a dinner made with local ingredients from the property’s exotic fruit trees and intricate orchids, you’ll have time to explore the peaceful property that contains over 300 bird species.

   Meals: B, L, D

   Standard Lodging: Hacienda Castilla

   Superior Lodging: Casa San Carlos Lodge

3. Day 3 Visit Cocora Valley and Salento

   Walk amongst the wax palms and tour a local coffee plantation

   This morning, your family will venture into the Cocora Valley, part of Los Nevados National Park. Known as Colombia’s valley of the palms, this region hosts ethereal cloud forests brimming with natural gifts. You will encounter the wax palm, Colombia’s national tree, and marvel at its dizzying height and incredible ability to survive at such altitude. The wax palm is an endangered species, but you will do your part to ensure a sustainable future for the tree by joining locals to reforest an area with wax palm seedlings. A local Quimbaya from the community will bless a new crop of seedlings before you plant them in the rich Andean soil.

   This afternoon, you visit a family-run coffee plantation and learn how the beans are grown, harvested, dried, and exported across the globe. Then, it’s time to finally taste one of Colombia’s most famous exports!   A guide will teach you how to analyze the aroma, flavor, and appreciate the body of a truly sophisticated Cup of Joe during the tasting.

   Finish the afternoon off with a stroll around Salento, a picturesque Andean village known for the skillful artistry of its locals, visible with vibrant balconies that adorn the downtown. This charming town has everything you could want: tasty local dishes, lively café-bars, a pristine location at the foothills of the Andes and genuine smiles that make you feel like part of the community. Although you may never want to leave Salento, a delicious dinner will be awaiting you at your hacienda.

   Meals: B, L, D

   Standard Lodging: Hacienda Castilla

   Superior Lodging: Casa San Carlos Lodge

4. Day 4 Fly to Santa Marta

   Enjoy the Caribbean sun in Santa Marta and take a short afternoon hike

   This morning, get up knowing that the Caribbean sun awaits! Now that you’ve toured a coffee plantation, you’ll have a deeper appreciation for the mug of coffee that prepares you for the next adventure.

   You’ll be transferred to the airport to catch your morning flight to Santa Marta. Colombia’s oldest city has an exotic setting with long beaches set against the stunning Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the world’s highest coastal mountain range. The Parque Nacional Tayrona encompasses every known ecosystem, including pristine white sand beaches and lush mangrove forests, earning the area the nickname “the heart of the world”.

   Andean Discovery local guides will transfer you with a one-hour drive to your secluded “ecohab” beach bungalow. Before lunch, you can enjoy a walk along the beach or sit under the shade of coconut palms, breathing in fresh, salt air. This afternoon, enjoy a light jungle hike to El Pozo Sagrado, The Sacred Well, located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The Kogui people believe this swimming hole is sacred and often perform cleansing rituals and give offerings to Mother Earth here. You can also make a traditional offering or enjoy a rejuvenating swim. After relaxing to the sounds of the jungle, you’ll return to your secluded beach bungalow.

   Meals: B, L, D

   Lodging: Tayrona Hotel Boutique

5. Day 5 Explore the Sierra Nevada mountains

   Float the Don Diego River and visit the Navio Quebrado Lagoon

   This morning, you will experience the magical microclimates of the Sierra Nevada Mountains as we float down the Don Diego River in reinforced inner tubes. A Sierra Nevada glacier feeds this crystal clear river, which provides refreshing, cool water flowing to the ocean. On a clear day, you can observe all 32 peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range. Keep your eyes out for Howler Monkeys playing in the trees and an assortment of migratory birds and native tropical species. You will also leisurely float by indigenous Kogui people fishing and washing clothes. After an hour, you hop out at the giant sand bar that marks the confluence of the Don Diego River and the Caribbean Sea.

   After lunch, we will visit Los Flamencos Sanctuary that encompasses four lagoons. At Navio Quebrado Lagoon, you will board a traditional dugout sailboat for an excursion around the lake. Float by beautiful pink flamingos that get their color from eating the lake’s special plankton. The lake is also a natural habitat for oysters and shrimp and numerous marine birds. If you’re feeling adventurous, grab the tiller and navigate the traditional sailboat yourself. Return to shore and enjoy fresh shrimp empanadas made by a local family before returning to your beach retreat for the evening.

   Meals: B, L, D

   Lodging: Tayrona Hotel Boutique

6. Day 6 Travel to Cartagena

   Visit local fishing villages and the port city of Baranqilla on your way to Cartagena

   This morning, you will embark on a coastal journey through remote fishing villages, seaside pools and mangroves. We will stop for lunch in the industrial port town of Baranquilla, the birthplace of Colombian pop goddess Shakira and salsa legend Joe Arroyo. Here, you will learn more about the historic and modern Colombian music, which fuses European, African, and Indigenous influences.

   Then, you will continue the journey to the charming colonial town of Cartagena, whose walled city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Known officially as Cartagena De Las Indias, this coastal city retains historic architecture from the Spanish colonial era. You will feel the diverse and eccentric cultural blend of Cartagena when you taste its food, hear its music, and stroll its cobblestone streets. Enjoy dinner on your own this evening.

   Meals: B, L

   Standard Lodging: 3 Banderas Hotel

   Superior Lodging: Santa Clara Hotel

7. Day 7 Tour Cartagena

   Visit San Felipe Fort and La Ciudad Amurallada

   In the Spanish Colonial era, Cartagena served as important political and economic center and the Spanish heavily invested in impressive fortifications to guard against pirates. You will see this firsthand on a morning visit to the strategically located San Felipe Fort. Explore the archways and secret passageways of the 16^th-Century fort that defended the prosperity of the port city. Here, old dungeons have been converted into artisan shops and boutiques. This afternoon, leisurely explore La Ciudad Amurallada, one of the world’s best-preserved walled cities containing a plethora of flowers, colorful buildings and intimate plazas.

   Meals: B, L

   Standard Lodging: 3 Banderas Hotel

   Superior Lodging: Santa Clara Hotel

8. Day 8 Visit La Boquilla and travel to Bogota

   Kayak tour of La Boquilla fihsing village

   This morning, we will visit La Boquilla, a vibrant and culturally rich small fishing community. Despite its proximity to Cartagena, the village is a true hidden gem, undiscovered by most travelers. Here, a local fisherman will teach you about the local fauna and fish of the cienaga (lagoon). In exchange, help him haul in his daily catch by assisting with fishing nets and crab boxes.

   To continue your immersion into local village life, you will kayak through the mangroves and beautiful, tranquil lagoon. Here, you can try your hand at catching crabs, shrimp and fish using traditional methods including casting the Atarraya traditional fishing nets.

   After reeling in your catch, help prepare lunch in a simple family kitchen. You’ll learn how to cook the town’s famous coconut rice, plantains (patacones), fried fish and garlic crabs from scratch. Then, enjoy lunch together, washing down the tasty meal with agua panela, a sugar cane drink. You’ll have some free time to take a siesta in a hammock or walk off your meal on the beach.

   Then, you will be transported back to your hotel to collect your bags before heading to the airport for a late afternoon flight to Bogotá. Upon arrival in Bogotá, check in at your hotel located near the airport and reflect on your wonderful Colombian adventure.

   Meals: B, L

   Standard Lodging: Marriott Courtyard Hotel

   Superior Lodging: Bogotá Marriott Hotel

9. Day 9 Depart

   Transfer to the airport for your international flight

   This morning you will be transferred to the airport for your international flight.

   Meals: B