In 2022, we spent three weeks on the southern route in Colombia, an itinerary between Bogotá and Cali, to discover the best-known destinations on this route used by many travelers curious to discover other Colombian destinations.
So here’s a new idea for a 3-week itinerary in Colombia and links to the posts where we give you all the details on our discoveries in Neiva, San Agustin, Popayan and Cali.
Disclaimer: we apologize in advance for any grammatical or syntactic errors, as our native language is not English (we're a Colombian-French couple), so we hope you'll forgive us and still enjoy the information we share with you! Please note that all the information on our blog is based on our own experience, and is checked and updated regularly.
Contents
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Preparations
3 weeks on Colombia’s southern route
# 1
Take a free bank card abroad
This is the best advice we can give you: take a free bank card for travelers that will allow you to pay anywhere in Colombia without paying any fees.
# 2
Book your hotel nights in the most popular tourist destinations
Hotels quickly become saturated in the most popular tourist destinations, such as Bogotá, Cartagena, Salento, Medellin, and so on. If a particular hotel catches your eye, we advise you to bookin advance!
# 3
Take out travel insurance
With the Covid pandemic, we’ve all seen that nothing is impossible… Take out travel insurance to cover you in case anything goes wrong.
# 4
Pay your booking deposits at a reduced rate
Another really great way to avoid paying huge fees on international transfers to Colombia is to use the specialized Remitly platform. Very useful for paying a deposit to an agency to book an activity!
# 5
Use a VPN to access Colombian sites from France or english sites from Colombia
Payment refusals frequently occur when trying to pay online on internal Colombian sites. We’ve solved the problem by using our VPN and locating it in Colombia.
Useful posts
3-week itinerary in Colombia
Itinerary between Bogota and Cali
3 weeks on Colombia’s southern route
Duration: 3 weeks
Destinations: Bogota, Neiva, Tatacoa Desert, San Agustin, Pitalito, Popayan, Silvia, Cali
Activities: guided tours, mountains, cultural immersion, archaeological heritage, encounters, producers and craftsmen, natural wonders
Estimated Budget for 2 pers. $8.732.521 COP
Transport: plane, bus and cab
Hotels: mid-range
Meals: restaurants
posts about Transportation in Colombia
3-week itinerary in Colombia
Neiva and the Tatacoa Desert – 2 nights
3-week itinerary between Bogota and Cali
J1
Arrival in Neiva
On the first day we drove from Bogotá to Neiva. It’s possible to do this by bus or plane. We took the opportunity to explore the city a little, mainly by walking up to the Mohan Tower, which offers a lovely view of the Magdalena River.
J2
Tatacoa Desert
Early morning departure with our partner agency for the Tatacoa Desert for a full day’s exploration of the grey and red deserts. In the evening, we return to Neiva for the night before setting off for San Agustin the following day.
Our Tips for Neiva and Tatacoa
Click on the yellow buttons to follow our Tips
Activities: contact Tatacoa Desert
Restaurant in Neiva: El Patio
Average budget Neiva and Tatacoa for 2 people
Neiva 2 days/2 nights
Lodging: $300.000 COP
Activities: $302.521 COP
Flight Bogota – Neiva: $400.000 COP
Restaurants: $175.000 COP
Total budget: $1.177.521 COP
posts about Neiva and the Tatacoa
3-week itinerary in Colombia
San Agustin – 8 nights
3-week itinerary between Bogota and Cali
J3
Transportation to San Agustin
We leave in the morning for San Agustin for a 6 to 7-hour bus ride, depending on road conditions. We arrive in San Agustin at dusk, lucky enough to find a cab to take us to our hotel, located 10 minutes from the village.
J4
El Purutal and El Tablon
After a lie-in, a chat with Yeraldin and Alirio from Finca El Cielo , where we’re staying, and a good meal, we set off for a full afternoon’s walk from the hotel to discover the archaeological sites of Purutal and El Tablon.
J5
Stroll in San Agustin Farniente
We spend the day visiting the village of San Agustin and relaxing in the beautiful gardens of Finca El Cielo
J6
Chaquira Cascada El Cinco
From the hotel, we take a stroll to the nearby site of La Chaquira. The view of the Magdalena canyon is spectacular. On the way back, after lunch, we go for a swim at Cascada El Cinco.
J7
Ruta de Sabores
We have a great day ahead of us, meeting local producers on the San Agustin Flavors Route, tasting fruit, coffee, edible plants and fruit wine.
J8
Chiva workshop in Pitalito
We’re off to Pitalito for a workshop to make Chiva, the traditional Colombian bus. Pitalito’s Chiva is a craft renowned throughout the country. The meeting with Rubiela is a great one. We leave proudly with our two hand-painted chivas as souvenirs.
J9
San Agustin Archaeological Park
We spend the day visiting San Agustin Archaeological Park with our super guide Oscar! Magnificent sculptures and mysterious pre-Columbian cultures.
J10
Anillo Turistico
For this last day in San Agustin, we’ll be taking the famous “Anillo Turistico” offered by all the local hotels/agencies/guides, which enables us to take a driving tour of all the sites of interest around San Agustin: Estrecho del Magdalena, Finca de Panela, Alto de los Idolos, Alto de las piedras, Salto de Bordones.
Alternatives
While we wanted to take the time to rest in San Agustin, we can well imagine that not everyone will have this desire or opportunity.
Two options:
- Reduce the number of days in San Agustin to do this itinerary over 15 days
- Replace a few days in San Agustin with a trip to Tierradentro from Popayan.
Our Tips for San Agustin
Click on the yellow buttons to follow our Tips
Activities: Farniente, Route des saveurs, Parks and archaeological sites, Waterfalls
Restaurants in San Agustin: Tomate, Fonte Café, Alto de hierbabuena
Average budget San Agustin for 2 people
San Agustin 3 days/3 nights
Lodging: $1.200.000 COP
Activities: $400.000 COP
Local transport: $100.000 COP
Bus Neiva – San Agustin: $100.000 COP
Restaurants: $1.000.000 COP
Total budget: $2.800.000 COP
posts about San Agustin
3-week itinerary in Colombia
Popayan – 2 nights
3-week itinerary between Bogota and Cali
J11
Transport to Popayan
We set off for a little adventure on the road between San Agustin and Popayan, through the Puracé Natural Park. Around 7 hours of asphalt and dirt road, arriving late afternoon in the white city of Cauca.
J12
Visit Popayan
We’re off to visit Popayan and discover its history with Miguel, a local guide from the GetUp and Go Colombia project. An NGO working with victims of the Colombian armed conflict, Popayan’s indigenous, rural and LGBT communities.
J13
Silk Finca
Head for Timbio, 20 minutes by bus from Popayan, to discover a silk-making farm. This is the Colteseda project, an association of 10 women who raise silkworms, make thread and weave various silk products. A wonderful encounter with Doña Amparo and these peasant women who undertake and carry out projects with passion.
Our Tips for Popayan
Click on the yellow buttons to follow our Tips
Activities: Colseda ( +57 313 6804803)
Average budget Popayan for 2 people
Popayan 2 days/3 nights
Lodging: $675.000 COP
Activities: $200.000 COP
Bus San Austin – Popayan: $120.000 COP
Restaurants: $400.000 COP
Total budget: $1.395.000 COP
posts about Popayan
3-week itinerary in Colombia
Silvia – 1 night
3-week itinerary between Bogota and Cali
J14
Cultural immersion in Silvia
We’re going to meet Viviana, a young Misak indigenous woman, to discover with her her culture and the village of Silvia located in the mountains 1 hour from Popayan. A superb encounter and a wonderful community tourism project to support. In the evening, we’ll spend the night with Viviana and her husband Victor.
Our Tips to Silvia
Click on the yellow buttons to follow our Tips
Average budget Silvia for 2 people
Silvia 2 days/1 nights
Lodging: included
Activities: $530.000 COP
Local transportation: $20.000 COP
Restaurants: $40.000 COP
Total budget: $590.000 COP
posts about Silvia
3-week itinerary in Colombia
Cali – 4 nights
3-week itinerary between Bogota and Cali
J15
Transport to Cali
The next morning, we’ll take a short walk to the viewpoint above Silvia with Viviana and Victor, before heading back to pack our gear, have a tasty soup in a local restaurant and leave by bus for Cali.
J16
Barrio San Antonio, Museo La Tertulia and Bulevar del Rio
We take our first steps in Cali, wandering through the pretty, colorful San Antonio district. We knock on the door of Linterna, where we’ll be returning the next day with more time on our hands. And we head off quietly to see an exhibition at the La Tertulia museum. On our way out, we cross the river to stroll along the sculpted “Bulevar del Rio” to the famous “Gato del Rio”, the city’s emblem.
J17
Alameda and La Linterna markets
We take a cab to the Alameda market to discover the local colors and flavors! We’ll stroll through the stalls before grabbing a Pacific dish at Chez Basilia on the market’s famous “plaza de comida”.
J18
Guided tour of downtown Cali
We meet up with Natalia, a caleña who offers great guided tours of Cali, in english! Architecture, history, heritage and anecdotes, there’s nothing better than visiting the city with a local!
J19
Popular Salsa Tour
Again with Natalia, we’re off to discover Cali’s popular Salsa culture! A unique tour to immerse ourselves in local life, off the beaten track and into the old “salsotecas” where the little old men dance from afternoon till night.
J20
Back to Bogotá
It’s time for us to head home, heading for Bogotá from Cali airport. Thanks Cali! We really liked its atmosphere and it made us want to come back to discover more things and visit Cali’s surroundings.
Alternatives
After our 3 weeks on the road we returned to Bogotá, but for those who want to continue you have a choice:
- Drive to the Pacific coast: San Cipriano, Juanchaco or Isla Gorgona
- Descend to Pasto and Ipiales
- Up towards Pereira and the coffee region
Our Tips in Cali
Click on the yellow buttons to follow our Tips
Restaurants in Cali: Basilia and Ioenta
Average budget Cali for 2 people
Cali 4 days/5 nights
Hotel: $900.000 COP
Activities: $900.000 COP
Bus Silvia – Cali: $70.000 COP
Restaurants: $600.000 COP
Airport transfer: $60.000 COP
Flight Cali – Bogota: $240.000 COP
Total budget: $2.770.000 COP
posts about Cali
Tour between Bogota and Cali
Total budget
3-week itinerary in Colombia
| Destination | Budget for 2 pers. |
|---|---|
| Neiva and Tatacoa | $1.177.521 COP |
| San Agustin | $2.800.000 COP |
| Popayan | $1.395.000 COP |
| Silvia | $590.000 COP |
| Cali | $2.770.000 COP |
| TOTAL | $8,732,521 COP |
Related posts on budgets and money
Circuit between Bogota and Cali
Itinerary summary table
Classic 3-week itinerary in Colombia
| Activities | Nights | |
|---|---|---|
| J1 | Transport to Neiva | Neiva |
| J2 | Visit to the Tatacoa Desert | Neiva |
| J3 | Transportation to San Agustin | San Agustin |
| J4 | Purutal Tablon | San Agustin |
| J5 | Stroll in San Agustin Farniente | San Agustin |
| J6 | Chaquira Cascada Cinco | San Agustin |
| J7 | Ruta de Sabores | San Agustin |
| J8 | Chiva workshop | PItalito |
| J9 | San Agustin Archaeological Park | San Agustin |
| J10 | Anillo turistico | San Agustin |
| J11 | Transport to Popayan | Popayan |
| J12 | Visit Popayan | Popayan |
| J13 | Visit to finca de Soie | Popayan |
| J14 | Visit Silvia | Silvia |
| J15 | Transport to Cali | Cali |
| J16 | Bario San Antonio Rio | Cali |
| J17 | Alameda Linterna | Cali |
| J18 | Tour Centre | Cali |
| J19 | Salsa Tour | Cali |
| J20 | Back to Bogota | Bogota |
Do this tour with a travel agency
Idea for a three-week itinerary in Colombia “The classic tour”
If you don’t feel like organizing this trip yourself, you can hire a travel agency to organize everything for you. Of course, the budget will be higher than that announced in this post, which concerns the organization of a trip on your own. But you’ll be able to rely on a specialist, and you’ll have the security of personalized guidance throughout your trip.
