Ecuador to Colombia Explorer - 19 Days

19 days
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Travel north from Ecuador's beguiling capital Quito to Cartagena on Colombia’s beautiful Caribbean Coast, discovering diverse landscapes and cities en route. Explore the lush jungle and stunning beaches of Tayrona and Colombia's famous coffee region, visit Valle de Cocora with its spectacular wax palm trees and Otavalo in the Ecuador's Andean Highlands.
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From$1,400
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Overview

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

Highlights

    • The Coffee Triangle – learn about coffee farming at local ranch in Armenia
    • Cocora Valley – take a hike in the home of Colombia’s national tree, the wax palm, the tallest variety of palm tree in the world
    • Quito - independently explore Ecuador's capital and visit the Equatorial Monument
    • Otavalo – discover the rich cultural heritage and excellent handicrafts market full of artisan goods
    • Ipiales - visit the jaw dropping Santuario Las Lejas church.
    • Popayan - beautiful town and former colonial capital. Opt to relax in the volcanic thermal springs nearby or trek to the summit of the towering Purace volcano.
    • Salento – stroll through this charming town with its preserved colonial bahareque architecture and streets lined with restaurants, bars and shops
    • Manizales & the coffee region. Stay at a coffee plantation and take a guided tour and learn about coffee cultivation and production.
    • Medellin - Famous for its pleasant weather, it earns the nickname “the City of Eternal Spring”
    • Santa Cruz de Lorica - colonial town where we learn how the traditional Vueltiao hat is made

What's this trip about?

    Travel north from Ecuador's beguiling capital Quito to Cartagena on Colombia’s beautiful Caribbean Coast, discovering diverse landscapes and cities en route. Explore the lush jungle and stunning beaches of Tayrona and Colombia's famous coffee region, visit Valle de Cocora with its spectacular wax palm trees and Otavalo in the Ecuador's Andean Highlands.

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Details

Itinerary focusOperator does not provide
Group sizeSmall Group - max of 20 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: 20

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 2 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 4 x 4 and ferry.

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Itinerary

Travel Map

Day : 1 Quito

Make your own way to our hotel in Quito. There is a group meeting at 6pm tonight where you will meet the rest of your group and crew.

Day : 2 Otavalo

Quito - Otavalo. Departing the Ecuadorian capital we take a short drive to Mitad el Mundo, a monument on the Equator. Later we continue to Otavalo where we camp for the night in the grounds of a lovely guesthouse.

Day : 3 Ipiales

Otovalo - Ipiales (Colombia). We depart Ecuador today as we travel into neighbouring Colombia. After clearing the border at Ipiales we take a visit to the Santuario Las Lajas - a spectacular church built on a bridge in the middle of a canyon - certainly a sight to behold.

Day : 4-5 Popayan

Ipiales - Popayan. On day 4 we drive to the quaint town and former colonial capital of Popayan. Day 5 is at leisure to explore Popayan or to head out on some treks or other optional activities (see Trip Notes for more details).

Day : 6-7 Salento

Continuing north on day 6 we drive to the little town of Salento - known as the gateway to the breathtaking Valle de Cocora. On day 7 we take an escorted walk through the Cocora Valley to marvel at the Quidio wax palm trees - Colombia's national tree and the biggest palm trees in the world.

Day : 8-9 Colombia's coffee region

Salento - Manizales. A short drive on day 8 takes us to our hacienda in the heart of Colombia's coffee region. If the weather is in our favour then we will take a trip to explore nearby Los Nevados National Park. On day 9 we tour a coffee plantation and learn all about its cultivation.

Day : 10-12 Medellin

Manizales - Medellin. Our journey on day 10 takes us to the exciting city of Medellin where we spend the next 3 nights. On day 11 we will take a guided walking tour of the city and day 12 is at leisure for you to further explore or just relax. Our accommodation in Med...

Day : 13-14 Santa Cruz de Lorica

Medellin - Santa Cruz de Lorica. Leaving Medellin on day 13 we continue north to the pretty town of Santa Cruz de Lorica. Day 14 is at leisure to explore the city, learn about the traditional hats made here or even travel to the coast for some beach time in San Bernardo del Viento.

Day : 15-16 Tayrona National Park

Santa Cruz de Lorica - Tayrona National Park. Departing Santa Cruz de Lorica we head to one of Colombia's most beautiful national parks - Tayrona. We'll be leaving our main luggage on our truck as we pack a day pack for the night. we'll take a moderate walk into the ...

Day : 17 Cartagena

Tayroma National Park - Cartagena. We depart idyllic Tayroma this morning we take our last journey in our truck as we head to Cartagena - our final destination. Our accommodation here is a lovely hotel on the outskirts of the historical centre.

Day : 18 Cartagena

Today we take a walking tour of Cartagena in the morning before an afternoon at leisure. There are many optional activities to enjoy in the city - see the Trip Notes for more information.

Day : 19 Cartagena

Arrangements finish this morning after hotel check out.

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Dates & Availability

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

This trip operates in reverse, travelling from Quito to Cartagena. Please refer to the Northbound Trip Notes below the tour dates for details. 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 - $580pp, paid in USD

Accommodation

Multishare 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
Minimum age 12, no maximum. Anyone 70 and over to complete our Tour Suitability Form
Additional Information
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Trip ID
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