ALL-INCLUSIVE GUIDED TRIP
$4,350USD
Per Motorcycle
Trips are available anytime
Just let us know what fits your schedule and we'll be ready.
What's Included:
Our trips and rentals include reliable easy to ride motorcycles, all riding gear, beautiful hotels, and off-the-beaten-path locations for an authentic experience Colombian experience.
✓ Adventure Motorcycle
✓ Unlimited Mileage
✓ Accommodations in hotels
✓ All airport and hotel transfers
✓ Fuel and road tolls
✓ Protective gear including helmet, jacket, gloves, knee protection
✓ Rain Gear
✓ Cellphone holder
✓ Wireless / USB Charger
✓ Basic emergency medical insurance
✓ High-quality 50 liter dry bags
✓ Locking 50 liter top box
✓ Tire repair kit including electric air pump and tire tubes
✓ Luggage storage at our office
✓ 24 hour customer support for any needs or emergencies during the trip.
Not Included in Guided Trips:
❌ Lunch and Dinner
❌ Alcoholic Beverages
What to Expect:
Our routes are made for intermediate riders.
The mild off-road sections are simply unpaved roads where cars can easily drive.
Rides are at a relaxed pace and our guides are very patient with everyone.
We calculate 5 hours of actual driving time per day but with stops for pictures, breaks and lunch, each day is a full 8 hours of being out and about.
There is always plenty of time to explore the towns and have a nice relaxing meal after we arrive.
THREE BOOKING OPTIONS
① All-Inclusive Guided Tours
Our all-inclusive tours include a knowledgeable local guide / mechanic, fully prepped adventure motorcycle, motorcycle gear, prepaid and booked hotels. Single occupancy hotel rooms- your own private room each night at no extra charge.
② Motorcycle + Hotels
(aka Self-Guided + Hotels)
Our self-guided tours include a fully prepped adventure motorcycle, prepaid and booked hotels, motorcycle gear, detailed route map, and 24-hour customer support. Single occupancy hotel rooms- your own private room each night at no extra charge.
③ Motorcycle Rental Only
(aka Self-Guided)
Fully prepped adventure motorcycle rental. All motorcycle gear included as well as 24-hour customer support. Explore on your own or with a group of friends. Let us help you plan a great trip.
FEATURED IN
15 DAY / ULTIMATE COLOMBIA LOOP
Andes, Emeralds, Waterfalls, Jungle, Volcanos And A Hot Springs Resort. The Best Motorcycle Trip In South America!
TOTAL DISTANCE / 1468 km (912 mi)
RIDING CONDITIONS / 50% Paved / 50% Intermediate Off-Road
SKILL LEVEL / Intermediate
MAX ELEVATION / 4000 m (13,000 ft)
MIN ELEVATION / 400 m (1400 ft)
HIGHLIGHTS
Eastern Andes: The first part of the trip will take us to the Eastern Andes mountain range. This hidden gem of Colombia has remained largely off the typical tourist track.
Waterfalls: Snake for miles through a narrow canyon surrounded by steep rock walls on both sides. Visit a remote three-tiered waterfall that plummets 1000 ft. down a sheer cliff-face from a high mountain cave. Spend the day exploring the cave and swimming in the pools below the waterfall.
Emeralds: A visit to the world capital of emeralds. interact with local emerald miners. You can even buy emeralds directly from the miners in the field!
Central Andes: The second part of the trip will take us into Colombia's famous coffee region.
Volcanos: Drive into the Alpine Tundra and explore the Nevado Ruiz stratovolcano
Hand-feed Hummingbirds: A one of a kind experience
Paramo: Ride through alpine tundra. See rare 200 year old plants.
Wax Palm Forest: We will get to stay in small coffee farming villages, ride across an active volcano that is part of the national park system, and visit a wax palm forest and see the tallest palm trees in the world.
Hot Springs Resort: One of the hotels will be a hot springs resort with swimming pools that are heated by the nearby volcano. There are amazing views throughout the entire trip. You’re really going to enjoy it.
Spectacular Views: As always, enjoying all the twists and turns while riding through some of the most amazing scenery in the world.
RIDE DESCRIPTION
Overview - I put together an amazing route that you’re never going to forget. Explore waterfalls, mine for emeralds, take a boat ride through a jungle river, and relax at a hot springs resort.
We’ll ride through two Andes mountain ranges as well as the tropical Magdelena valley. 50% will be pavement with the other 50% being mild off-road between small villages.
Climbing out of warm tropical valleys at 28C into the high altitude tundra with temperatures of around 10C.
Not only are the trips adventurous, but they give us lots of time for unplanned stops to visit Colombian people along the way. This is easily one of the best motorcycle trips in South America.
Ride Time - The mountain roads of Colombia are known for their never-ending twists and turns. The total kilometers per day may seem small but given the winding roads are ascending or descending, our average speed can only be 40kph. On pavement, it will be a little bit more.
Once you include time for coffee and food, stopping for photographs, and the rough terrain, each day's ride will last a full 8 hours. Your group will be ready for a rest at the end of the day. This is easily one of the best Colombia motorcycle tours there is.
ROUTE MAPS & NOTES
DOWNLOADS
IS COLOMBIA SAFE?
The answer is a resounding YES. Colombia is exactly the opposite of what Netflix Narcos series portrays. People have to realize that Pablo Escobar was killed three decades ago. We've led hundreds of tours around the country and have never had any problems with security.
Anthony Bourdain summed it up perfectly:
"If you want to find bad people in Colombia, you can surely find them, as you could in New York or Los Angeles. But nowhere have my crew and I been treated better or with more kindness and generosity. I'd bring my family on vacation there in a heartbeat. And hope to soon. As I said before: Colombians are proud. Let them show you what they are proud of."
ITINERARY
Day 0 / Arrival in Medellin
Recommended Hotel:
Inntu Hotel Laureles
Courtesy airport pickup: Upon arrival at the José María Córdova International Airport, a driver will be waiting for you at the arrivals area holding a sign with your name and wearing a fluorescent shirt for easy identification. They will then take you directly to the Inntu Hotel in the Laureles neighborhood.
The Inntu Hotel is located in the trendy Laureles neighborhood of Medellin, a vibrant area known for its tree-lined streets, outdoor cafes, and eclectic mix of restaurants and bars. The hotel itself is a contemporary, eco-friendly property that offers guests a comfortable and stylish stay, with amenities such as a rooftop terrace with panoramic views of the city, a fitness center, and a restaurant serving organic cuisine. The neighborhood is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike, offering a lively and authentic Medellin experience with plenty of opportunities for exploring, shopping, and dining. Its central location also makes it an ideal base for visitors to explore other areas of the city, with easy access to major attractions.
Day 1 / Medellin to Landazuri or Cimitarra
Recommended Hotel:
Hotel Alkala
Recommended Hotel:
Hotel Carare Plaza
Leave Medellín we wind our way through the mountains outside of the city. The road is paved the entire way and features gentle sweeping curves that are easy to handle. This is an easy way to begin the trip and get used to driving in Colombia. Once we drop into the tropical Magdalena valley the terrain becomes flat for the next few hours. Towering in the distance we begin to close in on a totally new mountain range, the rugged Eastern Andes.
Here we begin to enter a tropical cloud forest where the temperature begins to cool off and is a welcome change compared to earlier in the day. Spending the night in the small town of Cimitarra or Landázuri we can grab a bite to eat in the town square and prepare for the next day's ride.
Day 2 / Landazuri to Florian
Recommended Hotel:
Hotel Guaymaral
Florian is home to the Windows of Tisquizoque, a remote and rarely visited three-tiered waterfall that plummets from a mountain cave with fantastic views over the countryside.
Sealed off for decades due to its remote location and past guerrilla activity Florián is a town that hasn't yet been developed for tourism. Florián still feels new and authentic and you’ll be glad you visited before it becomes spoiled by mass tourism. Visiting the town square, talking to the locals, and eating home-cooked meals made by the restaurant owners give us a unique insight into small-town life in Colombia.
We’ll finish our journey on a road that snakes through a narrow canyon. Surrounded by steep rock walls on both sides we follow a winding river for miles before reaching our final destination, the town of Florián. The entire ride takes around five hours although stopping for photographs, coffee and food will turn it into an all-day ride.
Day 3 / Florian to Muzo
Recommended Hotel:
Hotel El Cristal
Today we visit the emerald miners. In the 1980s drug dealers fought the country's leading emerald mining families for rights to the emeralds. The mine owners fought back, turning Muzo into the most dangerous place in Colombia, and by the end of the decade, more than 6,000 people had been killed. Inevitably - as is often the case in Colombia - many of them were civilians caught up in the gun battles between rival paramilitary forces.
Now Muzo is a peaceful and beautiful place where we will be able to watch informal emerald miners known as guaqueros scour the river beds along the Itoco river in the Muzo valley in search of the precious stones. This is a great opportunity for documentary photography as well as a chance to speak with emerald miners about life in the mining camps and surrounding areas.
Day 4 / Muzo to Honda
Recommended Hotel:
Hotel Boutique Posada Las Trampas
Today is an amazing day of off-road riding as we cut through the middle of the Eastern Andes Mountain range. We ride through the jungle on remote off-road tracks visiting isolated and rarely visited towns. The ride is truly breathtaking and takes us through spectacular cloud forest landscapes with panoramic vistas from the ridges of the mountains. We end the day in the tropical Magdelena river valley.
Day 5 / Honda to Norcasia
Recommended Restaurant:
Entre Montanas y Rios Agencia
Recommended Activities:
Avocado Queens -
Mujeres Emprendedoras
Overnight Parking:
Norcasia Parking
Gas Station:
Narcasia Gas Station
Taxi Driver:
Arley +57 314 6905067
Back into the mountains. Today we cross the Magdalena River valley and head back into Colombia's Central Andes mountain range.
We leave from Norcasia in the morning and take a drive to a beautiful hotel located at the Embalse Amaní. Spend a night at an ecolodge with a beautiful view of the lake. Recharge their batteries and regain strength far from any civilization.
The Campo Alegre hotel is only accessible by boat
Instructions to arrive at Campo Alegre Hotel
-
Park the bike in the recommended parking lot.
-
Call a taxi driver and have them take you to the port.
-
A small boat will be there at the designated time to take you to the hotel
Leave early from Sonson. The latest you can arrive in Norcasia is 4pm. There is not boat service after 4pm. We recommend that you wake up early and leave Sonson early to make it to Norcasia on time.
In the morning we ride to a lookout point that stands at over 10,00ft in elevation and has a beautiful view into the Magdalena river valley before winding down into the rural coffee town of Narinó where we can have lunch and drink coffee with coffee farmers in the towns main square as well as visit a local coffee co-op.
The jungle ecolodge is a great experience. There is only one way to get to the ecolodge: by boat. And let me tell you something, it's awesome! They pick you up at the docks and then you get to enjoy 20 minutes of beautiful landscape, the reservoir and the dam. When you arrive at the foot of the hill where the hotel is located at, be sure to "suffer" a little by climbing up a 350 meter trail to the hotel.
Day 6 / Rest Day in Norcasia
Spend a full day relaxing at the pool, taking a boat ride on the lake, and exploring waterfalls and taking. There is also a beautiful natural pool located at the hotel that is great for swimming.
Day 7 / Norcasia to Pensilvania
Recommended Hotel:
Colina Plaza
Overnight Parking:
Pensilvania Parking
Instead of heading directly to Salamina today, we will drive from into the jungle. From there, we take the backroads across the mountains to the isolated villages located in the department of Caldas. One of the most beautiful roads I've ever seen!
Day 8 / Pensilvania to Salamina
Recommended Hotel:
Salamina Highs
Overnight Parking:
Salamina Parking
Salamina is Colombia's best-kept secret. Tucked away in a far-off corner of the coffee region, the beauty of Salamina is a sight to behold. The town itself is situated on the peak of a mountain, with entire streets sometimes appearing as if they are about to slide off the side of the mountain. Once we enter the town, we see why it has earned national heritage status. Houses climb the sloping streets with each one seeming determined to outdo its neighbors. Elaborate woodworking takes the form of intricately decorated doors, windows, balconies, and zócalos (the distinct lower sections of the whitewashed facades). It's hard to walk the streets of Salamina without constantly looking upward at the flower-filled balconies.
Day 9 / Local Exploration - San Felix Wax Palm Forest
Today we take a trip over to the hamlet of San Felix and the nearby Samaria Valley. Here, growing on the slopes of lush green mountains, we find the national tree of Colombia, the Quindío Wax Palm. The wax palm is the tallest palm in the world, reaching heights of over four stories. Not only are the palms themselves beautiful, but they are home to green and yellow parrots, which can be seen flying overhead. The views across the valley are picture-perfect, and once you arrive, feel like you have somehow discovered a special place that hardly any other foreigner has set eyes upon.
The ride to the valley is as spectacular as the destination itself. The road out of Salamina takes us across a ridge with yet again, spectacular views of the town and the surrounding cloud forests with fog spilling over the treetops. The road is almost completely paved and makes for some easy riding before arriving in the small town of San Felix. San Felix is a pretty quiet place, and we won't see much activity other than the occasional local farmer wandering around the plaza dressed in his poncho and cowboy hat. This area is still relatively undiscovered, and it wouldn't be surprising if we were the only foreigners in town. Heading from San Felix to the wax palm forest, the road becomes unpaved but well maintained with hard-packed gravel. The ride to the palm forest is only 15 minutes and takes us through tropical forest and farmland with cows and horses dotting the lush green hillsides.
The wax palms of the Samaria Valley isn't the only sight to see. The surrounding area is filled with isolated off-road tracks that are perfect for riders wanting to explore more of the area. Visiting isolated towns such as Marulanda and Manzanares make great day trips if you wake up early. Continuing the drive south from Manzanares to the Nevado del Ruiz volcano is a great trip. Better yet, it keeps us out of the city traffic in Manizales. The ride is truly breathtaking and takes us through spectacular cloud forest landscapes with rolling fog spilling over the treetops.
Day 10 / Salamina to Manizales
Recommended Restaurants:
El Ocho
Recommended Activities:
Nevado Ruiz
Termales el Sifon
Cascada del Rio Asufrado
Laguna Negra
Valle de Frailejon
Leaving Salamina we ride to the beautiful Termales del Otoño hotel located at the base of the Nevado Ruiz Volcano in Manizales. The hotel features a spa, restaurant, and 3 thermal pools heated by the nearby volcano. The water of the pools comes from a depth of almost 2,000 meters, and when it reaches the surface it can reach a temperature between 50 ° C and 68 ° C. The perfect place to relax after a week of riding.
Day 11 / Local Exploration - Termales del Otoño
Recommended Hotel:
Termales Del Otoño
Spend the day relaxing in the hot springs of the hotel. The water of the pools comes from a depth of almost 2,000 meters, and when it reaches the surface it can reach a temperature between 50 ° C and 68 ° C. The perfect place to relax after a week of riding.
If you would like to go for a ride the famous Nevado Ruiz volcano is located nearby. Rides around the Nevado del Ruiz are often touted as “The best rides in Colombia.” You’ll ride up through the clouds until arriving in a high-altitude tundra known as Paramo. Sitting at 13,000ft you will be surrounded by ancient plants that look a lot like cactus. Called frailejones these plants are actually related to sunflowers and are over 150 years old. Although you are at a high altitude the temperatures aren’t freezing and the cool air feels more like a sunny day in the Swiss Alps than sitting on a stratovolcano on the equator.
Day 12 / Termales del Otoño to Jardin
Recommended Restaurants:
Mambru Jardin
Tacos del Mundo
Cafe Macanas
La Mayoria del Suroeste
Bon Appetit
Overnight Parking:
Jardin Parking
Recommended Activities:
La Garucha
Cueva de Murceligos
Reserva Natural Jardin de Rocas
Tour Cafetera: Cafe Historias
Jardin is the perfect place to finish a great trip. Leaving Nevado de Ruiz, we make our way down from the paramo and through the jungle until we reach the city of Manizales. Here we cross the city in about 30 minutes before we climb back up into the mountains towards the town of Riosucio. After reaching Riosucio the trail switches from pavement to unpaved gravel. We stay on the unpaved trail, winding our way through the forest until we reach the town of Jardin.
Revered for its brightly-colored houses and quaint mountainside location, Jardin is often dubbed ‘the most beautiful town in all of Colombia’ and acts as the poster-child for the culturally-enriched Antioquia region.
In Spring, when the town’s floral decorations are in full bloom, Jardin is an explosion of colors (and tourists), and local cafes do a great job of reflecting the vibrant essence of the city with their rainbow-colored outdoor seating. The town looks tailor-made for postcards. In town, you can simply stroll the little colonial streets, admire the stunning architecture, and watch as cowboys come into town in the evening with their trained horses. The center of town is compact and easily explored on foot.
A great way to get a bird’s eye view of the town is by cable-car. La Garucha is a home built metal lattice cable car that pulls you across a valley while suspended hundreds of meters in the air. The views of the city, mountains, and valley below are incredible, and there is a restaurant located on the other side.
Visiting the Parque Natural Jardín de Rocas is a must-do trip for birdwatchers. You can see the shockingly bright orange and black Gallo de Roca Andino also known as the Andean Cock-Of-The-Rock. Located at what is known as a lek, we can see courtship displays with males trying to impress the females. The best time to go is in the early morning and just before dusk. You can get within feet of the birds as they socialize to start and end their days.
A hidden highlight of Jardin is found just outside the town, though: a magnificent spot called the Cave of Splendor (La Cueva del Esplendor). The best way to see this splendor is on a 12-mile hike, which is hard work but rewarding - you’ll come face to face with a spectacular cave with a waterfall cascading right through its roof. You can enjoy a refreshing swim here, so pack your swimmers. The cave is on private property, and there’s a small charge to enter.
Day 13 / Jardin to Sonson
Overnight Parking:
Sonson Parking
The ride to Sonson is great. One of the best things about this ride is the miles and miles of exciting twists and turns. Ups, downs, ascending curves, descending curves, increasing radius curves, decreasing radius curves. You’re going to get a ton of riding experience on just this one road. The pavement here is in good shape and as is the case in lots of areas in the countryside, there is very little traffic.
Day 14 / Sonson to Medellin
Recommended Hotel:
Inntu Hotel
The ride back to Medellín takes around 3 hours on a paved road and is fairly uneventful if there isn't any traffic. As you get closer to Medellin you will notice that the traffic begins to get heavier. Highway congestion from busses and people returning to Medellín can make the highway more challenging. The last leg of the trip dropping into Medellín's valley is a bit steeper so be sure to watch your speed and increase your following distance.
Recommended Hotel:
The Click Clack Hotel
Optional 1 Day Extension / Guatape
Recommended Hotel:
Hotel Mansion Guatape
Pretty much all the towns in Colombia are beautiful and this one is no exception. The only difference is that here you can visit the famous Piedra del Peñol. This high granite monolith (technically an inselberg) rises from near the edge of the Embalse Guatapé. A brick staircase of 659 steps rises up through a broad fissure in the side of the rock. From the top, there are magnificent views of the region, the fingers of the lake sprawling amid a vast expanse of green mountains.
After coming down from the rock we'll sit down at a restaurant with a view of the lake and order up a huge bandeja paisa complete with beans, rice, chorizo, and avocado, and of course a cold beer or guanabana juice.
