Colombia is a country with a rich and diverse culture, and there’s plenty to see and do. In this article, we propose a three-week itinerary in Colombia that covers some of the most classic destinations, as well as stops off the beaten track.
It’s really a classic itinerary to do on a very first 3-week trip to Colombia. Even though we’re visiting the most visited parts of the country, we couldn’t resist including a few lesser-known places, because the whole idea of our travel blog is to try and convince you that Colombia is worth discovering off the beaten tourist track.
So here’s a 3-week tour of Colombia that’s just a small taste of what Colombia has to offer. With so much to see and do, you could easily spend much more time in this fascinating country!
Contents
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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.
Preparations
3-week itinerary in Colombia
# 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 touristic areas
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
Payment refusals frequently occur when you want to pay online on internal Colombian sites. We solved the problem by using our VPN and locating it in Colombia.
Useful articles
3-week itinerary in Colombia
Three-week itinerary in Colombia
The classic
Duration: 3 weeks
Destinations: Bogota, Coffee Region, Medellin, Santa Marta, Cartagena, Rincon del Mar
Activities: guided tours, mountains, cultural immersion, rafting, beach, heritage
Estimated Budget for 2 pers. $13.720.000 COP
Transport: plane, bus and cab
Hotels: mid-range
Meals: restaurants
Articles about Transportation in Colombia
3-week itinerary in Colombia
Bogota – 3 nights
The classic: 3-week itinerary in Colombia
J1
Arrival
The first day is dedicated to arriving in Bogota. Take a cab from the airport to your accommodation, and try not to fall asleep too early, so as not to be too jet-lagged.
J2
Candelaria
To get your three-week itinerary in Colombia off to a good start, you can begin directly with a guided tour of Bogotá, including the Gold Museum. It’s a great way to get into the swing of things, accompanied by a local with whom you can chat. At the end of the afternoon, and depending on the weather, you can make arrangements to go up to Monserrate to watch the suns et before 6pm.
J3
Laguna de Guatavita
The next morning, meet your guide to head for the Laguna de Guatavita. You can also go there independently by bus, but the idea is to be accompanied by a local to continue the immersion. Head for the myth of El Dorado, which you’ll have heard about at the Gold Museum the day before! (Instead of Guatavita, the more athletic can also opt for a trek to the Chingaza Natural Park to discover the paramo ecosystem)
Our recommendations for Bogota
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Average budget Bogota for 2 people
Bogota 3 days/3 nights
Lodging: $550.000 COP
Activities: $1.170.000 COP
Airport transfer: $30.000 COP
Local transportation: $100.000 COP
Restaurants: $400.000 COP
Total budget: $2.250.000 COP
Articles about Bogota
3-week itinerary in Colombia
Coffee Region – 4 nights
The classic: Three-week itinerary in Colombia
J4
Transport from Bogota to Salento
The fourth day is largely devoted to transport to the coffee region. To avoid accumulating internal flights, it’s best to leave by bus. The journey will be long, so it’s best to leave as early as possible to enjoy the late afternoon in Salento.
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Cocora Valley
Let’s get up today and take a Jeep from the main square towards the Cocora Valley! The earlier you arrive, the more likely you’ll be to enjoy good weather and a leisurely day’s hiking. Return to Salento in the afternoon.
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Carbonera Valley
An early-morning rendezvous for a day to remember. You set off by 4×4 for the Carbonera Valley, home to the highest density of wax palms in the world! The comparison with Cocora is striking! Back in Salento in the late afternoon, it’s time for a change of scenery and a night in Filandia.
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Discover a coffee finca and local handicrafts
Your day in Filandia will be divided into two parts. In the morning, you can visit a coffee finca close to the village to discover the coffee production process. This will be less touristy than in Salento. After lunch, it’s off to Filandia to discover the local craft: basketry! You can learn how to make a small basket in the village’s many workshops.
Our recommendations in the coffee region
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Average budget Quindio for 2 people
Quindio 4 days/4 nights
Accommodation: $600.000 COP
Activities: $600.000 COP
Bus Bogota – Salento : $140.000 COP
Local transport: $100.000 COP
Restaurants: $640.000 COP
Total budget : $2.080.000 COP
Articles about the coffee region
3-week itinerary in Colombia
Medellin – 3 nights
The classic: 3-week tour of Colombia
J8
Transport from Filandia to Medellin
It’s time to leave the beautiful Quindio region and hit the road again, heading for Medellin. A long day’s bus journey awaits you, so here again we advise you to try and leave as early as possible! On arrival at the Medellin terminal, a cab will take you to your accommodation in the Poblado district.
J9
Botero Square and Comuna 13
As the sun rises over the city of eternal spring, you’ll take the opportunity to tour Medellin’s major sites of interest with a local English-speaking guide: the historic center around Plaza Botero and, of course, Comuna 13.
J10
Rafting on the Rio Samana
The next day, we recommend a trip to a sublime valley where one of Colombia’s most beautiful rivers flows, to go rafting on the Rio Samana! Depart from Le Poblado with rafting instructor Mael, for a day filled with beauty, energy and thrills.
Our recommendations in Medellin
Click on the yellow buttons to follow our recommendations
Average budget Medellin for 2 people
Medellin 3 days/3 nights
Lodging: $450.000 COP
Activities: $600.000 COP
Bus to Medellin: $100.000 COP
Local transportation: $40.000 COP
Airport transfer: $80.000 COP
Restaurants: $480.000 COP
Total budget : $1.750.000 COP
Articles about Medellin
3-week itinerary in Colombia
Santa Marta – 5 nights
Three-week itinerary in Colombia
J11
Transport from Medellin to Santa Marta
For this trip, you’ll have to fly. By bus, it would take around 18h to reach Santa Marta. The ideal solution would have been to cut the trip short, as there’s plenty to do on the way, but that would take a week. In short, if you take an early morning flight, you’ll be able to enjoy the historic center of Santa Marta during the day. In the late afternoon, we recommend watching the sunset from the promenade along the bay.
J12
Tayrona Park
The earlier we arrive at the entrance to the famous Parc Tayrona, the more we’ll be able to enjoy it. To get there, head for the “Mercado publico” to catch the bus. A day between forest and heavenly beaches awaits you, but it won’t be a relaxing one – you’ll have to walk!
J13
Tayrona Park – Palomino
After a night inside the park, you’ll try not to stay out too late to catch the first bus on the road to Palomino, where you’ll spend the night in preparation for what will be the experience of a lifetime.
J14
Seydukwa
Meet your indigenous guide for a two-day immersion with an indigenous family in Santa Marta’s Sierra Nevada.
J15
Seydukwa
The discovery of the Sierra’s ancestral cultures continues until lunch, after which it’s time to say farewell and head back to Palomino.
Our recommendations for Santa Marta
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Average budget Santa Marta for 2 people
Santa Marta 5 days/5 nights
Lodging: $600.000 COP
Activities: $800.000 COP
Flight to Santa Marta: $600.000 COP
Local transport: $60.000 COP
Restaurants: $440.000 COP
Total budget: $2.500.000 COP
Articles about Santa Marta
3-week itinerary in Colombia
Cartagena – 3 nights
3 weeks tour in Colombia
J16
Transport from Santa Marta to Cartagena
I’m sure you’re beginning to understand: transportation means leaving early, because today you’ll have to take a bus from Palomino to Santa Marta, then another to Cartagena, and that’s going to take most of the day! In the evening, enjoy the beauty of Cartagena’s illuminated historic center.
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Walled city and Getsemani
A beautiful day awaits you in the heat of Cartagena, where you’ll discover the rich history of the center of Cartagena de Indias and the Getsemani district, where street art has pride of place. At the end of the afternoon, enjoy a drink at the Café del Mar and watch the sun set (and break the piggy bank in the process).
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La Boquilla
Today, it’s cultural immersion in the fishing community of La Boquilla. Close to the city center, you’ll discover an ancestral fishing method and Cartagena’s Afro-Colombian traditions.
Our recommendations in Cartagena
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Average budget Cartagena for 2 people
Cartagena 3 days/2 nights
Lodging: $520.000 COP
Activities: $450.000 COP
Bus to Cartagena: $80.000 COP
Cab from Terminal AR: $60.000 COP
Restaurants: $500.000 COP
Total budget: $1.610.000 COP
Articles about Cartagena
3-week itinerary in Colombia
Rincon del mar – 4 nights
Three-week itinerary in Colombia
J19
Transport from Cartagena to Rincon del mar
Come on, no more bamboozling! No more frenzy! Pack your bags and take a cab to the Cartagena Transport Terminal to catch the bus to Rincon del mar! Plan to arrive in Rincon for lunch, so you can put on your bathing suits and enjoy the beach in the afternoon!
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Farniente
Relaxing at Dos Aguas Lodge, all you can do is enjoy, enjoy, enjoy..
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Farniente
Oops! You’re still enjoying yourself… it’s well deserved..
J22
Farniente
So we’re still enjoying ourselves? Why deprive yourself…
Our recommendations for Rincon del mar
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Activities: Farniente, Plankton, Mangrove
Restaurant: Samba Caramba
Average budget Rincon del mar for 2 people
Rincon del mar 4 days/4 nights
Lodging: $900.000 COP
Activities: $200.000 COP
Bus to Rincon and back: $200.000 COP
Cab to Cartagena airport: $30.000 COP
Restaurant: $400.000 COP
Total budget : $1.730.000 COP
Related articles on Rincon del mar
3-week itinerary in Colombia
Bogota – 1 night
3 weeks tour in Colombia
J23
Transport from Rincon del mar to Bogota
All good things must come to an end, and you won’t be able to linger too long in Rincon del mar on this penultimate day in Colombia. It’s time to head back to Bogotá, and we’re going to take the Cartagena route to the airport to catch our return flight to the capital.
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Departure
It’s departure day, your 3-week itinerary in Colombia is over! If your flight is scheduled for the end of the day, you can take the time to go back to Candelaria in the morning for a bit of shopping and drop in at the Fragmentos museum, which you missed the first few days. Afterwards, you’ll need to get organized to make it to Bogotá airport 3 hours before your flight home… Adios Colombia! You’ll have to come back to discover the other wonders you’re so good at!
Our recommendations in Bogotá
Click on the yellow buttons to follow our recommendations
Average budget Bogota for 2 people
Bogota 2 days/1 night
Lodging: $180.000 COP
Shopping: $500.000 COP
Flight to Bogota: $700.000 COP
Return transfer: $60.000 COP
Restaurants: $360.000 COP
Total budget: $1.800.000 COP
Total budget
3-week itinerary in Colombia
| Destination | Budget |
|---|---|
| Bogota | $2.250.000 COP |
| Coffee region | $2.080.000 COP |
| Medellin | $1.750.000 COP |
| Santa Marta | $2.500.000 COP |
| Cartagena | $1.610.000 COP |
| Rincon del mar | $1.730.000 COP |
| Bogota | $1.800.000 COP |
| TOTAL | $13.720.000 COP |
Related articles on budgets and money
3-week itinerary in Colombia
Itinerary summary table
Classic 3-week itinerary in Colombia
| Desti | Activities | Nights | |
|---|---|---|---|
| J1 | Arrival | Bogota | |
| J2 | Bogota | City Tour | Bogota |
| J3 | Bogota | Laguna Guatavita | Bogota |
| J4 | Bogota | Transport | Salento |
| J5 | Salento | Cocora Valley | Salento |
| J6 | Salento | Carbonera Valley | Filandia |
| J7 | Filandia | Finca de café | Filandia |
| J8 | Filandia | Transport | Medellin |
| J9 | Medellin | Visit Comuna 13 | Medellin |
| J10 | Medellin | Rafting | Medellin |
| J11 | Medellin | Transport | Santa Marta |
| J12 | Santa Marta | Tayrona Park | Tayrona |
| J13 | Tayrona | Tayrona Park | Palomino |
| J14 | Seydukwa | Cultural immersion | Seydukwa |
| J15 | Seydukwa | Cultural immersion | Palomino |
| J16 | Palomino | Transport | Cartagena |
| J17 | Cartagena | City Tour | Cartagena |
| J18 | Cartagena | Cultural immersion | Cartagena |
| J19 | Cartagena | Transportation | Rincon del mar |
| J20 | Rincon del mar | Farniente | Rincon del mar |
| J21 | Rincon del mar | Farniente | Rincon del mar |
| J22 | Rincon del mar | Farniente | Rincon del mar |
| J23 | Rincon del mar | Transport | Bogota |
| J24 | Bogota | Return flight |
Do this tour with a travel agency
Three-week itinerary idea for 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 article, 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.
