Colombia in-depth holiday, 24 days

Planet

Planet

Carbon reduction

This is a slow travel itinerary, so you spend longer discovering each destination rather than moving quickly between them. With two to three nights in most places, there are fewer transfers overall. The route moves logically northwards through Colombia, avoiding unnecessary backtracking and keeping domestic flights to a minimum.

Much of the exploring happens on foot, through walking tours, food experiences, coffee farm visits and time with Indigenous communities. Most hotels are small, locally run properties rather than large resorts.

Environment and wildlife

You'll be given a refillable water bottle on arrival, so you can top up rather than buy bottled water. Before you travel, we share practical guidance for your time in Colombia: stay on marked trails, keep a respectful distance from wildlife, take all rubbish with you and use water and energy sparingly.

People

Local economy

Most of the hotels on this itinerary are independently or locally owned boutique properties, so more of the money you spend stays in Colombia. Hotel Casa Terra in Villa de Leyva, for example, is run by a family, and Terrazul in Barichara is independently owned. Using smaller hotels throughout the journey spreads the benefits of tourism more widely.

We work with local guides and community-based experiences wherever we can, so you gain a deeper understanding of each place, from Paloquemao Market in Bogotá to working coffee farms.

Employment, inclusivity and diversity

People are at the heart of all our itineraries. In each city and region, you'll have the chance to meet and spend time with local people. In Medellín and the coffee region, you'll see how much has changed: farmers now make a living growing coffee, bananas, beans and cacao, where 25 years ago the drug trade was the only reliable source of income.