6 Day UNESCO Heritage Tour: Guided Motorcycle Tour of Cartagena and Northern Colombia
Historic and Beautiful Motorcycle Tour in Northern Colombia
Get a full-power dose of the best that northern Colombia has to offer on this paved road journey through this breathtaking land. Visit the world-famous, heart-of-the-world, Tayrona Park, the colonial coastal city of Cartagena, and the riverside village of Mompox, a heritage-listed town close to the heart of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, which inspired many of his writings.
Key information
- Terrain: paved
- Bike: rental bike (Honda models)
- Riding gear: included: helmet, riding gloves; available to rent: elbow and knee pads, riding boots, rain gear
- Meals: 5 breakfast, 5 dinner, 6 lunch
Meet the instructors
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Highlights
- Starts and ends in Santa Marta
- The crystal-clear beaches inside Tayrona National Park
- Swimming holes of San Juan del Cesar
- Crossing the Magdalena river, with your bikes loaded into canoes
- Rincón del Mar boat trip to see the bioluminescent plankton
- Exploring the beautiful Cartagena old-city
- Lunch at the Magdalena river mouth, where salt and fresh water visibly meet
- 5 nights accommodation
Skill level
- Beginner
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Simón Bolívar International Airport (US$ 50 per person)
Accommodation
All the accommodations will be of high standard, often the best available at the night's location. Think boutique bed and breakfast style accommodation for most nights, and 3-star hotels for the rest.
Program
Day 1: Santa Manta - Tayrona Park (riding hours: 2)
Start: 8 a.m.
Highlights include:
- Get accustomed to your moto on simple trails
- Visiting Tayrona National Park
- Lunch at the picturesque San Juan beach
- Sunset over Tayrona from the infinity pool at Journey Hostel
Day 2: Tayrona - Valledupar (riding hours: 5)
Highlights include:
- Swimming holes of San Juan del Cesar
- Musical history at the birthplace of Vallenato
- Fine dining in downtown Valledupar
Day 3: Valledupar - Mompox (riding hours: 4)
Highlights include:
- Walking tour of historic Valledupar
- Crossing the Magdalena river in canoes
- Sunset boat trip along the Mompox riverfront
Day 4: Mompox - Rincón del Mar (riding hours: 5)
Highlights include:
- Twisty backroads and river crossings
- Beers on the tranquil Rincón beach
- Evening boat trip to see the bioluminescent plankton
Day 5: Rincón del Mar - Cartagena (riding hours: 4)
Highlights include:
- Stand-up-paddle and/or chill beach morning
- Explore the beautiful Cartagena old-city
- Choose from dozens of high-quality dining experiences for the final tour evening
Day 6: Cartagena - Santa Marta (riding hours: 5)
Highlights include:
- Lazy morning soaking in the Cartagena sun
- Visit to Totumo mud volcano
- Lunch at the Magdalena river mouth
Finish: 5 p.m.
Skill levels required for this tour:
Beginner:
- can ride for 2-3 hours
- minimal riding experience
- assistance required
- comfortable with curves and leans
- basic experience with unsurfaced roads
- short distance ascents and descents
Intermediate:
- can ride for 3-4 hours
- average riding experience
- little assistance required
- comfortable with extreme curves and leans
- average experience with unsurfaced roads
- steep ascents and descents
Advanced:
- can ride for 5-6 hours
- extensive riding experience
- assistance on demand (if required)
- experienced with riding a variety of motorcycles
- comfortable with any terrain and weather conditions
Included excursions
- Entry into Tayrona National Park
- Walking tour of historic Valledupar
- Boat trip on the Magdalena river
- Evening tour of the bioluminescent plankton
- Visit to Totumo mud volcano
Instructors
Samuel Smith
Sam is one of the founding members of Adrenaline Addicts. In 2014, he and Christian, the other founding member, departed on a round-the-world trip, intending to cross six continents in five years. He spent the first nine months of the trip on the north coast of Colombia, bought a motorbike and traveled as far south as Peru, then returned to the north with Christian, where they founded the company. Prior to starting Adrenaline Addicts, Sam worked as a motorcycle instructor in the United States for several years before combining that passion with his love of Colombia.
Christian Riesenmy
Christian is the second founding member of Adrenaline Addicts. He traveled extensively throughout Colombia in 2014 and 2015 both together with Sam, and by himself, he worked for several adventure tour companies along the way before teaming back up with Sam in early 2016 to start the company. Prior to Adrenaline Addicts, Christian rode extensively around off-road and motocross trails throughout the United States, giving him a completely different riding background and skill set to his original business partner, complementing each other perfectly.
Brayden Lund
Brayden is the third business partner of Adrenaline Addicts. In 2015, he traveled and worked as a volunteer in Peru and Ecuador, and he discovered a love for Latin America. He made plans to visit Colombia and started his own business. Brayden met Sam and Christian in late 2016, six months after the other two had begun operations. After he worked together for several months with Sam and Christian, the three made the decision to bring on Brayden as the third partner. Prior to joining Adrenaline Addicts, Brayden has ridden for almost 10 years in Australia, parts of Asia, and South America.
Location
You will discover Northern Colombia:
- One of the most biodiverse places in the world
- Incredible white sand beaches surrounded by pristine, tropical jungle
- The birthplace of Vallenato music
- Old colonial buildings feel like a step back in time
- The many and varied fine-dining experiences of Cartagena
Food
- Vegetarian options are always available, but can at times be limited for lunches, depending on where the group is eating.
- All drinks are included, except for alcohol. But beer, wine, and spirits are relatively cheap and always accessible.
- For dinner Adrenaline Addicts always aims to eat at a nice restaurant, or a sit-down meal wherever the group chooses. Dinner arrangements are not fixed, and they usually give several options for the group to choose from.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Snacks
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Coffee
- Tea
- Soda
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
- Pescatarian
- Seafood
Things to do (optional)
- Sailing trips
- Scuba diving
- Hike the Ciudad Perdida
- Visit to Minca
What's included
- Bike rental
- Gasoline
- English / Spanish speaking guides
- All attractions and activities
- Helmet and riding gloves
- Medical insurance
- 5 nights accommodation
- 5 breakfast
- 5 dinner
- 6 lunch
What's not included
- Passenger: 699 USD
- Private room upgrade: 299 USD
- Support truck: 999 USD (split between group)
- GoPro and helmet mount: 50 USD (SD-card not included)
- Elbow and knee pads: 50 USD
- Riding boots: 75 USD
- Rain gear: 30 USD
- Accommodation pre / post tour
- Airport pickup / drop-off (SMR, BAQ, or CTG)
How to get there
Recommended Airports
Simón Bolívar International Airport
27 km
Transfer not provided
Arrival by taxi
A taxi can be easily ordered on arrival from outside Santa Marta airport. Cost is 40,000 COP, or Adrenaline Addicts can arrange private transportation to pick you up from the airport. You can also fly into Barranquilla airport, which is 1.5 hours away, and a taxi will cost approximately 80 USD to bring you to Santa Marta, or they can organize private transport.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 30% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through Tripaneer.com. All major credit cards supported.