Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Trips & Tours

Travel and Leisure Worlds Best Awards for number 1 tour operator in the world 2024 and number 2 tour operator in the world 2025

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Named three years running in Travel+Leisure World's Best, including No.1 in 2024

Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

Coastal mountains with snowy peaks and lush jungles.

Imagine snowy peaks towering over golden beaches, cloud forests hiding ancient secrets, and rivers carving their way through lush jungles. Welcome to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the world’s highest coastal mountain range. This region is a treasure trove of biodiversity, home to unique ecosystems and a haven for endemic species. Rich in culture, it is the land of the Kogi, Arhuaco, Wiwa, and Kankuamo peoples who guard their traditions and spirituality. Explore the enigmatic Lost City, raft down clear rivers, or simply relax on pristine beaches framed by towering mountains.

Our Experts

Want to chat?

Get advice and suggestions to make this your perfect trip.

or call us on: +1 (646) 542 0667

Joanna Rigby-Jones

Colombia Travel Specialist

Meg Yash

Global Travel Specialist

Carola Fresno

Colombia Travel Specialist

Things to do

What to do in Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

Open Map

Hiking

Why you'll love it

A stunning mix of natural beauty, rich wildlife, and deep-rooted indigenous culture.

Off the beaten track

Visit Minca, a mountain village with cool breezes, coffee farms, and refreshing waterfalls.

Something to think about

The Sierra Nevada is sacred to its indigenous inhabitants, so tread lightly and respect local customs and traditions.

When to go

Best time to visit Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

Excellent

Good

Mixed

january

Dry Season — one of the best times to visit

Reviews

Based on 948 Feefo Reviews

Kelly Reeve

August 2026

9 nights in Kenya

Kristen was very helpful and attentive in planning our Safari

Jenna was great to work with! She was very patient and informative throughout the process of figuring out the best itinerary for us.

Dachresha Harris

Great experience….bucket list ✅

August 2026

9 nights in Tanzania

Annie was amazing to partner with through this planning for our group of 14. She was patient, proactive and very communicative. She made sure we had everything we needed in place prior to our travels. She consistently sent reminders and providing me with crucial information. The resources provided to help with keeping our plans organized was great. I will definitely travel with Timbuktu again.

Guest

South Africa & Madagascar

August 2026

16 nights in Madagascar

Kevin has been great to work with. He’s very thorough and efficient and has great knowledge of our chosen destinations. Of course, we haven’t actually taken the trip yet, so I cannot comment on how well it will all flow. I have confidence that it will be wonderful.

Jenni Darling

August 2026

9 nights in Egypt and Morocco

Super professional and knowledgeable, and they were always very responsive to all my questions about the trip!

Why travel with Timbuktu?

We design tailor-made journeys for travellers who want more than a holiday, from first-time safaris, gorilla treks and multi-generational family adventures to once-in-a-lifetime honeymoons - and everything in between. And here's why so many choose us to plan them.

Tailor-Made Since 2014

We've been crafting one-of-a-kind journeys since 2014 — over 2,500 trips across 40+ countries, each one built from scratch around your interests and dreams.

Specialists Who've Been There

Our team only recommends places they've slept in, eaten in, and happily keep going back to. Condé Nast Traveler named 11 of them Top Travel Specialists in 2026, and Travel+Leisure made three A-List Advisors.

The World's No 1 Tour Operator

Travel+Leisure's readers voted us the World's No.1 Tour Operator in 2024 and No.2 in 2025 — the travel industry's biggest readers' award, judged by people who actually travel.

Every Trip Makes A Difference

$50 from every booking goes to female empowerment, tech education, and conservation projects across the countries we love. We have donated $78,000 so far – and it's going up!

Collaboration Is Key

Your travel specialist is with you the whole way, dreaming up the trip, building the itinerary, checking you in, and answering the 2am question from the other side of the world..