• Arrival at your own leisure, and transfer to our hotel situated in the La Candelaria historical district of Bogotá. YPT can arrange an airport pickup for you.
• For early arrivers, we offer an optional (extra charge) trip to a shooting range, where you can fire an AK47 amongst other weapons.
• The group convene at 6pm in the lobby to go through the itinerary for the week, and head out for dinner in the old town.
• Ceviche, or raw fish cooked in lime juice is a very South American, and Colombian thing, so we head to a restaurant to try this delicacy. For non-fish lovers there will be other options.
• Beer and explosives go together like peas and carrots, so we finish our first night in Bogotá by playing the local traditional sport of tejo, which is literally throwing iron balls at explosives while drinking beer. Great stuff!
• Overnight in Bogotá. 

• Breakfast in the hotel.
• Walking tour of La Candelaria. This is where Símon Bolívar – El Libertador, the original Latin American revolutionary – was almost caught, and where various figures of Colombian history met their fate.
• Head to the Military Museum where we even learn about the not commonly known role of Colombia in the Korean War!
• Bogotá is famous in Colombia and beyond for its fabulous street food, so we take a staggered street food lunch trying almost everything they have on offer, including Mick Jagger’s favourite “oblea”.
• Stop by the Congress and Supreme Court, which was seized by the M19 Marxist guerrillas, allegedly on the orders of Pablo Escobar.
• We visit the Colón Theatre, which played an important part in the peace process between the government and FARC and get a detailed explanation from our local guide about what achievements and failures have followed the peace process.
• Colombia’s capital has now shaken off its image of danger, and is a vibrant place for a night out, so we head to one of the many bars for dinner and drinks.
• Overnight in Bogotá. 

• We get up early for the 90-minute 9am flight to Santa Marta
• On arrival, we transfer directly to the Tayrona national park, part of the Sierra Nevada range, which is home to many of the indigenous peoples of Colombia as well as its most diverse biosphere.
• Lunch in Sierra Nevada.
• Hiking time! We head out for a hike around the national park, where we can spend some time on a deserted beach, as well as see how the indigenous Wiwa people live.
• Following a full day of hiking and relaxing on the beach, we head to our eco-resort, surrounded by fresh fruit trees, and a swimming pool for us to relax in.
• For dinner our hosts will cook us a traditional Colombian meal to your liking, with the rest of the night spent enjoying our serene surroundings
• Overnight at eco-resort. 

• We take a relaxed start to the day with breakfast at the resort and time to enjoy the pool before we leave for the next part of the trip.
• We take the scenic drive from Tayrona to Santa Marta city, which takes about an hour, with us stopping for some great views of the bay.
• We visit the gold museum, to learn about how gold has been mined from indigenous times to present.
• For lunch, we head to one of our favourite restaurants in Colombia, Radio Burger, for a full lunch!
• Our last stop before leaving Santa Marta is the Quinta de San Pedro, which was where Simón Bolívar, the liberator of the Americas, died and was originally buried. We also visit the surrounding gardens for a quick look at the huge (but friendly) cat-sized lizards that live there!
• We board our air-conditioned luxury bus for the 4-hour drive from Santa Marta to Cartagena. The journey itself is a fascinating look into contemporary Colombian life, with us passing through the numerous barrios, before hitting the rich parts of the city.
• On arrival in Cartagena we transfer to our hotel situated near the old city
• Cartagena is street food heaven, particularly if you like meat, so we head for street food dinner and drinks in the city.
• Overnight in Cartagena. 

• Cartagena is an old colonial city, so we spend the day touring around this historical city.
• We check out the old colonial walled city, as well as its 500-year-old coral stone forts from the Spanish era.
• We head to the female prison, where it may be possible to go inside, meet the prisoners, and speak to them about their lives in this semi-open facility.
• Lunch at Interno, a restaurant located inside the women’s prison, which is staffed by inmates as a way of integrating them back into society.
• Climb La Popa Hill for a great view of the area and visit the 17th century Santa Cruz monastery.
• Check out the Spanish Inquisition Palace, where people were tortured and executed for crimes against Catholicism.
• Following a hot day of touring the old city we head to one of the bars on the wall to witness the beautiful sunset of Cartagena.
• Dinner in the old city before we head for drinks at the legendary KGB bar, which is full of the kind of old Soviet stuff YPT just love!
• Overnight in Cartagena. 

• Take a 10am flight to Medellín, Colombia’s second city and home to the infamous drug-lord Pablo Escobar.
• We head for a traditional and hearty Medellín lunch consisting of rice, soup, plantains, salad and the meat of your choice.
• #TRIP HIGHLIGHT# We take the 90-minute drive through the ranches of Medellín to the La Manuela estate, and former home of notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar for some serious Narco-tourism. To get to the estate we need to take a boat, which offers some great photo opportunities, before we spend a few hours exploring the lavish estate that was largely destroyed during the Medellín-Cali drug cartel wars.
• La Manuela is now owned by Escobar’s former butler, who has embraced tourism in a big way, and part of the estate is now set up for paintball! So, we offer this! (Optional, extra cost). For those not inclined there is a bar.
• After Ayers Rock in Australia, El Peñol offers the second biggest rock in the world (there used to be a nightclub at the top), which we shall climb!
• At night, we head to our ranch hotel in the countryside to enjoy dinner, and drinks in a relaxed atmosphere.
• Overnight in El Peñol. 

• Breakfast at the ranch before we head off for the next Pablo Escobar part of the tour.
• We drive for three hours to get to the notorious Hacienda Napoles ranch, where Pablo Escobar created his own zoo, complete with the infamous hippos that have been a menace to the local farmers. The site is now government-owned and boasts, aside from the wildlife, the Pablo Escobar museum, as well as his former private aircraft runway.
• Lunch at the park.
• Aside from the animal park, and museums there is also a huge water park, so we take a rest from museums and city tours with a few hours at the water park.
• We now embark on the 3.5-hour drive back to the cloud city of Medellín, where if we are lucky we will get to stop and witness one of their famous sunsets.
• Dinner at a roadside restaurant serving traditional Medellín fare.
• On arrival in Medellín we check into our hotel in the hipster district of El Poblado, which is full of great bars and restaurants.
• Overnight in Medellín.

• #TRIP HIGHLIGHT# We get up early to take part in the legendary Pablo Escobar tour, which was set up by his trusted lieutenant “Popeye”, who fans of Narcos might remember. The tour is led by one of his former drug mules, who is very open to answering questions about his time working for the notorious drug lord.
• Our first stop is the “Monaco” building where Pablo Escobar formerly lived, and which was blown up by the Cali cartel.
• We now head to the notorious La Catedral prison, that Pablo Escobar built and paid for himself in 1991, to serve his agreed 5-year sentence in luxury. The site is now an old peoples’ home run by monks, but there are still signs of what it used to be such as the watchtower, and his personal helipad, which offer some of the most amazing views of Medellín.
• We finish the Pablo Escobar tour by visiting his grave and final resting place, where our local guide, and former henchman of Pablo will regale us with stories about his time working for the cartel.
• Lunch in Medellín.
• After lunch, we head for a city tour of Medellín, with our first stop being riding the legendary cable-metro, which again offer great views of the city, particularly the poorer parts of it.
• Our next stop is Cerro Nutibara, which offers great ice-cream as well as views across the bustling city.
• We finish our tour in the old town, where we will get a chance to try some coca tea, before heading back to our hotel.
• We head for farewell dinner and drinks in the trendy area around our hotel for our last night in Medellín, and Colombia.
• Overnight in Medellín. 

• Relaxed start in the morning, then we head up into the hills overlooking downtown Medellín to visit the Barrio Pablo Escobar. This is a working class neighbourhood where Pablo built houses for poor people in order to curry favour for his campaign for election to the Colombian senate. He’s still considered a hero of the poor here.
• Visit the huge mural of Pablo
• Chat to local people about what they think of “El Patrón del Mal” (the boss of evil)
• Optional haircut in the Pablo Escobar barbershop!
• Next, we’ll head to the airport for a short one-hour flight to Cali, home of the Pablo’s arch-rivals the Cali Cartel.
• Optional upgrade: Check in to the fancy hotel which now occupies the skyscraper where the Cali Cartel were based. Enjoy the rooftop pool where Cali bosses plotted Pablo’s downfall, while taking in the panoramic view across the city

• City tour of Cali with expert local guide
• Plaza de Caicedo – central square used as a filming location throughout the Narcos Netflix series
• Coltabaco building – beautiful 1920s building also used extensively in Narcos
• Refreshing local fruit drinks
• Repenting sinners sometimes climb on their hand and knees up the mountain overlooking the city to the giant Christ the King statue overlooking the city. We’ll cop out by driving up to see the fantastic view around the region.
• Visit the cat sculpture park and learn why they’ve become a symbol of the regeneration of the city

• Head to bus station to take pus to Popayan (3 Hours)
• Popayan is one of the oldest colonial cities in Colombia, and is known as the White City for its buildings
• We’ll be heading to our favourite local bar, el sotareno, where the DJ is about 90 years old and has a huge library of old-school LPs
• Overnight in Popayan

• We’ll take a stroll around the beautifully restored city centre, taking in the very photogenic Puente del Humilladero bridge, and heading up to the EL Morro de Tulcan hill for the sunrise. This hill is actually an ancient pre-colombian pyramid; the Spanish stuck a statue of one of the Conquistadores on top to show the locals who was boss
• Bus to Ipiales (8 hours)
• Overnight in Ipiales

• Head to the Virgin of Lajas Sanctuary – this spectacularly picturesque church is built on a bridge across a ravine high in the mountains
• On the way back we’ll take the cable car back up the valley for the best bird’s eye view
• Catch a taxi to the border (20 minutes) to complete formalitities and walk across the bridge which connects Colombia to Ecuador. Opportunity to buy a local SIM card here.
• Catch another taxi from the broder to the city of Tulcan (20 minutes)
• Visit the Tulcan cemetery which is said to have the most elaborate collection of topiary in the world – lots of potential for some very quirky pics!
• Bus to Ibarra (2-3 hrs)
• Overnight Ibarra

• Ibarra is known is Ecuador as the Mecca of Paragliding, so you’ll have the option of heading up one of the mountains overlooking the city to try this out in a tandem skydive with a fully-qualified English speaking instructor
• Alternatively, if you don’t fancy sky diving, another option is the Tren de la Libertad – a historic train ride to an area known for its ancient process of harvesting salt from the ground. If you’re lucky you can ride the old-style cable car across the valley as the salt miners used to do.
• Bus to Quito (3 Hours)
• Dinner and overnight in Quito

• Free time to check out some of the more unusual locations in Quito. Some things we can help include:
• Visit to the military aircraft museum with cold-war era stuff as well as planes that saw military action as recently as the 1995 war with Peru
• Visit to the Ecuadorian presidential palace – this was evacuated in 2019 when street protests got too close for comfort, but everything is back to normal now!
• Meet at 6 pm in the hotel lobby for a pre-tour meeting with your YPT guides before we go out for dinner and drinks
• Overnight in Quito

• After breakfast we drive to Quito Airport and board a flight to El Coca that’ll put us right on the doorstep of Ecuadorian’s remote Amazonian rainforest (1 hour flight)
• Upon our arrival we board a boat that’ll take us into the heart of Yasuni National Park – famous for being one of the world’s most biologically rich regions
• Stop for a local lunch
• We’ll then be greeted by our local guide who’ll lead us along a gentle hiking path to have unique opportunities to see the local wildlife in their natural habitats – optional kayaking is available to take you further off track for a more in-depth experience
• Check into our Amazonian lodge to freshen up
• Receive a warm welcome by the locals and greeted with a true Amazonian feast for dinner
• Drinks & overnight at our lodge

• We’ll start the morning off by seeing the colourful side of the Amazon by checking out the Clay Licks, Parrots and Parakeets – fantastic opportunity for photos
• Stop by the local cultural centre with facts about the importance of the Amazon. Expect sizes to be all in number of Wales’s.
• Climb to the top of a 40m canopy tower that’ll give us an incredible view across the tree tops
• Jump aboard an indigenous catamaran ride – experience the traditional way of how the locals have been using the river for transport for centuries
• Dinner and overnight back at the lodge

• We’ll embark on a canoe tour that’ll give you a closer encounter with the river and wildlife that surrounds it – expect to see some of the 20 different species of monkeys, over sixteen hundred different species of birds, sloths and countless marine life.
• Lunch back on land
• We’ll jump on one of the most extensive hiking trails available and visit a local indigenous family – here we’ll learn how they’ve turned this wilderness into their home and the benefits of it
• Dinner and overnight at lodge

• In the morning we’ll take part in a “Dream interpretation” session by drinking Wayusa – drank like tea this native plant is infused with naturally occurring caffeine and it can give of stimulative effects. YPT might be more about commies and unrecognised countries, but when in Rome…
• We’ll say goodbye to our local guide and jump back on another boat to make our way back to El Cola
• Board a flight back to Quito city where Group A of the tour concludes
• Group B & C will continue and meet up for dinner and drinks in Zona Rosa AKA Gringolandia – Quito’s notorious famous nightlife district

• Start the day off by walking off our breakfast and heading up to the very top of Panecillo Hill – the epicentre of Quito – for a perfect view of the bustling city below
• For those seeking more of a breathtaking view you’ll have the chance to head further up the Virgin of El Panecillo Statue – this monumental sculpture is one of the biggest in South America, even bigger than Rio’s famous Christ the Redeemer statue.
• Lunch downtown at a local eatery – Quito’s cuisine benefits from a unique mix involving a variety of dishes inspired by both Coastal and Andean style
• Begin our walking tour to learn more of the historical side of the city – Quito was the first city in the world to be listed as a UNESCO world heritage site.
• Return to hostel to freshen up
• For those who really want to soak up the party atmosphere we’ll jump on one of Quito’s famous Chivas – a brightly-lit decked out party truck with our very own DJ complete with drinks on tap that’ll take us around the city in style
• Overnight in hotel

• We’ll make our way to the top of Pichincha Volcano by catching the TelefériQo cable car reaching 4000m (13000 ft)
• Providing the weather holds up, which is usually fine in the morning, we’ll have a view of another 6 volcanoes surrounding Quito, with the city laid out below us. Incredible opportunity for photos
• Time to indulge ourselves with a local specialty, being that of the empanadas! – deep-fried parcels of sweet bread, filled with a little cheese and sprinkled with sugar. What better way to wash it down with a cup of Canelazo – a local specialty beverage made with raw sugar, cinnamon and a dash (or three) of aguardiente – fire water!
• You have the option of riding on horseback even higher up the volcano, or alternatively have a ride on the rollercoaster in the amusement park back at the bottom of the volcano (extra charge)
• We’ll drive 45 minutes to the famous Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World) monument just outside Quito – Mitad del Mundo was built straddling the equator. You can try out various science experiments here, one of them being if the myth is true about water going down the plughole in opposite directions on opposite sides of the equator
• Lunch at Mitad del Mundo
• Return to our hotel to freshen up
• We’ll hit up a local joint that does an incredible Churrasco dish – a local version of a Brazilian dish which involves noodles mixed with chicken or beef.
• Drinks in town followed by a good sleep at the hotel

• Make our way to the airport and jump aboard a 45 minute flight to Ecuador’s third largest city of Cuenca – situated in a valley at about 2500m with a population of 450,000 people.
• Visit to a hat factory to see the part-artisanal, part-industrial process of making Panama hats – it’s a common misconception that Panama hats are made in Panama, but in fact they are made right here in Cuenca! Hats are available to buy hats at factory prices – around $25, though the very finest hats cost $800 or more!
• After lunch, for a truly local experience we’ll catch the newly-inaugurated streetcar to the local hot mineral springs baths to restore your wellbeing after being on a few boats and flights from earlier in the trip
• Dinner at a local restaurant
• Overnight in Cuenca

• Morning walking tour of the historic centre of this UNESCO World Heritage city
• Climb up to the roof of the ‘New’ Cathedral with its very distinctive domes for a view down to the main city square
• After lunch we’ll visit the Pumapungo park, where you can see real live (well, dead actually) human shrunken heads – a ritual that involved using a severed human head that was used for trophy, ritual, or trade purposes.
• Dinner, drinks and overnight at Cuenca

• Jump on a bus and head to Guayaquil – the largest and most populous city of Ecuador. This four-hour trip through the Cajas National Park will take us high up into the mountains with spectacular views of the cloud forests before dropping down to the Pacific coast.
• Check into our guest house located in the heart of the historical quarter of Guayaquil
• Head down to Malecón (sea wall) park to board a boat as we believe one of the best ways to see Guayaquil is along its waterfront
• Guayaquil is nowadays the economic and industrial capital of the country, and for centuries everyone wanted a piece of it, so the conquistadores built a look-out on top of a handy hill to watch for invading pirates and Brits. There’s 650 steps to the top, but to make things easier there is a bar roughly every 10 steps, so our challenge is to make the journey to the very top!
• Dinner and overnight in our guest house with the tour concluding for our Group B members

• Head to the airport to board our two hour flight to Baltra – the gateway to the Galapagos Islands. On our way we’ll pick up our Galapagos National Park permits
• Once arriving we’ll then transport across Santa Cruz Island to our hotel
• Begin our boat tour of Academy Bay – visit “La Lobería”, named because of the colony of sea lions that are located here. You can snorkel and play with these friendly animals, observe goldfish and countless sea turtles.
• We’ll then make our way to the Canal of Love, where you can see whitefin sharks and marine iguanas in the “Playa de los Perros”.
• Overnight in Galapagos guess house

• We’ll start the day off by a Santa Fe boat tour – Santa Fe is a small island of 24 square km located in the central part of the archipelago, southeast of Santa Cruz. Geologically it is one of the oldest rocks to be found with an age estimated to be over 4 million years old.
• Walk along the beach of Santa Fe – here we’ll have an up close glimpse of the sea life and playful sea lions
• Explore the picturesque turquoise lagoon – perfect for snorkeling with its calm waters and numerous sea lions!
• Lunch onboard our boat
• Head back to our guest house on Galapagos
• Dinner, drinks and overnight

• We’ll head to a Giant Turtle Breeding Centre located on a bay with beautiful shallow, calm and transparent water allowing you to observe the fascinating marine fauna of Galapagos. Swimming with the sea lions and penguins is highly encouraged!
• Lunch on the beach
• We’ll move to Tintoreras for more frolicking and absorbing all of what the nature of Galapagos has to offer
• Dinner and drinks on our last night in this island paradise
• Overnight in the Galapagos Island.

• On arrival in Guayaquil we’ll head to the bus station for the 3-hour journey to Alausi.
• It used to be possible to take the train form Guayaquil all the way to Quito via the Devil’s nose. However, sadly in the 1990s the El Niño weather phenomenon caused such damage to Ecuador’s rail network that the entire system was abandoned. In the 2000s the President decreed that the railway system was “national cultural patrimony” and should be restored. This work is happening slowly.
• Walking tour around the quaint little town of Alausi, dominated by the railway passing right through the centre of town
• Dinner in town
• Overnight in Alausi

• Today we’ll ride the train from Alausi down the Nariz del Diablo – the Devil’s Nose. At the time of its construction, this was considered to be the most difficult railway ever built. To climb the steep mountain, it was necessary to construct the line in a zigzag form up the mountainside. This is a railway enthusiast and photographers’ paradise!
• On arrival at the bottom of the Devil’s Nose, we’ll take a jeep up the opposite mountain so we’ll be ideally placed to take pics of the train across the valley as it climbs back up the slope.
• After lunch, we’ll head back to Alausi
• Bus to Baños de Agua Santa (4 hrs)
• Go out for dinner and check out the lively nightlife in Baños
• Overnight Baños

• Baños is a small town deep in the highlands of Ecuador. It’s spectacular setting has made it a popular hub for outdoor sports and jungle tours. It’s named for the healing properties of the hot thermal springs.
• Tour of the area surrounding Baños in a Chiva – colourful party buses. We’ll head up to a giant swing situated on a cliff top hundreds of metres above the town. If you seek a major adrenaline rush, then you’ll have the option of riding this! Following that we’ll head up to treehouse viewpoint where, depending on the weather, we hope to get a glimpse of the lava glowing in the Tungurahua volcano.
• We’ll take a visit to the open-air mineral baths to try out their healing properties
• Dinner and drinks in town
• Overnight Baños

• Head back to Quito – 3.5 hrs
• Our official tour ends here, but if you want more we’ll be happy to assist with organizing activities in this area – hiking, bungee jumping, rafting, canyoning or jungle tours!

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