Essential Colombian Tour: Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena

This has been the best experience. We booked last minute because our plans had to change so didn’t really have time to plan the holiday in detail. Gran Columbia took care of everything. The hotels were great. Every transfer and pick-up was on time. All the guides were knowledgeable and friendly. We definitely would not have seen many of the things on the tour if we had tried to do this by ourselves. Highlights include the El Peñol rock, downtown Medellin and the Salt Cathedral. But there were no disappointing moments. We wanted to stay on in Cartagena longer to do some diving and Gran Colombia arranged additional transfers for us. Staff are very responsive: we got replies to our messages within minutes each time and kept checking in on us to see how things were going. Thoroughly recommend booking with Gran Colombia.

I want to start out by saying that the company did a great job and were always super responsive. With the amount of travel and coordination it took. I also want to thank them for their patience kn addressing all of my questions and inquired. Now comes the question of why they didn't get 5 stars. Our trip started a bit rocky when nobody met us at the airport and both the driver and the coordinator were not responding and after wasting about an hour at the airport we ended getting a taxi to get to a hotel. While we arrived Saturday night and were starting the tour I think it would have been better to switch Sunday and Monday tours and the reason is Sunday tour was a much longer one and felt harder to do after the travel day, as well as the Monday tour included museums that are closed on Mondays. The rest of the trip went smoothly and was almost perfect until the last tour before our departure. Not sure why the tour was outsourced to a different company. While it was stated that only the boat ride would be shared, the whole tour turned out to be shared and of course we spent 30 minutes waiting for someone at one of the stops and thus cutting our time at the beach. The trip to the aquarium turned to be a waste as it was all in Spanish and unlike previous guides this guide did not translate anything. To top it all off we had an extra stop at am additional island which was a complete disaster with a tiny rocky beach where you could not even get into the water and had absolutely nothing on the island.

Very well organized tour. There is always a guide picking you up and bringing you along the different tours. Traditional lunches are mostly included and there is bit of a flexibility in the choice. The pickups to and from the airports was well. The agency took care of the check ins. All in all it is a great tour to get to know 3 Colombian cities within a short timeframe and without having to plan much on your own.

When I was looking for information about tours in Colombia for 12 people, including young children, I stumbled across GCT. Without knowing anything about them, just what I read in the reviews, I risked making the trip with them... and it was a tremendous decision. The itinerary includes the most important/known points in each city and everything was very well organized. Yes you are in a bit of a hurry because it covers a lot in a few days, but being a private tour we never feel rushed. The guides were all excellent! All with very different personalities and styles, but all very attentive and pleasant. Even the drivers and other staff who assisted us were very friendly. The hotels were comfortable; the transport logistics -including Domestic Flights- were very clear and accurate. Well, in the end we were very happy and satisfied with the experience and quality of service of GCT and its entire team. And we recommend them 100%

I booked the 10-day Gran Colombia Tours tour from Uruguay that said it was a “magical experience” and it was! After having thoroughly enjoyed it, I can value the organization and care in the personalized attention to travelers, with precision in every detail. We were also able to capture the complexity of the agency's task and its multiple members and collaborators, to offer us a magical experience, as the tour says. The accommodations were of the expected and necessary quality, as was the transportation. The air sections were quality trips, punctual and well attended. The guides deserve special praise for their training and careful treatment. We would say the same for the transfer drivers and we highlight their punctuality, but their friendly and helpful treatment was also a constant. Of the experiences chosen for the tour, we were impressed and captivated. They enriched us and we enjoyed them a lot! They told us that we had to walk, and climb slopes and stairs. And sometimes we stopped for a break, but we were always cared for and contemplated. Sure, they have a great country! But the tour framed it for us! So from Montserrate, La candelaria, the squares and museums, to the rainy showers of Bogotá; as well as visits to the salt cathedral in Zipaquirá and the origin of the legend of El Dorado in La Laguna de Guatavita; the coffee axis, the hot springs of Santa Rosa de Cabal, and the city of Pereira itself; walks through Medellín with its picturesque neighborhoods and its public transportation so appropriate to the environment; the Piedra del Peñol and the magic of the Guatapé town; and finally the unforgettable Cartagena de Indias, its history and its beautiful beaches and islands, its mystique and its exoticism, everything was very enjoyable for us! Thank you so much!