Arrive in Bogota

Land at Bogotá International Airport (8,530 ft), where your New Paths Expeditions representative will greet you and provide a private transfer to your luxury hotel. After check-in at the B.O.G. Hotel, enjoy your afternoon and evening at leisure to rest or explore the nearby Zona T district, known for its excellent restaurants, boutique shopping, and lively atmosphere. A curated list of recommended dining spots will be provided for your convenience.

Overnight at B.O.G Hotel – Superior Room. (Meal aloft)

Bogota City Tour

After breakfast, begin your exploration of Bogotá. Ride the cable car up to Cerro Monserrate (10,341 ft) for breathtaking views of the city and visit its historic sanctuary.

Descend into La Candelaria, Bogotá’s colonial heart, with its cobblestone streets and colorful Spanish architecture. Visit the Botero Museum, featuring works by Fernando Botero and pieces by masters like Picasso and Dalí.

Continue to the renowned Gold Museum, home to over 35,000 pre-Columbian gold artifacts and the legend of El Dorado. Then, stroll through Plaza de Bolívar, the city’s historic main square.

Return to the hotel to relax before visiting Usaquén, a colonial township now known for its markets and restaurants. In the evening, enjoy a welcome dinner and meet your Senior Leader and expert guide for the upcoming adventure.

Overnight at B.O.G Hotel – Superior Room. (B, L, D)

Fly to Yopal & Wildlife observation in Llanos Savanah

Begin early with a boxed breakfast and transfer to Bogotá’s Puente Aéreo terminal for your flight to Yopal. Upon arrival, drive deep into the Llanos region toward Paz de Ariporo, with opportunities to spot wildlife along the way. After a scenic 5-hour journey—partly on unpaved roads—you’ll reach La Aurora, a legendary 16,000-hectare private reserve and working cattle ranch dedicated to wildlife conservation for over 30 years.

Home to over 17 jaguars, capybaras, giant anteaters, howler monkeys, and more than 150 bird species, this region offers one of Colombia’s most thrilling wildlife experiences. Reptiles like giant anacondas and black caimans also inhabit its rivers and wetlands.

Arrive at Juan Solito Lodge and enjoy a traditional “a la Llanera” lunch. After settling in, head out on an afternoon safari by boat or 4×4 with your hosts, Nelson or Jorge Barragán, for your first close encounters with the abundant wildlife.

Dinner and overnight at Juan Solito Lodge – Basic Room. (B, L, D)

Birdwatching, 4 x 4 or Horse Safari & Nightime Safari

Spend a full day exploring La Aurora Reserve in search of its most iconic species. Target sightings include the giant Jabiru stork, Nacunda nighthawks, Orinoco goose, and the two Llanos endemics: Pale-headed Jacamar and White-bearded Flycatcher. Depending on recent wildlife activity, you can choose between a 4×4 safari or boat excursion, perhaps in search of the elusive anaconda.

After a traditional lunch at Juan Solito Lodge, continue your afternoon safari or relax and enjoy a spectacular Llanos sunset. At night, set out on a nocturnal safari in search of elusive species such as armadillos, ocelots, jaguarundis, and even jaguars.

End the day with dinner and a live harp performance by Nelson Barragán, a tribute to the Llanero cowboy tradition.

Overnight at Juan Solito Lodge – Basic Room. (B, L, D)

Birding & Visit La Aurora original farmhouse

Enjoy a final morning birding excursion around La Aurora’s original farmhouse and nearby habitats, targeting any species still unseen. After lunch at Juan Solito Lodge, transfer to Yopal for your flight back to Bogotá.

Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel and enjoy the evening at leisure, with excellent dining options nearby in the lively Zona T.

Overnight at B.O.G Hotel – Superior Room. (B, L)

Fly to Santa Marta. Birding time at Mica on route to the lodge

Early morning transfer to Bogotá’s Puente Aéreo for your flight to Santa Marta. Upon arrival, meet your birding guide and drive to Minca, a charming mountain town at 1,969 ft, renowned for its coffee farms and abundant birdlife. Keep your binoculars ready for species like the Keel-billed Toucan, Gold-winged Sparrow, Rufous-capped Warbler, and Gartered Trogon.

Continue by 4×4 into the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the world’s highest coastal mountain range and home to over 600 bird species. Stop en route at Palo Alto Farm to search for Santa Marta endemics like the Warbler, Brush-Finch, and Blossomcrown.

Arrive at El Dorado Lodge (6,562 ft) and settle into your Kogihab cabin. Spend the afternoon birding around the lodge’s feeders, where you may spot the White-tailed Starfrontlet, Black-fronted Wood-Quail, and Santa Marta Woodstar.

Dinner and overnight at El Dorado Lodge – Kogihab. (B, L, D)

Wildlife Safari in Cuchilla at San Lorenzo

Begin early with a drive up to the San Lorenzo Ridge (8,530 ft), the heart of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta—recently declared the most irreplaceable concentration of biodiversity on Earth. This isolated range boasts 24 endemic bird species, many of them locally abundant.

Focus your morning birding on iconic species like the Santa Marta Parakeet, Rufous Antpitta, Yellow-crowned Whitestart, Santa Marta Antpitta, and Rusty-headed Spinetail. Keep watch for raptors like the Sharp-shinned Hawk and the rare Santa Marta Bush-Tyrant. Stunning views of Santa Marta’s peaks and lush montane forests offer a dramatic backdrop.

Additional highlights include the Brown-rumped Tapaculo, White-tipped Quetzal, Santa Marta Toucanet, and the Blue-naped Chlorophonia (subspecies). After lunch at the lodge, enjoy some rest or continue birding. In the evening, search for the elusive Santa Marta Screech-Owl.

Overnight at El Dorado Lodge – Kogihab. (B, L, D)

AM: Birding. Evening at leisure at the seaside

Spend the morning birding around El Dorado Lodge, focusing on any remaining target species, including the Santa Marta Foliage-Gleaner and White-lored Warbler—two more of the Sierra Nevada’s endemic treasures.

After lunch, begin your scenic descent from the mountains to the Caribbean coast. Drive past Tayrona National Park en route to your beachfront retreat on KM 41 of the La Guajira highway (a 3.5 to 4-hour drive). Settle into Playa Koralia, a peaceful hideaway where you can relax and enjoy the stunning seaside surroundings.

Overnight at Playa Koralia. (B, L, D)

Birding at PNN Tayrona

This morning, transfer to Tayrona National Park, home to Colombia’s largest tropical dry forest and stunning Caribbean beaches. Search for the critically endangered Blue-billed Curassow, once nearly extinct, along with dry forest species like Lance-tailed Manakin, Barred Antshrike, and Buff-breasted Wren.

Watch the treetops for the Cotton-top Tamarin, a charismatic and critically endangered primate found only in Colombia. If time allows, visit El Calabazo to explore a Kogi settlement and the ancient ruins of Pueblito.

Return to Playa Koralia for an afternoon and evening at leisure.

Overnight at Playa Koralia. (B, L, D)

Cartagena City tour & Farewell dinner

Early transfer to Cartagena (approx. 5 hours), traveling along Colombia’s Caribbean coast. En route, enjoy views of the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, a RAMSAR site and UNESCO biosphere reserve, and Isla Salamanca National Park—prime birding areas with mangrove forests and migratory species.

Arrive in Cartagena and check in at your hotel. After lunch, explore the UNESCO-listed walled city of Cartagena de Indias, once the gateway for Spain’s colonial riches. Discover its 16th-century architecture, colonial mansions in Barrio Manga, and climb to La Popa Monastery for panoramic views.

Visit San Felipe Castle, the most formidable Spanish fortress in the Americas, before strolling Cartagena’s cobblestone streets and lively plazas. End the day with a farewell dinner after sunset drinks at the iconic Café del Mar, overlooking the Caribbean Sea.

Overnight at Casa La Fe – Standard Twin. (B, L, D)

Back to the U.S

Time at leisure until your transfer to the airport to catch the flight back to the US (B)

Fly to Leticia. Transfer to the hotel for check-in. PM: Transfer to Tanimboca Nature Reserve for wildlife watching

Morning flight to Leticia, the gateway to Colombia’s Amazon, where you’ll be met and transferred to your hotel for check-in. In the afternoon, visit Tanimboca Reserve, a private conservation area on the outskirts of the rainforest, for an introduction to Amazonian wildlife.

As evening falls, head to Parque Santander in Leticia to witness thousands of parrots returning to roost—a spectacular natural event. Return to your hotel for dinner and rest ahead of the next day’s adventure.

Overnight at Waira Suites Hotel – Standard room. (B, D)

Discover the Marasha Nature Reserve

This morning, board a private boat for a full-day exploration of Marasha Nature Reserve, home to iconic Amazonian wildlife. Look for species such as the White-throated Toucan, Scarlet Macaw, and Lettered Aracari. With luck, spot primates like the Bald Uakari, Pygmy Marmoset, and Squirrel Monkey. Birding highlights may include Zig-zag Heron and the striking Fiery Topaz Hummingbird.

After lunch at the reserve, continue by boat to Calanoa Amazonas Lodge, a beautiful eco-lodge within the indigenous Mocagua reserve. Learn about the Ticuna community’s conservation and cultural efforts before enjoying dinner.

Overnight at Calanoa Amazonas – Standard Hut. (B, L, D)

Wildlife watching and meeting with the local Tikuna indigenous group

This morning, enjoy a boat safari along the Amacayacu River, bordering Colombia’s renowned Amacayacu National Park. Search for wildlife including Red Howler Monkeys, Yellow-handed Titi Monkeys, Black-collared Hawks, and Laughing Falcons as you explore this vital Amazonian ecosystem.

Continue to Puerto Nariño, Colombia’s first sustainable tourism town, where you’ll visit the Natutama Foundation to learn about local conservation efforts and Ticuna cultural traditions. After lunch at a local restaurant, head to Tarapoto Lake. Here, watch for Pink River Dolphins and other wildlife such as monkeys, birds, and, with luck, river otters and Black Caiman.

Return to Mocagua for time with the Ticuna community before dinner at Calanoa Lodge.

Overnight at Calanoa Amazonas – Standard Hut. (B, L, D)

Morning birding at Calanoa Nature Reserve and fly back to the U.S

Start early with birding along the pristine trails of Calanoa’s 40-hectare reserve, adjacent to Amacayacu National Park. Look for specialties like the Cinereous Tinamou, parrots, and colorful tanagers. Later, explore the Matamata River by boat, searching for aquatic species in this rich ecosystem.

After an early lunch at the lodge, transfer by private boat back to Leticia for your flight to Bogotá and onward connection home.

(B, L)