Discover Colombia's Lost City Trek

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The Lost City trek is a great experience for anyone interested in the ancient history of the region. Discovered roughly half a century ago and established about 650 years before Machu Picchu, this archeological site, also known by the names of Teyuna and Buritaca, is one of a kind.

This trek is not for the beginner hiker, but better for someone looking for a moderate to strenuous hike. It involves about 27 miles (44 km.) of walking, including many ascents and descents with very few flat sections. Although it isn't necessary to have special equipment for this trek, you do need a guide for help in navigating the trail, which crosses rivers.

Highlights

  • Discover the Lost City located in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
  • Visit local, indigenous villages such as Mutanyi
  • Climb ancient, stone steps while enjoying beautiful views of the surrounding forest
  • Reach the highest point of 1,500 meters or 4,920 feet
  • Spend 5 days enjoying spectacular jungle views and swimming in waterfalls
  • Sleep in hammocks overnight to enjoy the stunning night sky

Ready to speak with a local specialist to start customizing your trip? Get started by telling us a bit more about your ideal trip.

Colombia Travel Insights

View of the Lost City
Map of The Lost City Trek - 7 Days
The Lost City Trek - 7 Days

Ciudad Perdida (or the "Lost City") is located in the heart of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, a mountain range close to the Caribbean sea. Here, you’ll discover the past life of local indigenous people with their wooden houses and stone structures, including terraces and stairways.

A view of Cabo San Juan in Colombia's beautiful Tayrona National Park
Map of Colombia's Caribbean Coast & Lost City Trek - 14 Days
Colombia's Caribbean Coast & Lost City Trek - 14 Days

From colonial Cartagena to the ancient Lost City ruins and the dunes of La Guajira, this two-week journey covers the highlights and hidden gems of Colombia's Caribbean coast. It's a trip ideal for travelers who want to immerse themselves in one beautiful region, explore its cities, embark on multiday treks, snorkel the Caribbean, and more.

Ciudad Perdida (Lost City)
Map of The Lost City & Tayrona Park Adventure - 10 Days
The Lost City & Tayrona Park Adventure - 10 Days

This rugged 10-day trip is ideal for those who want to focus on nature and the outdoors, as it highlights two of the country's biggest natural attractions. Start with a four-day trek to Ciudad Perdida (Lost City) located in the heart of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, a mountain range close to the Caribbean sea. Dubbed 'the new Machu Picchu', this challenging journey reaches the archaeological ruins of Teyuna -- accessible by steep climbs and several river crossings. Continue the adventure with a sailing trip in the Caribbean Sea, and then spend two days exploring Tayrona National Park. Finish the adventure with a relaxing float on the Don Diego River.

Discover El Cocuy
Map of Ultimate Guide to Hiking in El Cocuy National Park
Ultimate Guide to Hiking in El Cocuy National Park

In a country known for tropical jungles and white-sand beaches, the glacial peaks of Parque Nacional Natural El Cocuy stand out. Located north of Bogotá in the beating heart of the Andes, this untamed páramo highland ecoregion holds the best high-altitude hiking in Colombia.

Trekking in Los Nevados National Park
Map of Medellín & Los Nevados Trek - 7 Days
Medellín & Los Nevados Trek - 7 Days

Enjoy the natural beauty of Colombia on this 7-day itinerary which takes you through the mountains and valleys of Colombia's famous coffee region. You'll undertake a multi-day trek in the Andes, relax in the peaceful city of Manizales, and then finish with some urban culture and great museums in the city of Medellin.

Hiking through the Los Nevados
Map of Los Nevados Trek - 3 Days
Los Nevados Trek - 3 Days

Enjoy the beautiful coffee region of Colombia with a 3-day hike through a forest of local palms. With 3 snowy peaks that rise higher than 4,800 meters above sea level, Los Nevados National Park extends over 58,300 hectares (more than 143,000 acres, or about as big as the city of Chicago) in the central Cordillera of the Colombian Andes. This region has an extraordinary ecosystem of flora and fauna because of the high elevation. Perpetual snow provides water here, which is essential to the preservation of life. This trek is great for adventurers looking to enjoy the great outdoors.

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Meet our Local Travel Specialists

Experienced travel agents with a passion for Colombia
Travel specialist Michael Gold
active 44 mins ago

Michael Gold

Since I was little, I have been fascinated by getting to know the great wide world. The exchange with other cultures has always been my focus. Therefore, I have made my interest my profession. In...

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Travel specialist Felipe Rico
active 2 hours ago

Felipe Rico

I have seen how Colombia has evolved from a dangerous destination to a safe, welcoming, and upcoming destination, and I am therefore extremely passionate to be part of my country's tourism...

read more...
Travel specialist Margoth Rico
active 13 mins ago

Margoth Rico

I have seen how Colombia has evolved from a dangerous destination to a safe, welcoming, and upcoming destination, and I am therefore extremely passionate to be part of my country's tourism...

read more...
Travel specialist Margarita Moreno
active 1 hour ago

Margarita Moreno

Welcome to your exceptional journey through Colombia. I’ve got a degree in hotel and tourism administration, enriched by history and heritage studies. With this background, I bring a profound...

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Trip Reviews for Colombia

The latest reviews by travelers who booked their trip on kimkim

I look forward to using KimKim again!
Colombia | May 5 - May 14, 2026

Melisa
Melisa M.
Seattle, WA | Reviewed on May 15, 2026
This was a fantastic trip from start to finish. Kimkim took care of all the logistics of planning a trip so I could really enjoy my vacation and be in the moment. I felt fully supported throughout the process and all my questions were answered promptly before and during the trip . The hotels, restaurants, excursions & guides recommended to us were all top notch. Read more

This was a fantastic trip from start to finish. Kimkim took care of all the logistics of planning a trip so I could really enjoy my vacation and be in the moment. I felt fully supported throughout the process and all my questions were answered promptly before and during the trip . The hotels, restaurants, excursions & guides recommended to us were all top notch.

Hotel Reviews
Sofitel Baru Calablanca
Cartagena
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Capellan de Getsemani
Cartagena de Indias
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Faranda Collection Medellin
Medellin
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Depart Colombia
Depart Colombia
Colombia
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Departure from Baru (Hotel Sofitel Barú Cartagena)
Departure from Baru (Hotel Sofitel Barú Cartagena)
Isla Barú
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Day at Baru (Hotel Sofitel Barú Cartagena)
Day at Baru (Hotel Sofitel Barú Cartagena)
Isla Barú
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Arrival to Baru (Hotel Sofitel Barú Cartagena)
Arrival to Baru (Hotel Sofitel Barú Cartagena)
Isla Barú

Arriving by boat straight to the hotel was a great experience

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Free Day in Cartagena
Free Day in Cartagena
Cartagena
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Short Ceviche Class
Short Ceviche Class
Cartagena
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Walking Tour of Cartagena Highlights (Old City)
Walking Tour of Cartagena Highlights (Old City)
Colombia
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
El Retiro Hike
El Retiro Hike
Medellín
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Guatape and El Peñol
Guatape and El Peñol
Colombia

The only thing I would change is for travelers who can get the climb up Guatape relatively quickly, is to leave the area soon after so you can spend more time in the beautiful little town that follows it.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
City Tour of Medellín Highlights (with Local Market and Comuna 13)
City Tour of Medellín Highlights (with Local Market and Comuna 13)
Medellín
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Welcome to Colombia!
Welcome to Colombia!
Colombia
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Felipe Rico
Felipe
Felipe Rico
Local specialist in Bogota | Replied on May 15, 2026

Hi Melisa,

Thank you very much for your kind words and for taking the time to share your experience. It truly means so much to hear that you felt supported throughout the entire planning process and were able to fully relax and enjoy your vacation.

We are so happy to know you enjoyed the hotels, restaurants, excursions, and guides, and it was truly a pleasure helping you plan your trip to Colombia. Sending you our very best wishes, and we would be absolutely delighted to help you plan another adventure in the future.

Warm regards,
Felipe

Meticulous, Flexible and Fabulous!
Colombia | Apr 22 - May 9, 2026

S
Sandy P.
Canada | Reviewed on May 14, 2026
We recently decided to tour Columbia before a family wedding in Cartagena, and after reviewing the itineraries and ratings of 5 tour companies (including one recommended by the wedding planner), we decided to use KimKim and Chaska Tours. Wow what a good decision. I have never experienced the level of professionalism, attention to detail, flexibility and responsiveness in a tour company like Michael provided us. I revised our itinerary multiple times, and frankly communicated anything that I... Read more

We recently decided to tour Columbia before a family wedding in Cartagena, and after reviewing the itineraries and ratings of 5 tour companies (including one recommended by the wedding planner), we decided to use KimKim and Chaska Tours. Wow what a good decision. I have never experienced the level of professionalism, attention to detail, flexibility and responsiveness in a tour company like Michael provided us. I revised our itinerary multiple times, and frankly communicated anything that I needed with him, and he would always respond within the hour and have a thorough response for me shortly after. The tour guides at each location were knowledgeable, patient and fabulous, and the hotels were amazing...overall, the tour exceeded our expectations. Thank you Michael for everything you did to ensure our trip was thoroughly enjoyable. I would not hesitate booking with KimKim at all ... less stress and more enjoyment guaranteed.

Activity Reviews
Filandia, Salento and Valle del Cocora
Filandia, Salento and Valle del Cocora
Colombia

Wow...what an amazing experience. Our tour guide was soooo knowledgeable about all kinds of things and was patient and thorough. He provided us with information on the flora, fauna, history...really enjoyable and informative. I would definitely recommend him.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Walking Tour & Street Food
Walking Tour & Street Food
Cartagena

Sofia our tour guide in Cartagena was good, but we found her to less informed/knowledgeable than the other tour guides we experienced on this trip. She provided basic information but we found that she did not freely share information unless asked. Additionally, given how hot it was that day, we asked her to provide some breaks during the 3 hour tour, and instead of taking us to air conditioned locations, we simply stopped at various places along the street in the stifling heat so we really could not cool off. The home she took us to for the "ice cream" stop was quite dirty and the washrooms not acceptable. Overall we did not find this tour worthwhile.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Bogota Highlights Tour
Bogota Highlights Tour
Bogotá

Mayelline, our Bogota Tour Guide was awesome! She was very knowledgeable and made the tour very interesting and informative for us. We highly recommend her.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Coffee Farm Tour in Finca Buenos Aires
Coffee Farm Tour in Finca Buenos Aires
Salento

The tour coordination was not well planned as we were picked up from the airport by a driver who could not speak english at all and even though we explained that we were hungry, he communicated that there would be food on the farm. We asked it we could stop along the way to pick some snacks up and he did not. We were told that they would be selling typical Colombian snacks (home-made empanadas) and refreshments at the farm, but they were not. We did not eat anything the whole day, and the tour was so so. The facilities were being repaired, it was quite minimalistic, the hats and ponchos were re-used without cleaning....just overall lacked quality and substance. Another more established farm should be considered for future.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Traditional Dinner - Top Chef Private Dining
Traditional Dinner - Top Chef Private Dining
Bogotá

Although this was supposed to be the highlight at the beginning of our tour, we felt that the description of the activity and what was actually delivered did not match at all. The quality of the venue, the food and overall experience was less than acceptable. The food was more cafeteria quality (than top chef), and no wine/alcoholic beverages were offered. We would have preferred to skip it and do something on our own.

Quality of Experience
Food
Local specialist: Michael Gold
Michael
Michael Gold
Local specialist in San Agustín, Huila, Colombia | Replied on May 14, 2026
Dear Sandy,
Thank you so much for your incredibly kind words and for taking the time to share such detailed feedback about your trip to Colombia. It truly means a lot to hear that you enjoyed the journey and felt well supported throughout the planning process and during the trip itself. It was an absolute pleasure organizing this experience for you and your friends😊 I also genuinely appreciate your honest comments regarding some of the activities and experiences that did not fully meet...
Read more

Dear Sandy,
Thank you so much for your incredibly kind words and for taking the time to share such detailed feedback about your trip to Colombia. It truly means a lot to hear that you enjoyed the journey and felt well supported throughout the planning process and during the trip itself. It was an absolute pleasure organizing this experience for you and your friends😊 I also genuinely appreciate your honest comments regarding some of the activities and experiences that did not fully meet expectations. Feedback like this is extremely valuable for us and helps us continue improving the quality of our tours and local partnerships. I’m especially happy to hear that you enjoyed Bogotá, Cocora Valley, Filandia and your guides there so much — I will definitely share your lovely words with them! Thank you again for trusting us with your Colombia adventure. I truly hope we’ll have the opportunity to welcome you back again someday.
Warm regards from Colombia,
Michael & The Chaska Tours Team

Colombia with pleasure
Colombia | Apr 27 - May 5, 2026

Lynne
Lynne R.
Newark, NJ | Reviewed on May 12, 2026
We had very few ideas of what we could or should visit in Colombia. Margoth, the local specialist, helped us work out a most satisfactory experience and even made it easy to visit a friend in her home outside Medellin. We had a great time, felt well taken care of always and enjoyed getting to know more about this beautiful and friendly country. We had a specific driver and guide for each area we visited and each was knowledgeable and helpful. The trip could not have gone more smoothly! Read more

We had very few ideas of what we could or should visit in Colombia. Margoth, the local specialist, helped us work out a most satisfactory experience and even made it easy to visit a friend in her home outside Medellin. We had a great time, felt well taken care of always and enjoyed getting to know more about this beautiful and friendly country. We had a specific driver and guide for each area we visited and each was knowledgeable and helpful. The trip could not have gone more smoothly!

Hotel Reviews
Hotel Capellan de Getsemani
Cartagena de Indias

There was a lot of city road work going on while we were there, but Hotel Capellan served as an oasis from that, cool, comfortable, right in the heart of the city.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Senda Watapuy
Santa Marta

A piece of paradise right outside Tayrona National Park. A pleasure to visit in its own right.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
El Cielo Hotel
Medellin

Beautiful hotel in the heart of a beautiful city - clean and attentive!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Depart Colombia
Depart Colombia
Colombia
Walking Tour of Cartagena Highlights (Old City)
Walking Tour of Cartagena Highlights (Old City)
Colombia
Tayrona National Park Tour
Tayrona National Park Tour
Colombia
Welcome to Colombia!
Welcome to Colombia!
Colombia
Rum Tasting with Chocolate Pairing
Rum Tasting with Chocolate Pairing
Cartagena
Half-Day Coffee Farm Tour
Half-Day Coffee Farm Tour
Medellín
The Best of Medellín City Tour Highlights (with Comuna 13)
The Best of Medellín City Tour Highlights (with Comuna 13)
Colombia
Minca Tour with Local Cacao Farm and Marinka waterfalls
Minca Tour with Local Cacao Farm and Marinka waterfalls
Colombia

Loved getting to see the farm and the view was spectacular. A true gem.

Local specialist: Margoth Rico
Margoth
Margoth Rico
Local specialist in Bogota | Replied on May 12, 2026
Dear Lynne, Thank you so much for your detailed and incredible review.
All your feedback is very helpful for us, and we truly appreciate you taking the time to write and share your experience.
It was such a pleasure helping you plan your journey through Colombia. It means so much to hear that you felt well taken care of throughout your travels and that you were able to enjoy and connect with the beauty, warmth, and hospitality of the country. Our passion and purpose is to make our travelers... Read more

Dear Lynne,

Thank you so much for your detailed and incredible review.
All your feedback is very helpful for us, and we truly appreciate you taking the time to write and share your experience.

It was such a pleasure helping you plan your journey through Colombia. It means so much to hear that you felt well taken care of throughout your travels and that you were able to enjoy and connect with the beauty, warmth, and hospitality of the country. Our passion and purpose is to make our travelers feel truly welcomed in Colombia and allow them to enjoy their time here, along with all the incredible experiences, people, culture, and landscapes the country has to offer, without having to worry about anything.

Thank you as well for your kind comments about the guides, drivers, and hotels. I will be very happy to share your words with our team and partners.

It was truly wonderful having you and John here, and I hope Colombia leaves you with many beautiful memories for years to come. You will always have friends in Colombia, and we send you both our very best wishes.

Muchas gracias!

Warmest wishes,
Margoth and the Aracanto Team

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