COLOMBIA: 2 week itinerary, budget & travel tips

International flight – £587
Domestic flights x3 – £139
Accommodation x14 nights – £151
Spending money (transport, excursions and food) – £750

Total cost: £1,627

Saturday 18th April:
International flight to Bogota (14 hours) and domestic flight to Armenia (1 hour).
*Stayed at Coffee Tree Boutique hostel in Salento x2 nights.

Sunday 19th January:
Valle de Cocora trek.

Monday 20th January:
Downhill mountain biking.
Overnight bus to Medellin 8 hours.

Tuesday 21st January:
Free city walking tour.
*Stayed at Los Patios, Medellin x2 nights. MUST STAY

Wednesday 22nd January:
Guatape day trip.

Thursday 23rd January:
Domestic flight from Medellin to Cartagena 1 hour.
*Stayed at Republica Hostel, Centro Historico x3 nights.

Friday 24th January:
Day trip to Bendita Beach in the Rosarios islands.

Saturday 25th January:
Exploring the centro histórico and barrio Getsemani.

Sunday 26th January:
Bus to Santa Marta (4 hours) and bus to Minca (45 minutes).
*Stayed at Siembra Boutique Hostel x2 nights MUST STAY

Monday 27th January:
Bird watching and trekking in Minca.

Tuesday 28th January:
Bus to Santa Marta (45 minutes) and bus to Buritaca/Tayrona National Park (45 minutes).
*Stayed at Viajero Hostel Tayrona x4 nights. MUST STAY

Wednesday 29th January:
Tayrona National Park.

Thursday 30th and Friday 31st January:
Buritaca yoga and beach time.

Saturday 1st February:
2 hour bus from Buritaca to Santa Marta airport
Domestic flight from Santa Marta to Bogota (1.5 hours) and international flight to London (14 hours).

– If you are a solo female traveler like me, always travel in groups especially at night.
– Make sure you take warm and waterproof clothes for the Andean mountain region.
– Fly around the country, rather than taking the bus; it’s really cheap and a lot quicker! Make sure you book in advance for cheap rates.
– DO NOT support Escobar tourism or buy cocaine.
– Travel to Guatape independently, don’t take a tour.
– If you can’t speak basic Spanish, learn some before you go or get a good offline translator. Colombians generally don’t speak much English.
– You can mostly drink tap water, especially in the mountains, so make sure you take a water bottle.
– You don’t have to use the hectic city of Santa Marta as a base if you want to visit places like Minca or Tayrona National Park. You only have to pass through.
– If you fly into Bogota and choose to stay there for a night or so, take into consideration that you may be affected by altitude sickness.
– If you are flying into Armenia, make sure you pre-book a taxi from the airport with your accommodation – there will not be transport to get when you arrive.
– Immigration takes a long time when arriving into Bogota airport, so if you have a domestic flight too make sure you leave enough time.
– Don’t give PAPAYA, as the locals would say. Don’t be a target for muggings and pick-pocketing; keep your belongings hidden and walk with purpose everywhere you go.
– Download maps.me and the maps for each area so you can navigate offline.
– Travel light! It saves baggage fares on flights and makes it a lot easier whilst traveling by local bus.