Adventures in Colombia. Petroglyphs, whales, and Purace volcano

Price

€2620

Days

Book

Tour description

We travel to lost places that have only recently been opened to foreigners.

Meet the Indians who have just recently stopped resisting the government
Feel like a pioneer in the deep jungle of Guaviare where we will discover sculptures and rock paintings of lost civilizations
Watch whales and sloths on Gorgona Island, formerly Colombia's high-profile prison
Study the masterpieces of ancient atrisans in the largest Gold Museum in the world
Conquer the active Purace volcano 4756 meters above sea level and admire the stunning views of the valley of four main rivers of Colombia
Explore colonial cities of Bogota, Cali and Popayan

Tour departures

28 July 2025 - 12 August 2025

€2620

Book

The price of the tour includes

All accommodation
5 domestic flights
All transportation, including airport trips
All breakfasts
All meals during our stay in some national parks
Tickets to all national parks and other places of interest mentioned in the itinerary
Local guides in national parks
Professional guiding services during the entire trip.

What is NOT included

Flight to Bogota and back home. (Let us know if you need help finding the best deals)
Tourist insurance (mandatoty)
Food ($30 per day).

Tour map

Tour itinerary

Day 1-3

evening in Bogota, La Macarena National Park, caimans, monkeys, anteaters, birds, jungle waterfalls

We begin our small group trip to Colombia in the capital, Bogota and check into a hotel in the center. We will have dinner at the hotel or in the Zona Rosa area enjoying traditional food - fresh fish and shrimp ceviche, potato and chicken ahiyako soup, and bandeha paisa - rice with beans and several types of meat. Surpsired that the food is not spicy? Luckily, they have traditional aji sauce.

In the morning we fly to La Macarena National Park by a small plane (an hour and a half flight). We check into a bungalow in the park and meet our loca guides. The most famous place here is the Caño Cristales River, which is also called the liquid rainbow because of the colored algae. The spectacle is mesmerizing!

We ride the boat on the Guayabero River and walk along its former bed, meeting caimans, several species of monkeys, anteaters, rare species of birds and dozens of kinds of orchids. Next, we walk in the wild jungle, feeling like the pioneers of the wild. We will try to reach the waterfall to finish this beautiful day in the refreshing natural pool.

Day 4-7

walks in Bogota, the main Gold Museum in the world, rock paintings, river dolphins, sloths

We fly to Bogota, and check into a hotel. Time to explore the city, founded by the Spanish colonizers in the 16th century. Let`s enjoy the beautiful colonial architecture, and observe the local life. Save your "wows" for the biggest Museum of Gold in the world. It houses thousands of masterpieces of pre-Columbian civilisations. For example, we will be dazzled by the famous Muisca raft depicting the coronation of the king.

The next day we fly to San Jose del Guaviare, where we will continue our group trip to Colombia. Here we will admire unusual rock paintings left by the people who lived here 10-12 thousand years ago! These places were opened to foreigners only in 2016. Prior to that, the region was controlled by Marxist militants who fought with the government.

In the jungle of Guaviare, we will also see many wild animals - river dolphins - common and pink, caimans, monkeys and many birds, and if we are lucky - nocturnal cats and sloths. On the last day we return to Bogota (night bus trip of 8-9 hours), and after lunch fly to Pitalito.

Day 8-9

San Agustin National Park, ancient sculptures and tombs, waterfalls, Popayan city, hot springs

Our guided tour to Colombia takes us to the San Agustin National Park (1 hour on the way). This is one of the most mysterious places in Latin America - a mountain forest boasting more than six hundred ancient sculptures created about two thousand years ago. The civilization that left them disappeared even before the conquest of these lands by the Incas, leaving no written evidence. Scientists have not even been able to determine the purpose of these sculptures. Who knows if more information will be revealed? After all, out of 50 square kilometers of the park, only a tiny part has been excavated and explored...

In the park, we will also visit the plateau of idols with ancient tombs, swim in refreshing waterfalls, and enjoy views from several observation decks. We will spend the night in Popayan (2 hours on the way), a colonial city founded in 1537 by the Spanish conquistadors. We will spend the day, exploring the pleasant streets and relax in the hot springs of Termales de Coconuco.

Tour leaders

Yevgeniy Ikhelzon

co-founder, tour leader

Sofia Vovk

tour guide

Is this trip for you?

The trip is very active, of demanding physical grade. It consists of long hiking, city walks, short domestic flights and off-road journeys. We will take several rides along mountain serpentines (up to 12-13 hours) on rented and public transport. Accommodation in double/twin rooms of 3-4 star hotels, and big rooms of houses in national parks with basic amenities. There will be no mobile coverage and no hot water for about half the days of the trip. The trip also involves a short stay at the top of the volcano (4646 meters above sea level), which can cause a slight attack of altitude sickness.