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Colonial houses with wooden balconies painted blue, yellow and white on Calle de los Santos de Piedra in Cartagena's walled city
Quindío wax palms in the Cocora Valley
The Piedra del Peñol above the Guatapé reservoir
Murals on a stairway in Comuna 13, San Javier, Medellín

Things to do in Colombia: 27 experiences worth the trip

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Photo: Dr. Thomas Liptak, CC BY-SA 4.0

Salento, Quindío

Walk the Cocora Valley loop through the wax palms

Check dates and prices

Photo: Estebanhphoto, CC BY 4.0

Guatapé, Antioquia

Climb the 740 steps of the Piedra del Peñol at Guatapé

Check dates and prices

Photo: Juan Gómez, CC BY 2.0

Medellín

Ride the Comuna 13 escalators with a guide from the area

Check dates and prices

Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0

Colombia's highlights sit in very different climates: Caribbean heat in Cartagena and Santa Marta, cool mountain air in Bogotá, coffee hills around Salento and Medellín, and desert at the top of La Guajira. This page covers the 25 experiences on the country list plus two additions, Tayrona and the Piedra del Peñol, each with the detail that changes the day: closing days, which operator, which season.

Several of the best things here cannot be done on your own. Teyuna, the Ciudad Perdida, is sold only through licensed operators, Caño Cristales needs an authorised agency and a local guide, and both Tayrona and the Lost City close for weeks each year at the request of the Indigenous communities of the Sierra Nevada. Check those dates before you buy flights.

Prices are in Colombian pesos (COP) and were checked in October 2026 on the pages listed under each experience. They change often, so treat them as a guide and confirm before you go.

27 things to do in Colombia

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The coral-stone city walls of Cartagena

Walk Cartagena's walled city along its ramparts

Cartagena

Half a dayFree

Walk the ramparts with colonial streets on one side and the Caribbean on the other, as the coral stone turns honey-coloured at dusk.

Tours in Colombia
The gold Muisca raft on display at the Museo del Oro in Bogotá

See the Muisca raft at Bogotá's Museo del Oro

Bogotá

About 2 hoursNo booking needed

See the Muisca raft, a 19.5 cm gold offering that many scholars link to the El Dorado ceremony at Lake Guatavita.

Tours in Colombia
Circular stone terraces at Teyuna, the Ciudad Perdida

Trek to Teyuna, the Ciudad Perdida, with a licensed operator

Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

4 to 6 daysBook ahead

Four days of mud, river crossings and steep climbs end on about 1,200 stone steps up to the terraces of the Ciudad Perdida.

Tours in Colombia
Medellín and the Aburrá Valley seen from Cerro El Picacho

Fly a tandem paraglider from San Félix above Medellín

San Félix, Bello

About 15 minutes in the air, half a day with transportBook ahead

About 15 minutes in the air over Medellín, launched from San Félix on the valley's northern rim with a certified pilot.

Tours in Colombia
Coffee plantations on the hills around Armenia, Quindío

Follow coffee from plant to cup at Finca El Ocaso

Salento

About 1.5 hours on the farm, half a day from SalentoBook ahead

Follow the coffee from plant to cup on a working farm you can reach from Salento on foot, on horseback or by Willys jeep.

Tours in Colombia
Monserrate hill rising above the centre of Bogotá

Go up Monserrate by footpath, funicular or cable car

Bogotá

No booking needed

Climb the stone footpath or ride the funicular or cable car to the summit of Monserrate, 3,152 metres above sea level.

Tours in Colombia
Murals on a stairway in Comuna 13, San Javier, Medellín

Ride the Comuna 13 escalators with a guide from the area

Medellín

3 to 4 hours with a guided tourBook ahead

Ride outdoor escalators up the western slopes of Medellín with a guide who lived the story behind the murals.

Check dates and pricesComuna 13 walk with a local guide, metro and cable car
Red Macarenia clavigera plants colouring the water of Caño Cristales

See Caño Cristales in colour on an authorised trip

La Macarena, Meta

3 days and 2 nights as a packageTimed entry

A river that turns red, yellow and green while a plant colours its bed, seen with a local guide in groups of up to seven.

Tours in Colombia
A bandeja paisa served in Medellín

Share a bandeja paisa at Mercado del Río

Medellín

1 to 2 hoursNo booking needed

Meet the bandeja paisa, Antioquia's everything-on-one-plate platter, shared between two at a hall of more than 50 food counters.

Tours in Colombia
Dancers performing salsa in Cali

Dance old-school salsa at Zaperoco in Cali

Cali

A night outNo booking needed

A small, dark room lined with photos of salsa greats, where the resident DJ spins old-school salsa on vinyl.

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The Taroa dunes meeting the Caribbean near Punta Gallinas

Slide down the Taroa dunes into the Caribbean

Alta Guajira

3 days from RiohachaBook ahead

Climb, slide or run down dunes that drop straight into the Caribbean near the northernmost point of mainland South America.

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A stone-paved street with whitewashed houses in Barichara

Walk Barichara and the Camino Real down to Guane

Barichara, Santander

A day, with the walk to GuaneNo booking needed

Whitewashed houses and terracotta roofs for an afternoon, then an old stone trail down to the village of Guane next morning.

Tours in Colombia
Thermal pools below the waterfall at Termales de Santa Rosa de Cabal

Soak below the waterfall at Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal

Santa Rosa de Cabal, Risaralda

Half a dayNo booking needed

Alternate hot pools fed by water that emerges at more than 60 °C with a dip in the cold pool under a tall waterfall.

Tours in Colombia
An illuminated chamber inside the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá

Take the weekend train to Zipaquirá's Salt Cathedral

Zipaquirá

2 to 3 hours inside, a full day from BogotáBook ahead

A church carved inside a salt mine, its naves about 180 metres underground, reached from Bogotá on a weekend tourist train.

Tours in Colombia
Wayuu mochilas with their woven kanaas designs at the Uribia festival

Visit a Wayuu ranchería and learn how mochilas are woven

Uribia, La Guajira

A stop of a few hours on a Guajira tourBook ahead

Watch Wayuu women's mochilas take shape, each bag about 20 days of crochet in geometric designs handed down from pre-Columbian times.

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A raft running the Río Fonce at San Gil

Raft the Río Fonce or the Río Suárez from San Gil

San Gil, Santander

Half a dayBook ahead

Two rivers, two levels: class II to III rapids on the Fonce for beginners, class IV to V on the Suárez for experienced rafters.

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The cobbled Plaza Mayor of Villa de Leyva

Spend a slow day around Villa de Leyva's Plaza Mayor

Villa de Leyva, Boyacá

A night, or a full day from BogotáFree

Colombia's biggest square, about 14,000 square metres of rounded cobbles ringed by whitewashed houses, best early in the morning and after dark.

Tours in Colombia
Quindío wax palms in the Cocora Valley

Walk the Cocora Valley loop through the wax palms

Salento, Quindío

4 to 6 hours for the full loopGo alone or with a tour

Walk up through cloud forest and come down among Colombia's national tree, the Quindío wax palm, standing in open pasture.

Check dates and pricesGuided Cocora walk from Salento with transport
Botero bronzes in Plaza Botero, Medellín

See Botero's bronzes in the plaza and his gift inside the museum

Medellín

2 to 3 hours with the museumNo booking needed

Walk among 23 bronze sculptures Fernando Botero gave Medellín, then see 119 more of his works inside the Museo de Antioquia.

Tours in Colombia
Stalls at the Mercado de Bazurto in Cartagena

Eat seafood at Bazurto market with a local guide

Cartagena

2.5 to 4 hours with a tourBook ahead

Cartagena's working market, where cooks and families shop among fish, fruit and meat stalls, ending with a plate at a market kitchen.

Tours in Colombia
The ramparts of Castillo San Felipe de Barajas on San Lázaro hill

Explore the tunnels and ramparts of Castillo San Felipe

Cartagena

1.5 to 2 hoursNo booking needed

Walk the ramps and tunnels of a fortress that held out in the 1741 siege, with a gallery running round it at sea level.

Tours in Colombia
Shallow water around one of the Islas del Rosario

Dive the Islas del Rosario reefs with a proper dive centre

Islas del Rosario, Cartagena

A full day from CartagenaBook ahead

Dive the coral reefs of a national park south-west of Cartagena, at sites picked for your level and the day's sea.

Tours in Colombia
El Poblado, the district around Parque Lleras, at night

Go out around Parque Lleras in El Poblado

El Poblado, Medellín

No booking needed

A small leafy square ringed by Medellín's densest cluster of restaurants, bars and clubs, filling up from about 21:00.

The spring-fed pool in the grey Los Hoyos sector of the Tatacoa Desert

Swim in the spring-fed pool of Los Hoyos in the Tatacoa

Villavieja, Huila

A full day, better with a night for the starsNo booking needed

After a walk among grey clay gullies, swim in a small groundwater pool, then watch the night sky from the observatory.

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A Santa Marta parakeet perched at the El Dorado reserve

Look for the Santa Marta parakeet at El Dorado reserve

Minca, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

At least one nightBook ahead

Wake at first light in a reserve where more than 360 bird species have been recorded, to look for the Santa Marta parakeet.

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The beaches of Cabo San Juan in Tayrona National Park

Hike to Cabo San Juan in Tayrona National Park

Santa Marta

A full dayBook ahead

Walk through coastal forest to Cabo San Juan, a rocky point between two coves, and swim in the calm bay of La Piscina.

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The Piedra del Peñol above the Guatapé reservoir

Climb the 740 steps of the Piedra del Peñol at Guatapé

Guatapé, Antioquia

A full day from MedellínGo alone or with a tour

Climb 740 steps up a crack in a rock that rises about 220 metres, to look over green islands in a flooded valley.

Check dates and pricesGuatapé day from Medellín with rock entry and boat

Plan your trip

  • When to go

    December to March is the driest stretch in the Andes, with a shorter dry spell from July to early September, and that is when Bogotá, Medellín and the Coffee Region are easiest. December, January and Easter are also the busiest weeks, because Colombians travel too. The Caribbean coast is hot all year and its rain peaks around September and October. Two calendars override the weather: Caño Cristales only shows its colours from about June to late November, and Tayrona closes in 2026 from 1 to 15 February, 1 to 15 June and 19 October to 2 November.

  • How many days

    Two weeks covers a first loop: three days in Bogotá with the Salt Cathedral, three or four around Salento in the Coffee Region, three in Medellín including Guatapé, and four or five on the Caribbean between Cartagena and Santa Marta. The Ciudad Perdida adds four to six days on its own, and La Guajira and Caño Cristales about three each, so pick one of those on a first trip rather than all three.

  • Getting around

    Distances are long and mountain roads slow, so most visitors fly between regions: Bogotá, Medellín, Pereira or Armenia for the Coffee Region, and Cartagena or Santa Marta for the coast. Within each region, buses fill the gaps; around Salento and Santa Rosa de Cabal the Willys jeeps that leave from the main squares are the local transport to farms, valleys and hot springs. La Guajira and the Sierra Nevada need 4x4 tours, and the Bogotá to Zipaquirá tourist train runs only on weekends and public holidays.

  • Entry and paperwork

    Migración Colombia recommends filling in its free Check-MIG form online, from 72 hours up to one hour before your flight; in July 2026 it said the form is not a mandatory entry requirement. Use only the official Migración Colombia site, as third-party pages charge for it. Visa rules depend on your passport, so check them with Colombia's foreign ministry before booking. If Caño Cristales is on your list, get a yellow fever vaccination at least 10 days before flying to La Macarena and carry the certificate.

Questions travellers ask

What is the best time of year to visit Colombia?

December to March is the driest period in the Andes, and July to early September is a shorter dry season. December, January and Easter are the most crowded and expensive weeks. If Caño Cristales matters to you, go between about June and late November, and check the Tayrona closure dates before fixing a Caribbean leg.

How many days do you need in Colombia?

Two weeks is enough for Bogotá, the Coffee Region, Medellín and the Caribbean coast with domestic flights between them. Add four to six days for the Ciudad Perdida trek, or about three for La Guajira or Caño Cristales.

Can you visit the Ciudad Perdida without a tour?

No. ICANH, which manages the Teyuna archaeological park, sells entry only to tour operators, so you have to join a guided trek, usually four to six days from Santa Marta. The park also closes for about a month each year at the request of the Kogui authorities, so confirm the dates with your operator.

Do I need a yellow fever vaccine for Colombia?

For La Macarena and Caño Cristales, yes: the vaccine must be given at least 10 days before travel, and the certificate can be checked on arrival. For the rest of your route, ask a travel health clinic in your country, since advice depends on where you go.

Is Colombia safe for tourists?

Conditions vary by region and change over time, so read your own government's travel advice before booking and again before you leave. In the places on this page, the useful habits are simple: taxis or app rides at night, a local guide in areas like Comuna 13 or Bazurto, phones out of sight in crowded centres, and no drinks from strangers.

What is Check-MIG and do I need it?

Check-MIG is Migración Colombia's free online form for travellers entering or leaving the country. The agency recommends completing it between 72 hours and one hour before your flight, although in July 2026 it said the form is not mandatory. Never pay a third-party site for it.

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