DAY 1: Bogotá
Arrival to El Dorado airport in Bogotá on an intercontinental flight. Reception and transfer to the hotel. Overnight stay.
DAY 2: Bogotá
Half Day visit to local markets and cooking lesson and half day City Tour. Leave in the morning in the company of guide who is an enthusiast for local markets and Colombian cooking traditions. Head to La Plaza de Mercado Paloquemao, one of the biggest and most recognized local markets in Bogotá, where all traditional produce and ingredients of Colombian cuisine can be found. Try some of the exotic fruits, local doughs, and Colombian cheese. Known to the vendors and the local cooking techniques; visit the flower market and the popular food stalls to feel a true local experience. At the end, buy the ingredients to cook a traditional dish. Head to La Candelaria for a cookery class and lunch.
In the afternoon, enjoy a half day visit to the historic centre of Bogotá known as La Candelaria. This archaic suburb has great significance in the country´s history due to its cultural heritage and is also a great example of Spanish colonial time architecture. Visit the main square Plaza de Bolivar, where a statue of the great emancipator Simon Bolivar is located. The plaza, originally called the Plaza Mayor, was used for civil and military purposes such as a marketplace, a bullring and it was also the place where many executions were held. The Cathedral, on the eastern side of the plaza, is constructed on the same spot where the first church was built in Bogotá in 1539 and houses an important collection of religious artifacts such as textiles and artworks, collection that has been built over four centuries. The Capilla del Sagrario is located just beside the Cathedral and is a gem of religious architecture, it houses valuable pieces of colonial religious art by Gregorio Vasquez de Arce y Ceballos. The Capitol, built between 1847 and 1926, shows its renaissance and neoclassical influences with its carved stonework and tall columns and, it was the first example of republican civil architecture. The central area of the Capitol, known as the Elliptic Hall, is where congress meets and is the actual chamber for politicians and the Senate. In the internal squares are busts of former presidents such as General Tomás Cipriano Mosquera, president over four terms, and Rafael Núñez, the composer of the Colombian National Anthem. Around the Plaza de Bolivar are buildings such as the Palacio de Justicia, the Mayor of Bogotá’s offices called the Edificio Liévano, the oldest school in the county called San Bartolome and the Casa de los Comuneros, named after the leaders that participated towards the end of the XVII Century in some of the first movements towards independence from Spain and the formation of the Republic.
The visit continues with the Botero Museum, a colonial house exhibiting some of Fernando Botero´s works of art and in addition pieces from his own personal collection that includes works by Picasso, Renoir, Dalí Matisse, Monet and Giacometti. Next is the Gold Museum which has a permanent exhibition of some 32,000 pieces of gold, 20,000 stones, ceramics and textiles all precious to the Quimbaya, Calima, Tayrona, Sinu, Muisca, Tolima, Tumaco and Magdalena cultures. The Gold Museum is considered one of the most important museums of its type internationally and it has been operating since 1939. In 2007 it underwent a complete renovation making it possible for visitors to enjoy an interactive experience. The Museum belongs to the International Network of Museums (ICOM). Overnight stay.
DAY 3: Bogotá – Half Day art tour – Pereira
After breakfast, enjoy a half day art tour with Federico Ruiz, an Art Dealer and specialist with a 12 year experience in Colombian modern and contemporary art market. He represents a portfolio of 12 artists and is well established as one of the most solid and respected actors of the field. He has clients and collectors in New York, Tokyo, Brazzaville, Miami, Caracas, Buenos Aires and Bogota.
The tour includes the visit to 3 galleries (modern and/or contemporary art).
The day starts by visiting downtown galleries where you can find places like NC-art, Alonso Garcés Gallery, Valenzuela Klener Gallery, Odeon Space. In Barrio San Felipe are 12.00 and Flora and at the northern side are located: La Cometa Gallery, El Museo, LGM arte, La Galería, Galería Zero, Casas Riegner Gallery, Nueveochenta. Federico chooses the galleries which in his opinion present the most interesting art works at the time of the tour. We will do our best to assure that the artist is present for a guided tour and talk about his work. (This service may not always be available since it depends on the artist’s availability).
Then, departure to El Dorado airport to take a flight to Pereira. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel and check in. Overnight stay.
DAY 4: Pereira
This is the ultimate experience in the coffee region, overflying it on a Hot Air Balloon.
Start your tour early in the morning, (at approx. 5:30 am) as it is during this time of the day that offers the most appropriate weather conditions for the flight. Participate in the process of inflating the balloon which takes around 30min to complete and at the same time taste a hot cup coffee with typical pastries from the region. Then, start your journey giving you an opportunity to appreciate from above the beautiful landscape of the Colombia Coffee Region. The flight takes approximately 45 min.
The balloon can be controlled in the process of ascending and descending, however since the balloon does not have a steering wheel it is the wind that dictates the direction of the flight, hence no flight and landing spot are the same making the flight even more fascinating.