Colombia to Ecuador Explorer - 19 Days

19 days
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Travel south from Cartagena along Colombia’s beautiful Caribbean Coast to Ecuador's beguiling capital Quito. Discover diverse landscapes and cities en route including the lush jungle and stunning beaches of Tayrona, Valle de Cocora with its spectacular wax palm trees and Otavalo in Ecuador's Andean Highlands.
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Overview

Trip type
Operator does not provide
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Highlights

    • Cartagena - take a walking tour of this coastal city's beautiful Old Town
    • Tayrona National Park – follow trails through this dazzling national park and sleep in a hammock on the beach
    • Santa Cruz de Lorica - learn how traditional Vueltiao hats are made in this colonial town
    • Medellin - visit 'the City of Eternal Spring' for a guided walking tour
    • Cocora Valley – take a hike to see the huge wax palms, the tallest variety of palm tree in the world
    • Manizales & the coffee region - stay at a coffee plantation and take a guided tour to learn all about the coffee making process
    • Salento – stroll through this charming town with its preserved colonial bahareque architecture and streets lined with restaurants, bars and shops
    • Popayan - explore this beautiful former colonial capital and opt to relax in volcanic thermal springs
    • Ipiales - visit the jaw dropping Santuario Las Lejas church
    • Otavalo – discover rich cultural heritage and an excellent handicrafts market full of artisan goods

What's this trip about?

    Travel south from Cartagena along Colombia’s beautiful Caribbean Coast to Ecuador's beguiling capital Quito. Discover diverse landscapes and cities en route including the lush jungle and stunning beaches of Tayrona, Valle de Cocora with its spectacular wax palm trees and Otavalo in Ecuador's Andean Highlands.

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Details

Itinerary focusOperator does not provide
Group sizeSmall Group - max of 22 people
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transport
Start CityOperator does not provide
End CityOperator does not provide

Destinations

Max Group Size

  • Max Group Size: 22

Trip includes

    • 14 breakfasts, 3 lunches & 2 dinners
    • 8 nights multishare hostels, 7 nights basic and comfortable hotels, 1 night camping and 2 nights sleeping in hammocks on the beach
    • Services of two crew (drivers/tour leaders), with local guides along the way
    • Visit to the equator at Mitad del Mundo
    • Visit to the church of Santuario Las Lejas near the Ecuador/Colombia border
    • Half-day guided trek through the spectacular Cocora Valley
    • Guided tour of a coffee plantation
    • 2-night trip into Tayrona National Park
    • Half-day guided walking tour of Cartegena
    • Transportation in an overland expedition vehicle, plus 4x4 and ferry

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Itinerary

Day : 1 Cartagena

Welcome to Colombia! Make your own way to our hotel in Cartagena. We have a meeting at 6pm tonight for you to meet the rest of your group and crew.

Day : 2 Cartagena

Today we spend the whole day in beautiful Cartegena with an included walking tour of the city this morning. The remainder of the day is at leisure for you to further explore, enjoy optional activities such as a visit to the mudbaths at the Totumo Volcano, or just relax by the beach.

Day : 3-4 Tayrona NP

Cartagena - Tayrona National Park. Departing the city today we head to the breathtaking national park at Tayrona. On day 4 we take a moderate walk into the park and during our two nights here we sleep in hammocks on the beach - a truly amazing experience for all nature lovers. Whilst in the park head out and explore or take some other optional activities (see Trip Notes for more details).

Day : 5-6 Santa Cruz de Lorica

Tayrona National Park - Santa Cruz de Lorica. Departing Tayarona we reboard our truck and travel south to the quaint colonial town of Santa Cruz de Lorica on the Sinu River. This town is famous for the traditional Vueltiao hat which is made here. Day 6 is at leisure to either explore the town or soak up some sun at the beaches of San Bernardo del Viento.

Day : 7-9 Medellin

Santa Cruz de Lorica - Medellin. Day 7 is a full driving day as we make our way to Colombia's second largest city, Medellin. On day 8 we take a guided walking tour of this exciting city to learn about its troubled past and more peaceful recent times. The remainder of ...

Day : 10-11 Coffee region

Medellin - Manizales. Departing Medellin we reach Colombia's coffee region of Manizales where we spend two nights in a beautiful hacienda. On day 11 we take an included tour of the coffee plantation and learn about the whole coffee making process.

Day : 12-13 Salento

Medellin - Salento. Our destination today is the small town of Salento, the gateway to Colombia's Valle de Cocora. Weather providing, we hope to have the opportunity to explore the Los Nevados National Park on foot and possibly visit some thermal baths. On day 13 ther...

Day : 14-15 Popayan

Salento - Popayan. Our journey today takes us to the former colonial capital of Popayan for free time to explore the local area. There are some good walks and thermal springs excursions to do locally (see Trip Notes for more details).

Day : 16 Ipiales

Popayan - Ipiales. We spend today driving towards the border with Ecuador and spend the night in the town of Ipiales, known for its Gothic-style church named Santurio de las Lajas.

Day : 17 Otavalo

Ipiales - Otavalo (Ecuador). Today visit Ipiales' stunning church before saying goodbye to Colombia and crossing the border into Ecuador. Our next stop is the city of Otovalo in the Andean highlands, where we spend the night.

Day : 18 Mitad del Mundo

Otavalo - Quito. We take our last drive today and reach our final destination of Quito, Ecuador's colourful capital. Along the way we have an included visit to Mitad del Mundo, the monument that marks the equator.

Day : 19 Quito

Today marks the end of our time in Colombia and Ecuador! Tour arrangements finish this morning after hotel check out. If you would like to extend your stay in Quito, our reservations team can help arrange post-tour accommodation.

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Dates & Availability

Price From $1,400
Price per day$74
Last Updated: 6/24/2020

Departure dates noted with a 'G' are guaranteed to operate. All other departure dates are guaranteed with a minimum of 4 persons. Prices shown above are per person travelling. These overland trips are designed for shared accommodation, whether camping or staying in hotels or hostels, and therefore do not involve a single supplement. Hostels are nearly always multi-share and may be mixed gender and many hotel rooms in South America are triple/quad-share. Whilst the crew will do their best to accommodate couples travelling together in twin rooms, all our travellers should expect to stay in multi-share accommodation when staying in hostels.

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with On The Go Tours.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Logistics

What's excluded

    • Items of a personal nature, additional meals and drinks
    • International flights and visas
    • Tipping – an entirely personal gesture
    • Sleeping bag and roll mat - please bring your own for camping
    • Local payment - $590pp, paid in USD

Accommodation

Hostels, simple hotels and camping
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Age Requirements
No age restrictions
18 and over. No upper age limit but anyone over 70 needs to complete a tour suitability form.
Additional Information
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Trip ID
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