DAY 1: Depart from Atlanta to Cartagena - Arrival in the early afternoon
- 12:25 PM Arrive in Cartagena Flight AA 1145 from Miami
- 01:30 PM Transfer to hotel (estimated time). During the transfer to the hotel each traveller will receive two red roses.
- 02:00 PM Check in at the hotel (estimated time). Please be aware that check-in time at the hotel is 3 p.m. Depending on the hotel`s occupancy, the rooms may not be ready before 3 p.m.
Note: For dinner, we will have the menus ready for travellers to what they wish to eat, so the restaurant has the dishes ready
- 07:00 PM Meeting at lobby for departure
- 08:00 PM Welcome dinner at Montesacro. including main course and dessert + 1 soft drink, water and one glass of wine
- 10:30 Transfer to the hotel
- 11:00 Arrive at the hotel
- Meal: Dinner
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DAY 2: City Tour and Jewelry Class
- 8:30 AM Meeting at lobby for departure
- 9:00 AM City tour Part 1: This morning, accompanied by a professional guide, enjoy a panoramic view of the city, sea and the pier area as you make your way to the San Felipe castle-fortress built on San Lazaro Hill, the largest in South America, to defend the city from pirate attacks. Return to the wall city and meet with Palenqueras a symbol of Cartagena, women form the town San Basilio de Palenque, who will offer you delicious fresh fruit to refresh your palate.
- 10:15 AM Transfer to the jewellery workshop in Bocagrande
- 10:30 AM Jewellery workshop and then visit to emerald museum
- 1:00 PM The group has the option to return to the hotel and free time to have lunch
- 3:00 PM Meeting at lobby for departure
- 3:30 PM City tour Part 2: The group will be divided in two and will continue the visit through the walled city in a circuit.
- At the Walled City, walk through the multicolored houses and buildings of the Old City of Cartagena. Visit San Pedro Claver Sanctuary and Church built in the mid-17th century. Proceed to the city`s colonial district beginning at Bolivar Park shaded by large trees and a statue of the great Emancipator in the middle.
- The visit continues with the Historical museum, formerly known as the Inquisition Palace, built in the XVIII century, it is a place to learn about the fascinating history of Cartagena and its struggles for freedom.
- Pass by the house of the famous Nobel Prize Laureate novelist, Gabo Gabriel Garcia Márquez and stop at a local restaurant to taste typical fried snacks and a refreshing coconut lemonade. Visit the Portal de los Dulces (Sweets Portal) and take home a box of assorted typical candies.
- Workshop to learn how to make cocktails..
- After the tour, the group has the option to return to the hotel and enjoy an evening at leisure
- Stop 1 - Cocktails Workshop (40 min)
- Stop 2 - San Pedro Claver (40 min)
- Stop 3 - Historical Museum (40 min)
- Stop 4 - Fried snacks and Sweets Portal (30 min)
- Overnight: Hotel Hyatt Regency Cartagena
- Meal: Breakfast
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DAY 3: Flavors and Rhythms of Cartagena
- 08:00 AM Meeting at lobby for departure
- 08:30 AM Graffiti tour: This walking tour focuses on the history, politics, and culture of Getsemaní and the greater Cartagena/Colombia whilst exploring the incredible murals and street art of the neighborhood. Learn about the artists and the messages behind the art of their impressive murals and walls that talk, sharing commentary on social issues.
- After the tour, the group will enjoy an exotic fruit drink at a local place.
- 10:00 AM Morning classes: The group will be divided in two to attend both classes
- Salsa Class: Enjoy a private salsa class at a Latin dance school, learn basic steps and learn to carry the rhythm in your heart and feet, gain the confidence to show of your new dance skills in public. Experience and enjoy one of the best and most famous hallmarks of Colombia, a real expression of the typical culture and of the local people. The movements and music of salsa are ubiquitous throughout the country and without embracing it you`re missing out on one of Colombia`s biggest passions and a slice of culture that will bring you much closer to locals.
- 11:30 AM Cooking class: In this hour class you will learn how to prepare a staple of Cartagena`s cuisine, the ceviche cartagenero with fresh fish and all the flavors and spices of the Caribbean, together with a mojito cocktail with or without alcohol.
- After the lessons, the group has the option to return to the hotel and enjoy an afternoon of leisure
- 06:00 PM Meet at the lobby for departure. Transfer to the restaurant in a chiva rumbera. You will enjoy 1-hour sightseeing tour in the Chiva and then from one of the entrances to the walled city you will walk to the restaurant
- 7:30 PM Dinner at restaurant Da Pietro including main course and dessert + 1 soft drink and water
- Overnight: Hotel Hyatt Regency Cartagena
- Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
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DAY 4: Full Day Excursion to Isla del Encanto with Lunch
- 08:00 AM Meeting at lobby for departure to Pier
- 09:00 AM Full day at Isla del Encanto : Part of the Rosario Islands archipelago and located next to the Rosario National Park at approximately 40 minutes from Cartagena`s bay, Isla del Encanto is a place blessed with clear turquoise waters with multicolored mangroves and dreamlike landscapes. The island has a colonial Caribbean house, where you can spend a relaxing day, and taste a tropical buffet lunch on the beach. After a refreshing swim in the pristine waters, relax in the shade of a palm tree. Perhaps, choose to rent equipment for snorkeling, in the beautiful barrier reefs, full of colorful marine life and gorgeous soft and hard corals. In the late afternoon, return to your hotel and enjoy an afternoon and evening at leisure.
- Please note that it takes one hour to get to the Rosario islands by boat.
- Overnight: Hotel Hyatt Regency Cartagena
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
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DAY 5: Full Day Cartagena Tour
- 08:00 AM Meeting at the lobby for departure to La Boquilla
- After breakfast enjoy a tour of the Mangrove Swamps of La Boquilla, a fishing village located twenty minutes north of Cartagena. Take a ride on an original wooden canoe that glides through the dense growth of mangroves, providing a close-up view of this rich and diverse ecosystem you will observe different birds. Your guide will provide facts about the surroundings and talk about the flora and fauna that you will encounter.
- 12:30 PM Cartagena boasts an extraordinary culinary heritage, influenced by an exotic mix of African, Middle Eastern, Spanish, and other European customs and flavors, creating a rich and exuberant cuisine. Arrive at a La Boquilla Village to meet a local family and savor a homecooked meal. Taste a menu that highlights a variety of Creole dishes, served with beer. As an added treat, the homeowner will join you at the table and entertain you with stories of the family daily life of this atmospheric city. He will also relish an explanation of each dish as it is presented to the table, complete with details on its history, ingredients, and preparation.
- 1:30 PM The group will return to the hotel to change and rest
- 3:00 PM Meeting at the lobby for departure
- 3:30 PM Shopping tour: In the afternoon enjoy a guided tour through `the Vaults`, the most traditional handcraft market of Cartagena, located in an historical place where the Spanish army used to storage the gunpowder and later as a prison. Today, this entire area is a thriving artisan` center with beautiful local handicrafts where you will have time to take a walk and do some shopping. Finish you tour with a delicious ice cream at Gelateria Paradiso, an artisan ice cream shop that combines the tradition of an Italian gelateria with Colombian fruit flavors.
- 6:00 PM Rum and Chocolate tasting: After your tour, enjoy the extraordinary sunset in Cartagena with a Rum and Chocolate tasting experience. Specialty products are carefully paired to give you a delicious experience sipping inspired cocktails and fine chocolates that represent Colombia`s broad range of producers from the mountains to the coast. This private tour is conducted with just your guide and your group for a more personalized experience. The must-to-do tour gives you the access to the best in Colombian rum, innovative cocktails. An experience for those looking to excite their senses visually and on the palate. One of the top mixologists in Colombia, not only puts careful thought into each cocktail that appears on his menu, he has worked tirelessly to build the largest collection of exclusively Colombian rum in the world. The clients will taste rum for shooting, sipping, and mixing into cocktails, ranging in age from 4 - 27 years and pair it with different types of chocolate. They will learn the history of rum, and its distilling process while enjoying some finger food snacks.
- Overnight: Hotel Hyatt Regency Cartagena
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
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DAY 6: Excursion to Palenque
- 9:00 AM Meeting at the lobby for departure to Palenque
- San Basilio the Palenque is known as the first free town of America founded by escaped slaves as a refuge in the XVII century. A place that has developed into a unique cultural space famous for its history, food, and language.
- The ride takes about 1 hour. We will be received by Palenqueras waiting for you with a smile to welcome you to their town. In the local at the main square you will meet a local tour guide in Palenque language who will take you to the Palenquero Knowledge Center and will have a chat about the town culture and traditions.
- After a walk around the town, where your guide will share the history of Palenque you will enjoy a folkloric show prepared by the community and a 30-minute workshop on traditional braids by local women.
- You will also enjoy traditional lunch cooked on wood - a true foodie highlight.
- 4:00 PM Return to the hotel for an afternoon at leisure
- 7:00 PM Meeting at lobby for departure
- 7:30 PM Enjoy your farewell dinner at Santo Toribio restaurant including main course and dessert + 1 soft drink, water and one glass of wine.
- Overnight: Hotel Hyatt Regency Cartagena
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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DAY 7: Departure
- After breakfast transfer to the airport for your return flight home
- Meal: Breakfast
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