A full week in Bogotá and Cartagena for two from Toronto runs $3,200–$4,500 CAD all-in. Here's the real itinerary: flights, mid-range boutique hotels, what to eat, what to book, and what to skip.
Colombia is one of those places where you can spend $180 CAD on dinner in a candlelit patio and also eat the best ceviche of your life for $14 CAD at a plastic table by the market. The trick is picking the right bases — the Andes for colonial cities and high-altitude cool, then the Caribbean for heat, salt air, and old walls. Three nights in Bogotá, four in Cartagena. That's the split.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Capitals covered | Bogotá (capital) + Cartagena (Caribbean coast) |
| Currency | Colombian Peso (COP); ~$1 CAD = 3,200–3,500 COP |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (same as Toronto in winter; 1 hour behind in summer) |
| Visa for Canadians | Not required for stays under 90 days |
| Best months for couples | December–March (dry, peak), April + September (shoulder sweet spot) |
| Avg return flight YYZ → BOG | $500–$750 CAD (Avianca direct, ~5h 30m) |
| Avg return flight YUL → BOG | $550–$800 CAD (connection through BOG partners or PTY) |
| Avg return flight YVR → BOG | $700–$950 CAD (1–2 connections) |
| Avg return flight YYC → BOG | $650–$900 CAD (connection via YYZ or Houston) |
| Mid-range daily budget (couple) | $260–$360 CAD all-in |
| Total week for two (mid-range) | $3,200–$4,500 CAD |
Getting There from Canada
Toronto is your best gateway. Avianca runs direct YYZ → BOG year-round, usually five to six days a week, and it's almost always the cheapest option. Flight time is about 5 hours 30 minutes. Air Canada also flies the route seasonally, mostly December through March, and WestJet connects through the US.
From YUL, expect a connection through BOG partners or Panama City (PTY) on Copa. From YYC and YVR, you're routing through Houston (IAH), Dallas (DFW), or YYZ. Budget an extra 4–6 hours of total travel on top of the direct time.
The domestic BOG → CTG leg is a 90-minute flight. Avianca and LATAM run it 6–10 times a day. Book at the same time as your international ticket and the combined fare is often $80–$120 CAD cheaper per person than booking separately.
The catch: Avianca's direct YYZ → BOG route fills up fast for Canadian school breaks and Colombian high season (late December, Semana Santa in March/April). Book 10–12 weeks out or the fare roughly doubles. If you're flexible, a Tuesday or Wednesday departure saves $80–$150 per person over weekend flights.
Find the best YYZ → BOG fares on Expedia
The Itinerary at a Glance
| Days | Base | What You're Doing |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Bogotá — La Candelaria | Land, walking tour, rooftop dinner in Zona G |
| Day 2 | Bogotá | Monserrate sunrise, Gold Museum, food tour |
| Day 3 | Bogotá → Cartagena | Half day in Usaquén, afternoon flight to CTG |
| Day 4 | Cartagena — Old Town | Walled city, sunset on the ramparts |
| Day 5 | Cartagena — Rosario Islands | Private boat day trip |
| Day 6 | Cartagena — Getsemaní | Café de Indias cooking class, salsa at Plaza Trinidad |
| Day 7 | Cartagena → home | Café del Mural brunch, fly back via BOG |
Days 1–3: Bogotá
You'll land at El Dorado (BOG) in the morning if you take the overnight flight from YYZ. That's ideal — you lose one night but gain a full day. Uber or Cabify from the airport to La Candelaria runs $12–$18 CAD. Don't take the unmarked white cabs at arrivals.
Where to stay (couples-tier, Bogotá)
- Budget–mid: Casa Deco Hotel in La Candelaria — a restored 1930s art deco building with character rooms at $95–$130 CAD/night.
- Mid-range (recommended): Click Clack Hotel in Chapinero — design-forward, rooftop bar with a 360° city view, rooms at $150–$200 CAD/night. Walk to dinner.
- Splurge: Four Seasons Casa Medina — restored 1945 building in Zona G with a quiet courtyard restaurant that books out on weekends. $340–$430 CAD/night.
Browse Bogotá boutique hotels on Booking.com — sorted by guest rating
The catch: La Candelaria is the historic centre and the most walkable for sightseeing, but it empties out after dark and feels uneasy after 10 PM. If you want a neighbourhood you can stroll in jeans for dinner and come back without a cab, base in Chapinero Alto or Zona G. It's a $5 Uber to La Candelaria when you want to play tourist.
What to do as a couple
Day 1 — Candelaria walking tour + rooftop dinner. Do the 10am Beyond Colombia free walking tour through La Candelaria (tip $10–$15 per person). You'll hit Plaza Bolívar, the Botero Museum (free admission, two hours of Fernando Botero's pot-bellied everything), and the street art circuit. Lunch at La Puerta Falsa — a 200-year-old spot doing tamales and ajiaco soup for $6–$9 CAD. Evening: head to El Chato in Chapinero for tasting-menu level food at $50–$65 CAD per person. Book 2 weeks ahead.
Day 2 — Monserrate sunrise + Gold Museum + food tour. Cable car up Monserrate opens at 6:30 AM. Go early: the view over the Sabana de Bogotá as the clouds lift is the best 15 minutes of your trip, and the crowds arrive by 9. Cable car return: $10 CAD. Mid-morning at Museo del Oro — $6 CAD entry, 55,000 pre-Columbian gold pieces, done in 90 minutes. Evening: book a Bogotá Foodie Tour through GetYourGuide — you'll hit three neighbourhoods, six tasting stops, and a guide who does the talking so you and your partner actually have a conversation.
Book a Bogotá food and walking tour on GetYourGuide
Day 3 — Usaquén morning, fly to Cartagena. Uber to Usaquén (15 minutes north, $6 CAD), a colonial village the city grew around. Sunday is the flea-market day but any morning works for cobblestone streets and strong coffee at Café Cultor. Back to the hotel by noon, airport by 2, domestic Avianca flight at 4, in Cartagena by 5:30.
The catch: Bogotá sits at 2,640 metres. Altitude is real. You'll feel it on stairs and at Monserrate's summit (3,152 m). Drink water, skip the aguardiente on arrival night, and take the first morning slow. Also: Bogotá rains. Pack a compact umbrella.
Days 4–7: Cartagena
You land at Rafael Núñez (CTG) and it's a 15-minute cab into the walled city — $12–$18 CAD depending on the driver's mood. The temperature goes from 14°C in Bogotá to 31°C at night in Cartagena. Your body will feel the swap.
Where to stay (couples-tier, Cartagena)
- Budget–mid: Casa del Curato in the San Diego quarter of the Old Town — boutique, 9 rooms, plunge pool in the courtyard. $120–$160 CAD/night. Quieter than the main Centro strip.
- Mid-range (recommended): Hotel Casa San Agustin — this is the one couples talk about. Old colonial townhouse, pool fed by a pre-Columbian aqueduct, rooms at $240–$320 CAD/night in shoulder season.
- Splurge: Sofitel Legend Santa Clara in the San Diego quarter. A 17th-century convent turned hotel. Rooms from $450–$650 CAD/night. Worth one night for an anniversary or a milestone; the courtyards alone justify the price.
Browse Cartagena Old Town hotels on Booking.com
What to do as a couple
Day 4 — Walled city at sunset. Arrival day. Don't plan anything hard. Walk the Old Town's ramparts around 5:30 PM — the light turns the walls orange and the cannons silhouette against the Caribbean. Drink at Café del Mar on top of the walls ($10 CAD cocktail with the best view in the city). Dinner at Carmen in the San Diego quarter — refined Colombian tasting menu at $90–$120 CAD per person. Book before you leave Canada. It books out.
Day 5 — Rosario Islands private boat. This is the day your trip becomes a trip. Skip the cattle-boat group tours. Book a small private speedboat for the day through a local operator — about $450–$600 CAD for two people including captain, fuel, snorkelling gear, and lunch stop at a beach club. You'll hit Isla del Rosario, Playa Blanca, and a quiet swim-cove on Isla Barú. Water is Caribbean-clear. Back to the dock by 4.
Book Cartagena boat tours and experiences on GetYourGuide
Day 6 — Cooking class + salsa night. Morning: book a private cooking class at Lunatico or Sabor Barroco — $75–$100 CAD per person for a market tour, a 3-course Caribbean lunch you cook yourselves, and a rum tasting. Afternoon off. Evening: Plaza de la Trinidad in Getsemaní. The whole square turns into an open-air bar with live salsa and vallenato by 9 PM. Cocktails are $5–$8 CAD. Couples dance. You'll dance. It's that kind of night.
Day 7 — Brunch and home. Café del Mural in Getsemaní does a long Colombian brunch with specialty coffee for $25 CAD for two. Walk it off, grab your bag, cab to CTG by 1 PM, fly BOG → YYZ overnight, land in Toronto by morning.
The catch: The Old Town has a noticeable markup on everything inside the walls. A beer at a Plaza Santo Domingo terrace is $6 CAD; the same beer in Getsemaní is $3. If you want the walled-city ambience for sunset drinks, great. For daily food and most dinners, walk 10 minutes into Getsemaní and your bill drops 40%.
Best Time to Visit for Couples
December–March: Dry season, reliable sun, peak prices. Hotels in Cartagena run 30–50% above shoulder rates. Book 3–4 months out.
April and September (the sweet spots): Shoulder months. Occasional afternoon rain, everything still open, prices down 20–35%. April is particularly good: Semana Santa has passed, high season is over, flights drop.
May–November (green season): Cheapest. It rains more, especially in Cartagena. Bogotá is cool year-round (think Vancouver in April). If you're flexible and budget-aware, you'll find sub-$500 CAD return fares from YYZ and half-price rooms.
The catch: Avoid mid-December through early January unless you book months ahead. Cartagena becomes a Colombian domestic holiday destination and hotel prices double.
Budget Breakdown: 7 Days for Two
| Category | Mid-range Estimate (CAD, couple total) |
|---|---|
| Return flights YYZ → BOG (2 people, Avianca) | $1,000–$1,500 |
| Domestic flights BOG → CTG (2 people) | $160–$240 |
| Accommodation — 3 nights Bogotá mid-range (Click Clack or similar) | $450–$600 |
| Accommodation — 4 nights Cartagena mid-range (Casa San Agustin or similar) | $960–$1,280 |
| Food and drinks (7 days, mix of casual and nice dinners) | $550–$750 |
| Activities (Monserrate, museums, food tour, cooking class, private boat) | $550–$750 |
| Local transport (Uber, cabs, tips) | $120–$180 |
| Miscellaneous (SIM, tips, a gift or two) | $80–$150 |
| Total | $3,870–$5,450 CAD for two |
If you pick the boutique budget-tier hotels (Casa Deco + Casa del Curato), skip the private Rosario boat for a group trip, and eat 2 "nice" dinners instead of 4, the same week runs $3,200 CAD for two. Go splurge at the Sofitel Legend for one night and pick Four Seasons in Bogotá, and you're at $6,500.
Practical Tips for Canadians
Flights: Avianca YYZ → BOG direct is the anchor. Set a Google Flights alert on the route and wait for a sub-$550 CAD return. Shoulder months (April–May, September–November) are when the good fares appear.
Money: Colombia is cash-heavier than Canada but moving fast toward cards. Bogotá hotels, restaurants, and Ubers all take Visa. Cartagena is similar. Carry $200–$300 CAD equivalent in COP for market food, tips, and boat operators. Bancolombia ATMs have the lowest fees for Canadian debit cards.
Safety: Both cities are safe for couples on the standard tourist circuits. Use Uber or InDrive, not street cabs. Don't wear obvious jewellery. Both partners carry a card and some cash — split it between you. Late-night Getsemaní is fine in groups but take an Uber back to your hotel at 1 AM, not a walk.
Phone: Claro SIM cards at the airport — $10–$15 CAD for 10–15 GB of nationwide data. WhatsApp is how every hotel, restaurant, and boat captain communicates. Set it up before you land.
Travel insurance: Get it. Colombia has excellent private clinics in both cities, but you'll pay out of pocket without coverage. A $60–$80 CAD policy for a 10-day trip through a Canadian broker covers medical, trip cancellation, and lost bags.
The catch: The CAD/COP rate has moved against us in the last two years. A cocktail that was $3 in 2020 is now $6–$8. Colombia is still a value destination from Canada, but the "absurdly cheap" framing of older travel blogs is out of date. Budget realistically.
FAQ
Do Canadians need a visa for Colombia? No. Canadian passport holders enter visa-free for up to 90 days. You'll need a passport valid at least six months past your travel date and proof of onward travel (a return flight is enough).
How much does a couples trip to Colombia cost from Canada? A week in Bogotá and Cartagena runs $3,200–$4,500 CAD for two on a mid-range budget: flights, mid-range hotels, meals out, one private boat day. Cut the private boat and stay in boutique-budget rooms and you're closer to $2,800. Splurge at the Sofitel or Four Seasons and you'll land around $6,000.
Is Cartagena safe for couples? Yes, on the standard tourist circuit. The walled Old Town, Getsemaní, and Bocagrande are well-trafficked and policed. Standard precautions apply: use Uber after dark, don't flash valuables, and stick to busy streets late at night. The Canadian government advisory is "exercise a high degree of caution" — that language covers the whole country, not the tourist neighbourhoods specifically.
What's the best time of year for a Colombia couples trip? April and September are the shoulder sweet spots: fewer crowds, lower hotel rates, and fares from YYZ often dip below $550 CAD return. December–March is dry-season peak — reliable sun, higher prices. Avoid Christmas week and Semana Santa (Easter week) unless you book 4+ months out.
How long is the flight from Toronto to Colombia? Avianca's direct YYZ → BOG flight is about 5 hours 30 minutes. The domestic hop BOG → CTG is 90 minutes. From YVR, figure 10–12 hours total with a connection. From YUL, 7–8 hours with a connection through BOG or PTY.
Can we do Cartagena only and skip Bogotá? You can, but you'll miss the best part of Colombia. Cartagena is the postcard, but Bogotá is where the country actually lives — the food scene, the coffee, the museums, and the altitude contrast that makes the Caribbean leg feel earned. Three nights in Bogotá is not a chore. It's the setup.
Do we need to speak Spanish? Basics help. Cartagena's Old Town and Bogotá's tourist zones have enough English to manage. Outside those, Spanish wins. Learn 50 phrases and keep Google Translate offline. Colombians are patient — the effort matters more than accuracy.
Current Deals from Canada
Check the FareNorth deals page for live flight deals from YYZ, YUL, YYC, and YVR to Bogotá and Cartagena. This route drops into the sub-$500 CAD return range a handful of times a year — usually on Avianca, usually for shoulder-season travel. Worth an alert.
Last updated: April 2026
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