Colombia · 1-DAY TOURS
The 15 best 1-day tours you can book today, with what each costs, how long it runs and who it suits. Number one is top for a reason, so start there.
See Guatapé’s colorful streets, climb Peñol Rock, cruise to Hacienda La Manuela, and add ATV or jet ski fun on a full-day trip from Medellín.
“We had a great day with Cesar and Alex, they were very kind, told us a lot and it was a day full of activities.”
Explore Minca from Santa Marta with coffee, cocoa, waterfalls, lunch, jungle hikes, bilingual guides, and a refreshing river swim.
“Well worth it. Our guide was informative and did a great job. A lot of walking, some steep inclines and declines but worth it. Met some nice fellow travelers.”
Explore Colombia’s Tatacoa Desert from Neiva with desert hikes, Villavieja, a Magdalena River boat ride, lunch, sunset, and stargazing.
“Amazing ! Natan is an excellent guide and I had one of my best day in Colombia in the desert !”
Review of a private Cartagena day trip to Barú, Rosario Islands, mangroves, snorkeling, local meals, beaches, and village life.
“The trip is a delightful way to experience both the country outside of Cartagena and the Rosario islands. Be warned you have some lovely time on the beach and in the water snorkeling but it is not nearly enough! Our guide was extremely knowledgeable about the local wildlife (including fish), history of the area, and flexible to what we want. We ate local meals in a local home and had a place to wash off afterwards. Conditions at the home that serves as a base are primitive but authentic and sanitary. Great communication to make sure our questions were answered before the trip.”
Review of Cartagena’s $26 Barú day trip, with Playa Tranquila, lunch, transport, extra costs, beach conditions, and practical booking advice.
“Tudo aconteceu como descrito no anúncio. Porém não tem muita comunicação, não falam qual bar/barraca vc vai poderá ficar, ficamos na primeira que não tinha uma vista bonita e estava cheia de motos aquáticas e barco em frente, perguntamos se podíamos mudar mais lá pro final e mudamos. A comida estava muito boa, tinham 3 opções, escolhermos peixe e frango e estava bom. A aqua da praia onde nos deixam não é tão azul como nas fotos, o lado esquerdo perto dos hotéis tem águas mais claras e pode ir tirar fotos, de resto foi tudo dentro do previsto e pelo preço valeu a pena”
Review of Cartagena’s Playa Blanca day trip, with beach time, local lunch, transport details, costs, crowds, and practical tips.
“Our tour guide was amazing! He went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable. He even helped us confirm and locate our pick up point for a different excursion that we planned for the following day with another company! Definitely recommend going!”
Review of Medellín’s Dream Hammocks tour, with Colombia’s longest zipline, El Salto del Buey waterfall, hiking, and private transfers.
“Santiago was an amazing guide and we had such an amazing day”
Review of Medellín’s private Jardín coffee tour, with mountain roads, farm tastings, lunch, cable-car views, and practical advice on value.
“I recommend the place to visit but NEVER try with Viator. Tourist guide have never been in that place, he did not know anithing about the coffe process, the transport was the worst, unsafe and unconfortable.”
Climb El Peñol, cruise Guatapé Reservoir, and explore colorful Guatapé on an 11-hour Medellín day trip with meals and transport.
See Bogotá’s Monserrate, La Candelaria, Gold Museum, and local market in a private five-hour tour with hotel pickup.
“Diego was a fantastic guide, and I really enjoyed my few hours with him. His English is fluent and he is knowledgeable about all matters Colombian: art; history; politics; architecture; wildlife etc. I cannot recommend Diego enough, and on my next trip to Bogotá will definitely look him up for another tour.”
Review of a private Rosario Islands boat trip from Cartagena, with snorkeling, Barú beaches, family tips, costs, and practical drawbacks.
“This tour advertises that snorkel gear is provided. Once we were on the boat, our guide, Isabella, asked what we would like to do. We had already communicated ahead of time when booking that we wanted to snorkel and explore relaxed beaches and areas of the islands away from the party scene. The ad for the experience listed snorkel gear as being included. When we asked about snorkeling, Isabella informed us that there wasn’t any on the boat. Then they found this guy selling random drinks on a floating kayak and borrowed three Ill-fitting, dirty masks and one snorkel (for four people reservation), and no flippers were available at all.…”
Raft Class III and IV rapids on a private Rio Verde day trip from Medellín, with jungle views, breakfast, lunch, and expert guides.
“Stephen was our raft guide and he was great thank you so much! Epic day and very long, but totally worth it. AmaoNg views and great whitewater.”
Review of Cartagena’s Playa Blanca scuba trip, with reef time, lunch, transport details, costs, and practical advice before booking.
“I asked for a guide in English, but had someone who only spoke Spanish. What was good was that the bus came to the hotel. An hour late, without letting me know or responding to a message. Furthermore, I got the entire explanation in Spanish. The guide did not know that I was registered for scuba diving. I had to find out for myself. Diving was very good, only the description said one hour of diving and this was only 20 minutes. Even after that I had to figure out where I had to go myself, the guide, Mary, was nowhere to be seen and did not respond to whatsapp…”
Explore Jardín, Andes, and Hispania from Medellín with coffee, local food, mountain views, and a long but rewarding day in Antioquia.
“Wonderful! Lovely scenery and great entertainment. Beautiful villages and towns. Roads there and back were not in great condition but it was worth the trip. We took extra activity in local bus called Chiva (it can be in jeep, tuk-tuk or on a horse) and had wonderful time going in and around Jardin. It may not be for individuals or couples due to cost but well worth it if in a larger group. Thanks to Jhon the guide and Leo the driver and also Juan the Chiva driver for lovely experience.”
Tour a Colombian coffee farm from Medellin, taste fresh mountain coffee, explore Jardin, and ride a cable car to a mountaintop lunch.
“The worst experience we had in Colombia! A three hour drive to get to a coffee plantation ( ok scenery was good ) they said the tour would be bilingual, it was all in spanish, we were struggling to follow the tour… by the end of the tour we had to return ( thank God for our nice driver Ivan 🙏if it wasnt for him we would still be there) never saw Jardin and didnt have time for lunch! An absolute disaster… dont fall in this trap! Its absolutely impossible to make this trip in a day… we were never even informed the drive was 3 hours there and three…”
Pick a coastline, a valley or a coffee slope.
