Upon arrival, you’ll be met by an Atelier driver/concierge who will help you through Bogota Airport and onwards to your boutique hotel for check-in. Depending on your arrival time, there may be chance to get an early orientation of Colombia’s colorful capital city, before an evening at one of Bogota’s top fine dining restaurants.

The first full day of this Classic Colombia trip begins with a full tour of Bogota, Colombia’s beguiling capital city that’s full of art, history, and modernity combined. First on the list of Bogota highlights is Paloquemao Food Market, a kaleidoscopic and sprawling bazar of stands selling every color, shape and size of fruit, vegetable, herb or spice you could imagine. Paloquemao Market is an institution in Bogota, and the perfect introduction to the city’s lively culture before moving to the enchanting La Candelaria Neighborhood. Full of 17th century charm and home to some of Bogota’s best colonial buildings, La Candelaria sits in stark contrast to the skyscrapers and highways of modern Bogota. You’ll visit beautiful Plaza Bolivar, followed by the artworks of Botero Gallery and spellbinding ancient collections at Bogota’s renowned Gold Museum. Today concludes at the peaceful Monserrate Hilltop Convent for panoramic views of Bogota and the mountains beyond.

Something altogether different on Day 3, as you swap the busy streets of Bogota for the ornate village of Zipaquirá. The center of this pretty 17th century settlement feels like a step back in time thanks to its well-preserved plaza, church, and colonial-era buildings, though the history of Zipaquirá stretches much further than the arrival of Spanish Conquistadors. Along the way, visit the famous underground Salt Cathedral, a spectacular site found 200 meters underground in the tunnels of an old salt mine. Today, Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral is beautifully lit and full of atmosphere.

Next up on this Classic Colombia tour is enigmatic Medellin, a place once associated with Pablo Escobar in the 1970s though today is a thriving, energetic city with a brighter story to tell. Your Atelier concierge will take you to Bogota Airport in time for a domestic flight northwest, where you’ll be collected and taken to a luxury Medellin hotel for check-in. Depending on flight times, there may be chance to explore some local spots with your guide, before an evening enjoying Medellin’s thriving food scene.

For anyone keen on culture, history and the excitement of a dynamic city, Medellin has it all. The best way to experience the many highlights of Medellin is with a full day tour, beginning with a trip up Nutibara Hill for incredible elevated views of the city and surrounding mountains. From Nutibara, a first look at Medellin’s artistic side comes with the larger-than-life sculptures of Botero Plaza, before exploring the many contrasting sides of Medellin as you hop from district to district. A walk around La Alpujarra shows you modern Medellin with its stark buildings and open spaces, while the next stop of Comuna 13 couldn’t be more different. Here, tightly packed barrios cling to the hillside and every alleyway or wall is home to colorful street art and murals. Comuna 13 was notorious in the days of Pablo Escobar’s drug cartel, while today it’s a melting pot of the arts, music, and social projects. Throughout this Medellin walking tour, you’ll pass through neighborhoods and past local eateries and monuments to see the full scope of the city.

As well as the attractions of Medellin within the city, there is more to explore in the surrounding countryside and rural areas, too. You’ll visit Santa Helena village today, a small settlement surrounding by rolling green hills and best-known for its colorful flower farms. Setting off after breakfast, the journey from Medellin to Santa Helena village is a scenic one as you get deeper into the countryside, before arriving at the flower farm to learn about this vital local industry. The flower farm is a sight to behold and meeting the growers is always enjoyable, as is making your own flower tapestry while here – a long-held tradition around the Santa Helena area. Expert flower weaving complete, your Atelier concierge will take you back to Medellin for an evening at leisure.

The distinct travel destinations in Colombia are highlighted once more on Day 7, as this Classic Colombia Tour moves from Medellin to one of the best-preserved colonia towns in South America; Cartagena. Your Atelier concierge will take you to Medellin Airport for a short domestic flight, where you’ll be met on the other side and taken on walking tour of Cartagena to make the most of your time in this incredible city. Coastal Cartagena has a modern city of apartment blocks and office buildings as well as the 16th century Old Town, a colorful delight of brightly painted houses, flower-filled balconies and quaint cobblestone streets. It’s here that your afternoon is spent, visiting the ornate Inquisition Palace and San Pedro Claver Cloister, Cartagena Monastery and the Old Town’s finest churches and squares. This evening, find an atmospheric Cartagena restaurant to savor these bygone buildings as much as the delicious Colombian cuisine.

Today you’ll travel from the cute colonial streets of Cartagena Old Town to the imposing San Felipe Fortress, an giant hilltop battlement built by Spanish Conquistadors in 1536. Sitting atop San Lázaro Hill, the San Felipe Fortress was purpose-built to defend Cartagena from all sides, and a tour of the site brings 16th century Colombia to life in the most specular way. You can walk the ramparts, storage rooms and even underground tunnels here, though the views are just as enjoyable as the historic site itself! To evoke a more serene sentiment, the next stop is La Popa Convent, a grand hilltop abbey that dates back to the 17th century. La Popa Convent is still used for religious festivals to this day, and it’s original columned courtyards and balconies are a joy to behold – as are the costal panoramas from the convent’s terraces. Later, round of this special day with rum and chocolate tasting, enjoying two of Colombia’s top delicacies and some of the best rums in the world.

The final day of Classic Colombia is a blissful trip to the Rosario Islands aboard a private boat. These islands are home to sandy beaches, clear Caribbean waters and sea-facing lunch shacks, the perfect finale to your time in Colombia. With a private boat and guide, you can take your tour of the Rosario Islands at a pace that suits you, stopping off to snorkel, swim, sunbathe, or enjoy a cocktail and lunch on the beach – the choice is yours. This evening can be spent at leisure watching live music, or booking a table in one of Cartagena’s top restaurants.

As this irresistible tour comes to an end, you may have time for one final walk around Cartagena or the coast before being taken back to the airport and onward for your flight home, full of priceless memories of Colombia.