The Colombian Way Bogota City Tour
The Colombian Way Bogota City Tour
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The ground up introduction to Bogotá's historic city centre ideal for the first time visitor to Bogotá. Includes a guided walking tour, Monserrate, various museums and the history of the city from its foundation to the present day.Tours available in English, German & Spanish. Custom city tours available for guests with specific requirements.
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5.0
64 reviews
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61
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chrismcl
London, UK204 contributions
Aug 2022
There is no easy way to review a tour company on Trip Advisor....so this covers a 17 day trip I made in August 2022 as well as the first few day trips I made around Bogota. I have a deep and abiding interest in the indigenous cultures of the Americas. Over a number of decades, I have visiting archaeological sites and living cultures from Alaska to Patagonia.
Colombia was a missing link for me. I had visited Cartagena before, now I wanted more depth and detail and the chance to experience Colombia's indigenous cultures at first hand. I asked Mark Genney, the guiding light of Colombian Way, if he could help. He was refreshingly honest regarding some of the challenges in executing a trip like this. Many travellers skim the surface of Colombia, concentrating on a few locations. The country has indigenous communities with deep and rich traditions, however indigenous run tourism is in it's infancy, compared to say Ecuador, Mexico, Peru or even Canada.
I think I may have ended up going on the longest and most complicated trip ever organised by Colombian Way. It was quite an adventure. Mark has an incredible eye for detail. Emails were answered promptly and in depth. Grounds arrangements were well organised and felt seamless, despite i think a degree of local chaos humming away in the background!
Obvious highlights in terms of "sites" were San Agustin, Tierradentro and Mompox. The deepest memories however came from meeting people. The Taita (shaman) and his assistant in Silvia who took time to show me around the centre producing herbal medicine for Misak people. The Kogi primary school teacher in the village of Mulkwanuneui who made up an organic chocolate snack for his visitors. Meeting the last Wayuu potter whose workshop makes traditional pots for secondary burials. Or Vanessa, a Wayuu interpreter who explained the role of "speakers" in resolving local conflict and the meaning of si'ira (men's woven sashes).
Mark and Colombian Way made this trip work. I had a great time and I owe Mark and his colleagues a big vote of thanks. I'd recommend Colombian Way to any visitor to Colombia.
Colombia was a missing link for me. I had visited Cartagena before, now I wanted more depth and detail and the chance to experience Colombia's indigenous cultures at first hand. I asked Mark Genney, the guiding light of Colombian Way, if he could help. He was refreshingly honest regarding some of the challenges in executing a trip like this. Many travellers skim the surface of Colombia, concentrating on a few locations. The country has indigenous communities with deep and rich traditions, however indigenous run tourism is in it's infancy, compared to say Ecuador, Mexico, Peru or even Canada.
I think I may have ended up going on the longest and most complicated trip ever organised by Colombian Way. It was quite an adventure. Mark has an incredible eye for detail. Emails were answered promptly and in depth. Grounds arrangements were well organised and felt seamless, despite i think a degree of local chaos humming away in the background!
Obvious highlights in terms of "sites" were San Agustin, Tierradentro and Mompox. The deepest memories however came from meeting people. The Taita (shaman) and his assistant in Silvia who took time to show me around the centre producing herbal medicine for Misak people. The Kogi primary school teacher in the village of Mulkwanuneui who made up an organic chocolate snack for his visitors. Meeting the last Wayuu potter whose workshop makes traditional pots for secondary burials. Or Vanessa, a Wayuu interpreter who explained the role of "speakers" in resolving local conflict and the meaning of si'ira (men's woven sashes).
Mark and Colombian Way made this trip work. I had a great time and I owe Mark and his colleagues a big vote of thanks. I'd recommend Colombian Way to any visitor to Colombia.
Written 11 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review chrismcl and apologies for taking so long to respond to it.
Delighted that your Colombia trip met your expectations. Although your trip was "long and complicated" it would be a pleasure to welcome you back one day
All the best
Written 31 March 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Gimmick1806
Oxford, UK41 contributions
Dec 2021
As a rule I put together all my trips myself. I was going to do the same for my recent trip to Colombia but then came across The Colombian Way on Trip Advisor. I got in touch with Mark, initially just for some advice and ended up asking him to put together a tour for me. He did an absolutely fabulous job. The correspondence was spot on, the accommodation was varied and designed to get me a real insight into the country and both my guide Jorge, and the driver were just out of this world. We were a happy, well-matched trio and had a lot of fun along the way. Frankly, where costs are concerned, booking via the Colombian Way may have worked out marginally more expensive than me doing it all on my own but I saved a lot of time and having a car and driver instead of using public transport saved a ton of time and was probably a little safer, given that we are still in the midst of a pandemic. Speak to Mark and then go and enjoy the fantastic warmth and kindness of the Colombian people. Thank you so very much, Mark, for all your hard work. Loved my stay!!!
Written 13 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your comments, it was a pleasure having you here
Written 27 January 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
KV1234
London, UK2,447 contributions
Jan 2021
We wanted to spend 3 weeks in Colombia over Christmas and had worked out our first week with 3 days in Bogota and 4 days in the Amazon at Leticia. We then wanted 2 more weeks exploring Colombia which had to include Tierradentro and San Agustin. We found an online tour that someone else had done from Medellin to Bogota and started liaising with another Tour Operator to arrange private drivers and tours in each location. The price kept going up and so we looked at Tripadvisor and found the Colombian Way.
Mark was brilliant and replied immediately with his thoughts on what he could arrange, which in summary was everything. He showed me the links on his website for the various tours they offered and recommendations on how we could join this all together with flights and a private driver. We worked out a plan from picking us up at Medellin airport when we flew in from the Amazon to dropping us off at Bogota airport on the last day. When our flights were cancelled on the last day from Bogota, Mark helped us out by picking us up from our hastily booked airport hotel and took us to the airport so we could arrange alternative flights… that’s really going the extra mile!
Before and throughout our 2 week tour, Mark was very fast in communication and was always available to help out whenever we needed it which was brilliant as the Government were changing what was open at a moment’s notice. It’s also worth mentioning that he was also extremely competitive on price being 30% cheaper than the first tour operator.
You can see the highlights of our trip on the attached photos. In summary we spent 3 nights in Medellin which allowed a full day city tour and another day in Guatape lake district, then car transfer and flights were booked for us from Medellin to Armenia. We stayed 2 nights in Armenia and visited the botanical gardens and San Alberto coffee on the second day. The next day we were transferred to Salento (1 hour) and went on the Cocora Valley hike. In retrospect we would have stayed 1 night in Armenia and 2 nights in Salento as Salento is a pretty town.
Then our private driver for the rest of our trip transferred us to Popayan for 2 nights. We planned to hike Purace Volcano on the second day but the Government closed the site and Mark arranged for us to visit a trout farm and waterfalls at the last minute (excellent work).
Then we were transferred to the magnificent San Andres / Tierradentro for 2 nights with it’s pyramid, stone statues and amazing underground tombs. Then off to San Agustin for 3 nights. Originally, this was down as 2 nights but there is so much to see that you need 3 nights as 1 day is lost in travelling. San Agustin / Isnos archaeological sites are amazing. They are an Unesco World Heritage site with the largest group of religious monuments and megalithic sculptures in South America.
We then transferred to Villavieja for 1 night to explore the red and grey Tatacoa Desert. On our last day we were transferred to Bogota airport where Mark helped us out with rearranging flights.
The Colombian Way gave us a great holiday and if you are thinking of going to Colombia then contact Mark. From the first communication to the last, you will not be disappointed.
Mark was brilliant and replied immediately with his thoughts on what he could arrange, which in summary was everything. He showed me the links on his website for the various tours they offered and recommendations on how we could join this all together with flights and a private driver. We worked out a plan from picking us up at Medellin airport when we flew in from the Amazon to dropping us off at Bogota airport on the last day. When our flights were cancelled on the last day from Bogota, Mark helped us out by picking us up from our hastily booked airport hotel and took us to the airport so we could arrange alternative flights… that’s really going the extra mile!
Before and throughout our 2 week tour, Mark was very fast in communication and was always available to help out whenever we needed it which was brilliant as the Government were changing what was open at a moment’s notice. It’s also worth mentioning that he was also extremely competitive on price being 30% cheaper than the first tour operator.
You can see the highlights of our trip on the attached photos. In summary we spent 3 nights in Medellin which allowed a full day city tour and another day in Guatape lake district, then car transfer and flights were booked for us from Medellin to Armenia. We stayed 2 nights in Armenia and visited the botanical gardens and San Alberto coffee on the second day. The next day we were transferred to Salento (1 hour) and went on the Cocora Valley hike. In retrospect we would have stayed 1 night in Armenia and 2 nights in Salento as Salento is a pretty town.
Then our private driver for the rest of our trip transferred us to Popayan for 2 nights. We planned to hike Purace Volcano on the second day but the Government closed the site and Mark arranged for us to visit a trout farm and waterfalls at the last minute (excellent work).
Then we were transferred to the magnificent San Andres / Tierradentro for 2 nights with it’s pyramid, stone statues and amazing underground tombs. Then off to San Agustin for 3 nights. Originally, this was down as 2 nights but there is so much to see that you need 3 nights as 1 day is lost in travelling. San Agustin / Isnos archaeological sites are amazing. They are an Unesco World Heritage site with the largest group of religious monuments and megalithic sculptures in South America.
We then transferred to Villavieja for 1 night to explore the red and grey Tatacoa Desert. On our last day we were transferred to Bogota airport where Mark helped us out with rearranging flights.
The Colombian Way gave us a great holiday and if you are thinking of going to Colombia then contact Mark. From the first communication to the last, you will not be disappointed.
Written 13 February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your very kind and detailed review.
Moreover though, thanks for choosing Colombia at a time when there were obviously going to be a some challenges, with changing rules both here and in your home country. Thanks for staying calm about the lightly shifting sands that your 3 weeks trip were built on and I am happy that together we overcame any minor inconveniences.
I promise you that literally every guide, driver, shopkeeper, restaurant owner and hotelier was beyond excited to see clients visiting them. After a tough year you gave a lot of hope to many people.
Thanks for engaging in the planning of your trip, thanks for stepping up to the plate and travelling to Colombia when many others were not, and I am absolutely stoked you were rewarded with such a great time.
If out there in the vast internet wilderness there is a site where tour operators can leave reviews of their clients then 5/5 rock solid people, would definitely invite to Colombia again.
Happy travels
Mark
Written 28 April 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
mrsboll
Simcoe, Canada704 contributions
Jan 2017 • Couples
We found the Colombian Way tour company on TripAdvisor. We contacted Mark Genney about doing a tour of Colombia. After some correspondence Mark put together a private tour for us. He did a superb job. Every detail covered. We had interesting and fun guides. We had excellent drivers especially on the long difficult road to San Agustin. We cannot say enough about this guy. If you are looking to do a tour in Colombia you owe it to yourselves to contact Mark. You will not be sorry.
Written 15 February 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kevin T
8 contributions
Sep 2016 • Family
I booked two tours to Mark Genney of the Colombian Way, specifically the day trip to Guatape & El Peñon and the Bogota City Tour. I must say Mark was very helpful and informative in helping me arrange my itinerary for my trip to Colombia. He was very responsive with regard to my questions and for that, I was really impressed.
We did the Guatape and El Peñon tour first with a female guide, Nancy. She was very informative and managed to show us a local shop where they sold all these handicrafts. The prices were acceptable and the quality was exceptional. Then we continued onward to El Peñon and Guatape and along the way, Nancy would tell us stories about the site and also answer our questions. She was also very knowledgeable about the town of Guatape and her leading our way through the town, while stopping at all the major highlights made a very enjoyable trip in itself. Guatape and El Peñon were both incredibly impressive and I urge everyone who has a day to spare in Medellin to book this tour or at least, visit these two sites. For sure, these two sites lived up to our high expectations.
The other tour we booked was the Bogota city tour. Mary was our guide and she picked us up at the hotel. The trip to Monserrate was interesting and her being there made shopping at the local shops easier as we didn't speak Spanish. She was also very informative in highlighting the main attractions inside Bogota's old neighborhood, La Candelaria. Furthermore,being a local, her insight on the places to eat was immensely valuable and we ended up enjoying the meals we had at the place she recommended.
We did the Guatape and El Peñon tour first with a female guide, Nancy. She was very informative and managed to show us a local shop where they sold all these handicrafts. The prices were acceptable and the quality was exceptional. Then we continued onward to El Peñon and Guatape and along the way, Nancy would tell us stories about the site and also answer our questions. She was also very knowledgeable about the town of Guatape and her leading our way through the town, while stopping at all the major highlights made a very enjoyable trip in itself. Guatape and El Peñon were both incredibly impressive and I urge everyone who has a day to spare in Medellin to book this tour or at least, visit these two sites. For sure, these two sites lived up to our high expectations.
The other tour we booked was the Bogota city tour. Mary was our guide and she picked us up at the hotel. The trip to Monserrate was interesting and her being there made shopping at the local shops easier as we didn't speak Spanish. She was also very informative in highlighting the main attractions inside Bogota's old neighborhood, La Candelaria. Furthermore,being a local, her insight on the places to eat was immensely valuable and we ended up enjoying the meals we had at the place she recommended.
Written 14 September 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Roseanne B
Kingston, Canada215 contributions
Jan 2016 • Couples
Mark Genney of The Colombian Way arranged a tour of Medellin for us, with wonderful guide, Abelardo Vargas. We hit all the high points and it gave us a fantastic overview of this amazing city. The variety of places visited was great too, as we saw many different sights, well worth seeing, from the Botero statues to the Botanical Garden, different city neighbourhoods and lots of attractions. Our guide was punctual, extremely well-informed, with all manner of interesting snippets. He was attentive to our needs and comfort, drove safely and well in the frantic traffic. A delightful person. We've done many city tours, in many places and this tour was up there with the very best. Highly recommend you contact The Colombian Way if you are ever in Medellin and want some great insights into this unique city. Mark Genney is to be commended for his patience in providing helpful information to our many questions, responding quickly and with great professionalism and friendliness. Awesome!
Written 23 January 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks Roseanne B for your review. We are delighted you had a great time in Colombia and hope to welcome you back one day soon
Written 19 April 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Joy M
Douglas, MI27 contributions
Oct 2015 • Family
We had a 6 hour City tour with Mary (and a driver). They picked us up at the hotel, took us all around the city (including Monserrate) and took us back to the hotel (included a traditional Colombian lunch). We learned a lot about the Culture, People and the City. A great way to start your visit so you learn your way around. We had a wonderful time!
Written 12 October 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your review Joy M. We look forward to welcoming you back to Colombia one day soon
Written 19 April 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
peter k
North Vancouver, Canada130 contributions
May 2015 • Solo
For tours in Colombia you need look no further than the Colombian Way.Mark is very quick to answer
e mails and he is very informative and personable.I booked several tours with the Colombian Way and they all went very smoothly.A superior tour company.
e mails and he is very informative and personable.I booked several tours with the Colombian Way and they all went very smoothly.A superior tour company.
Written 5 June 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jennifer C
Seattle363 contributions
Feb 2015 • Friends
I honestly cannot say enough wonderful things about our experience with The Colombian Way/Bogota City Tour. To begin with, Mark was very prompt about getting back to me via email regarding booking and we were able to pay in advance, which for me is a plus.
Perhaps more importantly, our tour guide was delightful. So nice, full of interesting information, and able to tailor our tour for us. It was wonderful to have our own personal guide for the Gold Museum and Monserrate…I don’t think I would have enjoyed either attraction nearly as much without the guidance. When I booked the tour, I took advantage of the option to have a “typical Colombian lunch”…I figured we’d just be pushed in the direction of a restaurant, but our guide sat with us during our meal and explained to us popular Colombian dishes.
Upon arriving to Colombia at night I felt a bit overwhelmed and our Bogota city tour was at 10:00 am the next day. Setting up this tour was one of the best travel decisions I have made. The experience with our guide from The Colombian Way set a wonderful tone for the rest of our trip; the Bogota city tour made us much more knowledgeable about Colombian culture, which I believe made us get even more out of the rest of our Colombia trip!
Perhaps more importantly, our tour guide was delightful. So nice, full of interesting information, and able to tailor our tour for us. It was wonderful to have our own personal guide for the Gold Museum and Monserrate…I don’t think I would have enjoyed either attraction nearly as much without the guidance. When I booked the tour, I took advantage of the option to have a “typical Colombian lunch”…I figured we’d just be pushed in the direction of a restaurant, but our guide sat with us during our meal and explained to us popular Colombian dishes.
Upon arriving to Colombia at night I felt a bit overwhelmed and our Bogota city tour was at 10:00 am the next day. Setting up this tour was one of the best travel decisions I have made. The experience with our guide from The Colombian Way set a wonderful tone for the rest of our trip; the Bogota city tour made us much more knowledgeable about Colombian culture, which I believe made us get even more out of the rest of our Colombia trip!
Written 25 February 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maxntiger
Columbia, MD35 contributions
Jan 2015 • Couples
My husband and I just returned from a three week tour of Colombia arranged by The Colombian Way. The service we received was exceptional. We told Mark how long we wanted to stay, what our budget was, the kind of accommodations we prefer and the kinds of things we were interested in. The package he put together was excellent. He arranged all the hotels, all the domestic flights and all our guides and drivers. Our accommodations were wonderful, the guides were very professional and all the drivers were on time and very safe. He was available during our trip if we needed anything and was most generous in offering suggestions of things to do on our "free days".
Go visit Colombia now before it becomes the next tourist "hot spot" and, by all means, use The Colombian Way to plan a magical trip for you.
Go visit Colombia now before it becomes the next tourist "hot spot" and, by all means, use The Colombian Way to plan a magical trip for you.
Written 6 February 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Maxntiger
Thanks for your very generous comments and 5/5 rating of our company. It's always wonderful to hear when our clients have a great time in Colombia and we hope you return one day soon
All the best
Mark
Written 11 February 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
michael h
Seattle, WA
could you send me some infor on the vacationing there. please.thank you address is 318 2nd ave ext s seattle wa 98104
Mark S
Bogota, Colombia208 contributions
Hi michael h
Thanks for your question. You will find all the information about our tours on our website. I am not allowed to post URLs here but if you go back to our listing on Trip Advisor you will see that at the top there is a website link.
Best wishes
Mark
Director, The Colombian Way