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Cycle among the beauty and vibrancy of enigmatic Colombia.

Cycle the serene highlands of Colombia's famed coffee region and discover the sweeter, softer side to this often misunderstood country. Learn how to roast the perfect blend during a tour of a working coffee plantation, be beguiled by the laid-back pace of charming Salento, try your hand at tejo, an explosive local pastime, and of course ride through some of the most stunning scenery this region has to offer.

Start
Bogota, Colombia
Finish
Bogota, Colombia
Destination
Colombia
Style
Original
Theme
Active Adventures, Cycling
Code
GGXX
Physical rating
Ages
Min 14
Group size
Min 1, Max 16

Why you'll love this trip

  • Bogota is the treasure trove of Colombia's rich history. Explore its museums and galleries at your leisure, then tour its excellent Paloquemao Market.

  • Enjoy a “Ciclovía” morning, the way literally millions of locals do, having the opportunity to see different areas of cosmopolitan Bogota.

  • Cycle and sweat through steamy jungle scenery, coffee plantations and colonial towns nestled in verdant hills.

  • Embark on a spectacular guided hike through the Cocora Valley, home to hummingbirds and the world's tallest palm trees

Is this trip right for you?

  • Just as a heads up before you book: this trip is new to our range this year. And while we have thoroughly researched every detail of the logistics, new destinations can sometimes throw us some unexpected surprises. More often than not, it’ll be a great surprise. But every now and again there might be a hiccup. We like to think that’s what puts the ‘adventure’ in ‘adventure travel’.

  • Colombia, especially the coffee growing region we cycle through, is naturally hilly. While we try and minimise the times spent climbing there are still some significant altitude gains, especially on Day 3 (see the day to day itinerary for more details)

  • On this trip we have a single leader that rides with the group, and another that drives the support vehicle (acting as a back marker where needed). Where the vehicle cannot travel directly with the cyclists (e.g. a cyclists-only path) your leader will assign a person from the group to act as a back marker.

Map of Cycle Colombia including Colombia
colombia coffee beans harvest

Itinerary
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Welcome to Bogota! Stiuated at 2644 metres, Colombia's lofty capital is a charming, yet hectic, mix of old and new. You'll meet your group this evening at 6 pm and can then join them for an optional group dinner. If you arrive early, head down La Candelaria, Bogota's cobblestoned Old Town, and check out Plaza de Bolivar, the Botero Museum and the Gold Museum.

A complimentary transfer from the airport to your Starting point hotel is included, please provide your booking agent with your flight details (flight number and arrival time)
Optional Activities
  • Museo Nacional - COP20000
  • Museo Botero - Free
  • Bogota - Gold Museum - COP3000
  • Bogota - Montserrate cable car - COP21000
  • Bogota - Graffiti tour - COP30000
Meals Included
There are no meals included on this day.
Special Information
Due to Bogota's elevation we recommend taking it easy on your first couple of days while you get used to the altitude.

Heard of Ciclovia? It's incredible. Every Sunday and public holiday, from 7 am till 2 pm, Bogota shuts down certain streets in the city to create over 100 km of car-free space for cyclists. There are also stages set up in parks and public areas so non-cyclists can participate in group activities like aerobics or yoga. Spend the morning riding through the flat streets with over one million locals then explore the sights with your group on an orientation walking tour.

Hop on a flight to Armenia this evening, Colombia's coffee-growing centre to the west of Bogota.

Cycling distance: approx. 18kms/11miles, mostly flat, with approx. 150m/490ft of elevation gain.
Included Activities
  • Bogota Ciclovía
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Jump in the saddle for the first long ride of your trip, cycling from Calarcá to
Salento. At a distance of almost 60 km, you can expect a sweaty, humid affair gliding past coffee plantations and steamy jungle scenery. Spend the afternoon exploring Salento, a colourful colonial town known, of course, for its coffee. To make sure you get the full experience a coffee tasting is included.

You'll also get to enjoy a hand at the local Colombian game of tejo - which involves throwing a metal disk at small envelopes of gun powder. Seriously. Hit an envelope and it explodes and, for better or worse, tradition stipulates a beer should be drunk while playing.


Cycling distance: approx. 59kms/37 miles, mostly flat for the first 30kms then climbing the last 25kms, with approx. 1340m/4400ft of elevation gain.
Included Activities
  • Coffee Tasting
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Take a hike in the Cocora Valley this morning, a beautiful, verdant landscape dotted with palm trees. Outdoor activities like camping, bird watching and mountain biking are all popular here, and the trout-filled rivers in the area are regularly visited by fishers.

After lunch, ride from the Cocora Valley to Filandia. While similar to Salento in its architecture and coffee culture, Filandia is smaller and visited much less frequently. Shop for local handwoven baskets in the market or perhaps climb to the top of the observation tower for unbroken views of the surrounding countryside.

Cycling distance: approx. 31 kms/19 miles, mostly downhill for the first 15km, 5km climb then undulating, with approx. 600 m/1970ft of elevation gain.
Included Activities
  • Coffee Region - Cocora Valley visit
Optional Activities
  • View Tower visit - USD8
  • Basket making class - USD15
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Today you'll cycle 30 km, mainly downhill, from Filandia to Alcala. Take a break and rest your legs in the middle of the ride for a coffee experience tour at Cafe de Altura in Quimbaya. Cafe de Altura is a family-run business and the restaurant is as good as the coffee, so this is where the group will have lunch and refuel for the rest of the ride, especially the last climb to to your hotel for the night.

Check in to the hotel and maybe enjoy a different kind of adrenaline, optional zip-lining over the coffee plantation before taking it easy for the evening.

Cycling distance: aapprox. 30 kms/19 miles, downhill for 25km with a gradual climb at the end, with approx. 385 m/1265ft of elevation gain.
Included Activities
  • Coffee Experience Tour at Cafe de Altura
Optional Activities
  • Zip lining - USD5
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Enjoy your final ride of the trip from Alcala to Cerritos, a distance of 75km. Ease into the day with a slight downhill before dipping into a valley, then pedal on mainly flat roads until the final 5 km, where a final ascent will have you earning your treats in Cerritos. Visit the embroidery factory in Cartago en route and learn about the region's history with the needle and thread. Check in to the hotel where an optional massage (not included) will help soothe those overworked quads, as will a soak in the swimming pool.

Cycling distance: approx. 74 kms/46 miles, descend for first 17kms, steep climb for 3kms, then flat with a large climb at the end, with approx. 870 m/2850ft of elevation gain.
Included Activities
  • Embroidery factory visit
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Dinner

There's potential for an early start (5 am) to sneak one extra ride in this morning before transferring to Pereira's airport and flying to Bogota. Touch down and transfer to the hotel, then maybe enjoy a farewell dinner with your group before tomorrow's departure.
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Dinner

Your Colombian cycling trip comes to an end this morning. There are no activities planned and you're free to depart whenever you'd like after check-out.

A complimentary transfer from the finish point hotel to the airport is included, please provide your booking agent with your flight details (flight number and arrival time)
Meals Included
  • Breakfast

Meals

7 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 3 dinners

Transport

Bicycle, Support Vehicle, Plane

Accommodation

Hotels (7 nights)

Included activities

  • Bogota Ciclovía
  • Coffee Tasting
  • Coffee Region - Cocora Valley visit
  • Coffee Experience Tour at Cafe de Altura
  • Embroidery factory visit

Dates & availability

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There are currently no scheduled departures on our Cycle Colombia trip. If you are interested in other trips in the region visit one of the links below.

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Important notes

NEW TRIP:
This a new trip for 2019. While we have thoroughly researched every detail of the itinerary we sometimes find it's necessary to make small changes after the first few trips have run. Changes are always based on feedback from past travellers and our ground staff. For Cycling trips these changes are usually around finding even better roads to ride on, which can alter the distance/time we spend riding on a day to day basis, but can sometimes even extend to accommodation or included activities if needed.

On this trip we have a single leader that rides with the group, and another that drives the support vehicle (acting as a back marker where needed). Where the vehicle cannot travel directly with the cyclists (e.g. a cyclists-only path) your leader will assign a person from the group to act as a back marker.

PASSPORT DETAILS REQUIRED
Full passport details are required at the time of booking in order to purchase Entrance fees to certain sites. Additionally on certain trips it's needed to book bus, train or flight tickets. Delays to provide this information may result in booking fees or changes to your itinerary.

A scanned copy or really clear photo of the passport details is also required to be able to book the internal flights.

START TIME:
This trip starts with a Welcome Meeting at 6pm. If you are unable to find a suitable flight it is possible to book additional nights at the joining accommodation.

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT:
A Single Supplement is available on this trip, please ask your booking agent for more information.

 

Essential trip information

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.

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