Colombia is a big and diverse country with stunning beaches, dense jungles, rolling hills and mountains and colorful colonial towns. Seeing all of this in only 1-2 weeks is near to impossible, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go at all! Here are some Colombia itinerary ideas designed to help you focus on one or two regions, see it properly, and actually enjoy it.
Each itinerary is built around a different part of the country or type of experience, so you can find the route that matches what you’re actually looking for rather than just following the standard tourist trail. Although that is still an option as well of course, if that’s what interests you the most.
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Table of Contents - Colombia itinerary ideas: What to do in Colombia in 1 or 2 weeks
| Region | Best For | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| The North Coast | Beaches & nature | The colorful streets of Cartagena, hiking in Tayrona National Park, the cloud forest and waterfalls of Minca, relaxed beach vibes in Palomino, the remote desert coastline of Cabo de la Vela |
| The Coffee Region | Cities, coffee, colonial villages & rolling hills | The vibrant street art and cable cars of Medellín, the colorful reservoir town of Guatapé, the charming colonial villages of Salento and Jardín, hiking through the giant wax palms of the Cocora Valley |
| The South | History, nature & off-the-beaten-track adventures | The mysterious pre-Columbian statues of San Agustín, the red and grey landscapes of the Tatacoa Desert, the rainbow-colored rivers of La Macarena (May–October only) |
1 week in Colombia itinerary ideas
One week is genuinely little time for Colombia, and I’d only recommend visiting 2-3 places in one region in order to enjoy this little time here. Focus on the coffee region, the Caribbean coast or the wildness of La Macarena.
1. Medellín & the coffee region
This 1 week Colombia itinerary starts in Medellín. The international airport of Medellín (José María Córdova) has many connections, so it’s the perfect place to start and end your trip. One of the most popular places to stay in Medellín is El Poblado↗. It’s one of the safer neighborhoods of Medellín with lots of bars and restaurants.
Start your first full day here (day 2) with a free walking tour, to understand more of the city and get the best insider tips. I love starting my stay in a city with a free walking tour and the one I did in Medellín↗ is definitely amongst the best ones I’ve done. In the afternoon you can choose to ride the cable cars, do another tour, or just keep exploring the city center.
On your 3rd day in Colombia, take a day trip to the colorful town of Guatapé. If you have more time I recommend staying overnight and exploring the town without the day trippers. But if you only have one week in Colombia, a day trip is just fine. Make sure to hop off at Piedra del Peñol just before town to visit this famous rock and viewpoint before continuing to the town. You won’t have trouble finding shared transport to the town from here.
On day 4, take a bus to Salento and follow this 3-day Salento itinerary which includes a day trip to the Cocora valley on days 4-6. The trip to Salento takes about 6 hours, so I recommend leaving early in the morning. On day 7, travel back to Medellín for your flight back. If traveling by bus takes too long, you can also take a flight from Armenia to Medellín↗.
2. Cartagena & the north coast
This Colombian coast itinerary starts and ends in Cartagena, which has many international connections. After checking into your hotel, go for a stroll through the city in the late afternoon/early evening. In the middle of the day it can get incredibly hot in this part of Colombia, especially within the walled city.
Spend the next morning (day 2) strolling through the city as well and do a free walking tour if you like doing them. It’s not the best tour in my opinion, but I still enjoyed it. In the afternoon, make your way towards Tayrona National Park. From Cartagena you can take a bus to the Santa Marta bus terminal, or ask your accommodation for the shuttle to the Santa Marta city center. Shuttles are a little bit more expensive than the long distance buses, but with only a week in Colombia, I’d pay a little more for a much quicker and smoother trip. You can either stay in Santa Marta, or take a van from the market towards Tayrona and stay just outside of the park.
Spend days 3 & 4 in Tayrona National Park, making your way back to Santa Marta at the end of day 4.
Sleep a night in Santa Marta to not feel rushed and take a van to Minca in the morning of day 5. Spend the afternoon and the morning of day 6 in Minca. Visit a coffee and/or cacao finca, go bird watching in the morning and hike to a waterfall. In the afternoon, start making your way back to Cartagena for your flight back on day 7.
💡Tip: Check out flights back from Barranquilla↗ as well. It’s closer to Minca/Tayrona than Cartagena.
3. Cities & Coffee: Medellín to Bogotá
You can start this itinerary either in Medellín or in Bogotá. I recommend starting in Medellín, due to the elevation. Bogotá lies at about 2600 meters high and many people who travel here directly from sea level, struggle with the altitude. Medellín lies about 1000 meters, which is much more comfortable to start with and lets you adjust a little bit before traveling to Bogotá.
This itinerary is similar to the first 1 week in Colombia itinerary idea, Medellín & the coffee region above[↑]. It skips the daytrip to Guatapé though to have time for Bogotá.
So start your first fill day in Medellín (day 2) with the same free walking tour↗ and spend the afternoon at the cable cars, on another tour, or in the city center. On day 3, instead of going to Guatapé, take the bus to Salento and follow the 3-day Salento & Cocora Valley itinerary on days 3-5. Instead of traveling back to Medellín, take a bus to Bogotá in the afternoon of day 5.
Do a free walking tour in the morning of day 6 and in the afternoon visit Monserrate viewpoint. You can hike up, or take a cable car or funicular. If you don’t feel well adjusted to the altitude, I recommend taking transport up, since it’s quite a steep climb. If you have a late flight back on day 7, you can visit one of the many interesting museums in Bogotá in the morning, like the Gold Museum.
💡Option: If this feels like not enough time in Salento, you can also take the bus to Bogotá on the morning of day 6, and only do one activity in the afternoon.
4. Off the beaten track: Bogotá & La Macarena (May to October)
While the above Colombia itineraries are all great, they include the places everyone goes. So if you’re looking for a completely different experience and want to get off the beaten track, head to La Macarena and the stunning Caño Cristales to immerse yourself in nature and experience a part of Colombia that not many others do. If you’re not familiar with La Macarena and why it’s absolutely worth a visit, check out my La Macarena guide first. Do note that I only recommend this itinerary between May and October, since that is when Caño Cristales gets its rainbow colors.
Start your trip in Bogotá. I know, it’s not quite off the beaten track, but it’s the best place to start this itinerary. Take it easy on your first day adjusting a little bit to the altitude. Start day 2 with a free walking tour and head to the Monserrate viewpoint in the afternoon. Unless you’re well acclimatized, I recommend taking the cable car or the funicular op since it’s a steep climb up.
On day 3 take a flight to La Macarena. Most package tours will already include flights, but it might be cheaper to create your own trip, eating and staying at cheaper places. Spend days 3 – 6 in La Macarena taking at least the Los Cristalitos and Caño Cristales tours, and fly back to Bogotá and back home on day 7.
2 weeks in Colombia itinerary ideas
2 weeks in Colombia is enough time to see a little more of the country. If you take a domestic flight, it allows you to see two very different areas of the country and get a much better feel for Colombia as a whole.
1. The north coast
Start your trip in the buzzing city of Cartagena. Explore the city on your own or take a free walking tour in the morning of day 2 and travel to Santa Marta in the afternoon. If you leave early enough you will still be able to take a van to Minca from Santa Marta. Otherwise you’ll either need to take a taxi or spend the night in Santa Marta and travel the next morning.
Spend days 3 & 4 in Minca: visit a coffee and/or cacao plantation, hike to a waterfall and go birdwatching. Make sure to enjoy the sunsets as well, Minca has some of the most spectacular sunsets in Colombia. On day 5, travel to Tayrona. I’d take it easy and spend the night close to the entrance of the National Park and leave early the next day.
Spend days 6 & 7 hiking in Tayrona and travel directly to Palomino from the park. Spend days 8 & 9 in Palomino, relaxing in a hammock, on the beach or go tubing, the most popular activity here.
On day 10, head to Cabo de la Vela. Spend days 11 & 12 here, relaxing and enjoying the lovely calm waters that are quite uncommon along this coast.
On day 13, travel back to Cartagena. This is quite a trip, so you might want to consider taking a flight from Riohacha to Cartagena. Most flights will have a stopover in Medellín or Bogotá, so if you can find a cheaper flight home from here, there is no need to travel back to Cartagena.
💡Want to get a little more off the beaten track?
Replace Palomino with Rincón del Mar. Be aware that Rincón is on the other side of Cartagena, so it involves a little bit more travel time. This is why I included Palomino in the main itinerary instead.
It’s also possible to include the hike to Ciudad Perdida in this itinerary, then I’d recommend leaving out Cabo de la Vela. This tour has gotten very expensive though and personally I don’t think it’s worth it. I’d rather travel to Cabo de la Vela or Rincón del Mar.
2. Coffee & Beach: Medellín & Cartagena
This itinerary combines some of the most popular places in Colombia. For this itinerary, simply combine the 1 week in Colombia itineraries 1 [↑] & 2 [↑]. On day 7, instead of traveling back to Medellín, you can take a flight to Cartagena from Armenia or Pereira.
So you’d spend your first 2 days in Medellín, doing a day trip to Guatapé on day 3, travel to Salento for days 4-6. On day 7, you’d take a flight up to Cartagena and spend the next day there. Then you’d travel to Tayrona and Minca before traveling back to Cartagena.
3. Cities & coffee: Medellín to Bogotá
You can start this trip in Medellín or in Bogotá. I recommend starting in Medellín, due to the elevation. Bogotá lies at about 2600 meters high and many people who travel here directly from sea level, struggle with the altitude. Medellín lies about 1000 meters, which is much more comfortable to start with and lets you adjust a little bit before traveling to Bogotá.
Spend days 2 & 3 in Medellín. I recommend taking this free walking tour↗ in the morning of your second day, since it’s the perfect start of your stay here.
On day 4, travel to Guatapé and spend the night here. Most people visit only as a day trip, so staying the night means that you’ll have the town almost to yourself from the late afternoon to the next morning. Piedra de Peñol, the famous huge rock and viewpoint, is not located in the town itself. If you have very little luggage it makes sense to stop off here before continuing to the town. Otherwise just make a return trip from town.
On day 5, when the day trippers start arriving and Guatapé gets busy, travel to Jardín. You’ll need to take a bus back to Medellín, to the North terminal, travel to the South terminal, and then take a bus to Jardín from there. If this sounds like a bit too much for one day, you can still just do a day trip to Guatapé and spend the night in Medellín.
Spend days 6 & 7 in Jardín. Jardín is a very cute little colonial town in the middle of rolling hills. You can do several different hikes here, from short to longer ones. My favorite was the one to Cueva del Esplendor↗. Another must is the hike to the Jesus statue (the viewpoint) and take a ride on the Garrucha cable car.
On day 8, travel to Salento. and follow this itinerary for 3 days in Salento & the Cocora Valley on days 8-10.
On day 11, travel to Bogotá. Spend days 12 – 14 here, doing a free walking tour, visiting the Monserrate viewpoint and visiting a museum or two. Go for a wander through La Candelaria discovering street art and check out the food court at Plaza Distrital de Mercado La Concordia, a popular place to eat.
4. Off the beaten track: South of Bogotá (May to October)
This is the most full on Colombia itinerary, but the most rewarding for second time visitors, or those who want to get off the beaten track and discover something else. I only recommend this itinerary if you can travel between May to October however, since this is when you can see the rainbow colors in the rivers in La Macarena. The months of July and August are best for this phenomenon, and since the rest of Colombia can get very busy this time of year, this itinerary is also perfect for those who want to travel during these months and avoid crowds as much as possible.
Start your trip in Bogotá. I know, it’s not quite off the beaten track, but it’s the best place to start this itinerary. Take it easy on your first day adjusting a little bit to the altitude and start day 2 with a free walking tour and head to the Monserrate viewpoint in the afternoon. Unless you’re well acclimatized, I recommend taking the cable car or the funicular op since it’s a steep climb up.
On day 3, travel to Villavieja in the Tatacoa desert and spend days 4 & 5 here checking out the best things to do in the Tatacoa desert. In the late afternoon of day 5, travel to Neiva and take the overnight bus to San Vicente del Caguan. From here you can take a shared 4×4 jeep to La Macarena, home of the famous Caño Cristales.
Spend days 6-9 in La Macarena, visiting Caño Cristales amongst others. Check out this guide to La Macarena for the best things to do in this hidden gem.
On day 10, travel to San Agustín. Be prepared for quite the trip. First you’ll need to travel back to San Vicente de Caguan, from there you’ll need to take a bus to Florencia and from there a bus to San Agustín. If there is no direct transport, you change at Pitalito. Spend day 11 here exploring the mysterious statues.
On day 12 make your way back to Bogotá, so you can relax here on day 13 before flying back home on day 14. I recommend keeping day 13 as a spare day, since the itinerary is quite full on. So if you feel like you need another rest day somewhere, you can spend it there, arriving in Bogotá on day 13 instead.
💡Alternatives:
- If you don’t want to travel back to Bogotá, but prefer to explore another city and dance salsa, you can also travel to Cali from San Agústin.
- If the trip to San Agustin is too much for a rather short stay, you can also fly back to Bogotá from La Macarena and travel to Salento instead.
Finishing thoughts about these Colombia itineraries
Colombia has many interesting places which are worth a visit, many more than I’ve included in these itinerary ideas. 1 or 2 weeks is not a whole lot of time for a country as big as Colombia though, so I’ve focused on the best clustered places so you can still enjoy your time exploring as much of Colombia as possible.
If you have more time to travel Colombia, stay tuned for my next article with itineraries for longer trips, or in the meantime, check out my Colombia Guide with more interesting places to visit and general travel tips for Colombia.
| Guide | What You'll Find |
|---|---|
| Ultimate Backpacker Guide to Colombia | Your complete guide to backpacking Colombia, from must-visit destinations to budget tips and travel essentials. |
| Salento Itinerary | Plan your perfect visit to Colombia's coffee region with this guide to Salento's colorful streets, coffee farms, and surrounding attractions. |
| How to Visit & Hike the Cocora Valley | Everything you need to know to visit and hike the Cocora Valley, from how to get there and when to go, to the best way to do the full loop trail. |
| How to Visit Tayrona National Park | Explore Colombia's most famous national park with pristine Caribbean beaches, jungle trails, and camping options. |
| Best Things to Do in the Tatacoa Desert | Experience Colombia's otherworldly red and grey desert landscapes with this guide to hiking, stargazing, and exploration. |
| La Macarena Colombia: Complete Travel Guide | Visit the famous Caño Cristales "Rainbow river" and explore this remote natural wonder in the Colombian jungle. |
| How to Travel to Cabo de la Vela Without a Tour | Explore the stunning La Guajira desert and Caribbean coast independently with this complete DIY guide. |
| Rincón del Mar Colombia Travel Guide | Discover this peaceful Caribbean beach town, perfect for relaxation and experiencing authentic coastal Colombian life. |
FAQ about Colombia itineraries
Colombia has changed enormously over the past years and is generally safe for tourists, as long as you take the same precautions you would in any other South American country. So don’t flash expensive items, use Uber or official taxis rather than hailing cabs off the street, and do your research before visiting any area you’re unsure about. All regions mentioned in this article are generally safe to travel, but it’s always wise to check the current situation.
While 1-2 weeks is not enough to travel all the highlights across the country, it is enough to get a real feel for an area. Two weeks gives you the option to combine two regions or go deeper into one.
Colombia is a year-round destination, depending on where you want to go. December to March and July to August are generally the driest months on the Caribbean coast. The coffee region and Bogotá have their own weather patterns: Medellín is famously spring-like all year round. If you’re planning to visit La Macarena for Caño Cristales, you need to go between May and October, which is actually the wet season for much of the country.
Colombia has a huge variety of beaches, and which area has the best ones, depends on what you’re looking for. Personally, I loved Rincón del Mar and Cabo de la Vela because they have quiet beaches great for swimming. Cabo de la Vela is a desert, so it’s not as humid here as in many other areas of Colombia. Rincón del Mar has more vegetation and natural shade.
Tayrona National Park is a traveler’s favorite, and while the beaches here absolutely stunning, many are not apt for swimming, which is something to take into consideration. Playa Arenilla is amazing though, it’s relatively quiet and you can swim here.
It helps, but it’s not essential in the main tourist destinations. In places like Medellín, Cartagena, Salento and Tayrona you’ll find enough English speakers to get by. The further off the beaten track you go ( La Macarena, Tatacoa, Jardín, Cabo de la Vela) the less English you’ll encounter, so having a few basic phrases and a translation app on your phone goes a long way. Colombians are generally very patient and friendly with travelers who make an effort.