Day 1 : Bogota
Overnight in hotel in Bogota.
Meal plan: n/a
Discover another side to Colombia on the beautiful islands
of San Andrés and Providencia. The slow pace of life and
the welcome of the friendly natives on these islands will
soon soothe all travel weariness. A great opportunity to
take a boat trip, go snorkelling or diving, horse riding,
hiking, or simply relax on the beach. These idyllic islands
will make you wonder why it took you so long to visit.
Bogotá - San Andrés - Providencia
Overnight in hotel in Bogota.
Meal plan: n/a
Breakfast. Transfer to airport for morning flight to San Andrés. Transfer to comfortable beachside hotel. Afternoon to relax on the beach or bicycle hire is possible to see the island. Overnight in San Andrés.
Overnight in Cocoplum Hotel, San Andrés
Meal plan: Breakfast
Breakfast. Morning to relax. Transfer to airport for flight to Providencia. Transfer to comfortable beachside hotel. Afternoon free to relax. Spend evening with Richard in Richard's bar on the beach, a 5 minute walk from the hotel (optional but recommended). Overnight in Providencia.
Overnight in Miss Mary Hotel, Providencia
Meal plan: Breakfast
72km north of San Andrés lies Providencia with a population of just 5,000. It is a beautiful island of undeveloped and empty beaches - a tropical paradise with a relaxed lifestyle and friendly and welcoming locals. Its barrier reef is 32km long (3rd largest in the world) and surrounds the eastern, north and south parts of the island. Its waters are crystalline and calm and it boasts an abundance of marine life. As well as being an ideal place to snorkel, scuba diving is also available and this is a perfect place for both first time divers and seasoned professionals. El Pico offers breathtaking views over the whole island and its dramatic scenery. You will be rewarded for your hike at the top overlooking the bays, white sandy beaches, mangroves and settlements. Spanish speaking Colombians are less prevalent here than on San Andrés so most people speak English. Much of the architecture is in an English-Caribbean- style rather than Colombian.
Spend the day as you choose. Also extra days can be added to the itinerary if desired. Overnight in Providencia.
Approximate cost of optional activities: Join a group for a tour of the island and some snorkelling (£10), private boat hire for tour of the island and snorkelling (£70), hire a motorbike for the day (£20), hire a golf cart for the day (£35), guide for hike to El Pico, the highest point on the island (£15), rent a bicycle for the day (£15), horse riding (variable), scuba-diving including equipment (variable). Please contact us for a quote for any variable cost items.
Overnight in Miss Mary Hotel, Providencia
Meal plan: Breakfast
See Day 4 above.
Overnight in Miss Mary Hotel, Providencia
Meal plan: Breakfast
Breakfast. Transfer to airport for morning flight to San Andrés then on to Bogota.
Meal plan: Breakfast
All accommodation subject to availability. Final accommodation choices will be confirmed after booking.
It is a tropical villa right on the beach, hidden away between coconut palms and surrounded by lush gardens. The hotel has a restaurant and bar service, pool and terrace. Its Island-style architecture and friendly service from staff will make you feel welcome. Enjoy an ocean view from your room each of which has a bathroom, air conditioning, ceiling fan, tv, minibar, safe, phone and hot water.
This hotel sits right in front of the beautiful beach and is one of Providencia's few beach front hotels. There are eight simple but clean rooms in total and some have deckchairs in front of them that look right onto the beach. Miss Mary hotel is full of character and charm and serves good traditional dishes in its restaurant.
Remote Amazon, schools of whales and incredible birdlife
Hiking, diving, horseriding and more
Stay on a coffee farm, experience Caribbean cooking and fine dining
Eco-retreats in the rainforest, converted coffee farms and more
Discover Medellin's statues, Bogota's street art and Cartagena's charms
Remote beaches along the Caribbean and Pacific coast
Explore the beauty of Tayrona National Park
An epic journey through Colombia
Get carried away at Carnaval de Negros y Blancos
A gentle intro to Colombia's birds and historical sights
See Why This is Earth’s Second-most Megadiverse Country
Discover the history, charms and rhythms of Colombia
Rafting, rappelling and paragliding in Santander
Venture into the heart of the Amazon
The most intrepid trek of all
Idyllic beaches, water sports and great seafood
Lisa Zardoni , Lost City Trek, ColombiaThanks for making my trip possible and so successful in such a short time. I loved every single second and the trek to the Lost City is amazing. Would do it again in this precise moment. And Colombia was a pleasant surprise, the country is incredible and really safe against the common stereotypes. It is a place I would be happy to live in, with the good weather, the colours and on particular the music. The food was incredible and freshly cooked. I am normally a fussy eater but I had every single meal almost cleaning the plate every time! Really enjoyed the fresh fruit supplied during the breaks.
The package was excellent considering the very short notice. I was impressed by the efficiency and the great communication.
Stuart Robinson , Tailormade ColombiaDavid and Rahul, what a great company you run! My tailormade trip to Colombia was just perfect! Your advice and guidance in advance of the trip was excellent. I loved the accommodation in Bogota and Cartagena; quaint and traditional. And the staff were incredibly friendly, welcoming and helpful. Your agent, Russell, was very attentive, and the drivers allocated to transport me were punctual, friendly and helpful! I cannot fault a thing. Thanks so much for planning such smooth-running trip for me. And, naturally, Colombia was the big star; can`t wait to visit again!
Julie Crank , Colombian Odyssey, ColombiaI would recommend Travel The Unknown`s Colombian Odyssey tour for anyone who wants a fairly comprehensive tour of the highlights of Colombia. I would definitely advise an add on to Cartagena, if you haven`t already visited. Colombia is a wonderful place to take a holiday whether you have been to Latin America many times before or even if it is your first trip. Travel The Unknown have definitely chosen the best places to stay and we were very well looked after. If you want a completely tailormade trip, I`m quite sure that the experience would be equally excellent. It`s good to find a smaller company where you get a more personal service and which goes to off beat places or off beat areas of well known but far away places.
Albert Chau , Festivals of Colombia, ColombiaThere have been so many highlights on our 15-day trip to Colombia: the Salt Cathedral in Zipaquira, Colonial towns of Villa de Leyva and Cartagena, learning about the coffee culture, the wonderfully crazy Carnaval de Negros Y Blancos at Pasto to name a few. The guides were friendly, knowledgeable, and eager to introduce us to the local culture, making this one of the most memorable trips I've ever taken.
James & Margaret Stewart , Tailormade ColombiaWe have just returned from a three week trip to Colombia organised on a private basis by Travel the Unknown. This followed our tours with them to both Eastern and Western Turkey in 2015 and to Iran in 2014. We view all three trips as great successes, wherein everything that was promised, was delivered. We will be planning further trips with them.
Daniel Bean , Lost City Trek, ColombiaThe Lost City trip was amazing. Would recommend this trip to anyone who has a sense of adventure and not afraid to leave their comfort zone. Machu Picchu is nothing like this and the sense of achievement you get when you reach the Lost City is truely outstanding. I am now looking for a similar adventure in another part of the world.
Sean and Bonnee Gregg , Tailormade ColombiaSeamless, worry-free travel in a far flung corner of the world. It was the best way to make sure we used our travel time seeing the country, interacting with the people, and tasting the food. I`ve already spent enough time, in queues, on buses, or just generally lost to appreciate a well planned trip.
Terry Cooper , Lost City Trek, ColombiaThis was a great adventure. Be prepared to get hot and wet but the rewards are worth it. Beautiful scenery and we learnt a lot about the history of Colombia and the local region from our guide. Would recommend Colombia to any travellers. Thanks to Travel the Unknown for organising trip, we had no issues which allowed us to appreciate the country even more. This was one of the best treks I have done. Very enjoyable and some amazing scenery.
Shaun Matthews , Tailormade ColombiaThanks so much for a wonderful trip. The whole trip was fantastic. Our guides throughout were knowledgeable, enthusiastic and friendly. The Humming Bird walk in Manizales was probably the highlight but it`s not easy to choose. We will definitely travel with Travel the Unknown again.
Gillian Lowe , Tailormade ColombiaAn amazing and comprehensive tour of Colombia. This is a beautiful county, go now before it gets too touristy!
Tony Cram , Tailormade ColombiaTravel the Unknown organised a brilliant three-location private trip to Colombia, including Bogotá Gold Museum, coffee-country and colonial and Republican Cartagena. Practical arrangements for transport, hotels and guides worked well. It was a delightful tour.