Dear Reader,
I have spent a couple of weeks in Colombia this summer and loved the experience. After having put together most of the information about the individual cities, I want to share with you my trip through the country and put together the perfect two week Colombia Itinerary.
Bogota - 2 days
Bogota will most likely be the first stop on your itinerary. You can decide to spend these days in Bogota at the beginning or at the end. In this two week Colombia itinerary I have added two at the beginning and one at the end, so they frame the rest of the experience.
Day 1 - Adjusting to everything
Once you landed in Bogota you will need to get from the airport to your accommodation. You can take a taxi which will take approximately half an hour if you are staying somewhere in the old town. If you want to use public transport, you can take the green public bus to the main bus terminal and then take bus #1 until the end station. Once you reach it, you can take a taxi or walk to your accommodation.
- Check in to your accommodation
- Hunt for dinner in the old town
Day 2 - Explore the city a bit
- Go on a free walking tour or a bike tour
- Enjoy some lunch at a local restaurant
Once your tour finished and you had time to check out, head back to the airport or the bus station for the trip to Pereira. You can take a flight or bus to get there. If you need more details on getting from Bogota to Salento, check out this post.
Salento - 3 days
Salento is one of the most well known small town, famous for coffee farms and the Cocora Valley hike. Here is the best way to utilize your time in this adorable little place.
Day 1 - Cocora Valley
- Go buy a packed lunch at Brunch
- Take a jeep at 8:00 AM to get to the valley before 9:00 AM
- Walk the hike counterclockwise
- Take a break at the main viewpoint
- Enjoy the Cocora Valley and have lunch
- Take the jeep back to the city
- Take a rest at your hostel
- Go out for dinner on the main square
- Enjoy a game of Tejo
This explanation is very brief, but if you want to do this hike, check out my full blog post here. It will give you all the details you need to make the hike a success and enjoyable.
Day 2 - Coffee Farms and other activities
- Visit one of the three coffee farms in the morning
- Have lunch
- Go horseback riding around the area
- Enjoy dinner at one of the local restaurants
- Go to the one bar in the main square with the whole town.
Day 3 - Enjoy the town
- Walk around the center of the town
- Climb to the viewpoint if you want to
- Travel to Medellin in the afternoon
There are two ways to get from Salento to Medellin. There is a direct bus but only in the morning, so it is simpler if you go to Pereira first. From there you can take an eight-hour bus or a 45-minute flight. Since you only have two weeks, I suggest you fly or you can take an overnight bus.
If you have more time in Salento or need further ideas, you can check out this post about what to do in Salento.
Medellin - 3 days
Medellin is growing in popularity and has welcomed many tourists over the past couple of years. Here is the best way to spend a couple of days in this city.
Day 1 - Enjoy the city
- Take a free walking tour
- Have a typical lunch in the center
- Visit the House of Memories Museum
- Enjoy dinner at one of the many restaurants
- Go out in the evening - maybe hostel pub crawl
Day 2 - Communa 13 and Guatape
- Take a Comuna 13 tour - personal preference would be Zippy tours
- Eat some empanadas at the bus station
- Take a bus to Guatape - about 2 hours
- Walk around the village
- Eat on the main square
Day 3 - Guatape and travel
- Start early morning
- Climb the rock
- Take a bus back to Medellin
- Travel to Minca
You can definitely spend more time in Medellin, but with this itinerary, you will have seen the most important parts. If you would like to see more details about Medellin, you can check out this post.
Traveling to Minca is a bit complicated. The only way to get there is from Santa Marta with a minibus in about 45 minutes. From Medellin, you can take a 12-hour bus to Santa Marta or take a 1-hour flight. From the airport, you can take the blue public bus into the city to the van stop to Minca or take a taxi directly to Minca. The taxi might be worth it if you are more than one person to save time. In total, the journey from Guatape to Minca will take at least 7 hours probably more. If you get to Santa Marta too late to take the van to Minca, just stay there overnight and go in the morning. The first bus runs at 7:00 AM so you will not miss much.
Minca - 2 days
Minca is an adorable small town in the mountains only one hour away from Santa Marta. This is one of the popular destinations around this area. Here is what to do in two days.
Day 1 - Los Pinos
- Get up early for breakfast
- Start walking to Los Pinos - I suggest towards Poco Azul
- Packed lunch or lunch at Casa Elementos
- Walk down through the forest
- Dinner at the Black Cat Caffee
Day 2 - Waterfall
- Get up early and check out
- Walk up 1.5 hours to Cascada Marino
- Enjoy the amazing water
- Come back down - either walking or by mototaxi
- Have lunch in town
- Take the van back to Santa Marta
- Take a van to Cartagena
I suggest you leave Minca before 2:00 PM, to be able to reach Cartagena before 10:00 PM. It is also helpful if you have some internet data when you arrive in Cartagena by bus to call a taxi or Uber.
If you would like to stay in Minca longer to relax, that is lovely for sure. There is not much to do but it is ideal to relax and enjoy nature and quiet. To make sure you know everything there is to know about Minca, check out this post.
Cartagena - 3 days
Day 1 - Explore the city
- Take a free walking tour or self-guided walking tour of the old town
- Enjoy lunch at one of the traditional restaurants
- Walk around Gestemani in the afternoon
- Watch the sunset from Cafe del Mar
- Eat Dinner from a street vendor
- Go enjoy the nightlife
Day 2 - Beach excursion
Beach excursions are a must of you are staying in Cartagena. There are many companies and different destinations, so do a bit of research so you get what you want. But don't worry, there will always be a space left as long as you are there before 9:30 AM.
- Grab breakfast at a bakery
- Take a boat to one of the beaches or islands in the area
- Spend a day enjoying the beautiful beach
- Come back to Cartagena around 3:00 PM
- Have some seafood for dinner
- Go for a drink in the Gestemani district
Day 3 - Enjoy the city
On this last day of the trip, enjoy all that you have seen and maybe see some more that you want to.
- Go visit a museum or walk the old town
- Have ceviche for lunch
In the afternoon it is time to say goodbye to Cartagena and take a taxi to the airport. The airport is very close to the city (maybe 15 minutes), so taking a taxi is usually the fastest way to get there. It is a small airport so you do not need much time there.
Cartagena has a lot to offer so if the above suggestions are not to your liking, you can enjoy museums, vulcanos, or local cultures. While there are many tourists around, I know you will enjoy your time here. If you need more details for your trip, check out my Cartagena post.
Bogota - 1 day
On the last day, you need to see how much time you have. If you have more time you can visit the many museums in the old city and enjoy one of the many coffee shops around the city. There are many things you can go explore or see something you heard another guest at your accommodation talk about. If you prefer, you can also just relax and wait for the time you need to go to the airport.
That is my two week Colombia itinerary from this summer. I loved my time there even though it is a bit of a rush. If you have more time, use this itinerary as a base and add a couple of extra days to each spot. Also, make sure to listen to suggestions to people you meet during your trip. They are always a great source of information.
Have you been to Colombia before? If so, I would love to hear your experience or any tips you want to share with me and other readers in the comments below or on social media.
Kisses,
Juli