Colombia Signature

This half day driving tour is an opportunity to see Colombia’s capital city from the comfort of an air conditioned vehicle. Vibrant and diverse Bogotá, the countries capital and commercial back bone. Colombia's bustling metropolis is a mix of old and new, trendy and traditional, Stately and charming. Home to a dazzling array of museums, churches, colonial mansions and stately buildings Bogotá has a fine balance between its historical past and its movement in to the future. It is sometimes called the Athens of South America. Bogotá is now Colombia's largest financial, political, and cultural centre. The National University of Colombia and many other universities located there make Bogotá the nation's chief educational centre. Bogota is for many people the gateway city in to Colombia, and a fine start point for your Colombian adventure. On this tour you will see the historic colonial centre of the city, the vibrant mid-town and the prosperous northern sector of a city that offers surprises at every turn.

Enjoy a private airport transfer with professional driver and guide.

Domestic flight between Bogota and Armenia with Avianca Airlines. The flight duration is approximately 1 hour.

Airport transfer with private vehicle, and driver to the Quindio Coffee Region.

This tour will take you from the far north of Quindío to the beautiful Valle Cocora where the magnificent wax palm grows, in one of its few natural habitats. Then onto the first settlement in Quindío of the modern era. As you enter into Filandia you know you are in the Coffee region of Colombia. The main square has not changed in appearance or in character in decades. Filandia does not have an attraction to visit; Filandia is the attraction. A coffee break in one of the many small coffee shops will allow you to take in the quaintness of uninterrupted lines of brightly painted houses in the traditional Pueblo of the region. From Filandia you will drive to the Valley Cocora. Part of the wider Parque Nacional Los Nevados, the valley is located on the eastern limits of Quindío along the central Andean range. It has been regarded by Colombia as a sanctuary for its national symbol; the Wax Palm (Ceroxylon quindiuense). The Palm fringes the Mountain range, and is now protected and declared a national tree and symbol to prevent exploitation due to the celebrations during Palm Sunday, and therefore a threat against the endemic species dependant on the palm. Salento is a municipality in the northeastern part of the department of Quindío. It was the first settlement in Quindío of the modern era, and the first municipality founded in the department. Salento is located 24 km northeast of the departmental capital Armenia. The picturesque town is located on the Northeastern corner of the department and borders other departments, Risaralda and Tolima all sharing Parque Nacional Los Nevados. From Salento you will continue on to your hotel.

This tour will give you a true impression of the life and culture encompassed by the Coffee region. Coffee is the heart and soul of this area and today you will see how this simple bean affects every part of the region. From quaint towns and stunning views, this is a full day insight into the “Triangulo Del Café”. You will also visit the National Bamboo Centre, the settlements of Cordoba, Pijao, and Buena Vista, enjoy a typical lunch and learn about the coffee process. In 1986 the regional autonomy of Quindío initiated the National Centre for the study of the Guadua Bamboo. The Centre is providing study resources and new technologies in propagation, forestry management and innovations in the use of the Bamboo in Industry. This first stop allows you to understand how this simple bamboo forms the back bone of so much that goes on in the region, from house construction to furniture and agriculture. Next you will make your way through the coffee covered hills and valleys, to your second port of call. Córdoba is one of the twelve municipalities’ that form the department of Quindío. With a sense of time standing still, the buildings are aching under their own weight and the atmosphere is one of calm. During the day many of the local inhabitants work the steep slopes amongst the coffee plantations upon which the town is dependant. It’s a great place to sit and drink a coffee whilst watching the senior gentleman of the town play billiards at the club on the corner. Pijao, the next stop is known as "The place where the Herons come" for every night herons come to roost on the highest branches or so the story goes. Many of the inhabitants will be picking the coffee whilst the rest are centre stage in the plaza sipping coffee and chatting.

After the tour of the surrounding countryside and discovering life of the people in the Triangulo Del Café, the next stop will be lunch and a very interesting visit to a Coffee finca. Here you will learn about the cultivation, classification, and preparation of Colombian coffee. You will walk through the coffee plantations and nursery and there will be an explanation as to how the plant grows and is cultivated before the final bean reaches the coffee cup. You will also have the opportunity to learn about coffee tasting, the different aromas and textures of Colombia’s most famous export.

Airport transfer with private vehicle, and driver to the Quindio Coffee Region.

Fly from Armenia to Cartagena with a connecting flight in Bogota. Flight duration is approximately 3 hours.

Includes airport transfer with private vehicle, professional driver and local guide from Airport to Hotel or within city and vice versa

You will be met at your hotel by your Bilingual guide to commence your walking tour through the streets of Cartagena. Your tour will take through the old town under the Puerta Del Reloj (Clock tower entrance), a symbol of Cartagena, into the Plaza de los Coches. Your guide will divulge the myths and legends, histories and stories of Cartagena from ancient times right up to the present. From the Plaza San Pedro Claver with its stunning Church, on through to the Plaza Bolivar; with its shady areas, where a fresh Lemon juice can be enjoyed whilst watching the world go by. Cartagena is steeped in history and a delight to stroll the streets with your own personal encyclopaedia of knowledge guiding you from one interest to the other.

Enjoy time at leisure to explore at your own pace, or relax at your hotel.

Includes airport transfer with private vehicle, professional driver and local guide from Airport to Hotel or within city and vice versa