Colombia Civil War & Narcos Tour

Tuesday 5th May – Bogotá

• Arrive in Bogotá at your own leisure (YPT can arrange pre-tour accommodation if you want to arrive earlier).
• Self-transfer and check in to our hotel in the trendy but edgy central Candelaria district.
• Head to a restaurant to try a typical delicacy: Ceviche, or raw fish cooked in lime juice is a very South American, and Colombian thing. For non-fish lovers there are 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!

Wednesday 6th May – Bogotá

Morning

• 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. You can also expect well-preserved colonial buildings, cobbled streets, colourful facades, wooden balconies, and tiled roofs. An old-world feel in the middle of a modern city.
• Head to the Military Museum where we even learn about the not commonly known role of Colombia in the Korean War! Or did you know that they were the only Latin American country to send actual combat troops?
• 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”.

Afternoon

• Stop by the Congress and Supreme Court, which was seized by the M19 Marxist guerrillas, allegedly on the orders of Pablo Escobar.
• 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. Especially the reintegration of former members remains complicated, with some having returned to arms in more rural areas.
• 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. 

Thursday 7th May – Sierra Nevada National Park

Morning

• Get up early for the 90-minute flight at 9:00am to Santa Marta.
• Transfer directly to Tayrona National Park, part of the Sierra Nevada range – home to Colombia’s most diverse biosphere, several indigenous communities, and the country’s highest peak, Cristóbal Colón (5,776m). From certain viewpoints, snow-capped mountains rise above the sparkling Caribbean Sea – a truly unique sight!
• Lunch in Sierra Nevada.

Afternoon

• 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. Let’s see if we can spot them using the poporo – a gourd containing crushed seashells mixed with coca – a sacred symbol of maturity and spiritual responsibility in men. The lime (calcium carbonate) from the shells activates the chewing of coca leaves, a core part of Indigenous life.
• 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.
• Enjoy a home cooked dinner by our hosts: a traditional Colombian meal to your liking, with the rest of the night spent enjoying our serene surroundings and one or the other Club Colombia beer.
• Overnight at eco-resort. 

Friday 8th May – Santa Marta, Cartagena

Morning

• Relaxed start into the day with breakfast at the resort and time to enjoy the pool before we leave for the next part of the trip.
• Drive from Tayrona to Santa Marta city along a very scenic route, which takes about an hour, with us stopping for some great views of the bay.
• Visit the gold museum and learn about how this precious metal has been mined from indigenous times to present days and how it greatly influenced the development of the region, especially with the arrival of the Spanish colonizers.
• For lunch, we head to one of our favourite restaurants in Colombia: Radio Burger!

Afternoon

• 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!
• 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 and sea food, so we head for street food dinner and drinks in the city.
• Overnight in Cartagena. 

Saturday 9th May – Cartagena

Morning

• Cartagena is an old colonial city, and will make you feel as being part of the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ movies, so we spend the day touring around this historical and atmospheric place. It offers an incredible blend of culture and people, merged together from inland and by numerous ships from all over the world during the Pirate and Colonial centuries.
• Check out the old town and the city walls, as well as its 500-year-old coral stone forts from the Spanish era.

Afternoon

• Climb La Popa Hill for stunning views of Cartagena and the coastline. At the top, explore the 17th-century Santa Cruz Monastery, a historical site offering insight into the area’s colonial past. The climb is rewarding with both great views and a look at the monastery’s significance.
• Visit the Spanish Inquisition Palace, a historic site where individuals were tortured and executed for crimes against Catholicism. The building offers a glimpse into the darker side of Cartagena’s colonial history.
• Head out for local food and drinks in Cartagena old town, a prime spot for people watching and soaking in the unique vibe.
• Marvel at one of the best sun sets in Colombia with the backdrop of the Caribbean sea, to be seen from the historic city walls while wandering back in time.
• Overnight in Cartagena.

Sunday 10th May – Guatapé

Morning

• Take the 10:00am flight to Medellín, Colombia’s second largest city.
• Medellín was the notorious crime-ridden home of drug lord Pablo Escobar, but since the mid-1990s things have calmed down a lot. Today, Medellín is known for its impressive transformation from a city once plagued by violence to one of innovation, culture, and urban renewal. A global example of how to turn around things for good!

Afternoon

• Head to Finca la Manuela, one of the former luxury estates and symbols of wealth and power of Pablo Escobar. Located on the shores of Guatapé Lake, it is only reachable by boat. In the 1990s, the estate was bombed by enemies of Escobar (some say by the Cali Cartel), leaving it heavily damaged. Today, it stands in ruins, offering an eerie and striking contrast to the peaceful lakefront location.
• Head to Piedra de Peñol, a striking monolithic rock sticking 220 metres out of the ground. Time permitting, we’ll climb to the top for the spectacular sunset view.
• Optional: Go on a helicopter ride to view the Piedra and surrounding landscape of the immense man-made lake system functioning as a water reservoir.
• Head back to Medellin for dinner and drinks.
• Overnight in Medellín.

Monday 11th May – Medellín

Morning

• You can’t go to Medellín without learning about its most infamous resident, so we do the full Pablo Escobar tour. Our local guide was Pablo Escobar’s driver – now gone straight, he’s very open to questions about what it was like working for the world’s most infamous drug lord!
• 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.
• After visiting Pablo’s prison (know as the “Cathedral”), get spectacular Medellín views and get ready to visit the cemetery where siblings and cousins of the mafia boss finally rest even near Griselda Blanco or “black widow”, who was once Pablo’s mentor.
• Lunch time.

Afternoon

• Finish off the Pablo tour by visiting the spot where he died. Now a quiet residential neighbourhood, the rooftop location is easily recognised in the photos published of his lifeless body. It’s still uncertain whether he was shot by the police, or whether he killed himself to avoid capture.
• We’ll jump on the metro system and transfer to Medellín’s famous cable car public transport, for a bird’s eye view of local neighbourhood life. The barrios of Medellin, nestled along the foot of the hills, just hit different.
• Head to the famous Museo de Antioquia including the world-famous sculptures by Fernando Botero in the park outside the museum. Sometimes dubbed as displaying obesity, they are actually a masterful depiction of disproportions, volume, and the sensuality of form in life.
• Go for dinner and drinks in Medellín, authentic with some Rum and a glimpse into scenic neighbourhoods like El Poblado. 
• Overnight in Medellín.

Tuesday 12th May – Medellín

Morning

• Breakfast in hotel.
• Head to Comuna 13. This favela-style neighbourhood used to be an epicentre of violence and drug dealing, known as the cradle of Pablo Escobar. Nowadays it is a lively community full of urban art, graffiti and hip hop. Definitely one of the coolest spots in the city.
• Wander around with our local guide, try the local coffee and drinks, and take a look to the city from the various viewpoints. Don´t be surprised by open-air escalators, breakdance shows, and the stories of resilience.
• Local lunch.

Afternoon

• Head to a neighbourhood built by Pablo Escobar, often linked to his controversial legacy. Locals sometimes refer to him as a Robin Hood figure for funding housing and infrastructure. While there, we’ll visit a small museum curated by local residents, see the church he contributed to, stop by the original barbershop, and explore the vibrant street art that reflects mixed views on his impact.
• Walk through the main square, meet locals who remember those times, and hear first-hand accounts of how life has changed since Escobar’s era.
• Freshen up in the hotel, before heading to our last dinner and farewell drinks.

Wednesday 13th May

Morning

• Get up early for our morning flight to Bogotá, 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!