It's all amazing. All the way from the verdant Cocora Valley to the jagged peaks that loom high above it. All the way from the coast—where thick jungle gives way to white-sand beaches and the stunning blue sea—to Cartagena, the colonial jewel of the Caribbean. Colombia casts a seductive spell. Enjoy it all.
Days 1-2 Hike amid bamboo and vibrant flowers in the Coffee Triangle, a World Heritage site | Savor lunch at a sustainable coffee farm amid endless rows of coffee plants | Venture into the Cocora Valley, beloved for its biodiversity, including the wax palm, Colombia's national tree | Aboard a classic Willys Jeep, motor to the coffee village of Salento, known for its well-preserved colonial architecture | Spend time strolling palm-lined Plaza Bolívar and browsing artisan shops.
Day 3 Walk to a local farm and learn about the traditional Colombian Paso Fino (Fine Step) horses | Fly to the Caribbean coast and enjoy a relaxing afternoon at our hotel | Settle into your elegant minimalist room or bliss out on the pristine secluded beach.
Days 4-5 Discover Tayrona National Park, one of Colombia's most stunning natural areas, keeping an eye out for wildlife | Tropical forest gives way to a gorgeous white-sand beach and a brilliant turquoise bay | In the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, a World Heritage site, follow centuries-old trails to meet with indigenous Wiwa community members.
Days 6-7 Into birds? You'll spot many on our riverside jungle walk | With howler monkeys watching from the canopy, embark on a leisurely tube float on the river | Join a guide to explore Cartagena's walled city, a World Heritage site | Perhaps catch an impromptu performance by local musicians and dancers.
It's been over a month since I've returned, and I can't stop thinking about my week in Colombia with Backroads. Every moment there was a highlight, and each day brought something new and incredible (coffee farms! giant palm trees! discovering the ancient wisdom of the Kogi people! beautiful beaches! salsa dancing!) and brought me deeper into the country in a way that was truly authentic. My leaders were exceptional - from planning hikes to preparing amazing picnics to sharing their knowledge of and passion for Colombia - they made this trip so special for the whole group. I fell in love with Colombia and can't wait to go back. And I'm 100% hooked on Backroads. They really know what they're doing, and they do it all the right way.- San Francisco
We want to make sure you're on the right trip and that you have the best experience possible. Every Backroads trip is unique and this one is no exception. Read the Straight Talk
We want to make sure you're on the right trip and that you have the best experience possible. Every Backroads trip is unique and this one is no exception.
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Each of the finely furnished rooms in this charming hacienda built in 1888 feature Spanish colonial interiors and look out onto the beautiful surrounding bamboo gardens. (pool)
Seamlessly integrated into the jungle, these elegantly minimalist "ecohabs" have wide wooden decks and are just steps from the beach.
In the heart of the colonial walled city, this lovingly restored hotel exudes luxury and charm. (pool)
There's no better way to find out about Backroads than by hearing it from the people who have traveled with us. For more about the Backroads Experience, read our Guest Testimonials.
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Comments about Colombia Walking & Hiking Tour:
It's been over a month since I've returned, and I can't stop thinking about my week in Colombia with Backroads. Every moment there was a highlight, and each day brought something new and incredible (coffee farms! giant palm trees! discovering the ancient wisdom of the Kogi people! beautiful beaches! salsa dancing!) and brought me deeper into the country in a way that was truly authentic. My leaders were exceptional - from planning hikes to preparing amazing picnics to sharing their knowledge of and passion for Colombia - they made this trip so special for the whole group. I fell in love with Colombia and can't wait to go back. And I'm 100% hooked on Backroads. They really know what they're doing, and they do it all the right way.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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Comments about Colombia Walking & Hiking Tour:
Really great taste of Colombia, made special by a couple of the world's finest trip leaders, Andres and Isabel. You should go! Colombia is fantastic!
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The earlier you book, the more choice you'll have and the lower your price. And you can always change your mind—you won't be charged to transfer to a different trip before your final payment is due.
Please click on a date below for specific pricing and possible itinerary variations.
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AVAILABLE TO BOOKi GOING FASTi CONTACT USi PRIVATE TRIP - RESERVEDi
Interested in a Private Trip? Check out the Make It Private tab for private dates available, or call us at 800-462-2848.
Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next—and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.
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| Daily Route Options | ||||||||||
| Day | EASYGOING | ACTIVE | AVID | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | ||||||
| miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | |
| 1 | 2 | 150 | 4 | 300 | 6 | 1000 | ||||
| 2 | 5 | 1100 | 7 | 1600 | 7 | 2100 | ||||
| 3 | 3 | 200 | ||||||||
| Local Farm Walk (1.5 Hours) | ||||||||||
| 4 | 6 | 500 | 9 | 600 | 10 | 1400 | ||||
| 5 | 3* | 600 | 6 | 700 | ||||||
| 6 | 3 | 300 | 4 | 500 | ||||||
| River Tubing (1.5 Hours) | ||||||||||
| 7 | Guided City Walk (2 Hours) | |||||||||
Note: The terrain on this trip features dirt roads through villages and farmland, mountain trails through rain forest and some beach paths.
* Includes shuttle.
Learn more about how we determine our activity levels and fully support a range of abilities and interests.
Please note that our distance and elevation figures come from Ride with GPS. Other sources (such as Map My Ride and Garmin devices) may give differing elevation figures due to different GPS and mapping technologies. Readings from a Garmin or a smart phone are influenced by other factors such as air pressure.
Born and raised in Colombia, the Trip Expert behind this unique adventure has led Backroads trips all over Latin America, as well as in Europe. That experience, combined with a passion for the landscapes, culture and food of his homeland, have yielded a memorable hiking journey that takes you from the stunning beaches of Tayrona National Park to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Cartagena—and, of course, along farmers' hillside trails in the Coffee Triangle.
Backroads has the best-qualified people to lead your trip in Colombia, and our guests back that up, rating our Trip Leaders an average of 9.75 out of 10 for all-around quality of performance. Get the facts (and no fluff) on how we recruit and develop the very best people for your trip.
Our Trip Leaders combine deep local expertise with a firm grasp of North American expectations around quality of service. By the same token, we pair experienced Backroads leaders with local guides who know how to cater to your needs while cracking open the culture or natural history in ways that are meaningful, memorable and often magical.
If we told you many companies' leaders can't actually speak the language where they lead trips, you'd say incroyable... ridicolo... không the tha thú. At Backroads, fluency in the local language is a given. Find out more on the best leader recruitment, training and development in the business. (And by the way, that was "unforgivable" in Vietnamese.)
In choosing the ideal experts to enrich your travel experience, we look for people with a wealth of local knowledge, but also the ability to convey their insights in English. Too often travelers find themselves smiling politely, not quite understanding what they're being told. Our experts share intriguing facts, anecdotes and inside stories that stay with you forever.
Thanks to our extensive connections in Colombia, Backroads takes you off the beaten track and deep into the region's culture in ways that traditional travel can never hope to do. We know the people and their customs, the legacy of art and architecture, the complex history and politics – and if we're not sure, our amazing local experts can fill in the blanks.
Most companies' trips in Colombia are run by local operators. At Backroads we manage our own trips; we would never subcontract your precious vacation to a third party. So as you enjoy the support of your seasoned Trip Leaders, along with our expert local guides and drivers, you have the confidence of knowing we're with you every step of the way.
We design and support our Colombia trips to suit mixed abilities and varied interests—so you can set your own pace, then change things up as the day unfolds. And all guests are free to do the same, traveling together or apart, with no one cramping anyone else's style. Which sounds easy in theory, but it's hard to pull off. Here's more on how we do it.
It may seem obvious to say the great hotels we tell you about are the ones you'll actually stay in. But the fact is many companies haven't even booked the places they promise and are later forced to settle for inferior alternatives. We book our hotels and exact rooms long in advance—often over two years—so you stay where you expect to stay.
Tom Hale has been keeping Backroads on track, with one eye on the horizon, since 1979. His passion for active travel, and for ensuring the highest-quality travel experience, is evident in every detail we add to make a guest's trip unforgettable—and the fact he's right there in the office, making it happen. To hear Tom describe his vision, watch our video.
In Colombia you head off each morning after choosing among several expertly designed routes—all with detailed directions, mileage and shuttle options. Unlike trips with one fixed daily route (or worse, one guide that everyone's obliged to follow), you're free to enjoy the best of the region at your pace, stopping wherever you want to explore further.
With Backroads you won't end up with kids on what you thought was an adult trip; we have exclusive departures for families, so they're off having their own adventures. As you browse our unrivaled selection of trips and dates, you can count on finding a trip in Colombia that's geared exclusively to your choice of traveling companions.
Since 1979, Backroads Founder and President Tom Hale has shown that staying #1 means constantly evaluating our performance using the best possible source of information: our guests. As we systematically analyze your feedback on our trip consultants, leaders, hotels, meals and on-trip activities, we never stop working to make a great company even better.
For nearly four decades we've worked to earn and maintain our right to call Backroads the world's #1 active travel company. In pursuing that vision on behalf of our guests, we believe we've set the standard for our industry—captured in the Backroads Quality Guide, which clearly sets out the benchmarks of excellence, choice and support that we live by
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Gather your favorite people to share a Backroads adventure on a ready-to-book Private Trip - featuring all the legendary Backroads hallmarks from expert leaders to unforgettable activities. You can pick from the selection of dates below for your group; some dates are only available for 16 or more guests while other dates are available for 8 or more guests. If your party has fewer than 8 guests, or your preferred date is not available, we'll create a departure just for you. Call or email us to reserve your date.
Click on a date below for specific pricing and possible itinerary variations.
8 AVAILABLE TO BOOK FOR 8 OR MORE GUESTS 16 AVAILABLE TO BOOK FOR 16 OR MORE GUESTS RESERVED
Don't see your ideal travel date? Make a Date! i
Invite your family and friends on an adventure that's entirely your own - for your group of 8 or more. Find out more
I simply can't imagine a better way to immerse yourself in the life of a region, to explore hidden corners and appreciate nuances while enjoying the benefits and enormous satisfaction of traveling under your own power. These are experiences you cannot have behind the wheel of a car, or on a train or a tour bus. Active travel is, at its heart, a way of connecting more authentically with the world. Sure, Backroads provides amazing leaders, superb accommodations and meals, and opportunities you could never arrange on your own. But all of our comprehensive planning and support is aimed at something far simpler: bringing you the immediate, highly personal satisfaction of discovering a new world on your own terms.
— Tom Hale, Founder & President
