Having never really done a tour of any kind in the past, I was surprised at how organic everything felt. There was always an opportunity to detour, try new food, check out cultural things, relax, be lazy, etc. but somehow we still achieved all our goals. Having the opportunity to do some pretty hard climbing was great.
Classic Colombia plus Medellin Explorer
Private Accommodation & Transportation
Wide Range of Cultural & Adventure Activities
Top-Notch Climbing with Local Expert Guides
Charge up your batteries and your suntan this Autumn and Winter with an adventure-packed getaway to sunny Colombia! Push your limits on some of the country’s best climbing routes, explore the colourful cities and colonial towns, visit the birthplace of Colombian coffee, and much more!
Why Take This Tour?
Leg 1 - Classic Colombia. Challenge yourself with 7 days climbing at Suesca rocks and La Mojarra, the two most important climbing areas in Colombia!
Leg 2 - Medellin Explorer. Explore stunning green vistas and interesting rock formations climbing in the mountains close to Medellin.
Get to know Eje Cafetero - the vibrant coffee region in Colombia recognized as a world UNESCO heritage site for the rich and pervasive coffee culture.
Check out exciting "rest day" adventures in San Gil like rafting, paragliding, or caving.
Take a break from adventuring and relax in the hot springs at Santa Rosa de Cabal.
Hike through the gorgeous mountains full of sky-reaching palm trees in Cocora Valley.
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Trip Details
Trip Details
Price
Classic Colombia only:
$2,760 USD per person (based on double occupancy)
Full trip (Classic Colombia plus Medellin Explorer):
$4,190 USD per person (based on double occupancy)
*25% deposit required to reserve. ($1,047.50 USD)
Full payment required 30 days before scheduled departure date.
Departure Dates
2024:
- Saturday, June 1st
- Saturday, Sept. 28th
- Saturday, Oct. 12th
Meeting point
Bogota airport
Duration
Classic Colombia: 10 days, 9 nights
Full trip: 17 days, 16 nights
Group size
Minimum: 2
Maximum: 8
Participation requirements
- 18+
- Suitable for all climbers
Included
- 9 days climbing at the two most important destinations in Colombia with your expert guide
- Private accommodation throughout
- Private transportation throughout
- Domestic flights
- Welcome dinner included on day 1
- Optional celebration dinner on your last night
- All breakfasts on climbing days and in select hotels
- Cultural side tours (full trip)
- Group climbing equipment provided
*For personal equipment and packing list see below*
Not included
- Lunches and dinners
- Alcoholic beverages
- Gratuities for guides and lodge staff
Personal Equipment Packing List
- rock climbing shoes in good condition;
- harness;
- belay device;
- safety tether;
- helmet;
- sporty clothes;
- swim shorts;
- nice outfit for city dining;
- sun hat;
- runners or approach shoe;
- good quality sunscreen;
- travel insurance that covers climbing;
- trip cancellation insurance recommended;
Itinerary
DAY 1. Arriving in Bogota:
Welcome to Colombia, we are so glad you could make it! Your guide will greet you at the airport and drive you to your comfortable hotel in the historic district, La Candelaria. We know you’ve traveled a long way to Colombia – let us treat you to a delicious welcome lunch or dinner once you’ve had a chance to freshen up.
Optional Activities – hiking up to the best view in Bogota, Montserrate Church; colourful graffiti tour; walk around the historic plazas and old government buildings.
Accommodation – comfortable hotel in La Candelaria historic district
Welcome meal included
DAY 2. Flying to Bucaramanga:
In the morning, we head to the airport and fly up to Bucaramanga. Hernan greets us there with the car and drives us to La Mojarra climbing lodge. Once we arrive and get settled in, it’s time to walk down to the rocks and try your first outdoor climbing routes in Colombia! You will be amazed by the beautiful sandstone and amazing views of the valley below, and your expert guide will show you the best routes for your ability level.
Accommodation – beautiful eco lodge overlooking the valley.
Breakfast included
DAY 3-4. Full days of climbing:
By now, you’ll be feeling more comfortable on the rock and we will show you some awesome climbs that push your limits and help you work on your technique.
Optional Activity – visit the local market for dinner and to see the local culture.
Accommodation – eco lodge with a beautiful view
Breakfast included
DAY 5. Drive to San Gil and rest your climbing muscles:
Today we say goodbye to our friends at the climbing lodge and head south to San Gil. San Gil is friendly and lively with a relaxed pace and a warm climate. We offer many fun activities like rafting, paragliding, exploring caves and swimming holes.
Accommodation – comfortable hotel
DAY 6-7. Explore San Gil, Barichara, Villa de Leyva:
During this stretch of days we are flexible to visit the coolest places in the area according to your interests:
San Gil: lots of fun adventures surrounded by nature, a beautiful plaza, and nice fruit markets.
Barichara: a really charming colonial town built out of the local red stone that makes for amazing photographs.
Villa de Leyva: a beautiful and historic town with access to a unique hiking in the Paramo.
Whether you wish to take it easy or hike/climb/explore, you can count on us to make the best use of your time.
Option – you can travel more quickly to Suesca instead for an extra climbing day
Accommodation – Comfortable hotel
DAY 8-9. Rise and shine – it’s time to explore new rocks at Suesca!
Wake up and drive to the birthplace of Colombian rock climbing, Suesca Rocks! Your expert guide, Hernan, has lived in Suesca for over 20 years and he will make you feel at home in his beautiful backyard. Count on him to show you the best climbing routes and introduce you to other cool local climbers.
Day 9 ends with a celebration dinner to wrap up the Classic Colombia leg of the journey for those who are finishing their trip here.
Accommodation – Private cabin in front of the rocks
Breakfast included in Suesca
DAY 10. Back to Bogota or on to Salento:
In the morning, those wrapping up after the Colombia Classic section will have private transportation arranged to bring them back to Bogota or another location, according to their further travel plans.
Guests continuing onwards to Salento and Medellin prepare for the scenic cross-country drive.
DAY 10. CROSS-COUNTRY SIGHTSEEING EN-ROUTE TO SALENTO:
Today is your big day of driving down from the highlands to the Rio Magdalena, and then up the other side to the lush and fertile coffee region, the Eje Cafetero. Enjoy leisurely meals and colourful sightseeing as your guide pilots you West to Salento.
Optional activity – play the explosive local game called Tejo
Accommodation – charming hotel in Salento
Breakfast included in Suesca
DAY 11. EXPLORE THE COFFEE REGION AND HIKE COCORA:
Wake up and smell the coffee! In our opinion, hiking the Cocora Valley, amongst the sky-reaching wax palms, is one of the most unique and beautiful day trips in Colombia. We are sure you’ll be impressed and you’ll get lots of amazing landscape photos, and observe a colourful variety of flowers and birds. We recommend getting an early start to take advantage of the weather, as it often rains in the afternoon and the trails can get quite muddy.
Optional activity – a coffee tour in the afternoon. Fun Fact – the coffee region in Colombia is listed as a UNESCO Heritage site for the coffee culture!
Accommodation – charming hotel in Salento
DAY 12. VISIT FILANDIA AND HOT SPRINGS:
Wake up and enjoy fresh fruit and coffee before you head out for another beautiful day trip to the cute and colourful town of Filandia. Our expert guides recommend Filandia as a quieter, less touristy version of Salento with a really fun restaurant for dining and entertainment called Helena Adentro. And we have another lovely place to show you today – the impressive hot springs at Santa Rosa de Cabal, cascading out of the lush green mountainside. Tonight, you will unwind and relax and enjoy some well deserved quiet time. Soak away any stresses and relax your busy adventure-muscles…
Accommodation – relaxing hotel at the hot springs
DAY 13. MORNING HOT SPRINGS AND FLYING TO MEDELLIN:
Today you’re off to the infamous yet beautiful city of Medellin. Your guide will drive you to the airport in Pereira to catch your flight and then he returns to Bogota with the car. After two weeks of amazing memories together, it will be sad to part ways, but we are sure it will be a joyful goodbye. And the show carries on! Tonight, you get your first glimpse of the sexy and exciting city of Medellin!
Accommodation – comfortable hotel in upscale neighbourhood, El Poblado
DAY 14. FULL DAY TO EXPLORE MEDELLIN:
Wake up to sunshine and vibrant songbirds, and street vendors, all contributing their energy to this lively, cosmopolitan city. We will help you make the most of your leisure day in Medellin and point you in the right direction to visit the coolest sites. Options include a culture tour to the Comuna 13, or a ride up the famous metro cables high above the sprawling barrios. Of course, there’s always shopping and people watching in the many parks (Medellin has a ton of ambient green spaces), and you’ll find street performers and artwork all over the city. Whatever you decide during the day, we recommend going out in style for dinner and drinks tonight. Make sure you sport a nice outfit to fit in with the slick local crowd.
Optional activity – go for dinner and drinks with local climbers and friends!
DAY 15-16. CLIMBING AND SIGHTSEEING IN THE MOUNTAINS OUTSIDE MEDELLIN:
From Medellin, you can schedule either a remarkable sightseeing trip out to the massive rock tower in Guatape, El Penol, or – if you’re craving more rock climbing – we can visit the authentic little town of Abejorral and scale the rock walls high above the valley floor. Whichever option you fancy, both experiences highlight unique rock formations and the beautiful green mountains surrounding Medellin.
Accommodation – comfortable hotel or spectacular cliffside eco lodge
DAY 17. FINAL DAY TOGETHER AND HEARTFELT GOODBYES:
This morning, you will enjoy your final beautiful morning waking up in Colombia before traveling home or wherever your plans take you next. We at SAROCKS sincerely thank you for joining us for this adventure climbing tour in Colombia and can’t wait to see you out on the rocks again in the future. Hasta la proxima, amigos!
Frequently Asked Questions
You don’t need to be an expert to have a safe and fun climbing experience at Suesca and La Mojarra. There are a variety of walls and routes with beginner friendly grades and South America Rocks always employs expert guides to manage a safe and fun experience.
Yes, there are restaurants with a wide variety of vegetarian friendly options. And your guides are more than happy to make a special trip to the local market to pick up all the healthy and delicious fruits and vegetables you desire to munch on through your trip.
Don’t worry, airport staff are easygoing and helpful and once you exit into the arrivals area we will pick you up and take you to the hotel to meet the rest of the group.
Good to Know
- Option to purchase an add-on package to explore and climb another beautiful area in Colombia – Ex. let South America Rocks organize a fun and colourful climbing package in Medellin, including guide, food and accommodation to suit your budget.
- For extra vertical adventure, ask about a guided multi-pitch rock climb up the awesome Suesca rock formation.
- Or get private instruction on the fine art of trad climbing and how to place gear and build anchors
- Make sure your climbing equipment is in good condition and bring a backup pair of climbing shoes. The climbing area is far from any climbing shops.
- You can purchase additional days of climbing at SUESCA just outside Bogota.
- Colombia is a lot safer than you think, Bogota and the other major cities are very modern
- Bogota tap water is safe to drink, but a bit bleachy
- Purchase drinking water at the climbing area, or bring a good quality water filter.
See what our clients say about our tours
The Colombia tour with South America Rocks was definitely a great experience! Normally organized tours is not my style of traveling so I was hesitant to sign up but I’m so happy I did. The climbing was excellent! I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
The whole trip was great. The rafting tour in San Gil on the Rio Suarez with Colombia Rafting was wild and exciting and we celebrated with the biggest burgers ever at Gringo Mike’s later that night. I had a great time working with Will on this South America Rocks climbing adventure.
I am a beginner climber, but I always felt included in the daily plans, and safe wherever we went climbing. I am a yoga teacher, so it was a real treat to start each day with a calming practice up in the yoga house, which looks out over the rocks and the canyon below with a million dollar view. San Gil rafting was also super cool. The guides at Colombia Rafting are very safety conscious.
