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On arrival in Bogotá you will be taken to your hotel, close to lovely Virrey Park in the city’s most prized entertainment and business area. You’ll have time to explore before your city tour shows you the historic La Candelaria area with its charming old Spanish casonas featuring wrought iron window grilles, balconies, courtyards and beautiful gardens.

You’ll see the cathedral, and the statue of Simon Bolivar in the old Plaza Mayor – once a market place, bull ring and the scene of military demonstrations and executions. The Museo Botero is next, featuring paintings by Picasso, Renoir, Dali, Matisse, Monet and Giacometti. You’ll then end your tour in the glittering Museo de Oro which contains over 34,000 gold objects and 20,000 exhibits from cultures ranging from the Quimbaya and Calima to the Tumaco and Magdalena.

In the afternoon you have the option of soaring up to Monserrate – 500 metres above Bogotá – by cable car or funicular for some unmissable views. The following day sees you amongst the flower plantations and impressive salt mines of Zipaquirá – there’s even a vast cathedral built of salt – as well as colonial churches rich in extravagant period decoration.

Stay: Two nights at the Artisan Hotel – Bed & breakfast

After breakfast you will board a short one hour flight from Bogotá to Pereira, arriving in the early afternoon.

Pereira is the capital of Risaralda, one of the three departments that make up Colombia’s coffee triangle, also known as the Zona Cafetera.

You’ll be staying in a charming hacienda close to the area’s coffee plantations where you’ll gain an insight into the growing, harvesting, preparation, toasting and final production of world renowned Colombian coffee. Your next excursion introduces you to the beautiful village of Filandia, famous for its Antioqueño architecture and basket weaving.

Then you move on to Valle del Cocora, part of Los Nevados National Park, where you’ll find 60-metre-high palm trees and a diverse range of exotic birds including hummingbirds and parrots. After a fine lunch you’ll drive on to Salento with its winding streets lined with colourful old houses and handicraft shops selling ponchos and Panama hats.

Stay: Three nights at Hacienda Sazagua – Bed & breakfast

Your next journey sees you entering the central Andean Highlands to reach Colombia’s second most important city. Medellín has undergone a huge transformation over recent years, and has since been awarded the title of the most innovative city in the world. It is certainly a city dedicated to art and culture. La Plazoleta, for example, has over 20 Botero sculptures and the Museum of Antioquia is one of Colombia’s most celebrated museums with exhibits from the pre-Columbian, to the Independence and modern periods.

More unconventionally, your tour begins in graffiti-rich La Comuna 13 – once one of the city’s most dangerous neighbourhoods – where local spray paint artists will explain the importance of the graffiti art form as a tool of communication. The following day you’ll visit the the colourful town of Guatapé and the Piedra de el Peñol, a giant granite rock which has sweeping views of the surrounding Peñol-Guatapé Reservoir.

You’ll be staying at a charming B&B in the buzzing neighbourhood of Poblado, with lots of excellent restaurants and bars on your doorstep. Despite being in such a vibrant part of town, Patio del Mundo is an oasis of calm and has a beautiful outdoor breakfast area, surrounded by tropical plants.

Stay: Three nights at Patio del Mundo – Bed & breakfast

Take a flight from Medellín to Cartagena and you’ll be walking through a history that includes Caribe Indians, Spanish Conquistadors, slaves, Inquisitors, pirates and buccaneers. Today the great city’s fortifications are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the whole place is a treasure house of grandiose religious and civil buildings, quaint streets with balconied houses and myriad twisting alleyways.

You’ll be staying in a beautiful boutique hotel, in the midst of Cartagena’s historic heart. You’ll go on sightseeing trips to the Monasterio and Iglesia de la Popa with fantastic 360 degree panoramic views of the city, port and ocean. You’ll also tour the San Felipe Fortress, built to repel pirate attacks, and the churches and convents of the old city, culminating in Bovedas, the handicraft market built into the archways of the city wall – previously used as an arsenal and prison.

Evenings can be spent at one of Cartagena’s many fashionable cocktail bars or excellent restaurants.

Stay: Three nights at the Ananda Hotel – Bed & breakfast

You now swap the ancient city of Cartagena for a stay on the sun kissed Caribbean island of Providencia. A short flight from Cartagena will take you to Santa Marta, before another hopper flight sees you arrive at the stunning and remote island fo Providencia.

Just off the coast of Nicaragua, but belonging to Colombia, the island is surrounded by turquoise water and being such a pain to get to, sees far fewer tourists than nearby San Andres. The island has a laidback Caribbean feel, beautiful beaches and the crystal clear waters are excellent for snorkelling and diving. Enjoy your final few days of relaxation before flying home.

Stay: Three nights at Hotel Deep Blue – Bed & breakfast

On day fifteen you will board your home, via San Andres and Bogotá.

Note: There are international flight options from Cartagena, but nothing direct to the UK with Avianca. If flying to the US or flying via Amsterdam, it is possible to avoid flying back to Bogotá.