Trek Colombia’s Mountains and Lost City

The trekking, while not technically difficult, requires that you be in good physical shape as the days are long and the conditions are challenging. You will reach some high altitudes in the Los Nevados portion of the trip, sleeping at an altitude of 3490m on Day 3 and 3720m on Day 4. The highest point reached whilst trekking is 4040m on Day 5.

Should you decide to return down the mountain from Los Nevados because of the trekking difficulty, then any extra accommodation bookings in Salento are at your own expense.

Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.

In Los Nevados you will have a team of mules who will carry your overnight kit so you will just need a small day pack with essentials (extra layer, water, snacks etc). While trekking to the Lost City you will need to carry everything you need for the trek (2 days) - as it is very hot this will generally just mean a spare set of clothes. Water will be topped up as you go. You can store your main luggage with your host at the start of the trek.

Modern-day Colombia is not 1980's Narcos. For decades the country was in the international press for all the wrong reasons – drugs, kidnappings and civil war. Now with a peace agreement in place between the FARC and the Colombian government, Colombia is much safer and tourism has bloomed.

Medellín is known as 'La Ciudad de la Eterna Primavera', the city of eternal spring. The city has a comfortable climate that is consistent year-round, thanks to its location at a high elevation and near the equator.

Los Nevados has a dry season from December to March and July to August. During the dry season, the Andes enjoy sunny days with temperatures reaching up to 20°C. At night, temperatures drop drastically (as low as 0°C). While there is a lower chance of rain during the dry season, there will be days (in the evenings especially) with potentially heavy rain.

Santa Marta is usually warm during the day, with temperatures of around 40°C and cooler at night (around 20°C) with a fresh breeze. During the wet season (from June to November) short, sharp rain showers are not uncommon.

When you trek in the mountains, there's always the risk of getting altitude sickness, regardless of how old, young, fit or unfit you are. We would expect most trekkers to feel some mild symptoms of altitude sickness (headache, sleeplessness, heavy breathing) when over 3000m. Our guides are trained to identify the symptoms of altitude sickness so if any more serious symptoms are noted, there is a strict procedure regarding extra care or a rapid descent or evacuation if needed. All of our trips have been designed with altitude best practice in mind so acclimatisation days have been built in and our experienced guides follow advice to ‘walk high and sleep low’.

Water in most major cities is safe to drink, however, in towns and villages in the Andes water shouldn’t be drunk from the tap. We advise bringing purification tablets. While trekking you will be provided with clean drinking water to top your bottles up with.

We recommend checking out the country specific information here and also talking to a travel nurse.

Tips are not included in the trip cost. These are entirely at your discretion but there is an expectation to tip for good service. Your guide will help with advice, however, we suggest the following as a guideline per person:

$3-$5USD per person per day, however, if you would like to bring a gift from the UK as a thank you, this will also go a long way!

Of course, you are free to tip more or less, and the amount should be reflective of your perception of service and quality - a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.

For current advice about travelling in Colombia, have a read of the UK Foreign Office pages here.

Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine.

Travel insurance is compulsory for all of our adventures and you are required to provide your policy information before departing.

Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure. We also strongly recommend it includes cancellation and curtailment insurance, should you be unable to join your trip for specific reasons such as illness.

We fully endorse Campbell Irvine as their insurance offers all of the above, so get in touch with them or call on 020 7938 1734 to get your insurance sorted. We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book your adventure, just to cover you for any last-minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!

We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.

If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.

All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.

You're always in good company on one of our adventures.

Our trips are typically made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.

Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way.

It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.

Don't just take our word for it:

• 95% of people rate the group dynamics on our trips 5/5
• 90% of people recommend joining a trip to make new friends
• 75% of people have met people on our trips that they would now consider friends

See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.

Interested in a more exclusive experience? Opt for a 'Private Group' through the dates and prices tab to book this adventure for just you and your chosen companions.

Our team of Adventure Hunters create exclusive adventures with highly vetted, specialist hosts. We only work with independent, local in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. See here for more info about the local teams we partner with.