Self-Launched Colombia: One Week in Bogotá, Medellín & Cartagena
7 days · Colombia
The Colombian Trip charges £2,635
No-markup version: ~£1,045 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A solo-friendly, self-launched version of The Colombian Trip's private 7-day Bogotá–Medellín–Cartagena circuit. Instead of a fully guided private tour with premium hotels and private transfers, you'll fly the same domestic hops on budget carriers, stay in well-located hostels and guesthouses, and book the same headline experiences (Monserrate cable car, Gold Museum, Comuna 13, Guatapé and El Peñol, the walled city, Rosario Islands) directly or via GetYourGuide/Klook. All costs are approximate per person, based on current backpacker/budget rates.
Day-by-day
Arrive Bogotá — settle into La Candelaria
Bogotá
Land at El Dorado (BOG). Skip the private transfer and take an authorised airport taxi or ride-hailing app (Uber/DiDi work in Bogotá) to La Candelaria or Chapinero — roughly £6-9 and 30-50 min depending on traffic. Check into a hostel or guesthouse in the historic centre, then take a gentle orientation wander: Plaza de Bolívar, the colonial lanes of La Candelaria, and a cheap set lunch (corrientazo) or arepas for dinner. Sort out a local SIM/eSIM (Claro or Tigo) and withdraw pesos from a bank ATM. Ask your hostel about the altitude (2,640 m) — take it easy on day one.
🚌Airport taxi or rideshare ~£6-9; walking in the centre
🛏Hostel/guesthouse dorm or private room, La Candelaria or Chapinero (~£14-20)
- →Orientation walk: Plaza de Bolívar & La Candelaria
- →Buy local SIM/data plan
- →Cheap corrientazo dinner
Bogotá classics: Paloquemao, Gold Museum & Monserrate
Bogotá
Start early at Plaza de Mercado Paloquemao (free entry, open from ~5am) — go with an empty stomach for fruit tastings and ajiaco. Then walk the historic core on a free/pay-what-you-like walking tour (GuruWalk or Free Tour Bogotá, tip ~£8-12) covering the Cathedral, Colón Theatre exterior, San Carlos Palace, San Ignacio Church and Nariño Palace area. In the afternoon visit the Museo del Oro (Gold Museum) — entry around £3, free on Sundays — then take the Teleférico or funicular up Monserrate (~£6-8 return) for the city view. Eat dinner in La Candelaria or Chapinero.
🚌Walking + short rideshares ~£4; Monserrate funicular/cable car ~£7
🛏Hostel/guesthouse, Bogotá (~£14-20)
- →Paloquemao Market (free)
- →Free walking tour of La Candelaria (tip-based)
- →Museo del Oro (~£3)
- →Monserrate cable car/funicular (~£7)
Fly to Medellín — Comuna 13, MetroCable & Botero Square
Medellín
Book an early budget flight BOG–MDE with Avianca, LATAM or Wingo — around £45-70 one way if booked a few weeks out. Take the airport bus (Airport Bus to San Diego/centre, ~£1.50) or a shared taxi/rideshare (~£10) into El Poblado or Laureles. Ride the metro to Acevedo and up the MetroCable (a single ride costs pennies with a Civica card, ~£0.80) for the hillside views. Join a community-run Comuna 13 graffiti and escalator tour (GetYourGuide/Klook, ~£15-20, or tip-based from the neighbourhood). Finish at Plaza Botero for the Botero sculptures and the Museo de Antioquia (optional, ~£5).
🚌Domestic flight ~£55; airport bus ~£1.50; metro + MetroCable ~£1
🛏Hostel in El Poblado or Laureles (~£15-22)
- →Domestic flight Bogotá–Medellín
- →MetroCable ride
- →Comuna 13 graffiti/escalator tour (~£17)
- →Plaza Botero & Botero sculptures
Guatapé & the Rock of El Peñol
Guatapé
Easiest budget route: take an organised small-group day trip from Medellín (GetYourGuide/Klook, ~£25-35 including transport, boat ride and lunch), or do it independently — bus from Terminal del Norte to Guatapé (~£3-4, ~2 hrs), climb the 649 steps of La Piedra del Peñol (~£4 entry), stroll Guatapé's zócalo tiles, and negotiate a short boat trip on the reservoir (~£8-12 shared). Tuk-tuk transfers around town cost a few pounds. Back in Medellín for dinner and a night out in Provenza or Laureles.
🚌Day trip transport or public bus ~£4-8; boat ~£10; tuk-tuk ~£2
🛏Hostel, Medellín (~£15-22)
- →Rock of El Peñol (649 steps, ~£4)
- →Guatapé town walking
- →Shared boat ride on Guatapé Reservoir (~£10)
Fly to Cartagena — walled city & Getsemaní
Cartagena
Fly MDE–CTG on a budget carrier (~£50-75 one way). From Rafael Núñez airport take a taxi or Uber (~£4-6) into the walled city or Getsemaní, the backpacker heart of Cartagena. Spend the afternoon doing a self-guided walk or a tip-based free walking tour: the historic walls and Baluarte de Santo Domingo, Plaza de los Coches, San Pedro Claver church and monastery (~£4), the Cathedral, and the colourful streets of Getsemaní. Skip the private Castillo and La Popa unless you want them — Castillo de San Felipe entry is ~£5, or around £4-5 by taxi to La Popa Convent. Sunset drinks on the walls; dinner at a street-food spot or menú del día.
🚌Domestic flight ~£62; airport taxi ~£5; local taxis ~£2-3
🛏Hostel in Getsemaní or walled city (~£15-22)
- →Flight Medellín–Cartagena
- →Free walking tour of the historic centre (tip-based)
- →San Pedro Claver monastery (~£4)
- →Getsemaní street art walk (free)
Rosario Islands by shared boat
Islas del Rosario
Book a shared speedboat day trip to the Rosario Islands from Muelle de la Bodeguita (direct at the dock ~£25-30, or ~£30-40 via GetYourGuide/Klook with lunch). Departures typically around 8-9am, returning late afternoon. Expect a beach club stop with time to swim and snorkel — bring or rent snorkel gear for a few pounds. Note the local departure tax/port fee (a few pounds) and keep small cash for tips. Alternative: a slower public boat from Muelle Turístico. Back in Cartagena for dinner and an easy evening.
🚌Shared boat to Rosario Islands ~£28; taxi to dock ~£2
🛏Hostel, Cartagena (~£15-22)
- →Shared boat transfer to Rosario Islands (~£28)
- →Beach time & swimming
- →Optional snorkel gear rental (~£5)
Last morning in Cartagena & onward flight
Cartagena
Enjoy a slow breakfast, pick up coffee from a local roaster in Getsemaní, and squeeze in one last wander along the walls or the Mercado de Bazurto if you like markets. Head to Rafael Núñez airport (CTG) by taxi (~£4-6) in good time — it's small but flights to Bogotá/Panama are frequent. If you're continuing onward, consider extending a few days in Minca, Santa Marta or Tayrona National Park for a beach and hiking add-on.
🚌Taxi to Cartagena airport ~£5
🛏Departure day — no overnight (or extend at ~£15-22/night)
- →Getsemaní coffee stop
- →Self-guided walls walk
- →Optional Bazurto Market visit
Self-launched vs. The Colombian Trip
| This itinerary (self-launched) | The Colombian Trip | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,045 | £2,635 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,590 per person (60%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more The Colombian Trip-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,045
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Colombia: One Week in Bogotá, Medellín & Cartagena cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,045 per person for 7 days in Colombia. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with The Colombian Trip?+
Yes — The Colombian Trip charges around £2,635 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,045 — a saving of roughly £1,590 (60%) per person.
How long is the Colombia trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through Colombia.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, city-breaks, backpacker trip through Colombia, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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