Overview¶

WIP Plan — route sketches, stay research, and transfers that are not locked yet. Booked / free-cancel legs live on Final plan (update that table as you confirm). For loose ideas still outside any plan, use Places to visit.

Domestic flight hops and sample fares: Internal transfers. Dance-first route sketches: Possible itinerary. Visual sketch of the same route ideas on a map: Route map. Where to sleep: Stays (Bogotá research — booked stay on Final plan). Wedding (location + dates): Wedding. Soft post-wedding invite: Coffee with hosts (23–26 Aug, Salento).

Dance nights link into Dance opportunities. Language / low-pressure social practice: Social & language opportunities. Place detail pages live under Places to visit → Cities & Regions.

Constraints & themes¶

Must be in Bogotá for the wedding Fri 21 Aug 2026 at El Retiro de San Juan (Calle 212 / Av Arrayanes, north of Usaquén) — full detail: Wedding. Hosts’ Welcome Event Thu 20 Aug, 5:00–10:00 pm (place TBD). Fly Tue 18 Aug 22:05 LHR→BOG (Avianca AV121 / AL9HEK); land Wed 19, 03:10 local — settled before the Welcome Event — Final plan.
Avoid overly "staged" tourism (e.g. Cartagena old town can feel expensive/staged for this trip's purposes).
Want: historic towns (Villa de Leyva, Barichara, Jardín, Salento/Filandia, etc.), coffee region (UNESCO landscape, Cocora Valley, coffee farms), some nature/coast (Santa Marta + Tayrona, or an alternative), archaeology only if it actually appeals (Colombia sites so far are weak for this trip — see Historical / Archaeology and Beyond Colombia), and dance opportunities throughout — see Personal context & goals.
Return: United FareLock HD3DCB — UA 559/122 Mon 23:10 BOG → Tue 21:25 LHR · purchase £743.30 by Tue 11 Aug 13:41 — Final plan · Flights.

Suggested route (2 weeks, adjustable)¶

#	Stop	Dates	Duration	Focus
1	Bogotá	19–23 Aug (hotel)	~4 nights	Wedding + soft landing
2	Coffee region (Salento)	23–26 Aug hosts (+ optional solo →27/28)	3–5 nights	Coffee with hosts — steal nights from Cali if needed
3	Cali	after coffee → Sun 30	~2–4 nights	Dance focused — shorter if Salento extended
4	Bogotá buffer	Sun 30 → Mon 31	1 night	Before United 23:10
5	Return	Mon 31 Aug → Tue 1 Sep	—	FareLock HD3DCB UA 559/122 — buy by 11 Aug

Internal flight sample dates/fares for legs between these stops: Internal transfers.

1. Bogotá — wedding + soft landing¶

Wedding location & calendar: Wedding — Welcome Event Thu 20, 5–10 pm (place TBD); celebration Fri 21, 3:00 pm → midnight at El Retiro de San Juan.
Base: Hotel Chico Parque 93 / Chico 97 booked (free cancel through 17 Aug 23:59) — research on Stays → Bogotá. B3 + HIE + Estelar demoted.
Historic centre (La Candelaria): walking tour, Gold Museum, Botero Museum, old streets — fit around the 20–21 lock, not on top of it.
Monserrate (funicular/cable car, city views).
Day/half-day trip to Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral.
Sunday Ciclovía — only if still in town Sun 23 morning before coffee flight (hosts’ invite aims BOG→AXM dep 11:50 — Coffee with hosts).
Dance: one "class + social" salsa night as a Colombia warm-up — prefer Wed 19 / Sat 22 (or Fri daytime only); Thu evening 20 is blocked by the Welcome Event — see Dance opportunities → Bogotá.

Full detail: Bogotá · Wedding

2. Coffee region — Salento with hosts (soft)¶

Lead plan: join hosts 23–26 Aug in Salento — flights via AXM, finca 24th, Cocora 25th — full detail Coffee with hosts.
Fly Bogotá → Armenia — mirror hosts’ Sun 23, 11:50→12:50 if booking your own seat — Internal transfers · Logistics → internal flights · Armenia.
Base: Salento (hosts at La Floresta; any nearby stay OK).
Dance: minimal here — this leg is for nature/relaxation (+ hosts’ social time).

Full detail: Coffee with hosts · Coffee region · Armenia

3. Cali — focused dance block (after coffee)¶

Medellín skipped (Aug 2026 decision) — go coffee → Cali.
Base near the recommended salsa school.
Private/small-group Cali-style classes with Ricardo Murillo / Salsa en Conexión, plus socials he recommends. Purpose: consolidate the Cali style learned in the London intensive course, and practice dancing in public in a supportive environment.
Length: default ~4 nights; if city fatigue worries you, cut to ~2–3 and keep extra nights in Salento instead — Coffee with hosts.
Backup if shy / dance softens: Spanish (Pasajero / Toucan) + Pance / Farallones nature half-day — Cali → backup diversions.
Not a launchpad for Pacific beaches — Seaside → Colombia.

Full detail: Cali · contact and message template in Dance opportunities → Cali

4. After Cali¶

Option	Verdict
Pacific seaside near Cali	Skip — murky / weak clear-water fit
Pacific instead of Cali (sea + classes)	Skip — no Cali-level dance block; Seaside → Colombia
Keep Sat Cali → CLO→BOG Sun → United Mon 23:10	FareLock held — LHR Tue 21:25 · purchase by 11 Aug
Delta Sun 09:00 via KLM	Alt only if FareLock abandoned
Straight UK after LHR	Rest at home

5. Return logistics¶

Purchase HD3DCB (£743.30) before Tue 11 Aug 13:41.
CLO→BOG Sun 30 + Bogotá Sun night.

Branches rejected / demoted

Medellín — skipped for this trip (urban / “overrated” fatigue after Bogotá).
Coffee → Cali + Pacific seaside — clear-water miss.
Cartagena as north-seaside filler — murky beaches + staged-old-town vibe.
Coast instead of Cali only if swimming clearly outranks salsa — Possible itinerary.