Explore Colombia by mountain bike during this Colombia adventure! This 6-day journey coasts through multiple ecosystems from the high Andes to the lowland tropics. Discover beautiful river valleys and historic ruins through Colombia's back roads. You'll stop in colonial towns, tackle the impressive Chicamocha Canyon, and sample regional flavors at an organic coffee hacienda.
Highlights
Take the trail zigzagging to the bottom of the “Grand Canyon of Colombia”
Visit one of the most important paleontology regions in South America
Visit cathedrals, spectacular viewpoints and colonial architecture
Tour a coffee hacienda boasting 72 species of coffee
Activities that provide a reasonable level of physical challenge and elevate the heart rate. Focused on more active pursuits including multisport tours. Travelers may be active 5-7 hours total each day. Recommended for travelers with active lifestyles.
Experience amazing trails on the Bogota´s mountains, as you ride from 9,000 feet downhill to 3,000 feet, by using dual-suspension top-quality bikes. Also, stop for a hearty lunch and, during the afternoon, visit the waterfall of “La Chorrera,” one of the highest of South America.
Day 3: Bogota City Tour and Transfer to Villa de Leyva
Once the principal trading center between South America and Europe, today’s Bogota is a thriving South American city and a living history lesson. Your city tour of this colonial city includes Plaza of Simon Bolivar, colonial churches, the bohemian La Candelaria neighborhood and the celebrated Gold Museum. In the afternoon, depart to Villa del Leyva. Declared National Monument in 1945, the village has been carefully preserved with cobblestone roads, tiled roofs and whitewashed buildings. Spend the night in this inviting town.
Day 4: Bike in Villa de Leyva’s Valley and Transfer to Barichara
Villa de Leyva’s surrounding valley is one of the most important paleontology regions in South America. An ancient ocean floor, the valley is home to dinosaur fossils and thousands of ammonites from the Cretaceous period. Explore this region by bike. Your 12.5 mile/20 km ride takes you through Colombia countryside. Stops en-route include El Infiernito (or Estación Astronómica Monquirá). El Infiernito, “Little Hell," is an ancient astronomical center of the pre-Chibcha, Muisca people.
The day begins with a hike on a historic trail, El Camino Real. Originally built by the indigenous Guane people, the trail was rebuilt in stone by the Spanish Crown during the conquest to provide access to the Atlantic Ocean for the export of gold. Your 4 mile/7 km hike on this ancient stone-trail leads to the sleepy-town, Guane. Explore the Spanish architecture and visit the local anthropological museum that includes artifacts and religious art from the all-but-vanished Guane people.
In the afternoon, transfer to nearby San Gil, a town known for its moss-covered trees that line the banks of the Fonce River. From a nearby mountaintop, begin your bike ride back to Barichara. The journey is lined with traditional orchards and tobacco plantations and offers views of the valley and gorge. Back in Barichara, enjoy your final evening in this colonial town.
Bike the impressive Chicamocha River Gorge, commonly referred to as the “Grand Canyon of Colombia”. The ride starts at the edge of the canyon along a dirt road that descends 4400 ft/1400m, zigzagging to the bottom of the gorge. Here, the landscape is dominated by dry forest filled with acacia, agave and cacti. Keep an eye out for iguanas, falcons and eagles. At the end of today’s 10 mile/16km ride, you’ll reach the town of Jordan at 1500 ft/430 m. Located along the Royal Road from the Andes to the Caribbean, El Jordan was once prosperous merchant trade center, but today reflects only shadows of this past. Finish your day on the opposite side of the canyon at near Bucaramanga. Overnight at El Roble coffee hacienda.
Biking distance: 10 miles (16 km)
Elevation descend: 4400 feet (1400 m)
Max. Altitude: 5900 ft (1800 m)
Day 7: Coffee Hacienda Tour
1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Start the day with a tour of El Roble, the award-winning organic coffee hacienda. The hacienda offers an intimate look into the Colombian coffee culture. Stroll through the hacienda’s 280 hectares that cultivates 72 species of coffee, all shaded by a forest of more than 50,000 trees. Keep an eye out for some of the 122 bird species that have been cataloged at the hacienda. Learn about organic harvesting, peeling, drying and bean selection. The tour finishes with the hacienda’s catador -- or taster -- who demonstrates how to recognize distinct aromas from individual crops. And of course, you’re invited to sample some of these famous local flavors. In the afternoon, transfer to the Bucaramanga Airport for your return flight to Bogota.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
Initial deposit is $400, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 70 days (10 weeks) prior to departure by bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
The trip might have been the absolute best of our lifetime (thus far). We particularly want to commend our guide Peter in the Guilin area-he was so incredibly attentive, energetic, enthusiastic-and absolutely dedicated to ensuring that our meals were 100% vegetarian.
Jack Charney
TrustScore 4.8 | 176 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 176 reviews on
9 hours ago
Adventure Life is always an excellent choice when planning complicated, extreme, or exotic vacations or expeditions. They provide friendly professional services and advice and are enthusiastic and encouraging in helping us to prepare and thoroughly enjoy our trip. They handle all the details which greatly reduces the stress of planning a difficult trip. I'm very impressed with Adventure Life and definitely recommend them to friends and family.
Scott Trochim
2 days ago
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
4 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
5 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.