About Diversitours and Our Tours
At Diversitours, we are an international team of experienced travellers. We run locally out of Medellin, Colombia, and are only able to do what we do because we are here.
We do not offer anything we have not seen with our own eyes and experienced for ourselves. This way, we can guarantee that you always have the best guides with the highest standards of safety and security. To read more about us and our policies, please click here.
Yes, we specialise in custom tours. Because our tours are completely individual (in other words, designed just for you and your friends or family, not a large group of strangers), it is quite easy to customise your tour. If you do not see a tour that fits what you are looking for, please contact us at info@diversitours.com and we will be more than happy to work with you.
We always try to look for bilingual guides, however, this is easier to find in some regions than in others. Many of our guides speak English, but not all of them. If there are specific activities you want to do and a guide who speaks a specific language is a must, please let us know and we can find a translator to accompany you at an additional cost. After English, French is the most common language spoken by our guides.
No. What we do is go to different regions of Colombia in search of expert guides for each activity. So, for example, if you go for a horseback ride one day, you will be with a specialised horseback riding guide, and if you go kayaking the next day, you will have a different guide.
You will be travelling with whomever you plan your trip with. At Diversitours, we strive to help independent-minded travellers plan a trip that they can do on their own, but without the stress of finding the necessary contacts and being sure to have the best guides. In other words, if you are planning a trip for 15 friends, then there will be 15 people in your group, and if you are planning a trip for your family of four, then there will be four people in your group.
As with our activities, we have different Accommodation Classes to suit your needs. We offer everything from hostels to 5 star hotels. To better understand your accommodation options with Diversitours, please refer to the link. Apart from transport modes described for certain within-region activities, you can choose the mode of transport between destinations. If you prefer to save money and travel on a public bus, then we will help you do that. If you want the ease of a private driver, we will find the driver for you. We generally avoid ground transportation if it takes more than 8 hours, and for those domestic trips we will arrange flights. However, if you still prefer to save some cash and take the bus, please let us know and we can arrange that, too.
About Colombia
Many travellers are concerned with security issues in Colombia. International media tends to present only the negative side of Colombia, creating a skewed image of the country. The fact remains that there are certain parts of Colombia that are unsafe, but these are remote locations which we simply avoid. Remember that before we send you anywhere, we go first, which means that if we can’t go, we won’t send you.  It’s true that, ten years ago, Colombia was non-existent on the tourism map and that five years ago there was very little tourism here. However, as the political situation has changed, tourism is quickly rising. In fact, in 2007 tourism in Colombia jumped 12% while tourism numbers in Mexico and Brazil, the most popular Latin American destinations, fell. Looking at a basic map of Colombia, 90% of the population lives in the northwest region of the country, marked in grey. Most of this area, which includes the major cities of Bogota and Medellin and important tourism destinations like Cartagena and Parque Tayrona, is safe for travel. Leticia, in the southeast corner, is also a safe zone and is where most Colombian jungle expeditions start. Here are some facts to ease your mind about Colombia:
- Carnival cruise lines has put Cartagena back on its destination list
- In 2008, the homicide rate was higher in Washington, DC, (and several other US cities) than in Medellin
- In 2006, Lonely Planet put Colombia 9th on their “hot spot destination” list
- Cartagena was appointed to host the World Tourism Organization general assembly in 2007
- In 2009, Medellin hosted over 6000 international guests for the International Development Bank's annual conference
- National Geographic’s ADVENTURE magazine listed Colombia as a one of six top travel destinations for 2008 and featured a special second article in late 2008.
We are constantly monitoring the safety situation in Colombia (we are here, after all) and refuse to offer any potentially risky destinations. All of the destinations we offer are safe. Nonetheless, as with most major cities in the world, you should be careful with pickpockets. After their first visit to Colombia, most travellers are surprised by how normal everyday life is for the Colombian people, and they leave yearning to see more of this beautiful, welcoming country.
Citizens of the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, most other Western European countries (except Ireland), Japan, and most countries in Central and South America do not need a visa to enter Colombia. If you enter the country as a tourist by plane without a visa, a round trip ticket is required.
At passport control at the airport and at Colombia’s land border you will be asked about the purpose and intended duration of stay in the country. Accordingly, you normally receive a tourist entry permit in the form of a passport stamp for 30, 60 or 90 days. Should it become necessary, this permit can be extended for up to 180 days total stay per calendar year (6 months). Please ensure that you receive a permit for 60 days immediately upon entry, should you have booked a trip that lasts longer than 30 days. You can thus avoid the cost, time and inconvenience of having to extend the permit later.
These requirements are subject to change at short notice, so we recommend verifying the entry requirement again before your trip.
To help you decide if you should take ground transportation or book a flight, consider the following time estimates:
Destinations Bus Time Flight Time
Bogota to Coffee Region 7-8 hours 50 mins
Bogota to Medellin 8-9 hours 50 mins
Coffee Region to Medellin 5-7 hours 45 mins
Medellin to Cartagena 12-13 hours 1 hr 20 mins
Bogota to Cartagena 18 hours 1 hr 30 mins
Medellin to Santa Marta 14-16 hours 1 hr 30 mins
Cartagena to Santa Marta 4 hours 20 mins
Medellin to Cali 8 hours 1 hr
Bogota to Cali 11 hours 1 hr 10 mins
Because Colombia is close to the equator, temperature varies little throughout the year. However, Colombia does have dramatically different regions due to vast differences in altitude. In just a few hours travel you can go from hot lowlands to snow-capped Andean peaks, so what parts of Colombia you go to can greatly affect the climate you’ll find. In fact, climate patterns can change so drastically within such short distances, it is quite difficult to classify regions.
Nonetheless, the coastal areas and lowlands are generally hot, with temperatures at about 30ºC. Medellin and the department of Antioquia have a temperate climate with temperatures between 20-25ºC. Bogota is a cooler city with temperatures around 15ºC. Generally speaking, with every 1000 metres increase in altitude, temperatures fall about 6ºC. Higher altititudes also mean great differences between day and night time temperatures.
The only seasonal differences here are between wet and dry season. Generally speaking, in the Andean region, where more than 90% of Colombia’s population lives, dry seasons fall between December and March and again between July and August. April and October are considered rainy months. Keep in mind that the Amazon, being a rainforest, is quite wet year-round.
Because Colombia is close to the equator and does not experience drastic seasonal changes, there is no “best” season to come to Colombia – rather, you can come when it works for you! However, April and October are usually the rainiest months in most parts of the country. You should also know that in the most popular destinations (like Cartagena and the Caribbean Coast), you will find significantly larger crowds during the high seasons, which are from mid-December to mid-January and during Easter Week.
Colombia has so many carnivals and festivals, they are quite difficult to keep track of. Virtually every small town has a festival of some sort, but here is the calendar of the most important festivals in Colombia for 2009:
January
2-6 Carnival de Negros y Blancos (Blacks & Whites Carnival), Pasto
6-13 Festival Internacional de Música Clásica (International festival of Classical Music), Cartagena
7-14 Feria de Manizales (Manizales Fair), Manizales
February
20-10 Feb Festival Taurina de la Macarena (Macarena Bullfighting Festival), Medellín
27-4 Feb Fiesta de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, Cartagena
28-25 Feb Feria Taurina (Bullfighting Fair), Bogotá
21-24 Feria de Barranquilla (Barranquilla Carnival), Barranquilla
March
2-9 Festival Internacional de Cine (International Film Festival), Cartagena
5-11 Exposición Internacional de Orquídeas (International Orchid Exposition), Manizales
31-8 April Semana Santa (Holy Week), Mompox/Popayan/Pamplona
April
26-30 Festival de Leyenda Vallenata (Vallenato Music Festival), Valledupar
May
24-27 Mono Nuñez Song Festival (Music Fesival), Ginebra
June
20-2 July Festival Folclórico y Reinado Nacional de Bambuco, Neiva
23 Iguana Festival, Providencia
27-2 July Fiesta del Mar, Santa Marta
30-2 July Reinado Nacional de Café (Crowning of the National Coffee Queen), Calarcá
July
13-22 Feria Nacional de Artesanias (National Artisenal Fair), Medellín
26-7 Aug Feria de las Flores y Desfiles de Silleteros (Flowers Fair and Parade), Medellín
August
18-20 Festival de las Cometas (Kite Festival), Villa de Leyva
September
6-15 Festival Internacional de Jazz (International Jazz Festival), Medellín
27-30 Concurso Nacional de Bandas (Music Festival and Contest) Paipa
October
5-15 Festival Latino Americano de Teatro (Latin American Theatre Festival), Manizales
27-27 Nov Festival de Cine (Film Festival), Bogotá
November
7-13 Fiesta del Llano (Llanos Celebrations), San Martin/Meta
8-17 Festival Internacional de Cultura (International Cultural Festival), Tunja
29-30 Reinado Internacional de Coco (Crowning of the International Coconut Queen), San Andres
December
8-10 Festival de Luces (Lights Fesival), Villa de Leyva
7-7 Jan Festival Taurina (Bullfighting Fesival), Cartagena
7-17 Feria de Artesenias (Artisenal Fair), Bogotá
22-31 Festival de Diablitos (Little Devil's Festival), Santa Fe de Antioquia
25-31 Festival Internacional de la Caña de Azucar (International Sugar Cane Festival), Cali
All month Festival de Luces (Internationally recognized lights display), Medellin
Colombia has quite a few public holidays. 2009 and 2010 calendars are:
2009
1 Jan New Year's Day.
6 Jan* Epiphany.
19 Mar* St Joseph's Day.
9 Apr Maundy Thursday.
10 Apr Good Friday.
1 May Labor Day.
21 May* Ascension.
11 Jun* Corpus Christi.
30 Jun* Sagrado Corazon (Sacred Heart).
3 Jul* St Peter and St Paul.
20 Jul Independence Day.
7 Aug Battle of Boyacá.
15 Aug* Assumption.
12 Oct* Columbus Day.
1 Nov* All Saints' Day.
11 Nov* Independence of Cartagena City.
8 Dec Immaculate Conception.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
2010
1 Jan New Year's Day.
6 Jan* Epiphany.
19 Mar* St Joseph's Day.
1 Apr Maundy Thursday.
2 Apr Good Friday.
1 May Labor Day.
13 May* Ascension.
3 Jun* Corpus Christi.
30 Jun* Sagrado Corazon (Sacred Heart).
3 Jul* St Peter and St Paul.
20 Jul Independence Day.
7 Aug Battle of Boyacá.
15 Aug* Assumption.
11 Oct* Columbus Day.
1 Nov* All Saints' Day.
11 Nov* Independence of Cartagena City.
8 Dec Immaculate Conception.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
*When they don’t fall on a Monday, these holidays are celebrated on the following Monday.
Money in Colombia
Tipping is neither required nor uncommon in Colombia. Many restaurants include a small gratuity (called propina in Spanish) for the waiter in your bill. If the tip is not included, 10% gratuity is considered exceptional. At small diners, it’s okay to just leave the coins that were the change. It is not common to tip taxi drivers.
Tipping our activity guides is completely optional. Giving a tip in US dollars is acceptable.
Of course, this depends greatly on what region you are going to, what kind of restaurants you like to eat in, and how much you like to shop. However, you will probably never need more than US $25 (per person) in a day if you eat in average restaurants and hold back on the souvenirs. A main course can cost anywhere from $6,000 COP to $40,000 COP ($3.00 to $20.00 US) depending on the restaurant. Be aware that Cartagena and Bogota are the two most expensive cities in Colombia, so food costs might be higher. Anything you want to spend beyond $25 is up to you.
Major restaurants, supermarkets, and chains accept Visa and MasterCard. American Express is less common. Smaller shops will not accept credit cards, so you should always carry some cash. Generally speaking, where things are cheap (like a $4 lunch or a small craft or souvenir), only cash is accepted. Taxis only accept cash.
If you plan to use your credit card in Colombia, notify your home bank that you will be travelling so that they do not lock your account for security reasons upon seeing several foreign transactions.
Yes. In fact, this is the method of payment we most recommend. Every airport has ATMs, as do the major cities in Colombia. Sometimes a small town will have just one ATM, but you shouldn’t have any problems. The best way to get cash is through the Maestro/Cirrus or Visa Plus network of ATMs. Of course, during mountain and jungle excursions you won’t find any ATMs, so you should bring some cash in Colombian pesos.
Check with your home bank to see if there is a fee for international withdraws and how much it is. You should also notify your bank that you will be travelling to Colombia so that they do not lock your account for security reasons upon seeing several foreign transactions.
Colombia has its own currency, the Colombian Peso. The conversion rate generally hovers around 2000 pesos to one US dollar, but you should check for a more up-to-date conversion here. Colombian pesos, or COP, will be accepted everywhere. Colombian banks only accept US currency or Euros for exchange, so if you want to exchange cash, you need to arrive with US dollars or Euros. It can be quite difficult to get Colombian pesos outside of Colombia, so you should either bring US dollars or Euros in cash and exchange them at the airport, or, if you don’t want to bring cash, you can use ATMs upon your arrival (See other question about ATMs).
Travellers cheques are generally accepted but vendors might ask for a local address and/or someone to call as a reference. In that case, credit cards are a good alternative (See other question about credit cards).
Few places will accept dollars and there is no guarantee that they will give you a fair exchange rate.
Booking & Paying
To book your trip, click on the "book now" button beneath the tour you wish to purchase. When you fill in your information and send it to us, we will respond with a confirmation and a link so you can pay with any major credit card online.
You should book your trip at least 30 days before your intended arrival. With thirty days notice, we can guarantee availability, if not in your first choice of accommodation, then in your second choice. Keep in mind that for busy seasons (mid-December through mid-January and Easter Week), major destinations will be much busier and there will be less availability. The sooner you can book, the better.
Yes, you can make your payment online. After you click the "book now" button and send us your contact information, we will send you a secure link where you can pay online using any major credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, American Express). Custom tours can also be paid online, and after confirming your itinerary with you, we will send you a secure link to make the payment online.
About Yourself and Your Trip
It is always best to get this information directly from your family physician. It is possible you already have some of the vaccinations recommended for Colombia and don’t need to get them again.
If you are travelling to Tayrona National Park, Ciudad Perdida (The Lost City), or the Amazon, then a yellow fever vaccine is a must. In many cases you might have to provide proof of the vaccination.
A malaria vaccine is optional but recommended if you are going to Choco, near the northwestern coast of Colombia, or to the Amazon Basin.
Some physicians might recommend a Hepatitis A vaccine or a typhoid fever vaccine, but these are rare diseases and it is a personal decision that you should discuss with your doctor.
Each activity that we offer includes a “What to Bring” list, so you should check the activities in your itinerary for specific items. In addition, we will send you a trip-specific list upon confirmation. In general, you will need:
- Sturdy walking shoes
- Extra pair of shoes to change
- Sandals (heal strap recommended)
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Lightweight clothing
- Swimsuit
- Rain jacket
- Insect repellent
As packing experts, we also recommend:
- Camera with charger and extra battery
- Comfortable day pack (with water bottle holder or water bladder)
- Quick dry clothing
- Zip lock bags
- Binoculars
- Long sleeves for sun and instect protection
Of course, if you are going to Los Nevados, you will need additional cold weather gear which is listed specifically for those tours. If you forget something at home, there is a very good chance that you will find it here in Colombia. If you are coming for a long trip, you don’t need to weigh down your luggage with basic toiletries. You can buy just about anything you need in the major cities and even the small towns have a decent selection. You might find outdoor adventure gear to be either over-priced (because it’s imported) or of mediocre quality, so it’s best to bring these items with you. We classify all of the activities we offer by difficulty level and organize tours accordingly. Any activity that has a difficulty level of 1 or 2 is something that most people, regardless of fitness, are capable of doing. Activities ranked as difficulty level 3 may require some degree of physical fitness. The only activities that could require special training or an exceptionally adventurous spirit are ranked as difficulty level 4. We look for activities of varying levels of difficulty in each region we visit so that we have something for everyone. As explained in our Activity & Tour Classes, we offer three kinds of tours: Adventure, Excursion, and Diversity. If you are concerned about your physical fitness, an Excursion Tour is a safe option, as the activities in these tours are ranked at difficulty levels 1 and 2. Adventure Tours are for people who are looking for physical activity and thrill seekers. If you’re looking to do both, then a Diversity Tour is a good option for you. If you are concerned about your ability to do a certain activity, feel free to talk to us and we can help you evaluate your options and make a decision. Most cell phones from the U.S. work in Colombia. This is because, of the four cell phone frequencies used in the world, North and South America use the same two. Most of Europe uses the other frequency bands, but that doesn’t mean your phone won’t work here, because many phones are wired to work with three or even all four frequencies. You can read more about this here.
Remember that your phone must be “unlocked,” or not locked to a specific provider (like AT&T, for example), and that you will have to buy a local SIM card in Colombia. The SIM card will cost about US $2.50 and you can buy pre-paid minutes easily. Cell phone reception in Colombia is quite good, even having reception in many mountain areas, but you’ll probably lose service in jungle areas.
Many of the accommodation options we offer have WiFi internet and/or computers available to guests, so email will be a good way to keep in touch with people at home. Most cities have a place where you can make international calls if necessary, or you can buy a calling card.
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FAQ
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+44 (020) 8144-7559 
+55 (11) 3711-3786
+57 (314) 682-7235