Colombia for Her: 2025 Birdwatching & Photography Adventure
A Private Women’s Birding and Photography Tour Through Colombia’s Wildest Landscapes – November 2025
Led by a renowned female photographer, with top guides, hides, El Dorado stay, and local cuisine.
15 Days
14 nights
Nov 14-28
2025
US$ 4980 Pp
Price From
Join a private, women-only birding and photography journey across Colombia, designed for those seeking rare endemics and unforgettable images. Led by a renowned female wildlife photographer and supported by Colombia’s finest local guides, this thoughtfully crafted tour offers insider access to premier habitats and handpicked locations.
From the highland cloud forests of the Central Andes to the iconic slopes of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta—home to the celebrated El Dorado Lodge—you will photograph elusive species such as the Santa Marta Parakeet and Gold-ringed Tanager in their natural habitats.
Expect empowering field moments, rich photographic opportunities, and a deeply immersive experience through some of Earth’s most biodiverse landscapes—all complemented by regional cuisine and local cultural insights.
Explore Colombia’s top birding hotspots chosen for biodiversity, access, and endemics.
Capture striking close-up images of rare antpittas, hummingbirds, and colourful tanagers
Includes Santa Marta, home to the highest concentration of Colombian endemic species.
Stay at El Dorado Lodge, perfectly positioned for Santa Marta specialities.
Enjoy smooth logistics through our trusted network of lodges, guides, and operators.
Guided by expert photographer and local birding specialists with unmatched field knowledge.
Colombian Birdlife: As Endemic Explorer Sees It
Immersive Bird Photography Expedition Across Colombia Targeting Endemic Species, Featuring El Dorado Lodge
All our private tours are highly customizable. Share your travel goals, and we’ll create a compelling itinerary together
Day 1: Arrival Nov- 14, 2025 - Cali International Airport- CLO
Pacific Lowland Birding
Multicoloured Tanager & Green Hermit
Your adventure begins in Cali, nestled where the tropical Andes meet the Pacific lowlands. After a warm welcome, you head into the forested outskirts to start birding in a region teeming with colour and song. Expect your binoculars to fill quickly with flashes of the Multicoloured Tanager, Golden-winged Warbler, and the elusive Green Hermit.
The edges of forest trails, alive with hummingbird feeders and fruiting trees, promise an easy and inspiring start.
Suggested local treat: Try a fresh arepa de choclo (sweet corn cake) with local cheese—a beloved breakfast in the Andes.
Day 2: Nov 15, 2025- Birding at the Andean Foothills near Cali
Birding In Andean Foothills
Tanagers & Masked Trogon
Spend a full day deep in the trails of the Andean foothills, listening for the whistled call of the Chestnut-mantled Tanager and the fluttering presence of the Saffron-crowned Tanager. The Masked Trogon may grace you with a silent appearance amid moss-laden branches. Feeders attract dazzling hummingbirds, but a little patience rewards you with rarer forest-dwelling species.
Day 3: Nov 16, 2025- Travel to the Highlands of the Central Andes
Birding In The Coffee Country
AntPittas & Tanagers
Leaving Cali, you head into the mountainous heart of Colombia’s coffee region. Manizales. The landscapes shift dramatically—valleys give way to highland forests and misty ridges. Upon arrival in the Central Andes, you are introduced to high-altitude specialists like the Grey-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Hooded Mountain-Tanager, and the shy yet captivating Crescent-faced Antpitta.
Day 4-5: Nov 17-18- Cloud Forest Photography and Rare Mountain Birds
Birding In The Coffee Country
Sword-billed Humming bird
Over two full days, you explore some of the best birding trails in Colombia’s highlands. The Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager flashes its crimson plumage along mossy branches, while the astonishing Sword-billed Hummingbird hovers with its impossibly long bill. Look carefully along the undergrowth for the Equatorial Antpitta, often heard long before it is seen.
Photographic hides and well-placed feeders create close-range magic.
Day 6: Nov 19, 2025- Up Into the Páramo: Volcanic Heights and Specialised Birds
Higher Elevation Birding
Buffy-Helemetcrest and hummingbirds
Today, the journey ascends to the windswept páramo near Nevado del Ruiz. The air thins and the vegetation becomes sparse, revealing a landscape of frailejones and volcanic rock. This is the realm of the Buffy Helmetcrest, an exquisite high-altitude hummingbird, along with the Rainbow-bearded Thornbill and Black-thighed Puffleg. The thermal mist here adds an ethereal glow to your images—and the birds seem almost mythical.
Suggested local meal: Sip on a bowl of ajiaco, a highland chicken and potato soup that warms the soul after a morning in the cold páramo air.
Day 7: Nov 20, 2025- Farewell to the Highlands, Return to Manizales
Transit To Lower Manizales
After a morning session in the páramo, you descend to the temperate city of Manizales for a restful evening. It is a chance to catch up on photographs, recharge your batteries, and perhaps spot urban edge species like the Crimson-rumped Toucanet on flowering trees..
Day 8: Nov 21, 2025- Rio Blanco: The Antpitta Capital
Antpitta Feeding Stations
Antpittas and fruiteaters
Spend a full day at the legendary Rio Blanco Reserve. Antpitta feeding stations offer unparalleled chances to photograph and observe secretive ground-dwellers: the Bicoloured Antpitta, Chestnut-naped Antpitta, Slate-crowned Antpitta, and the ever-charming Brown-banded Antpitta. Look to the canopy for bursts of colour from the Green-and-black Fruiteater and various trogons.
Day 9: Nov 22, 2025- Into the Depths of Tatamá: Travel to Montezuma
Cloud Forest Birding
land of rare Colombian endemics
Your route winds west into the remote and rain-drenched slopes of Tatamá National Park. As you enter Montezuma, the atmosphere grows wilder, with dense primary forests stretching in every direction.
This area is famed for its rare endemics, and the first afternoon birding may reward you with sightings of the Gold-ringed Tanager and the vibrant Black-and-gold Tanagers.
Day 10: Nov 23, 2025- Full Exploration of Montezuma Road
The Road Trails
One of Colombia’s most iconic birding routes, Montezuma Road climbs through layers of cloud forest where elevation changes reveal new birds around every corner. Watch for the flitting Chestnut-bellied Flowerpiercer, the forest-wrapped Munchique Wood Wren, and the fiery throat of the Rufous-gaped Hillstar.
Suggested local dish: Enjoy a simple yet hearty bandeja paisa, featuring red beans, rice, avocado, and grilled plantain—a local classic that reflects the generosity of the region.
Day 11: Nov 24, 2025- Journey to the Coffee Town of Jardín
Andean Cock-of-the-Rock
AnInca Jay and red-bellied grackle
The landscape softens as you make your way to Jardín, a picturesque town wrapped in coffee hills and waterfalls. Upon arrival, head straight to the lek of the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock. Here, glowing orange males gather at dusk in a theatre of wild courtship displays—truly one of South America’s most iconic avian spectacles. Other highlights include the Crested Ant Tanager, Red-bellied Grackle, and Inca Jay, all found in nearby montane forests.
Day 12: Nov 25, 2025- Flight to Santa Marta, Gateway to the Sierra Nevada
Sierra Nevada - The Increddible Costal Mountains
Jardin-medellin-santa marta
After a morning birding stroll in Jardín, you fly north to the Caribbean coast and ascend into the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta—the tallest coastal mountain range in the world. As you gain elevation, the forest shifts again, and so does the birdlife. You will settle in for a multi-day stay at El Dorado Lodge, perched amid the clouds. Along the journey, watch for changing microclimates, dramatic vistas, and a cascade of species found nowhere else—an ideal prelude to the endemic-rich experience that awaits.
Accommodation: El Dorado Lodge
Day 13-14: Nov 26-27, 2025- Birding the Sierra Nevada’s Endemic Stronghold
Photography at El Dorado
Endemic rush in high altitude cloud forests
These three days are devoted to exploring the fabled San Lorenzo Ridge and the surrounding forest—a stronghold for Santa Marta endemics. Among your targets: Santa Marta Parakeet, Santa Marta Brushfinch, Santa Marta Woodstar, and the Black-cheeked Mountain-Tanager. Feeders attract an endless flurry of hummingbirds and tanagers, while the misty trails echo with unfamiliar songs. El Dorado Lodge’s location allows early morning starts and midday returns to rest or review photos.
Try a fresh tropical juice of lulo or guanábana, often served here with breakfast—refreshing and unique to the region. During quiet moments on the veranda, you might spot a White-tailed Starfrontlet darting through the flowers or hear the distant call of a White-lored Warbler. As the light shifts over the forest canopy, the view opens to the distant Caribbean Sea—reminding you that in this one place, the mountains truly meet the ocean.
Accommodation: El Dorado Lodge
Day 15: Nov 28, 2025- Minca: Coastal Forests and a Gentle Farewell
Lower Sierra Nevada Birding
Keel-billed Toucan and whooping motmot
Your final morning is spent in the subtropical forests near Minca, a peaceful town where montane and lowland species intermingle. This is a final flourish for your list—Keel-billed Toucan, Whooping Motmot, and Golden-winged Sparrow are all possible here. Waterfalls, bamboo thickets, and quiet forest edges round off your expedition with serenity.
In the afternoon, transfer to the airport, closing your journey with a sense of wonder—and hopefully, a full memory card.
Tour Highlights
Comprehensive List of Birds:
Colombia: Home to 1700 plus species
Multicoloured Tanager, Golden-winged Warbler, Green Hermit, Chestnut-mantled Tanager, Saffron-crowned Tanager, Masked Trogon, Grey-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Hooded Mountain-Tanager, Crescent-faced Antpitta, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Equatorial Antpitta, Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager, Buffy Helmetcrest, Rainbow-bearded Thornbill, Black-thighed Puffleg, Bicoloured Antpitta, Chestnut-naped Antpitta, Slate-crowned Antpitta, Green-and-black Fruiteater, Brown-banded Antpitta, Gold-ringed Tanager, Black-and-gold Tanager, Chestnut-bellied Flowerpiercer, Munchique Wood Wren, Rufous-gaped Hillstar, Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, Inca Jay, Crested Ant Tanager, Red-bellied Grackle, Santa Marta Parakeet, Santa Marta Brushfinch, Santa Marta Woodstar, Black-cheeked Mountain-Tanager, Keel-billed Toucan, Golden-winged Sparrow and Whooping Motmot.
Tour Cost
Tour Cost: US$ 4980
per person/twin share basis
Single Room USD 5,650
If you are a solo participant, we will make every effort to match you with a same-gender guest to share your room. However, if we are unable to find a suitable roommate, the single room supplement of USD 5,880 will be applicable.
Note: Please note that foreign exchange rates, money transfer charges, and any applicable credit card fees may be added to the published cost.
Tour Starting Date & Place: TBA at 8 AM – Cali International Airport (CLO)
Tour Ending Date & Place: TBA at 6 PM- Simon Bolivar International Airport, Santa Martha (SMR)
Tour Leader: An experienced guide/tour manager will accompany you throughout the trip, supported by various local guides.
Special Notes
Included in the Cost:
1. Accommodations with meals as per the itinerary
2. All ground transportation
3. Guide and trakker fees
4. Bird hide/feeder fees
Not included in the cost:
1. Domestic flight tickets
2. Laundry, taxes, additional menu, visa fee, insurance, medical expenses, etc.
Tips, Terms and Conditions
1. A 50 % deposit is required to confirm your booking. Please refer to our booking policies for more details.
2. Full payment must be made 60 days before the start of the tour.
3. Travel insurance is highly recommended.
4. The itinerary is subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances, such as weather or park regulations.
Tour Map
Extras & Tools
Read, Watch, or Listen About the Tour
