Luxury Adventure on Colombia's Rainbow River: Bogotá, Caño Cristales & Medellín - 7 Days

Highlights

• Tour the highlights of Bogotá, from the historic center to Cerro Monserrate
• Travel to the famous "Rainbow River" and stay in a luxury jungle ecolodge
• Visit coffee country towns and take an organic cooking class in Medellín

Brief Itinerary

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Bogotá, Views from Cerro Monserrate

Welcome to Colombia! This itinerary is a good mix of natural wonders and city life, starting with your arrival in Bogotá. Colombia's largest city and capital is a dynamic metropolis that is not only the financial heart of the country but also a hub for art, culture, music, history, and great cuisine. You'll discover these major highlights and more during your time here.

It starts with a pickup from the airport terminal by your private driver and a transfer to the Sofitel Victoria Regia. Located in the exclusive Chapinero area, this 5-star hotel offers a touch of French luxury in Bogotá. Stepping through the front doors, you'll be met with a grand foyer and spiral staircase. In the spacious suites, you'll find king beds, bathrooms stocked with L'Occitane products, and chic decor with accents inspired by local culture. Even the gourmet restaurant Basilic mixes the two cultures, using French avant-garde techniques to prepare dishes with local ingredients. 

Because Bogotá is nestled high in the Andes mountains at 8,660 feet (2,640 m), you'll want to take it easy and acclimate to the altitude. That's why, for your first big excursion up to Cerro Monserrate, you'll let a cable car do all the work. This Andean hill stands 2,690 feet (820 m) above the city and offers panoramic views from its summit. After riding the cable car to the top, you can snap pictures of the sweeping views and visit the charming Monserrate Sanctuary, a whitewashed Catholic church dating to 1657.

Day 2: La Candelaria Walking Tour & Chicha Culture

Rise and shine! It's time for a highlights tour of Bogotá's historic center. Meet your private guide at the hotel this morning and then travel a short way to the downtown area. Your destination is the La Candelaria neighborhood, a colorful hillside enclave known for its well-preserved Spanish colonial buildings dating to Bogotá's earliest days.

During a walk around, you'll visit all the highlight landmarks in the area, including the Teatro Colón (National Theater) and Plaza Bolívar, where the city was founded in 1538. Today, it's home to the parliament, supreme court, and the 19th-century Catedral Primada de Colombia. Next, visit the nearby Museo del Oro (Gold Museum). One of the finest museums in South America, it contains a staggering collection of over 34,000 pre-Columbian gold artifacts.

Later, you'll hike up the warren of cobbled streets in La Candelaria to Plaza del Chorro de Quevedo. This historic little square is the place to come for chicha. Though the popularity of this fermented corn drink peaked before the beer boom of the 1940s, chicha still holds a prominent place in the nation's heritage. All around the plaza are funky little chicha bars where you can order a glass of what, to put it mildly, is one of the strongest-tasting spirits in the country. Afterward, you can sample exotic Colombian fruits on a private food tour before returning to the hotel.

Day 3: Fly to La Macarena, Visit Caño Cristales

It's time to say goodbye to Bogotá. In the morning, you'll transfer to the airport and board a 1.5-hour flight south to the Meta department and La Macarena. This town is the gateway to Serranía de La Macarena, a national park home to one of Mother Nature's grandest spectacles: Caño Cristales. This small waterway (a tributary of the larger Río Guayabero) is known as the "liquid rainbow" and "River of the Five Colors." It earned these nicknames due to its riverbed, which, from July to October, dazzles with vivid red, blue, green, and yellow hues. 

Upon arrival, a driver will pick you up and transfer you to your accommodation for the next couple of nights: La Manigua Lodge. This luxury ecolodge sits on the banks of the Río Guayabero, not far from the Serranía de La Macarena National Park. Beyond that, La Manigua offers guests an authentic rainforest experience in comfy cabins featuring four-poster beds, terraces overlooking the jungle canopy, and deck nets that make a perfect place to relax amid the calls of tropical birds and the scampering of squirrel monkeys in the trees. 

Right after check-in, you're off to Caño Cristales. From the lodge, board a boat for the ride upriver. Accompanying you will be a naturalist guide pointing out the exotic flora and fauna in the rainforest. After a while, you'll stop at a farm and hike 25 minutes to a mirador (viewpoint) to marvel at the river. Your guide will answer all questions regarding the ecosystem, like how the vivid colors derive from aquatic plants on the riverbed (known as Macarenia clavigera). When the plants are in the shade during the wet season, they change colors—a phenomenon that only happens in this part of the world. 

Day 4: Caño Cristales Tour, Sunset on the River

Day two of your Caño Cristales adventure kicks off early. Along with your private guide, you'll board a boat and return to the national park. Once there, you can spend all day admiring this colorful natural spectacle. Relax on the riverbanks, observe the abundant wildlife, and even take a refreshing dip in the natural pools. 

At the end of the afternoon, you'll hike back down to the river and board a boat for the return trip. On the way, you'll enjoy some live musica llanera—a country musical styling specific to the vast grassland savannas (known as the Llanos) in this part of Colombia. Relax and enjoy being serenaded as you admire the unspoiled river scenery before arriving back at the lodge.

Day 5: Morning Caño Cristales Tour, Fly to Medellín

Another memorable outdoor adventure is in store today. After an early breakfast at the lodge, board a boat for a ride down the Río Guayabero. At the drop-off point, hop in a 4WD vehicle for a 40-minute transfer to the national park entrance. Then, continue on foot for 30 minutes to Caño Cristales once again—except today, you'll explore the river's lower basin, which is filled with even more natural wonders you have yet to see.

After hiking around Caño Cristales, transfer back to the La Macarena airport and board a flight north to Medellín. Once one of the most dangerous cities in the world, Medellín has undergone a transformation and today is a cultural hotbed filled with art, music, and friendly locals known as "Paisas." Upon arrival, a driver will pick you up for the ride into the city and the 5-star Elcielo Hotel. Situated in the fashionable Astorga neighborhood, Elcielo's well-appointed suites include comfy king beds and marble floors. The hotel also boasts an avant-garde restaurant that's one of the most famous in South America.

Spend some time relaxing in the afternoon. Then, in the evening, meet a guide for a night out at Medellín's famous fondas. Back in the day, these were watering holes where local farmers would ride up on their mules or horses and take a break to enjoy a glass or two of the region's famous aguardiente (cane liquor). The fondas remain, though nowadays you can find them in the suburbs and local neighborhoods within the city. As you'll see during a visit to one or two fondas near downtown, these are great places to experience convivial Paisa culture amid great company and raucous live music.

Day 6: Day Trip to Jardín, Town & Countryside Tour

Wake up early and meet your driver for the private three-hour transfer south to Jardín. In a country filled with charming towns, it's no exaggeration to say this is one of the most beautiful. The name (which translates to "garden") literally says it all—this storybook village is nestled in the towering Andes and surrounded by coffee farms and banana groves. The town itself is full of well-preserved colonial architecture, particularly around the Plaza Bolívar (main square). Dominating the plaza is the impressive Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, a twin-steepled, neo-Gothic church dating to the 19th century.

You'll see all this and more on a private walking tour that begins in town at Casa Clara Rojas Peláez. This fine museum is located in a historic home and contains a library, historical archives, and a collection of antiques. After stopping at other highlights, like artisanal sweets shops and the famous La Garrucha—a rickety basket gondola leading across a river canyon to a lookout point—you'll travel to the countryside. There, you can visit river caves, waterfalls, and an organic honey farm, where you'll collect this liquid gold right from the hive. At the end of the afternoon, you'll return to Medellín.

Day 7: Eco-Cooking Class, Depart Medellín

Though it's your last day in Colombia, one more foodie adventure awaits. In the morning, transfer to a local kitchen and participate in a private half-day culinary workshop that combines a passion for gastronomy with a deep respect for nature. Your host is Martha Londoño, a local community leader dedicated to social products and environmental preservation. At her side, you'll learn how to prepare ancestral recipes utilizing fresh, locally sourced, and sustainable ingredients.

More Great Colombia Itineraries