Itinerary
- Day 1
Bogotá
You'll land in Bogotá and meet your tour guide for the transfer to Hotel la Opera in the historic old town. Your hotel stay includes breakfast for the next two nights. After you get settled and grab lunch, head out this afternoon to explore La Candelaria, the colonial heart of Bogotá where you'll see the old architecture and get oriented to the city.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Transfer to Hotel la Opera
- Afternoon tour of La Candelaria (colonial center of Bogotá)
Landmarks La Candelaria - Day 2
Zipaquirá
Start with a half-day city tour hitting Plaza de Bolívar and Carrera Séptima, then visit the Gold Museum to see the famous collection. Grab lunch at Chorro de Quevedo, the actual spot where Bogotá was founded back in 1538. After eating, you'll check out the Botero Museum with Fernando Botero's work alongside other painters. Later, take a cable car up Monserrate mountain (3,152m/10,335 ft) for views of the whole city. By late afternoon, drive about 50 km north to Zipaquirá and tour the Salt Cathedral, which sits inside a salt mine more than 120m deep underground.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch at Chorro de Quevedo)
Included Activities
- Half-day city tour of La Candelaria including Plaza de Bolívar and Carrera Séptima
- Visit to Gold Museum
- Lunch at Chorro de Quevedo
- Visit to Botero Museum
- Cable car ride to Monserrate mountain
- Detailed tour of Salt Cathedral in Zipaquirá
Landmarks Plaza de Bolívar Carrera Séptima Gold Museum (Museo del Oro) Chorro de Quevedo Botero Museum Monserrate Salt Cathedral (Catedral de Sal) - Day 3
Bogotá to Honda
Head out from Bogotá toward the colonial town of Honda. Once you check in, you'll spend two hours cruising the Magdalena River through tropical dry forest, watching for birds and learning about traditional fishing methods from local fishermen who'll show you how the atarraya works. When evening rolls around, walk through the small colonial village itself, which was a major trading hub connecting Bogotá to the Caribbean coast back in the day.
Included Activities
- Drive from Bogotá to Honda
- 2-hour cruise on Magdalena River
- Bird watching along Magdalena River
- Observation of local fishermen
- Learning traditional fishing net technique (atarraya)
- Evening tour of colonial Honda village
Landmarks Magdalena River Honda (colonial town) - Day 4
Honda
Drive to Mariquita in the morning, which is where José Celestino Mutis started his 18th-century botanical expeditions. From there, head into the jungle to visit the Lost City of Falán, an old mining town and ruins that started getting mined back in 1630 and is now being slowly taken over by vegetation. In the afternoon, stop by a small museum about the Río Magdalena, Colombia's most important river and its history.
- Meals
- Lunch
Included Activities
- Drive to Mariquita
- Visit to Ciudad Perdida de Falán (Lost City of Falán)
- Visit to Río Magdalena history museum
Landmarks Mariquita Ciudad Perdida de Falán - Day 5
Honda to Cartagena
Drive back to Bogotá and catch a domestic flight to Cartagena, the lively Caribbean port city where Humboldt began his second South American journey in 1801. Your German-speaking guide will meet you at the airport. You'll do a city tour of Cartagena's colonial old town to get familiar with the place and its history.
Included Activities
- Drive to Bogotá
- City tour of colonial old town Cartagena
Landmarks Cartagena (colonial old town) - Day 6
Cartagena
Explore more of Cartagena's colonial old town, which has 11 km of fortification walls and tons of historical buildings. Visit the Fortress of San Felipe perched on a hill with views over the old town and the Caribbean. Check out the San Pedro Claver museum, then head to the Convento de la Popa, an Augustinian convent built in 1607 that even Pope John Paul II visited in 1986. Late afternoon and evening are especially nice here when the Caribbean breeze picks up and you hear horse hooves on the streets.
Included Activities
- Visit to Fortress of San Felipe
- Visit to San Pedro Claver museum
- Visit to Convento de la Popa
Landmarks Fortress of San Felipe San Pedro Claver Museum Convento de la Popa - Day 7
Cartagena to Turbaco
Travel to Turbaco where Humboldt spent 15 days doing research. Visit the Guillermo Piñéres botanical garden with a personal tour from the director if available. Walk through the mud volcanoes that Humboldt studied back in the 19th century and tried to understand.
Included Activities
- Visit to Guillermo Piñéres botanical garden
- Visit to mud volcanoes
Landmarks Guillermo Piñéres Botanical Garden Mud Volcanoes (Turbaco) - Day 8
Cartagena
You have the full day to yourself in Cartagena and can wander around however you want. In the afternoon, head to the airport for your return flight to Germany or arrange your own travel plans onward from there.
Optional Activities
- Free time to explore Cartagena independently
