Exotic Colombia
Colombia is also a popular destination for the gay traveler. It has a coastline on both the Pacific and the Caribbean, and lies just to the south of Panama, providing the gateway between South and Central America. The country is bordered on three sides by Venezuela, Brazil and Ecuador. Although never visited by Colombia, it is the namesake of Christopher Columbus. Gabriel García Márquez, Colombia's most celebrated author was inspired by its dreamlike qualities. Our trip will show you the very best sides of Colombia, from awesome art & gold to sunny, colonial cities. After a hiatus of several years of no tourism, Colombia is back and back big! Join Coda Tours for a small gay group tour of Colombia.
Countries Visited:
Colombia
Starts/Ends:
Bogotá, Colombia / Cartagena, Colombia
Duration:
8 Days / 7 Nights
Activity Level:
Easy
Accommodation:
Luxury (5★) & Deluxe (4★)
International Air Route:
USA/Bogotá (BGO)...Cartagena (CTG)/USA
Group Size:
Min 4, Max 16
Experiences:
Culture, Food, Outdoor, Music
Coda Tours signature small group size
Marvel at the colonial city of Cartagena
Coda Tours signature inclusive meal plan
Explore the awesome Gold Museum in Bogotá
Coda Tours signature deluxe accommodations
Learn the art of Botero
Coda Tours signature comprehensive sightseeing programs
Walk in the footsteps of Gabriel García Márquez
Coda Tours signature small group size
Sip Cuba Libres in a café & listen to salsa music
Enjoy the spirited and handsome Colombians you will meet
Exotic Colombia
November 7, 2024
November 15, 2024
$5598
$6993
approx $355 economy. Business – Pls inquire
A deposit of $750 is required to hold a reservation. This may be charged to a credit card. Final payment is due 60 days prior to start date of the tour. Final payment may be made by personal check, Zelle or wire transfer. Credit card payments are assessed a 4% fee.
• Single Occupancy rates can be avoided if you wish to be matched with another single traveler who also wishes to share. If no share is available, the single rate will apply.
• Rates are based on current rates and currency exchange rates at the time of publishing the tour online.
• Rates are subject to change until final payment has been made. Rates are based on a minimum participation and if the minimum participation is not met rates may need to be revised.
Depart on any regularly scheduled flight from the USA to Bogotá (BOG). Upon arrival in Bogotá, you may book a transfer with Coda Tours to be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel. Check in at Casa Medina Hotel. long recognized as one of the finest in Bogota, this stately and urbane jewel of composure and calm is now a signature Four Seasons experience- perfectly located in the Zona G (for Gastronomy), the designated area for the best restaurants in the city. Meet in the lobby bar of the hotel. (get to know your fellow travelers). Cocktails and Art Encounter at Lamazone Art Gallery, this is one of Bogota’s top exhibition spaces. It opened doors to the public in 2014 and it hosts worldwide recognized Colombian artists. Owner Joyce Lamazone will welcome us, she is an artist herself and created a magnificent space for artistic interchange. Welcome dinner: A culinary experience at the home of famed Colombian chef Jorge Ivan, we will be presented with a fabulous tasting menu paired with world class wines. After over a decade working on TV Jorge Ivan left his media career and got inspired by his mother's cooking. For the past 10 years, superstars, politicians, designers and friends have enjoyed Jorge’s special menus at the comfort of his own home in Bogota.
Hotel: Sofia Victoria Regia Hotel Bogotá ★★★★★
Room: Superior
Meals Dinner
Make a morning visit to the largest food market in Bogota. Paloquemao market offers a vast array of Colombian fruits and ingredients. The popular food stalls serve local delicacies, and the flower market provides an amazing array of smells and colors to enliven the senses. Continue with a tour with a visit to La Candelaria, the oldest part of the city with many colonial buildings still present. Nearby is the main square of Bogotá, the Plaza de Bolivar, surrounded by the cathedral and many government buildings. Continue to the Botero Museum, housed in a restored colonial mansion. The collection includes many works by the Colombian artist Fernando Botero, together with pieces by other artists such as Picasso, Renoir and Monet. Continue to the celebrated Gold Museum. With over 34,000 pieces, this is the world's largest collection of pre-Hispanic gold artefacts. Afterwards we will go to Monserrate to for lunch. Monserrate is Located in the hills to the east of the city, this 3,160-metre peak can be reached by funicular railway or cable car and affords views over the whole of Bogotá. Return to the hotel. Dinner is on your own this evening.
Hotel: Sofia Victoria Regia Hotel Bogotá ★★★★★
Room: Superior
Meals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Located on the outskirts of the small town of Zipaquira, the Salt Cathedral is an amazing underground church built in a tunnel of salt mines deep inside a mountain. Curving and twisting tunnels descend into the main room, which is over 75 feet high. It can accommodate a staggering 8,400 people and holds Mass each Sunday as well as the occasional concert. Enjoy lunch at one of the most popular restaurants in the city. Return to Bogota. This evening, we dine at Andres Carne de Res, a famous and very festive Colombia restaurant.
Hotel: Sofia Victoria Regia Hotel Bogotá ★★★★★
Room: Superior
Meals Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Medellin, known as the City of Eternal Spring. It rests in the fertile green hills of the Antioquia region, and is a great reflection of Colombia's renaissance. Temperatures comfortably rest at around 73 degrees Fahrenheit all year round. In 2016 Medellin won the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize recognizing the city's reformation through previous decades. The city now boasts telefericos (cable cars) and escalators connecting the upper barrios with the center of the city, with previous “no-go” sections being the “go-to” areas for tourism, with award-winning gastronomy, artists and designers. Medellín was once one of the most dangerous cities in the world, but it has transformed into one of the most innovative metropolises in the world. We will experience an exciting tour through the history and present day of Medellín and learn more about the transformation of this fascinating metropolis. The evening is free to dine at one of Medellin’s fine restaurants.
Hotel: El Cielo Hote ★★★★
Room: Standard Room
Meals: Breakfast
Drive 2 hours east of the city to the picturesque resort town of Guatape, admiring the breathtaking Antioquia landscape along the way. Guatape is known for its pastel-painted buildings and man-made reservoirs. The reservoir is home to Peñol Rock, a massive rock formation believed to be a meteorite. For the adventurous, you may climb its 654 steps. After lunch, explore the area on a boat trip and return to Medellin in the afternoon. Dinner is on your own this evening.
Hotel: El Cielo Hote ★★★★
Room: Standard Room
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast we head to downtown Medellin for a quick visit to the Museum of Antioquia, one of the largest collections of works by Botero. Lunch at In Situ located in the Botanical Gardens, with a quick visit to Orquidiario at the Botanical Gardens. A gourmet lunch is included. Evening flight to Cartagena. Arrive and transfer to the hotel for check in and overnight.
Hotel: Bastion Luxury Hotel ★★★★
Room: Superior
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
In the Ciudad Vieja (old city), visit the Convent and Church of San Pedro Claver, built in the middle of the XVII century. Also visit the Zenú Gold Museum, inaugurated in 1982 by the Bank of the Republic, which has a gold and ceramics collection from the main pre-Colombian cultures. Then continue to the handicrafts zone of the Bovedas, a collection of archways built into the city wall of Cartagena that were used until the end of the 1700s to house armaments and then later as a prison in the 14th century. The afternoon is at leisure to spend at the pool or on an optional excursion tour to the fishing village of La Boquilla, also a former slave colony.
Hotel: Bastion Luxury Hotel ★★★★
Room: Superior
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast, we embark aboard a private boat to journey through the Bay of Cartagena, passing by the twin forts of San Jose and San Fernando as you head out into the Caribbean Sea. The Rosario Islands, an archipelago of small coral islands near Cartagena, await you. This area, surrounded by clear waters and some of the best coral reefs in Colombia, is now a National Park. Spend your day relaxing on the pristine, white sandy beaches, take a refreshing dip in the turquoise waters, or go snorkeling to explore the stunning marine life. Farewell dinner tonight at one of Cartagena’s finest restaurants
Hotel: Bastion Luxury Hotel ★★★★
Room: Superior
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for flights home.
Meals: Breakfast
3 nights at the 5★ Sofia Victoria Regia Hotel; 2 nights at the 4★ El Cielo Hotel; 3 nights at the 4★ Bastion Luxury Hotel Cartagena, all with WiFi
American breakfast daily, 5 lunches, 2 dinners, as listed in the itinerary
Group transfers airport/hotel for arrival/departure; One designated group transfer per tour.
All tours and excursions as per the itinerary, with professional English-speaking guides
Entrance fees to sites and museums as per itinerary
All local taxes and service charges
Coda Tours Representative with minimum participation
All local taxes
and service charges
Pre-departure
assistance
Comprehensive Pre-Departure Portfolio from Coda Tours
International airfare including seat assignments & baggage fees;
Intra-tour flights (quoted separately & issued by Coda Tours);
Private arrival/departure transfers (outside designated group transfer);
Passport or visa fees (if applicable);
Any meals not mentioned in the itinerary;
Drinks with meals unless indicated;
Trip cancellation and Interruption insurance (highly recommended);
Gratuities to guides, escorts, drivers, Coda Tour Manager;
Items of a personal nature (laundry, phone calls, etc.)
American, Avianca, JetBlue are among airlines that can be used to book international airfare for this tour. We recommend booking at least 7 months in advance if you want to use Frequent Flyer Miles or the American Express Platinum card 2-4-1 program. Coda Tours can assist you with your international air booking in Business or Coach class (First Class is rare nowadays on international flights, but if available, we can quote it.) Please ask us to quote for you as we often have favorable rates. There is a standard $35 per ticket fee for this service.
Intra-tour flights are at an additional cost and are outlined in the chart above. Coda Tours will book these on your behalf.
Intra-tours flights (subject to change until ticketed) are at an additional cost. Coda Tours will book these flights for you. Only economy class will be booked. If you wish to have a quote for Business Class on these flights, please inquire.
Bogotá (BOG) / Medellín (MDE)
Medellín (MDE) / Cartagena (CTG)
Economy Class : Approx.$350
Business Class : Please inquire
Coda trips are casual at all times. There is no need for a jacket or tie unless you personally opt to dine at a fine restaurant requiring formal dress. We do not book these restaurants for our group experiences. Pack for a variety of weather. Bring a light jacket or sweater. Jeans, khakis and shorts are fine for daily wear. Comfortable shoes are a must. All hotels offer laundry service but it can be expensive.
Bogota ( Low Temperature - 43) | (High Temperature - 66)
Medellin ( Low Temperature - 64) | (High Temperature - 79)
Cartagena ( Low Temperature - 75) | (High Temperature - 85)
All departures are guaranteed on a minimum number of participants. A Coda Tour Manager will accompany a tour also based on a minimum number of participants. This tour can be operated as a Private Tour, can be customized and repriced based on a final itinerary. Rates are based on a minimum participation, if the minimum is not met, rates may need to be revised.
A complete portfolio of pre-departure information will be mailed to you approximately three weeks prior to departure.
American, Avianca, JetBlue are among airlines that can be used to book international airfare for this tour. We recommend booking at least 7 months in advance if you want to use Frequent Flyer Miles or the American Express Platinum card 2-4-1 program. Coda Tours can assist you with your international air booking in Business or Coach class (First Class is rare nowadays on international flights, but if available, we can quote it.) Please ask us to quote for you as we often have favorable rates. There is a standard $35 per ticket fee for this service.
