The 10 Birdwatching Tours in Colombia That Set the Tone

1.Easy Birdwatching in Cali Colombia (4 Hours)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 33 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $94Our pick

Leave Cali with a private bilingual guide and ride into the western Andes, where free-flying hummingbirds gather at natural feeders. Spend about 90 minutes at Finca Alejandria with coffee and bird guidance, then stop at a local farm to feed baby goats. Guide Mateo has earned praise for his bird and nature knowledge.

“Great place Finca Alejandria garden is famous for attracting MANY species of exotic hummingbirds, tanagers, red headed barbet, bananaquits and more. Photographers paradise! Mateo, My guide was very knowledgeable about the area birds and nature. Unfortunately his car broke down and we had an extended stay (saw more of property but birds significantly less in outskirts) Luckily he was able to get his dad to come and drive me back to my hotel! He says it’s time for a new car!”

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2.Cartagena Fishing, Crabbing, Birdwatching Experience + Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 21 reviews · 4 hours · from $79

Meet your English-speaking guide and local fisherman at Restaurante El Ñato in La Boquilla. Paddle through Ciénega de la Virgen, learn traditional net fishing and crabbing, watch for herons and pelicans, then enjoy fish or chicken at a beachfront restaurant. Guides may include Jon, Andre, Erika, or Elias.

“aprender de cerca y de la experiencia del señor Elias, valoriza la actividad del pescador y de lo que implica tener este producto en la mesa. Recomendado 10000%”

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3.Birding Medellin with expert bird-watcher (Private)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 17 reviews · 6 hours

Meet Sebastian or another local ornithology biologist at La Estrella Metro Station, then head to La Romera for six hours of birding among the mountains. You’ll learn to identify birds by sight and sound, use a bird list app, and enjoy breakfast, snacks, water, and a private pace suited to beginners or experienced birders.

“Great tour! We were able to see many species and had a good time despite some rain. Highly recommend.”

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4.Hummingbird Watching & Photography Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $65

Travel from Cali into the cool western mountains for two hours at Finca Alejandría, where more than 40 hummingbird species fly close to visitors and cameras. Your private tour includes hotel pickup, an air-conditioned vehicle, water, a snack, and English or Spanish guidance. Guides such as Juan and Vivi add bird and city insight along the way.

“Birdwatching made easy. So many hummingbirds and other species.. easy viewing. Hummingbirds will fly very close or feed by you. Excellent for photography. A few short trails around property. Good to get out of Cali and see countryside.our tour guide Vivi was very informative/helpful on drive to and from the birdwatching venue. Spoke good English and explained Spanish versions of bird names which often sound better than their English version! No biting bugs when we went in January. Logistics good and we stopped for a typical Colombian snack on return and were welcomed with coffee at venueRead more”

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5.Cocora Valley: Route of the Hummingbirds + breakfast & lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 6 reviews · 3 - 8 hours · from $129

Start with breakfast in Salento, then ride by Jeep to Cocora Valley for a 16 km birding hike. Cross six bridges, visit a hummingbird house, and picnic above the valley with a guide such as Germán, Juan, or Santiago. Small groups, binoculars, transport, meals, and entrance fees are included.

“We had a great time! Our guide, Germán, is super knowledge and passionate about birds as well as other local wildlife (he is a biologist). We saw over 25 different species including an Andean condor and a yellow-eared parrot. Germán would show us more information about where they can be found, detailed photos, and would also help guide us with the binoculars if needed. We also now have two new apps downloaded so we can plan bird song and identify the birds! The hike was also just a really nice hike. It was super muddy after a ton of rain but that was fun! We had a lovely lunch at…”

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6.hike to learn about Birds

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 6 reviews · 2 - 5 hours · from $60Best value

Meet at Brunch de Salento, learn the area’s key birds, then hike to a nearby birding spot with Jorge or another multilingual guide. Binoculars, fruit, and 1 liter of water are included. Look for motmots, tanagers, flycatchers, and hummingbirds in a group of up to eight.

“Jorge was a very good guide, professional and knowledgeable. On our walk we saw over 50 birds, 14 of those were new to us. A great morning out.”

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7.Bird Watching in The San Antonio Fog Forest

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 5 reviews · 6 hours · from $190

Leave Cali with a bilingual guide for six areas of bird watching in the San Antonio Fog Forest, including a cloud-forest farm and the Km18 roadside. Small groups of up to 10, coffee, a snack, transport from Hotel Intercontinental Cali, and a bird checklist are included. Guide Juan has led a particularly well-organized outing.

“Näimme runsaasti lintuja, mikä oli tarkoituskin. Olisi ollut hienoa kuulla esim. bussissa tarinoita ja tieteellistä tietoa kohteemme linnuista ja muista paikallisista asioista.”

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8.Avistamiento de aves en Minca Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 5 hours · from $70

Leave Santa Marta around 5 or 5:30 am for Minca, where guide Gustavo or another bilingual birding specialist leads a three-hour forest walk. Binoculars, private round-trip taxi service, and medical insurance are included. You may see toucans, hummingbirds, owls, flycatchers, hawks, and the Santa Marta parakeet before returning by 9:30 am.

“The tour was amazing, our guide was searching for birds professionally and patiently and showed them to us. We saw PLENTY of them!! Including toucan (twice). It was really impressing, I recommend this tour to everyone who loves birds.”

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9.Birdwatching Day Tour at Chicaque Natural Park

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 4 reviews · from $93

Leave Bogotá for a private, eight-hour birdwatching hike at Chicaque Natural Park. An English- or Spanish-speaking birding guide leads you through forest trails to key viewing areas, explains local bird life, and handles transport, park entry, and insurance. Bring waterproof shoes, warm layers, water, and lunch.

“The guide was great! Location way too crowded for a weekend. Too much noise, no birds. Also the itinerary said lunch was included but the guide wasn't informed. She confirmed it was but messy at that point. For the cost of the trip, that was unacceptable. I didn't get lunch. please contact me to discuss.”

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10.Explore the forest and bird watching at Chicaque Natural Park

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $127

Leave Bogota with a private vehicle and guide for Chicaque Natural Park, a cloud forest about 30 km away. You will walk selected trails, look for orchids, birds, and small mammals, hike to Chicaque Waterfall, and eat lunch in the park. English and Spanish guiding is available, with Edwin among the named guides connected to the experience.

“We had a fantastic personalised experience with Edwin! The trip started with a quick pick up, off to the park. The breakfast was delicious and after that we started the walk. Edwin gave us lots of information, sharing his insights about the wildlife and the cultural history. We arrived at a beautiful campsite and hotel in the middle of the park, had a good lunch and then walked back. Exactly what we needed after busy days in the city. We recommend this experience if you don’t know much about the park or the wildlife.”

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