How many landmarks to plan for: Plan on 6 to 8 landmarks in a trip of two to three weeks, and no more than one major one per travel day. Colombia’s distances look short on a map but the Andes turn a 200 km road into 6 to 9 hours. Pack in ten or twelve and you spend the trip in buses, arriving tired, with an hour at each stop. Fewer stops with unhurried time at each give you better light, smaller crowds and a day to spare when a landslide closes a road.
One more point on numbers: the second and third colonial town on a list look very similar. Pick the one with the best access for your route and skip the duplicates.
Which kind to prioritize: Match the kind of landmark to how you travel. Culture and history travelers should favor colonial centers, pre-Columbian sites and museums, which are compact, …
read more 👉 How many landmarks to plan for: Plan on 6 to 8 landmarks in a trip of two to three weeks, and no more than one major one per travel day. Colombia’s distances look short on a map but the Andes turn a 200 km road into 6 to 9 hours. Pack in ten or twelve and you spend the trip in buses, arriving tired, with an hour at each stop. Fewer stops with unhurried time at each give you better light, smaller crowds and a day to spare when a landslide closes a road.
One more point on numbers: the second and third colonial town on a list look very similar. Pick the one with the best access for your route and skip the duplicates.
Which kind to prioritize: Match the kind of landmark to how you travel. Culture and history travelers should favor colonial centers, pre-Columbian sites and museums, which are compact, walkable and rarely need a tour. Hikers should put the high-altitude and jungle-edge sites first, because those are the ones that need effort, early starts and often a guide. Travelers on a tight budget should lean on free or near-free city landmarks, plazas and viewpoints, and keep the paid, guided ones to two or three.
Skip anything that is a photo stop reached only by a pricey private tour when a public bus or shared jeep gets you there for a fraction. Skip landmarks that sit inside theme-park-style complexes with add-on fees unless a specific feature draws you.
What it costs: Budget US$30 to 55 a day (roughly COP 120,000 to 220,000) for dorm beds, local meals and public transport, plus landmarks on top. Entry to city landmarks and churches runs from free to about COP 15,000 to 30,000 (US$4 to 8). National park and archaeological site tickets are higher, often COP 25,000 to 70,000 (US$6 to 17) for foreigners, who pay more than Colombians at many parks. Guides cost COP 50,000 to 150,000 (US$12 to 37) a visit, and remote sites that require a 4x4 or boat add COP 20,000 to 100,000.
The cost trap is the add-on: a ticket plus a mandatory guide plus a jeep transfer can triple the headline price. Ask what is included before you pay, and share guides and jeeps with other travelers to split the bill. Carry cash in small notes, since many ticket booths in small towns do not take cards and ATMs can be empty or far.
Delays and mistakes that catch people out: Book ahead for sites with daily visitor caps. Several protected areas and archaeological parks limit entry or require advance registration, and arriving at the gate on a holiday weekend can mean being turned away. Check for Monday closures, because many museums and some sites shut that day, and public holidays (puentes) fill buses and hostels and raise prices. Confirm opening hours the day before, since small sites change them without notice.
Altitude is a common mistake. Landmarks above 2,600 m, including Bogotá at about that height, bring headaches on day one. Leave the most strenuous visit for day three or later. Rain also changes everything: trails turn to mud, boats stop and roads slide, so carry a light rain shell and a dry bag for your phone and passport.
Safety and cultural considerations: Most landmarks are safe in daytime, but petty theft is the real risk in crowded city centers and at viewpoints reached on foot at dusk. Keep your phone out of sight on the street, avoid walking back from a landmark alone after dark, and use ride apps or licensed taxis for the return. Do not take unofficial guides who approach you on the road, and book through the park, a registered operator or your hostel. Some rural areas have security restrictions, so check current advice with local authorities and park offices before heading off the main routes.
On cultural points, dress modestly in active churches and keep voices low during services. Some sites are sacred to Indigenous communities, which may require a community guide and bar photography in certain places. Follow their rules. Do not touch or pocket artifacts, and do not accept offers of antiquities, which is illegal. Ask before photographing people, particularly vendors and elders, and expect that a small tip is appreciated.
Where the money is well spent: Pay for a good guide at the one or two sites where history or ecology is hard to read alone. Do not pay for a guide at a plaza, a church or a museum with decent signs. Spend on early starts, because the first hour after opening gives cooler air, softer light and fewer people, and that is worth more than any upgrade.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.