What is a fun travel itinerary through Colombia with kids. Colombia is a beautiful country in South America and the country is becoming increasingly popular among families with kids. Colombia has culture, beautiful beaches and fun children’s activities, making it a wonderful country to travel. In this blog we put together an itinerary through Colombia with kids for 2 weeks and give a lot of tips to extend this round trip further by several weeks.
Best travel time itinerary Colombia with kids
The best travel time to tour Colombia with kids is December through March and July through September. Then is the dry season in Colombia and you have the least chance of rain. Yet it’s not like you have rain all day in the other months of the year either. Often a few downpours fall at the end of the day and the rest of the day is sunny. You have to be a little lucky then with the weather.
Colombia is located around the equator, so it is warm year-round in most places in Colombia. In many destinations it is around 30 degrees all year round. The high season in Colombia is in the months of December, January, July and August. This is partly because of international vacations. Prices of accommodations then may be higher than the rest of the year.
Colombia and security
When we told that we were going to Colombia with our daughter, there were many people who expressed concerns regarding our safety. Of course, the country does not have the best reputation from the past. Still, the security situation has changed tremendously in recent years, making it fine to travel around Colombia with kids.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pay attention. Don’t just walk all over a city and don’t carry expensive items with you. You just have to pay attention and be well informed locally and then you can certainly explore this beautiful country with kids.
Transportation in Colombia
Colombia is a huge country and therefore the distances between destinations are great. There are luxury buses all over the country, but then you will quickly spend quite a few hours on the bus. Especially with kids, that may not be very ideal. You can therefore fly between certain destinations just fine, since you will naturally be on the ground much faster. Many destinations have airports and tickets are often not too expensive.
At the various destinations, we often used a cab. We bought a SIM card for the country at the airport and thus had coverage throughout the country. You have several apps that allow you to order a cab. We found this to be a cheap and safe way to explore a city.
We also took advantage of an organized tour several times and it was often very well arranged. You could arrange this very easily online and you can also see a lot of the area in a short time that way! In Medellin and Bogota, you can also make good use of the cable cars that transport people living on the mountains in the city.
Colombia travel itinerary with kids 2 weeks
Bogota
Most families with kids arrive at Bogota airport during a round-trip in Colombia. Bogota is the capital of Colombia and is located at an altitude of 2625 meters. Therefore, it is important to take it easy for the first few days. Especially with the altitude, there is a chance that if you start doing too much right away that the kids will suffer from altitude sickness.
Bogota has a nice historic center that you can visit with kids, and it’s also fun to take a ride on the cable car for a nice view of the city. In addition, you can also take a fun bike ride with the family in Bogota. You will then go out with a guide and explore the highlights of the city.
Bogota also has a fun science museum that you can visit with kids and you can spend a day in Colombia’s capital going to the amusement park. Therefore, you can perfectly well spend a day or 3 in Bogota with the family. If you want more information about the city read the blog Bogota with kids.
If you want to stay overnight in Bogota with the family, these are some great options.
Budget accommodation: Hotel WLH Silver Bogota – White Lighthouse
Mid-range accommodation: Hotel Rosales Plaza
Luxury Accommodation: Hotel 101 Park House
Also check out the entire list of all family-friendly accommodations in Bogota.
Medellin
From Bogota, you can then fly to Medellin. You fly to this cool city in an hour by plane. If you want to travel from Bogota to Medellin by bus, you will soon be more than 10 hours away. You could possibly take an overnight bus so the kids sleep on the bus, but obviously that’s not ideal.
Medellin was a very nice city for us as a family! For example, we went paragliding in town with our 9-year-old daughter. It’s a fantastic experience, with stunning views of the city from the air. You can do this activity with kids as young as 5 years old. You always fly down the mountain together with a guide.
We also thought the Comuna 13 tour was very cool! We did this with an organized tour and led by a guide. We took the cable car over the various neighborhoods and ended up taking a nice walk through the Comuna 13 neighborhood. This neighborhood is super colorful and very photogenic. The city is crowded with tourists, but we found it very cool to visit this neighborhood.
From Medellin, you can take a trip to the village of Guatape. You can do this in a day trip from Medellin or choose to stay overnight. We did this in a day trip from Medellin which was a long day for our daughter but perfectly doable. Guatape is a very colorful village and very photogenic.
Furthermore, in Medellin you can go to the zoo, a city park and take the cable car to park Arvi. You can stay in Medellin for 4 to 5 days with the family just fine. We wrote the blog Medellin with kids about this cool city, where we give more information about all the activities you can do here.
We slept at the Four Points by Sheraton Medellin during the six days we were in Medellin. Of course, there are plenty of other family-friendly accommodations as well. Also check out the entire list of family-friendly hotels in Medellin.
Cartagena
You can then spend the last week of your itinerary through Colombia with kids on the coast. You fly from Medellin to Cartagena in about an hour. Cartagena is located on the coast in Colombia and this city also has a nice center that you can visit. Besides the center, you also have a cool neighborhood here with lots of street art you can check out.
The city itself already has beaches you can visit with kids, but the most beautiful beaches are still in the Rosario Islands. You can get to these different islands from Cartagena just fine in a day trip. You can snorkel here and lie on the beach with the kids. In Cartagena you can stay with kids for about 3 days. If you want more information about this city, read the blog Cartagena with kids.
If you’re looking for family-friendly accommodation in Cartagena, these are good options.
Budget accommodation: Hotel Boutique High Park
Mid-range accommodation: Hotel Zi One Luxury
Luxury accommodation: Hotel Dann Cartagena
Also, check out the entire list of family-friendly accommodations in Cartagena.
Minca
From Cartagena, you can travel to Minca by bus or cab in about 4.5 hours. This is still doable with kids, of course. In Minca you are completely in the middle of nature and you have beautiful waterfalls here that you can visit with the family. Here you can take kids into the jungle and enjoy nature.
A 45-minute drive from Minca is also the Tayrona National Park. Here you can enjoy beautiful beaches with kids and you can also take beautiful walks through the jungle. It is one of the most beautiful parks in Colombia to visit. So in total, you can stay in Minca for 3-4 days with kids just fine.
If you are looking for an overnight stay in Minca with kids, these are great options.
Budget accommodation: Hotel Casa de Hadas
Mid-range accommodation: Loma Nevada Minca Hotel
Luxury accommodation: Mundo Nuevo Eco Lodge
Also, check out the entire list of family-friendly accommodations in Minca.
Colombia travel itinerary with kids 3 weeks or longer
You can then easily expand this itinerary through Colombia with kids by visiting the destinations listed below. See which destinations appeal to you as a family and add them to your tour of Colombia.
Salento
The place Salento can be a nice addition to your itinerary through Colombia with kids. The main reason for most tourists to visit this city is to visit Valle de Cocora. This beautiful nature reserve with many palm trees is a half-hour drive away from Salento. If you are in Salento with some older kids, you can also go mountain biking and ziplining here very nicely.
You can easily spend two to three days here entertaining yourself with the family. For more information about this destination, read the blog Salento with kids. Well-reviewed family-friendly options in Salento include the following:
Budget accommodation: Hotel Natura Cocora
Mid-range accommodation: Hotel Bambu Inn
Luxury Accommodation: Hotel Boutique Villa Isabel
Also check out the entire list of family-friendly accommodations in Salento.
Palomino
You can also extend your tour of Colombia with kids with a few days at the beach. Palomino is a laid-back beach town in northern Colombia. This beach town is only 2 hours from Minca by bus or cab, so is good to insert into your tour of Colombia. In addition to relaxing on the beach, you can go tubing with kids here. It is somewhat similar to a lazy river at a water park. For more information read our blog Palomino with kids.
If you are looking for accommodation in Palomino, these are good options:
Budget accommodation: Hostal Corazón de Tagua
Mid-range accommodation: La Rivera Playa Palomino
Luxury accommodation: Hotel Chiniu
Also, check out the entire list of family-friendly accommodations in Palomino.
