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Sunrise over a river meander in the Amazon, with mist above the rainforest
Colombia

Colombia and the Amazon

Bogota · Medellin · Guatape · into the Amazon
Colombia →
5.0316 Google reviews 13days Group of 1717in the crew From Athens

Overview

A Colombia trip with Altervan, backpacking style: 13 days from Bogotá and Medellín to the deep Amazon, with a group of up to 17 and our own trip leader. The cities give you street art, history and nights out in Poblado. The jungle gives you wooden boats, river-water showers, electricity for a few hours a day, pink dolphins and monkeys on your shoulder.

We say it upfront: this is one of our toughest trips when it comes to living conditions. Backpack, not suitcase. Early mornings, long hours on the move, insects and a taste for the unexpected. If that sounds like "the good kind of hardship", you are on the right page.

Seats for this trip are booked by phone: you fill in the interest form, we send you the details and we talk before you lock your seat. Where exactly does the boat take us? You will find out once you are in it.

Coming solo. Will I fit in? 75% come solo. By day two, that has changed.
At a glance
DestinationColombia
Dates15 Jan 2027 → 27 Jan 2027
Duration13 days
Group sizeup to 17 people
Price€2,790 / person
Deposit€900

Included

Round-trip flights from Athens with Turkish Airlines
Flight Bogotá - Medellín
Flight Medellín to the Amazon
Flight from the Amazon to Bogotá
Airport taxes
Public liability insurance
Local taxes
Fuel
10 nights
4 breakfasts
Full-day trip to the far bank of the river (another country) for sloth watching and a visit to a local community
Tour of Escobar's prison and his old neighbourhood
Tour of Escobar's Villa Manuela
Boat tour on the Amazon to a local community
Tour to spot pink dolphins on the Amazon
Night hike in the Amazon jungle for wildlife watching
Cable car up Monserrate in Bogotá

Not included

Personal expenses

Before you get in the boat...

Most people come soloBy day two, that has changed.
Twin roomsComing solo? You share with someone of the same gender. We sort out the pairing.
Backpack, not a suitcaseIn the Amazon we move in small wooden boats. A suitcase does not fit.
Showers with river waterIn the jungle the lodge is wooden, with the basics. Some rooms have a shared bathroom.
Four flights inside the countryBogota, Medellin, Leticia. Distances here are not for a van.
The days are packedEarly mornings, hours on the move and a taste for the unexpected.

It is for you if…

  • the jungle pulls you more than the pool
  • you want to see Comuna 13 and the Amazon up close, not on a screen
  • you are up for coming in as strangers and leaving as a new crew
  • "pleasant hardship" sounds like a good thing to you

It is probably not for you if…

  • for you, a holiday means chilling out and resting
  • you want a hot shower and your own bathroom every night
  • insects drive you up the wall
  • you are expecting a classic organised tour with a guide and a coach

Moments

110 moments from 6 previous departures
Altervan trip leaderSecure your seat with a depositEasy cancellation

Itinerary · day by day

First evening in Bogota, wet cobbles in La Candelaria01

16 January: Arrival in Bogotá

First evening in Bogota, wet cobbles in La Candelaria
We land in the capital after a long day in the air. Transfer to the hotel, first hellos within the group, sleep. From tomorrow, Colombia begins for real.
Bogota from Monserrate at dusk02

17 January: Bogotá from above

Bogota from Monserrate at dusk
We go up Monserrate hill and watch the city spread as far as the eye can see. Then down to La Candelaria, the old town with its painted houses, and Plaza Bolívar. Lunch and a slow afternoon in La Macarena. The first full day ends with the group already knowing each other's names.
The escalators and murals of Comuna 1303

18 January: Medellín

The escalators and murals of Comuna 13
Flight to the city that has changed more than any other in Latin America. First stop, Comuna 13: the murals, the escalators running through the barrio, the people who turned it around. It is not a video. You are inside it.
The ruins of La Catedral above Envigado04

19 January: Stories from the shadows

The ruins of La Catedral above Envigado
A visit to La Catedral, the prison Escobar built for himself. You hear the story from the side of the city that lived through it. In the evening, El Poblado: Medellín's nightlife is yours.
The El Penol rock with its staircase and the Guatape lake05

20 January: Guatapé, El Peñol and Villa Manuela

The El Penol rock with its staircase and the Guatape lake
Out of the city. A llama farm, local food, Escobar's Villa Manuela. We climb the El Peñol rock and from the top the lake looks painted. We finish with a stroll through Guatapé, the most colourful village you will ever see. Last night with tarmac under our feet.
Football with the kids in the tribal village06

21 January: Into the Amazon

Football with the kids in the tribal village
Flight south and straight from the airport into the boat. From here on, the road is the river. We reach an indigenous village and stay in traditional twin rooms, no luxuries, electricity for only a few hours. In the afternoon, if it happens, football on the village pitch with the kids. This is the day you understand why we call it backpacking.
Night walk in the jungle with head torches07

22 January: The lodge in the jungle

Night walk in the jungle with head torches
We move deeper, to an eco lodge inside the jungle, right on the Amazon. Settling in and first games with the little monkeys. When darkness falls, a night walk with torches: tarantulas, iguanas, snakes, and eyes glinting among the leaves. The jungle sounds different at night.
A sloth hanging from a branch, on the far bank08

23 January: The far bank

A sloth hanging from a branch, on the far bank
We take the boat to the far bank, which is already another country. We meet another tribe, look for sloths up in the trees and pass through areas where anacondas live. Back to the jungle for sunset, with the little monkeys in our arms.
A pink dolphin in the waters of the Amazon09

24 January: Pink dolphins

A pink dolphin in the waters of the Amazon
A day on the river. We explore the Amazon and its ecosystem by boat and look for the pink dolphins where they surface. A boat ride on a lake inside the jungle, with water that mirrors the trees. One of those days you do not take your phone out because there is no time.
The tri-border sign in the river town10

25 January: Back to the river town

The tri-border sign in the river town
We return to the town where we entered the Amazon. Hotel check-in, a proper bed, a proper shower. In the afternoon we walk to the neighbouring town on the other side of the border: one more country, on foot.
Clouds at sunrise from the plane window11

26 January: Return

Clouds at sunrise from the plane window
Flight to Bogotá and from there to Athens, with a stopover in Istanbul. Arrival in Athens on 27 January at 20:50. The daily plan may change for flexibility, always with the aim of doing every activity.

Gallery · Colombia

21 photos
Bogota from Monserrate at duskA lane roofed with colourful umbrellasComuna 13 from above, the houses on the Medellin hillsidePainted stairs with graffiti in Comuna 13Colourful Guatape, with a scooter on the cobblesThe painted houses of GuatapeThe El Penol rock with its staircase and the Guatape lakeA boat on the Amazon at sunsetThe Amazon and the village from aboveThe tribe inside the maloca, in the Amazon villageA man of the tribe in traditional dressThe group on the far bank of the Amazon, in another countryA sloth hanging from a branch, on the far bankA woman in a wooden canoe on the AmazonA woman washing clothes on a floating pier on the AmazonA child on the balcony of a wooden house in an Amazon villageA hammock at the jungle lodge, with monkeys on the railingA monkey on a pole above the riverA pink dolphin in the waters of the AmazonA canoe in a flooded forest, on a lake inside the jungleThe group with arms up in front of the jungle lodge

Answers to your questions

What luggage do I bring?

A comfortable backpack. Your ticket includes a 23 kg suitcase, but it is no use here: in the Amazon we move in small wooden boats with very little room. Bring the essentials. This trip is for people who know how to travel light.

I am coming solo. Who will I room with?

Most Altervan travellers come on their own and meet the crew on the trip. Rooms are twin, so if you come solo you share with someone from the group of the same gender. We sort out the pairing, or sometimes small groups form at the airport and you decide.

How do I book my seat?

For this trip, by phone: you fill in the interest form, we send you the details and we talk before you lock your seat. The seat is secured with a deposit of 800 € per person and you pay the rest in instalments, up to one month before departure.

What if I need to cancel?

Everything about cancellations is in our General Terms of Participation, section 5. If anything is not clear, ask us before you book.

What documents do I need?

A passport valid for at least 6 months after the return date. Before entering Colombia you also fill in the free Check-Mig form. We do it together, with our guidance.

Do I need a vaccine?

From time to time the Colombian authorities require the yellow fever vaccine to enter the country, especially if you have recently travelled to Africa or the Amazon region. For the part of the Amazon where we stay it is strongly recommended or required, and it must be done at least 10 days before entering the area. Ask the International Vaccination Centre or your doctor.

Is there an age limit?

All ages are welcome. If you are under 18, you come with a guardian.

Where do we sleep?

In Bogota, Medellin and the town where we enter the Amazon, in hotels with twin rooms. In the Amazon things change: we stay in wooden, traditional lodges inside the jungle, with the basics. Some rooms have a shared bathroom and the shower water comes straight from the river, because there is no water network. Monkeys roam freely around us and, as in any jungle, so do insects. Drinking water is available. If you are after comfort and luxury, the Amazon is not the place. If you love nature and a bit of “pleasant hardship”, you will love it.

How hard is it?

Demanding, 4 out of 5. It does not take special fitness, it takes the right attitude: early mornings, hours on the road and in the boat, heat and humidity in the jungle, basic comforts for four nights. It is a trip for real travellers.

What is not included in the price?

Your personal expenses and anything not explicitly listed under “Included” above. Whatever is on your mind, we talk it through together in the Viber group we set up before we leave.

What travellers say 5.0 · 316 Google reviews
€2,790/ person 15–27 JANUARY 2027 Deposit €900 / person
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