Destinations in Colombia

The cities and places not to miss, with tips on combining them into a single itinerary.

Caribbean coast

Colombia's Caribbean coast on your own: Cartagena, Santa Marta, Tayrona, Minca and La Guajira, with a 7-day itinerary, travel times and the best time to go.

Explore the region
A hiker in a sombrero vueltiao looks out over the stone terraces of Colombia's Lost City in the forest

Place

Lost City Trek (Ciudad Perdida)

The Lost City trek in Colombia: 2026 prices, 4 or 5 days, licensed operators, closures, a day-by-day itinerary, what to pack and mistakes to avoid.

A green hummingbird perched on a branch in the forest around Minca, in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

Place

Minca

Minca on your own: the colectivo from Santa Marta, Pozo Azul and Marinka waterfalls with prices, coffee farms, birdwatching, where to stay and a 2-day plan.

Aerial view of Taganga bay with fishing boats on the turquoise sea and dry hills all around

Place

Taganga

Taganga on your own: getting there from Santa Marta, dive course prices, boats to Playa Grande and Playa Cristal, safety tips and where to stay.

A beach in Santa Marta with palm trees, seafront buildings and green hills in the background

City

Santa Marta

Santa Marta on your own: how many days you need, where to stay, getting to Tayrona and Minca, the Lost City trek and what it all costs.

Aerial view of Cartagena's old town with the cathedral, red-tiled roofs and the sea in the background

City

Cartagena de Indias

Plan Cartagena de Indias yourself: getting there, which area to stay in, what to see, how many days you need and what it costs, with practical tips.

Aerial view of Cabo San Juan in Tayrona Park: beaches, granite boulders and palm trees

Place

Tayrona National Park

Tayrona National Park on your own: getting there from Santa Marta, 2026 tickets and closures, the trail to Cabo San Juan, where to stay and what to pack.

Central Andes

Bogotá and the central Andes on your own: Zipaquirá, Villa de Leyva, Barichara and San Gil, with a one-week itinerary, travel times, prices and weather.

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Villa de Leyva's cobbled Plaza Mayor with the white church and mountains in the background

City

Villa de Leyva

Villa de Leyva on your own: buses from Bogotá with times and prices, Plaza Mayor, Casa Terracota and fossils, where to stay, a 2-day itinerary and costs.

Orange colonial façade with wooden balconies in the historic centre of Zipaquirá

Place

Zipaquirá and the Salt Cathedral

Zipaquirá on your own from Bogotá: bus and train with times and prices, Salt Cathedral tickets and opening hours, what to see in town and how to plan the trip.

A street in Bogotá's historic centre lined with neoclassical and colonial buildings under a cloudy sky

City

Bogotá

Bogotá on your own: how many days you need, where to stay, the Gold Museum and Monserrate with prices, TransMilenio, a trip to Zipaquirá and altitude tips.

Antioquia and the Coffee Region

Medellín, Guatapé and the Coffee Region on your own: Salento, the Cocora Valley, Jardín and Filandia, with an 8-day itinerary, travel times and prices.

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Jardín's neo-Gothic basilica at sunset, seen from a street lined with wooden-balconied houses

Place

Jardín

Jardín, Colombia on your own: buses from Medellín, Cueva del Esplendor, La Garrucha, Cristo Rey, coffee and cock-of-the-rock, where to stay and a 2-day plan.

Jericó seen from above, with red roofs, the cathedral and the green mountains of south-west Antioquia

Place

Jericó

Jericó, Colombia on your own: buses from Medellín and Jardín, Morro El Salvador, Saint Laura's birthplace, carriel bags, where to stay and how long to spend.

A cobbled street in the historic centre of Santa Fe de Antioquia with white houses, wooden window grilles and mountains in the background

Place

Santa Fe de Antioquia

Santa Fe de Antioquia on your own: buses from Medellín, the colonial centre, Puente de Occidente, the Diablitos festival, where to stay and beating the heat.

Aerial view of the Guatapé reservoir with its green islands, the town and El Peñol rock in the background

Place

Guatapé and the Piedra del Peñol

Guatapé on your own from Medellín: buses and times, climbing El Peñol rock with prices, the boat trip on the lake, the town of zócalos and where to stay.

Metrocable cars passing over red-brick neighbourhoods on Medellín's hillsides

City

Medellín

Medellín on your own: how many days you need, the best area to stay, the metro and cable cars, Comuna 13, day trips to Guatapé, costs and safety tips.

Towering wax palms on the green slopes of the Cocora Valley, with cloud-covered mountains behind

Place

Salento and the Cocora Valley

Salento and the Cocora Valley on your own: Willys jeeps and times, the loop hike with timings and fees, coffee tours, where to stay and when to go.