Colorful Colombia with Kids: Bogotá, Pereira & Cartagena- 10 Days

Day 1: Arrive in Bogotá, City Sightseeing

Welcome to Bogotá! Your personal driver will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. Take some time to rest before you start exploring Colombia's capital city.

Depending on your time of arrival, the whole family can jump straight in and start exploring the city. If your kids are older and feeling energetic, climb to the top of Cerro Monserrate for an overview of the city's scale and skyline. Alternatively, spend some relaxing time in Simón Bolívar Park, checking out its lakes and gardens. For your first meal in Bogotá, head to the city's bustling market, where you'll find local specialties like empanadas, ajiaco (chicken and potato soup), and crispy cheese buñuelos.

Day 2: Fruits of Colombia Tour, Explore Bogotá

Get the day off to a fresh, tasty start on a fruit-focused walking tour, which is sure to please hungry kids with a sweet tooth. Colombia's fruits come in a variety of colors, sizes, and flavors. A private guide will walk you through some of the food stalls at the Plaza de Mercado de Paloquemao while sharing the history of the market and introducing you to local vendors. Taste 15 different fruits, three shots of fresh juice, and other Colombian snacks throughout the tour.

Later, explore more of the capital and learn more about Bogotá's history and culture on a walking tour. Start in Plaza de Bolívar, the city's colonial-era center, and learn about its neoclassical Catedral Primada—Bogotá's largest cathedral. Next, visit the Gold Museum, with its impressive collection of pre-Columbian gold pieces from native communities. Finish at Museo de Botero, one of Latin America's most important art collections, with over 200 works donated to the city by Colombian painter Fernando Botero. This tour is ideal for families with older kids who can comfortably be on their feet for a while.

If you have younger kids (and if you didn't climb Cerro Monserrate the day before), you might prefer to head up to the summit of this mountain via cable car. Ride to the 10,341-foot (3,152 m) plateau. Here, you can visit Monserrate Sanctuary, a whitewashed Catholic church completed in 1657. But the real star is the panoramic view of the city below.

Day 3: Fly to Pereira, Santa Rosa Hot Springs

Today you'll fly west of Bogotá to the city of Pereira, in the heart of Colombia's Zona Cafetera (Coffee Zone). At the airport in Pereira, you'll be met by your driver and transferred to your hotel. After you've had time to settle in, it's time to head back out to explore the region's natural beauty.

Travel 30 minutes from Pereira to Santa Rosa de Cabal. From the town, continue for another 40 minutes, driving through the mountains until you reach the hot springs of Santa Rosa, a place that the whole family will love. The waterfall here, and the Andean cloud forest, make it an ideal place to relax. Kids will enjoy the space to roam and the chance to refresh in nature after the journey this morning. On the way back to Pereira, sample some local chorizo Santarrosano—cured sausage served with arepas (ground corn pancakes).

Day 4: Visit the Coffee Park

Today, everyone in the family can enjoy learning about how coffee is grown and produced at the 237-acre (96 ha) Parque del Café (Coffee Park), a natural and cultural theme park. With more than 20 mechanical and cultural attractions, it presents a mixture of the traditional and the modern and will even appeal to non-coffee-drinking kids. The park is full of trees and plants and is a great introduction to the customs and traditions of the region. Learn about the history of coffee growing in Colombia through trails exhibiting a wide range of varietals, enjoy an entertaining coffee show, and participate in modern mechanical attractions. 

Day 5: Río La Vieja Bamboo Rafting

In Colombia's Central Andes, rivers carry water from glaciers and mountains through cloud forests. Today you'll travel the Río La Vieja as the ancient Quimbaya people did, navigating on guadua, or bamboo raft, which some describe as being like vegetable steel. As you float down the river, learn about the ecosystem, then dip into a refreshing waterfall. Eat a picnic lunch on the river's banks in the shade of bamboo groves, and then continue on your rafting tour. Active kids (and parents) will love this relaxing yet energetic day trip.

Day 6: Horseback Riding, Cacao Experience

Participate in more outdoor activities today with a thrilling horseback riding tour through the Hacienda el Palomar, a short drive from Pereira. This plantation is known for its horses and is considered one of the most beautiful parts of the Coffee Zone. You and your kids will be assisted by a cowboy and paired with well-trained horses, so everyone in the family will be comfortable and confident. Start the horseback ride in the Valle de Risaralda, where you can admire the views of the Valle del Cauca, Quindio, and other towns on a two to three-hour ride.

In the afternoon, enjoy a change of pace on a coffee and cacao-focused experience. Hacienda Venecia is at an average altitude of 5,000 feet (1,500 m) in the midst of the volcanic Cordillera Central range. It's one of the main coffee-producing areas in the country, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today, cacao is also produced here, and your kids will enjoy getting an insight into cacao growing and chocolate production. Learn about how the cacao fruit is grown on the plantation and turned into chocolate paste, used as a raw material in the production of various products.

Day 7: Fly to Cartagena, City Sightseeing

This morning, fly to Cartagena, a lively city on Colombia's Caribbean coast. Your driver will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel. Depending on the time of your arrival, you'll have a few options for activities. You can relax and enjoy the hotel's amenities or get right into the mix with a neighborhood walk, either by yourself or with a guide. Wander the narrow streets of the historic Old Town, snapping photos of the lively plazas, colorful houses with bougainvillea-draped balconies, and the brightly decked-out palenquera women who sell fruit.

If you're interested in culture and history, check out the colonial neighborhoods of San Diego and Santo Domingo, stopping at key sites like the Plaza de los Coches, Plaza de la Aduana, Parque Bolívar, and Plaza de Santa Teresa. Other sightseeing options include taking a walk along the Old Town's original fortress walls (dating from 1586), constructed to protect Cartagena from pirate and sea attacks. These ramparts also afford panoramic views of the city and make great sunset-viewing spots. Imaginative kids will enjoy the chance to run around amid the swashbuckling setting.

In the evening, as long as everyone still has enough energy, explore Getsemaní, a bohemian neighborhood just outside the Old Town walls. Once a seedy area, Getsemaní is now a cultural enclave filled with Spanish colonial-era architecture, graffiti art, boutique hotels, and street food vendors. It's a great place to grab dinner.

Day 8: Cartagena Bike Tour, Chocolate Workshop

Explore Cartagena further today on a family bike tour. Start in Getsemaní at Holy Trinity Square, with its lively restaurants, street musicians, and colorful murals. Visit the home of Florentino Ariza, the main character in the novel "Love in the Time of Cholera" by Gabriel García Márquez. Then, cycle across the Roman Bridge toward the Manga neighborhood. Here, visit Villa Roman, a Moorish-inspired house that was built in 1929. Walk through Manga's cemetery, the oldest in Cartagena, and continue to the waterfront for a relaxing end to the tour. Older kids can cycle independently, while younger ones can ride with a parent.

Later on, enjoy a hands-on chocolate workshop that's sure to delight both kids and adults. Discover the world of local chocolate through its colors, flavors, and textures. Design molds with cocoa butter-based paints to make handmade chocolate, and decorate it with your favorite toppings. Finish with a delicious chocolate drink, take fun photos, and receive a mini amateur chocolatier certificate. 

Day 9: La Boquilla Fishing Trip, Drum or Coconut Workshop

Every morning of the year, the people of La Boquilla get up to go fishing using traditional techniques. Located just north of Cartagena, the village is home to many families of African origin, and the vast lagoons here still provide a main source of income. Head out in canoes with your guide today and spend a couple of hours fishing, an experience that is both relaxing for parents and exciting for kids. Learn how to use the fishing line, throw the net, and position the traps in order to catch shrimp and crawfish. You can even keep your catch, heading to a local's house afterward to cook and sit down to lunch together. 

Later, you can choose between a musical or a craft workshop, depending on your family's interests. Drums are a rich aspect of La Boquilla's culture. You'll participate in an hour-long workshop led by energetic young villagers, during which you'll be given a drum and can join right in—no experience necessary. All that's required is that you open yourself up to the rhythms of traditional music like cumbia, mapalé, and champeta. It's through music like this that residents preserve the cultural traditions of their African heritage. Music-loving kids will enjoy drumming along and learning some new beats.

Alternatively, get crafty with a workshop that utilizes local coconuts to make beautiful things. Local women generate income by teaching visitors how to make crafts out of common coconuts. During this workshop, you'll hear the ladies' stories as you make your own coconut souvenir, which could be a bracelet, key chain, earrings, necklace, or something else. Kids who enjoy arts and crafts will especially love making their own souvenirs to take back home.

Day 10: Depart Cartagena

All good things must come to an end, and today it's time to say goodbye to Colombia. Depending on your time of departure, enjoy a leisurely breakfast at your hotel and maybe go for a morning walk around the neighborhood. Then, meet your driver to go to the airport to catch a flight home or on to your next destination. Adiós!

Looking for more inspiration for your family trip to Colombia? Check out these other Colombia itineraries, explore other ways to spend 10 days in Colombia, or discover the best time to visit Colombia.