15-DAY TRIPLE ANDES EXPEDITION

15-Day Triple Andes Expedition

Day-by-Day Itinerary

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Day 1 — Medellín → Cimitarra

Leave the cool mountains of Antioquia and descend the twisting switchbacks toward the Magdalena River Valley. Pavement all the way, warm tropical air, and a smooth start to your expedition.

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Day 2 — Cimitarra → Bucaramanga

Ride north along the river plains, then climb into the Eastern Andes (Cordillera Oriental). Bucaramanga—the City of Parks—sits on a plateau with sweeping views of the Chicamocha Canyon, one of Colombia’s deepest. Evening temperatures are fresh after a day in the lowlands.

 

Day 3 — Bucaramanga → San Gil

Follow the old highway across the rim of the Chicamocha Canyon—Colombia’s Grand Canyon. Expect tight curves, desert micro-climates, and spectacular vistas. San Gil is Colombia’s adventure capital, famous for rafting the Río Suárez and paragliding over the canyon.

 

 Day 4 — San Gil → Soatá

Head south into remote Boyacá Department, crossing fertile farmland and dry mountain ridges where time seems frozen. Soatá rests between cactus-covered valleys and cool high-altitude plateaus—classic Eastern-Andes scenery rarely visited by tourists.

 

Day 5 — Soatá → Guican

Ride narrow Andean dirt tracks toward the high páramo zone near El Cocuy National Park. Your destination, a view of the high altitude and rare tropical Ritacuba Blanco Glacier (5,410 m)—one of Colombia’s last year-round ice peaks. Cold nights; Cold Showers; bring thermals.

 

Day 6 — Guican → Duitama

Descend from the cold páramo and glacier views into the broad highlands of Boyacá. The ride trades rough mountain tracks for flowing curves and open valleys, passing potato fields, dairy farms, and classic Andean villages. Duitama marks a return to comfort and a well-earned rest after Colombia’s highest riding.

 

Day 7 — Duitama → Tunja

Ride south across the high plateau of Boyacá, passing through open farmland, small Andean villages, and rolling green hills dotted with potato and onion fields. The cool, steady climate and flowing mountain roads make for a relaxed day of riding before arriving in Tunja, one of Colombia’s oldest colonial cities, known for its historic architecture, churches, and quiet plazas.

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Day 8 — Tunja → Muzo

Ride to Muzo, the world’s emerald-mining capital. Locals have mined here since pre-Columbian times, and dealers still trade gems in the plaza.

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Day 9 — Muzo

​Spend the day exploring Colombia’s legendary emerald region with a guided visit to a working emerald mine. Learn how the stones are extracted, sorted, and traded, and see firsthand the rugged conditions that produce some of the world’s finest gems. In the afternoon, return to town to browse the local plaza, where dealers still buy and sell emeralds in the open air.

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Day 10 — Muzo - La Dorada 

Leave the emerald mountains behind on a rugged off-road & paved descent toward the Magdalena River Valley.​

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Day 11 — La Dorada → Pensilvania

Cross back into the Central Cordillera, climbing from steamy jungle to cool coffee country. Pensilvania’s hilltop setting delivers endless switchbacks, colonial balconies, and genuine Antioquian hospitality. Altitude change: ~200 m → 2,200 m.
 

Day 12— Pensilvania → Salamina

Ride the historic wool route along high ridgelines with sweeping valley views and long stretches of off-road tracks lined with tall eucalyptus trees. Stop near San Félix to walk among one of the region’s most impressive wax palm forests before continuing on a paved road to Salamina. Arrive in the heritage town of Salamina, where the central plaza is anchored by its famous bronze French fountain and surrounded by beautifully preserved colonial architecture.

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 Day 13 — Salamina → Jardín

Descend through coffee-clad slopes, crossing the old Pan-American Highway and entering Jardín, famous for its painted balconies and the neo-Gothic Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. Evenings fill with locals drinking coffee on the plaza.

 

Day 14 — Jardín → Urrao

An adventurous off-road stage through cloud forests and high ridgelines toward Urrao, hometown of Tour de France cyclist Rigoberto Urán. Surrounding farms produce high-altitude specialty coffee and offer access to the Páramo de Frontino Reserve.

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Day 15 — Urrao → Medellín

Climb over the Western Andes via remote rural roads before descending into the Aburrá Valley. Panoramic views of Medellín signal the end of your expedition—fifteen days, three cordilleras, and the full geological story of Colombia on two wheels. Celebrate with a hot shower and a cold cerveza.

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