Colombia Adults Only (Mini) Trip Report 2025

[DCPhotoGal]

I really appreciated the 2024 trip report from Colombia for my travel planning. I don’t think it’s necessary to do a whole separate report, but I thought I would add some tips from my experience based on an adults-only tour and some changes they have made since last year. I also thought I could provide some what-to-wear inspiration.

We started with a pre-day in Bogota like most of the other guests. Our flight arrived around midnight, so the pre-day was more of a necessity than a choice, and the “extra” time we had before the tour was the morning and early afternoon before the welcome dinner on Day One.

I appreciated the tip about the elevation for Bogota from the previous trip report, so I was armed with my elevation sickness meds and didn’t have any problems with the elevation. We had scheduled a street art tour, and it was actually very interesting to learn about both the art and the politics behind it. After our tour we visited the Botero Museum, which is free and definitely worth a quick walk-through if you find yourself nearby. For this day I wore a 3/4 length tee with jeans, and brought a rain jacket. For the welcome dinner I switched out the jeans for a skirt. We have a small group: only 15 people, and 2 hadn’t arrived by the time of the welcome dinner, so we only had 13. The hotel is located in a fancy section of town with some nice restaurants nearby, and we were there on a weekend so the streets outside were very lively.

 

[DCPhotoGal]

Day 2: Bogota.

This day was food-oriented, starting with the market where we learned about local fruits and got to taste some. We also got to make some arepas at the place where we had lunch (which was a traditional soup with chicken and potatoes). We also walked around the old part of the city for a while, learning a little about the history, and spent some time at the Gold Museum. It was also very interesting to learn about the history of the indigenous people from our guide. I enjoyed the gift shop, and bought a silk scarf there. For our dinner on our own most of our group went together to the Ceviche restaurant about a block from the hotel. They had more than just ceviche on the menu and it was a great choice for the group.

 

[Eastridge]

Thanks for doing this trip report!

 

[DCPhotoGal]

Day 3: Coffee Region

In the morning we flew from Bogota to the coffee region of Colombia. We flew on Avianca, and it was a packed flight, so we were in middle and window seats in the back of economy class. For those used to at least having an aisle or extra legroom seats this was a little crammed, but it was just a short 1-hour flight, so manageable.

Going from Bogota to Armenia (the airport in the coffee region) meant going to a lower elevation (I believe it was around 4800 feet vs. 8600). As a result it was a little warmer there, but very reasonable temperature-wise. I wore a 3/4 length sleeve cotton blouse with jeans for this day and I was happy with that choice.

We first headed to a coffee farm and learned how the farming is done the area. This was a really nice experience and we were the only visitors at the place, so it didn't feel touristy at all. The place itself was beautifully picturesque. After having some lunch we did a little taste and smell testing of coffee before walking around the farm a little and then there are a mug-painting activity to finish it off. I think the mug-painting is one of those activites that may be more fun on the family tours. But it went well with the coffee theme of the day.

The colorful hotel in the coffee region was is surprisingly empty, and we are told that international travel to this region is still rather rare and new, so they usually cater to domestic travelers. Apparently it fills up on weekends and holidays. It was a huge hotel with multiple buildings of rooms and a huge amount of activity options: a nature trail, a game room, fitness center, soccer field, a "mini" golf course, bikes you could borrow and ride, a little tree/playhouse for kids, several pools, including one just for kids, one just for adults, and one with a bar (but the pool bar wasn't open the days we were there). There was also a ton of tropical birds and we also spotted a guatín (a slightly smaller versoin of a capybara). Tip: if you like wearing hotel slippers, they hotel doesn't have them, so bring the ones from the hotel in Bogota along with you.

 

[DCPhotoGal]

Day 4: Coffee Region

This morning we drove to the Cocora Valley, which was the inspiration for the setting of Encanto. It is the home of the very tall wax palm trees. This was the most challenging hike of the trip, as it was a higher elevation, and involved hiking uphill for a little while. Some members of our group opted out of the more steep part of the walk and they were able to wait at the bottom where there were some shops and pleny of photo opportunities. I suggest comfortable shoes for this day, however since there are a lot of pretty photo ops, I was happy I went with a nicer top rather than traditional hiking clothes. The park had plenty of other visitors, but it wasn't over crowded by any means. It was great to see this new-ish tourist attraction working out for them. On the bus ride to the park our amazing local step-on guide Omar, told us the story of the conflicts in the region and about his own family's losses. It was amazing that only a decade ago that region would have been a very dangerous place to visit.

After the hike we had lunch at a great, colorful restaurant (warning: some of the fish is served with heads... if you don't like to see the eyes of what you eat you can ask for them to leave you fish's head in the kitchen). The coconut lemonade here was a great treat: a little like a virgin pina coloda. After lunch we planted some wax pines as part of the efforts to regrow their forests.

We visited the nearby town, which provided an opportunity for shopping, grabbing a coffee, or for those like my husband who really like hiking, there was a viewpoint up the hill as well. The group also went to the basement of a local gameroom and learn Tejo, a gunpowder-fueled game where players throw heavy metal discs (tejos) at small targets called "mechas" embedded in a clay-filled box, with the target area containing gunpowder that explodes upon impact. Originating from an indigenous ritual over 500 years ago, the game evolved with the addition of gunpowder and is often played with beer, making it a popular cultural activity and tourist attraction. Since we were an adult-only group, beer was included and encouraged with our activity. I picked a local soda since I don't love beer. After the town visit we rode the bus back to the hotel, where were had a little spare time before having an outdoor barbeque at the hotel, complete with live music.

 

[DCPhotoGal]

Day 5: travel to Cartagena

This was perhaps the most difficult day from a logistics standpoint. We left in the morning and headed to the Armenia airport for two flights to take us to Cartagena. Unfortunately even two short flights with a tight connection ate up most of the day with travel. Tip: if you have Priority Pass lounge access, but sure to bring your pass, since this is the only lounge available in Armenia airport. All the status in the world with Star Alliance wouldn't get us in, even though the flight was on Avianca. The coffee at the Armenia airport is super affordable though. My chai latte was only about $2.

From what we understood previous tours had left on a crazy-early direct flight which gave them more time in Cartagena, but it meant losing a lot of sleep that night. We got a reasonable amount of sleep and breakfast but lost most of the day with travel. Not sure what the better solution is... maybe a charter flight?

We arrived into Cartagena mid-afternoon, and had pretty quick turnaround after checking in at the hotel before heading out on our food tour. It was *so hot* in Cartegena compared to where we had been for the rest of the trip. I had chosen to wear a linen dress, and that worked well, albeit a little overdressed for the plane ride. Since lunch had been a rushed "grab something on our 20 minute layover" we were plenty hungry by the time of the food tour. We did some walking around the town outside, trying fruit, some sweets and coconut water while learning a little about the history and culture of the city, and then mercifully we moved inside for a while to sit and try some cooked appetizers. After the food tour we did a chocolate and rum tasting. Since it was an adult-only group we all were able to participate and this was a really on-point for our tour. I think we all appreciated it after the long day of travel and then walking around the city. The rest of the evening was technically on our own, but by that point we had snacked so much nobody really needed dinner, and it was rather later, so we just spent some time at the bar at our lovely hotel. The Sofitel that Disney selected was an old monestery and is stunning on the inside. It has a beautiful pool (which we sadly never got a chance to use since it closed at 7pm), and an inside courtyard in the old Spanish colonial tradition. Tip: there is an open air lounge of the 5th floor with a great view of the sunset over the ocean.

 

[sayhello]

Wow! It's such a colorful place! And I love a good food tour!

Sayhello

 

[DCPhotoGal]

Day 6: Proyecto Titi (the cotton top tamarinds)

This morning we got an early start and headed out of town to the Proyecto Titi site in search of cotton top tamarinds in their natural habitat. We saw the tamarinds, some howler monkeys, a juvenile toucan and some other wildlife while exploring the “tropical dry forest.” We also learned about the measures they are putting in place to try to preserve the titis’ habitat, and planted another tree to help develop the habitat (tree planting #2 of this trip). This day had been on our radar since we had packed since Disney is clear that "long sleeves and pants and long socks are required" and it was going to be hot and humid. However, it turned out to be the highlight of the tour, despite the idea of sweating in long sleeves I wore a tech-weight shirt and pants, as well as a thin neck gaitor I had from our Galapagos trip. We also were required to wear the supplied tall rubber boots since it downpoured while we were in the building getting ready to depart on our walk through the forest.

There is also an opportunity to buy some bags that were hand-crocheted by local men and women using recycled plastic bags and hand sewn monkey stuffed animals. The project creates work for locals and helps support the tamarind project. Don't sleep on buying stuff there, I think nobody regretted their purchase, and in fact later several people wished they had bought more as gifts. They really stressed during our presentation that part of the success of the project to save the tamarinds required buy-in from the local people, and a need for them to have ways to make money that also preserve the habitat. Lunch was a delightful avacado/mashed potato concoction made by local women that everyone agreed was one of the best meals on the tour. There was a school near where our bus parked where some children were waving and saying hi to all of us. I asked our Colombian guide if it would be appropriate to give the children a gift, and he went with me to talk with the teacher. I gave my Adventures By Disney ballcap that had been part of the swag sent before the trip to the little girl who had come over to wave. She posed for a photo with me and her new gift, and our guide was going to try to get the photo to her through the teacher.

After our drive back to Cartagena (of note: there was a strike on the road we were supposed to take, so we ended up taking a longer route which doubled our drive time in both directions, but this ended up being a bit of a blessing in disguise because if we had arrived on time we would have been in the forest when it downpoured instead of indoors and able to wait it out), we had the option to go on a tour of the fort and another part of the city. My husband opted to join the tour but myself and some of the other women wanted some time to explore the town on our own and get in some shopping (there are some nice upscale shops in Cartagena). We were all happy with our respective choices. Of note if you do shop in Colombia: many places offer tax free. Just ask before you start to check out. You will need at least a photo of your passport and the arrival stamp if you don't have it on you. Then they send an email with a code you can scan at a kiosk at your departure airport. It's super easy, even easier than the processes I've used in Europe. I put in my credit card info for the refund online before I departed and it save even more time. You get 12% back.

Dinner was on our own that night and about half the tour went to the Hard Rock Cafe. It wasn't the best food of the trip, but I did pick up a Shakira/Hard Rock Cartagena tee, which I was excited about.
The breakfasts always had such a wonderful selection of fresh fruit.


A cotton top tamarind, just taken with my iphone.


In the "dry forest"


Lunch at Proyecto Titi


On our afternoon shopping trip in Cartagena.


Sunset from the hotel

 

[DCPhotoGal]

Day 7: Snorkling

This was our final day in Colombia. We headed to Las Islas resort by bus for some snorkeling. When we arrived at the resort they first transported us a golf carts to the water, and then we got on a boat to go out to the island, and then to snorkling. Some folks opted to sit by the pool rather than snorkle. On the boat we were given a non-alcoholic welcome drink. The weather was perfect and the fish were so fun to watch. We continue to be amazed at how lovely Colombia is and how welcoming everyone is. Unlike so many other overtouristed places around the world, here they really want and need tourism as a way to provide opportunities beyond the drug trade.

After snorkling we had lunch at the resort. It was my husband's birthday so they gave him a special dessert and pin.

Back in Cartagena we had dinner at the TikTok famous Candé and then said our farewells to our Adventures by Disney group. Our group of 15 adults-only was a great size to travel with, and I know were were lucky since this tour usually runs with more people. For those curious what the make-up of adult only tours look like: were three recent empty-nest couples (with kids in college and beyond who were not on the trip but who had previously traveled on ABDs), one couple about the same age with no children, two adult sisters traveling together (one of whom who had been on over 20 ABD trips!), an adult brother-sister pair in their 30s traveling without their respective spouses, a single woman, and an older couple.


Leaving for snorkeling, this was taken outside of the hotel. I'm holding the black bag made of plastic bags I bought at Proyecto Titi the day before.


Lunch at Las Islas


Any itty bitty lizard at lunch


Boat ride through the mangroves.




Farewell dinner


Ceviche at the farewell dinner

 

[DCPhotoGal]

Day 8: Departure

We traveled out of Cartagena with two other pairs from our tour. Like the Armenia airport, the Cartagena airport only has a VIP lounge that take priority pass, so even with a business class ticket we just had to wait in the regular gate area. The airport is very small though, so it wasn't bad at all. I did the tax-free kiosk before heading into security and it took about 2 minutes. Disney takes you to the airport 3 hours early, which for the size of this airport is about 2 hours earlier than probably necessary. So we waited for a while outside of security where some folks had coffee and then headed into the gate area. There were some souvenir shops on either side, and I enjoyed the emerald shopping inside of security. Colombia is known for mining emeralds so they were everywhere there, but I trusted the official airport shop more than those on the streets. We decided to do a layover tour of Panama City on our way home, so after a short flight from Cartagena to Panama City, we met a guide who took us to the canal and through the old city before we headed back to the airport, and home later the same day. This was very doable, and several of the folks on the tour said they wished they had thought of doing the same. Mine was prompted by necessity (no good connections to DC) but turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

 

[DCPhotoGal]

Final thoughts:

-> This is one of the Adventures by Disney Tours that is inspired by a Disney movie (Encanto).
-> If you are worried about the effects of over-tourism or carbon footprints, this is a great tour to take. Colombia needs more tourism, unlike some of the more popular destinations, and it's a shorter plane ride than many more "exotic" locations.
-> Colombia is so happy to have American tourists. Real people stopped us on the streets and said "thank you for coming to our country." Disney adding a tour here was a huge positive step toward showing trust in their stability as a tourist location.
-> The people in Colombia are so proud of the political and social progress they have made since their 2016 peace agreement. This is *not* the country I heard about in my childhood that was weighed down by guerillas, drugs, and kidnapping.
-> There are so many fruits, birds, trees... the eco-diversity is just amazing. They are trying to use the model of Costa Rica to turn their beautiful natural resources into tourism dollars, so they can transform their economy and improve opportunities.
-> Not many people here speak English. Up until recently it was a rather "closed" country outside of Cartagena, which was a Caribbean port even when the rest of the country was unsafe. But even Cartagena has seen 10 times more cruise ship visits since after Covid. It's good to know a little basic Spanish while out on your own.
-> Cartagena is a very pretty city, but it was hot and there are currently a lot of panhandlers (Venezuelan refugees) there. It was a bit of a shock coming from the calm and cooler coffee country.
-> Colombian food is not spicy. We were surprised to learn this. Some places would have some extra sauce for those who asked.
-> As with most Disney tours they handled my shellfish allergy well.
-> Because it is so close to the equator the weather is the same in Colombia year-round, and it gets dark around 6pm year round as well. The temperature changes based on elevation, so be sure to plan your packing accordingly. It can rain everyday. We got very lucky that we were indoor during all of the rain spurts. We made it all week without getting wet or needing our raincaots. We did need sunscreen daily, but I also made it all week without a sunburn.

 

[DCPhotoGal]

Wow! It's such a colorful place! And I love a good food tour!

Sayhello

Yes, so colorful! And the fruit options everywhere were amazing.

 

[DianaMB333]

Final thoughts:

-> This is one of the Adventures by Disney Tours that is inspired by a Disney movie (Encanto).
-> If you are worried about the effects of over-tourism or carbon footprints, this is a great tour to take. Colombia needs more tourism, unlike some of the more popular destinations, and it's a shorter plane ride than many more "exotic" locations.
-> Colombia is so happy to have American tourists. Real people stopped us on the streets and said "thank you for coming to our country." Disney adding a tour here was a huge positive step toward showing trust in their stability as a tourist location.
-> The people in Colombia are so proud of the political and social progress they have made since their 2016 peace agreement. This is *not* the country I heard about in my childhood that was weighed down by guerillas, drugs, and kidnapping.
-> There are so many fruits, birds, trees... the eco-diversity is just amazing. They are trying to use the model of Costa Rica to turn their beautiful natural resources into tourism dollars, so they can transform their economy and improve opportunities.
-> Not many people here speak English. Up until recently it was a rather "closed" country outside of Cartagena, which was a Caribbean port even when the rest of the country was unsafe. But even Cartagena has seen 10 times more cruise ship visits since after Covid. It's good to know a little basic Spanish while out on your own.
-> Cartagena is a very pretty city, but it was hot and there are currently a lot of panhandlers (Venezuelan refugees) there. It was a bit of a shock coming from the calm and cooler coffee country.
-> Colombian food is not spicy. We were surprised to learn this. Some places would have some extra sauce for those who asked.
-> As with most Disney tours they handled my shellfish allergy well.
-> Because it is so close to the equator the weather is the same in Colombia year-round, and it gets dark around 6pm year round as well. The temperature changes based on elevation, so be sure to plan your packing accordingly. It can rain everyday. We got very lucky that we were indoor during all of the rain spurts. We made it all week without getting wet or needing our raincaots. We did need sunscreen daily, but I also made it all week without a sunburn.

Thanks for traveling and for sharing!

I’m from Colombia, and will forever be grateful to Disney to showcase our country with the rich family oriented culture, and biodiversity.

And yes, I also thank foreigners to “risk” going there, as we have such bad rap from the past. We still have a long way to go on infrastructure and poverty.

Thanks!

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

Thank you so much for doing the report. It sounds like a fantastic tour and great place to visit. I worry though about the low numbers ... hope some of the other tours were more full. I'd hate to see it disappear quickly.

 

[DCPhotoGal]

Thank you so much for doing the report. It sounds like a fantastic tour and great place to visit. I worry though about the low numbers ... hope some of the other tours were more full. I'd hate to see it disappear quickly.

Agree, I hope they can get more bookings! It’s one of the most affordable tours which is also nice. I was hoping adding this report will encourage more folks to book it. They did say the Christmas tour is fully booked.

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

Agree, I hope they can get more bookings! It’s one of the most affordable tours which is also nice. I was hoping adding this report will encourage more folks to book it. They did say the Christmas tour is fully booked.

I think reports definitely help. It has put this one on my radar if it sticks around And good to hear about Christmas!

 

[aggiedog]

Great trip report, thank you! The cylindrical potato/avocado food looks like something we had in Peru - same potato, layered, cylinder, frequently with crab or chicken in it. I forget what they called it, but yes, it was really good! Columbia looks beautiful, and as a child of the 80's-90's, I can't believe how far the country has come.