Thursday 6th May – Bogotá

Morning

• Arrival in Bogotá at your own leisure (YPT can also arrange pre-tour accommodation if you want to arrive a day early and not miss anything today)
• Head to the Military Museum where we even learn about the not commonly known role of Colombia in the Korean War!
• Walk around the Parque Simon Bolivar and see what the locals get up to outside of work
• Stop by the Congress and Supreme Court, which was seized by the Marxist guerrillas in 1985

Afternoon

• Lunch in the city
• We visit the Colon Theatre, which is where the peace process between the government and FARC was signed, as well as the Museo Banco De República, the main modern art museum
• Head to the south side of the city, the main working-class area, for a bit of people watching. We head for dinner and then for a Friday night salsa night to remember in the Colombian capital. If you can’t dance don’t worry, rum will be available
• Overnight in Bogotá

Friday 7th May – Sierra Nevada National Park

Morning

• We get up early for the under two hours 9am flight from Bogota to Cartagena
• On arrival, we transfer directly to the Sierra Nevada national park, which is home to many of the indigenous peoples of Colombia as well as its most diverse biosphere.

Afternoon

• Lunch in Sierra Nevada
• We will have lots of opportunities to explore the area and see wildlife
• At night we not only camp out in the reserve but also do the whole BBQ and rum thing
• Camping overnight

Saturday 8th May – Sierra Nevada National Park

Morning

• We visit one of the local indigenous peoples the Wiwa in an Indian Reserve in the mid-highlands to learn about how they live

Afternoon

• Local lunch with the Wiwa
• We head back to Cartagena, where we check into the hotel before heading out for dinner to a Peruvian restaurant and drinks in Café Havana
• Overnight in Cartagena

Sunday 9th May – Cartagena

Morning

• Cartagena is an old colonial city, so we spend the day touring around this historical city
• We check out the old town and the city walls, as well as its 500-year-old coral stone forts from the Spanish era

Afternoon

• Lunch at Interno, a restaurant staffed by former political prisoners
• 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
• Head out for local food and drinks in the Cartagena old town
• Overnight in Cartagena

Monday 10th May – Medellin

Morning

• Take a 10am flight to Medellin, Colombia’s second city
• Medellin was the notorious crime-ridden home of drug lord Pablo Escobar, but since the mid-1990s things have calmed down a lot.

Afternoon

• Head to the famous Museo de Antioquia including the world-famous sculptures by Fernando Botero in the park outside the museum
• Go for dinner and drinks in Medellin
• Overnight in Medellin

Tuesday 11th May  – Medellin

Morning

• Breakfast in the hotel before we jump on our bus to begin the tour of Medellin
• In the morning we drive out to visit a project that helps farmers change from cocoa growing to coffee, part of the plan to eliminate the drug trade in Colombia

Afternoon

• Lunch in a roadside almuerzo
• After lunch, we visit a village that was recently de-mined by a charity and learn about the impact that the civil war has had on the people
• Before dinner, we meet 2 former FARC soldiers who discuss their experiences during the civil war
• Dinner and overnight in Medellin

Wednesday 12th May – Medellin

Morning

• You can’t go to Medellin without learning about its most infamous resident, so we do the full Pablo Escobar tour!
• Our first stop is La Paz, the very modest community where Pablo grew up, with our local expert giving us a few interesting insights
• We then go to explore the many luxurious buildings used to launder his money, as well as check out his bombed-out safe in the Monaco building, which was where the first car bomb in Colombia was detonated

Afternoon

• After visiting Pablo´s prison or the “Cathedral”, get spectacular Medellin views and get ready to visit a private cemetery where siblings and cousins of the mafia boss finally rest even near Griselda Blanco or “black widow”, who was once Pablo´s mentor.
• We finish off the tour by visiting the infamous La Manuela Mansion, where the notorious drug lord lived his somewhat over the top lifestyle
• We take a boat over to the mansion where we will have enough free time to explore, take photos, and who knows maybe bump into a Hippo
• Overnight in Medellin

Thursday 13th May

Morning

• We get up early for our morning flight to Bogota, where the tour ends, with YPT being able to arrange ongoing transport or accommodation for those that need it.
• Alternatively join us for a tour extension to Cali, and find out about Escobar’s deadly rivals the Cali Cartel!

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