Heart Of Colombia Coffee and Culture

Arrive at any time, your driver will be waiting to collect you from the airport and take you to your hotel.
There are no activities planned for this day, so just relax and drink plenty of water to help you adjust to the altitude.

You’ll be collected from your accommodation in Bogotá and taken on a guided excursion, where you’ll encounter the most important historical locations within La Candelaria. Such as where the rebellion against the Spanish was first planned; the Palace of Justice; Plaza Bolivar, and many more.
Once you have visited these beautiful sites it will be time for you to ascend to the great height of 10,341 ft (3152m) and the summit of Monserrate; almost 2,000ft higher than Bogotá. Here you’ll have time to wander through the artisan markets, visit a beautiful 17th-century monastery and enjoy some of the most spectacular panoramic views of the capital city of this great nation. You’ll learn how this mountain was sacred to the indigenous Muiscas people for hundreds of years, how during the June solstice, the sun rises exactly from behind Monserrate and how thousands of pilgrims journey to this destination every year.

You’ll be collected from your hotel in Bogotá and be taken directly to the salt mine of Zipaquirá. Where you’ll uncover the ingenuity of the people who 590 ft (180 m) underground converted this ancient salt mine into the amazing church that receives as many as 3000 people every Sunday of the year.
Once you’ve finished your tour, taken many photos and come to understand how important this location has been for hundreds of years to the locals of this area. You’ll take the short trip to the town of Zipaquirá where you’ll wander the streets checking out the grand Plaza (main square), Independence Square and one of the oldest churches you can find in Colombia.

Raquira / Villa de Leyva
Following Zipaquirá you’ll continue onto the wonderful town of Ráquira. This town is absolutely full of artisans and a dream location for anyone wishing to do a bit of shopping. You’ll find everything here from hammocks to pottery and all Colombian made.
For those interested in taking photos and not shopping, there are some fantastic streets and a wonderful town plaza full of giant clay statues.
Next, you’ll be arriving at your final destination; Villa de Leyva. Here you’ll take a quick tour with your guide, before enjoying a wonderful night walking cobblestone streets with lanterns scattered along the colonial buildings and the moonlight to guide your way.

Following breakfast, you’ll enjoy a wonderful tour of the most important locations in and around Villa de Leyva.
Your Villa de Leyva tour will include:
• Villa de Leyva - Stroll through the beautiful cobblestone streets, and through the largest plaza in Colombia.
• Monasterio Del Santo Eccehomo – Declared part of Colombia’s architectural heritage in 1998, the initial convent was founded in 1620. This is simply a beautiful monastery built on a hillside and consisting of a wonderful cloister, church, cemetery, and plaza, with wonderful views.
• The Terracotta House – Explore the largest piece of pottery in the world. Wander through the many rooms taking photos from the many angles. This really is quite amazing!
• The Fossil Museum – See, touch, and feel the bones of dinosaurs that once ruled this world.
After your tour of Villa de Leyva is complete you’ll start your journey back to Bogotá in the early afternoon, with a photo-stop at the Puente de Boyacá (Boyacá Bridge), one of the most important bridges in Colombian history where the “Battle of Boyacá” was fought and won by the rebels. This finally provided New Granada independence from Spain.

Enjoy a short flight to Pereira where your transport will be waiting to take you directly to your hotel in Salento.
There are no tours planned for today so you can simply relax and check-out this wonderful town full of artisan shops, cafes, bars, and restaurants.

Today you will take a trip to the magical location of the Thermal Hot-Springs of Santa Rosa and the colorful town of Filandia.
The Thermal Pools of Santa Rosa is truly one of the most picturesque locations you can visit while in Colombia. Set in a valley surrounded by tropical rain-forest the hot springs are quite simply amazing! You can move through the pools finding your perfect temperature, as the boiling hot water enters from the center and the cool refreshing mountain water enters from the sides. You’ll absolutely fall in love with the amazing waterfall that is an absolute must to visit.
Once it’s time to leave you’ll journey to one of the most colorful towns in Colombia; Filandia. Here you’ll enjoy a walking tour where you’ll be able to take many photos of the beautiful buildings, along with a trip to the mirador (lookout) where you’ll be amazed at the spectacular 360′ views you receive.

This morning you’ll start your day with some beautiful views from the Salento Mirador (Lookout), and a look down into the valley you will soon venture through.
Next, you’ll take a trip into the lush Cocora Valley and a guided tour of the Wax Palm Forest. This valley is spectacular by itself, but when combined with the forest filled with the tallest wax palms in the world, it becomes an almost spiritual experience. You’ll get to spend a few hours walking through this peaceful zone with more beautiful views in every direction.
After you’ve stopped for a wonderful lunch you’ll continue onto a sensational coffee tour. This is one of the best coffee tours in Colombia and so very unique. The reason being the philosophy of this single lady owner. She has created a Finca that is completely pesticide and machinery free. Every part of the entire process is done by hand and with this, you’ll discover the traditional methods of growing the perfect coffee bean. You’ll also get to explore this wonderful Finca and find so much more than just coffee is grown here, such as a large variety of fruits as well. You’ll learn the complete process from the seed to the cup, including handpicking a few beans yourself.

You’ll be collected from the airport and taken directly into an amazing tour of the city of Eternal Spring (so named for its consistent weather all year long). On this tour, you’ll see the most important locations in this grand city, and enjoy a mix of culture, history, and local traditions.
Combined with this tour you’re also going to enjoy an extraordinary tour through Comuna 13. Once a place unsafe for the police, this is now a hub for tourism with amazing murals and graffiti covering the street walls. Along with this you’ll enjoy wonderful views and ride the outdoor escalators.

You’ll be driven through some of the most beautiful scenery on to the replica town of Old Peñol; this town was actually flooded and is the bottom of Lake Guatape now. The only part of this town that is still visible is the church spiral that sticks out of the watermarking the spot for everyone to see (you may visit this spot later in the day if you choose a boat cruise).
After you have walked through this replica town, you’ll carry on to Guatape Rock. Once there you will have the opportunity to climb the 740 steps to the very top with absolutely breathtaking views every step of the way. Once you’ve got to the top you’ll have time to catch your breath, relax and take photos before leisurely taking the 740 steps back down again.
After you have returned to the ground you will be collected and driven to the nearby Guatape Town, where you’ll enjoy a walking tour of the cobblestone streets lined with colorful buildings.

You enjoy the wonderful scenery on the way almost as much as the historic town of Santa Fe de Antioquia, where you will enjoy a fantastic guided tour through this beautiful town. Here you will discover buildings dating back to the colonial times, an absolutely delightful plaza (main square) and learn the history of the church that was never completed.
After you have wandered these stones streets and taken many perfect photos you will continue on to the Western Bridge. This bridge was actually built by an architect that was also involved with building the Brooklyn Bridge in New York.

Jardín
Following more photos of this famous piece of history, you’ll cross this swinging bridge and start on your relaxing journey to Jardin, where you’ll be checking into your hotel and enjoy a relaxing evening in yet another beautiful setting.

You’ll wake to the sound of the birds or perhaps the church bells in the town square of Jardin. You’ve enjoyed a wonderful breakfast and start a fabulous tour of this picturesque town wandering the streets marveling at the colonial buildings and balconies full of flowers.
Next you’ll start on your journey to Jerico; another simply breathtaking town, full of amazing scenes straight out of the set of a romantic movie. You’ll enjoy a wonderful walking tour of this beautiful heritage-listed town, before relaxing in your transport and heading back to Medellín.

We’ll have transport waiting to take you to the airport at your desired time.