Bookings & Payments
1. How do I make a booking?
- Fill out our Bookings form to check the availability of one of our tours.
- We will respond within 24 hours.
- To confirm your booking, you will need to pay the booking deposit.
- Having paid the deposit you will receive an email confirmation of your booking within 24 hours.
2. What forms of payment do you accept?
We prefer and highly recommend PayPal or Google Checkout because they are convenient, secure and free.
Don’t worry if you do not have a PayPal or Google Checkout account. We will send you a payment request and you can pay online using your credit or debit card.
Alternatively, if you are already in Medellín and would prefer to pay the deposit in cash you can make an appointment to come to our office.
3. When do I pay the remaining balance?
The remaining balance needs to be paid directly to your tour guide at the beginning of the tour.
You can pay in USD or Colombian pesos. We calculate Colombian pesos at the daily rate of exchange according to www.xe.com on the day of your tour.
4. Are there any additional charges?
All our prices are quoted in USD and include all taxes.
Due to the customisable nature of some of our tours, there may be some additional fees, for example, entrance fees to clubs, food and drink purchases or hotel accommodation. Please see our individual tour itineraries for more information.
5. Can I cancel my booking?
If you cancel your booking you will lose your booking deposit. There are no exceptions to this rule.
Note: For tours lasting more than a single day, if you do not arrive on the first day of your tour, and therefore do not pay the remainder of your balance, we reserve the right to cancel the entire tour.
6. Can I change my booking?
Any changes to your booking will be considered as a cancellation and subject to the above conditions.
7. How can I get a discount?
We do not offer discounts. However, you can join our facebook or twitter pages to take advantage of occasional special offers.
8. Can I design my own tour?
The tours on our website are based on suggested itineraries only. We can change our tours to suit your needs.
Before you arrive
9. Are there any age restrictions?
To participate in a tour you must be at least 18 years old. There are no upper age limits. Families with children aged below 5 will be advised as to which tours not to take.
10. Do I need to purchase international flights?
All flights from outside destinations to and from Colombia are purchased and organized by you. Avianca flies direct to New York, Miami, Los Angeles and Madrid. Many other airlines fly to Bogota from around the world.
11. Do I need to purchase travel insurance?
Participation in our tours is at each individual’s own risk and it is your responsibility to obtain the relevant insurance. We can advise on travel insurance depending upon the tour you would like to participate in.
12. Do I need to know Spanish?
All our tour guides speak both English and Spanish although for your own enjoyment we recommend trying to grasp some basic Spanish vocabulary.
13. What vaccinations are required?
You should be up to date with tetanus and diphtheria, Hepatitis A & B and typhoid.
Vaccination for yellow fever is a must if you are traveling to Ciudad Perdida, Parque Tayrona or the Amazon.
Please consult with your own doctor to get up to date information about vaccinations as soon as possible because some vaccinations take time to be effective.
14. Are there any visa requirements?
Current and valid passports are required to enter Colombia. Most nationalities are entitled to stay for 180 days and will receive a free 30, 60 or 90 day visa when passing through immigration.
If you require an extension to your visa whilst in Colombia then you can visit DAS (immigration office) one week before the expiry of your visa and pay approximately $28 USD for a further 1 month up to a maximum of 180 days.
During the tour
15. What sleeping arrangements should I expect?
We offer everything from backpacker hostels, camping, home stays with indigenous communities and luxury hotels. We select accommodation based on personal knowledge and client feedback.
16. What vehicles are used during the tours?
Our tour guides use sedan/saloon cars with ample space to accommodate four passengers and their luggage.
All our cars have air conditioning. Specifically, we use
Chevrolet Otpa, Hyundai Accent Vision and Kia Cerato Forte from 2008, 2009 or 2010.
17. Is it appropriate to tip guides?
Tips are not included in our tour prices and tipping is entirely at your discretion. Tipping in Colombia is appreciated but it is not obligatory. Our philosophy is that you should only tip if you feel people have gone out of their way to provide a quality service.
18. Can I take drugs and sleep with prostitutes?
We reserve the right to expel anyone from the tour if we believe that they are participating in the aforementioned activities. In this event, no refund will be given under any circumstances.
19. What happens if it rains?
It is a good idea to bring an umbrella or rainproof jacket for some tours. If it rains heavily and the tour involves a significant period of time outside, we may cancel the tour in which case you will be fully refunded.
20. Can I use the ATMs?
In most cities you won’t have any difficulties using ATMs. You can withdraw a maximum of 900.000 Pesos (about 450 US dollars) a day. It is also possible to take out bigger amounts of money with your credit card and passport inside most banks.
About Colombia
21. Is it safe?
The number of overseas visitors to Colombia has been rising since 2004. While there are still some dangerous areas, due to the presence of anti-government groups or drug cartels, they are well-defined and you are very unlikely to accidentally visit them.
Colombia’s cities are like most others; there are certain areas where you should not go after dark or even during the day. But again, you are unlikely to wonder into them accidentally.
22. What is the weather like?
Colombia’s proximity to the equator means its temperature varies little throughout the year.
However, the temperature does change with altitude, which creates different zones from hot lowlands to freezing Andean peaks. Furthermore, the higher the altitude, the greater the difference between day and night temperatures. For example, in the highlands there can be warm days but freezing nights.
Colombia also has wet and dry seasons. As a guide, there are two dry and two rainy seasons per year. The main dry season falls between December and March, with a shorter dry period between July and August.
23. When is the best time to travel?
Traveling to Colombia during any of the events and festivals is particularly interesting. There are some 200 of these each year with the biggest being in the coastal city of Barranquilla during February.
Colombia also has more national holidays than most countries which can make travel more expensive and more time consuming. This is particularly true around Christmas, New Year and Easter.
24. What is the cost of living?
Here are a few basic price guides in USD:
Metro ride: $0.75
Bus ride: $0.75
Short taxi ride: $2,00
Upmarket restaurant meal: $8,00
Cheap restaurant meal: $4,00
Street stall food: $2,00
25. Are there any important cultural differences?
Colombians are typically formal but also very friendly. It’s appropriate to shake hands when you are introduced to someone for the first time or to kiss the opposite sex once on the cheek if well acquainted.
Most people in Colombia are religious, though this doesn’t mean they regularly attend church or are offended by people who do not have a religion.
Colombians tend to be very relaxed and this often means that people turn up late and will not necessarily apologise if you have been waiting for a long time.
Dress codes are more or less the same as in western countries. However, sometimes you will gain more respect by wearing something formal as opposed to shorts and flip flops.
26. What is the food like?
Typical food consists of beef, pork, chicken or fish, with rice, beans, lentils, eggs, fried banana and salad. Vegetarians can easily opt not to have the meat without causing confusion or offence. There are also a wide choice of delicious fruits and fruit juices available wherever you go.
Cities offer a variety of international cuisine, including Chinese, Italian, Mexican and Seafood.
