Getting about
Should you fly or should you drive? This page seeks to steer you in the right direction in terms of building your itinerary in an optimal and logical way. That invariably means best value for money too.
Our ethos
There are an infinite number ways to get around Colombia, however only a few logical ones. Do not underestimate how expensive lengthy transfers can be. We would always prefer to have you on an aeroplane if a route exists. This means you spend the most time on the ground at your destination and have an optimised tour in terms of time and value. It can take 25 minutes to fly from Bogotá to Pereira but up to 10 hours to drive between the same two cities.
The two maps on this page cover over 90% of our tours
Air routes
Colombia has an excellent network of scheduled and charter air travel and you should take advantage of this. Flying is generally economical when built into an extended multi-destination tour.
Important points to note
- Bogotá has the most connections but it is possible to create many itineraries without always backtracking via the capital.
- It is simple to fit Medellín into an itinerary and this is very common. It has excellent connections to Bogotá, the coffee zone, Santa Marta and Cartagena. Medellín has two airports.
- If you want to go to Bahía Solano or Nuquí then you must go through Medellín.
- If you go overland via Villa de Leyva to San Gil and Barichara then Bucaramanga is your friend. It has regional flights to Pereira, Medellín, Yopal and Cartagena as well as mainline flights back to Bogotá.
Overland routes
Aside from logical overland routes where air routes do not exist, the map below also indicates where our hub transport cities are. Where we have a smaller presence, and where a town or city is served from a nearby presence.
Our vehicle guide tells you what vehicle you might expect on these routes.
Important points to note
- We operate in three distinct zones that do not meet. We will not under any circumstances drive you from Medellín or Bucaramanga to the Caribbean coast.
- Unless you specifically need to be in Honda or Ibagué we will not normally drive you from Bogotá to the coffee zone or Medellín.
- If you want to do a stunning overland section then fly to Neiva, undertake a tour such as The Colombian Heritage Experience, continue to Popayán over the Páramo de Puracé. Head to the coffee zone via Cali, perhaps add a stop in Silvia. That is a wonderful overland trip encompassing some great destinations.
- You cannot drive to Amazonas or Caño Cristales.
- Jardín is a really complicated place to get to unless you are in Medellín already.
- You cannot drive through Chocó to destinations on the Pacific coast.
- Our points of presence between Bogotá and Bucaramanga are all 4 hours or less from each other. This allows you to be relayed along the route without drivers working dangerously long hours.
