This trip below was to visit one of my best friends, Beka, who was on a Fulbright Scholarship in Tunja, Columbia. Will and I figured what better time to go to Columbia than when we had free lodging! (we’ve always been frugal travelers) So that’s how we added Columbia to our adventures to the spring break my first year teaching.
Apparently I was not as good at keeping track of my budgets in our early travel days. This was before Will & I were engaged so we kept separate bank accounts and paid for things separately. Thank goodness things are much simpler now! Looking at my google sheets budget for a spring break trip we took to Columbia, I only put in actual costs for 2 days. Why?I have no idea! lol. Sorry but this budget below is JUST our estimates for 2 people in Columbia for spring break – I know that doesn’t help much!
JMF
P.S. you’ll see that on a lot of our trips we fly out of Ft. Lauderdale or Miami because my parents live down there and it tends to be much cheaper
| Activity | Location/Times | Estimated Cost COP | Estimate Cost USD |
| Thursday, March 12 | |||
| Central Florida to South Florida | |||
| Drive from Orlando to South Florida (after work) | Car snacks & supplies | COP 0.00 | $ 20.00 |
| Spend the night at my parent’s house | COP 0.00 | $0.00 | |
| SUBTOTAL | COP 0.00 | $ 20.00 | |
| Friday, March 13 | |||
| MIA to Bogotá | |||
| Flight: MIA to BOG | COP 2,187,000 | $ 900.00 | |
| Taxi from airport to hostel | COP 26,000 | $ 10.70 | |
| La Pinta Hostel | 2 nights/check in 2pm/BEKA MET US FOR THE WEEKEND BUT THE HOSTEL DIDN’T HAVE HER RESERVATION SO SHE SLEPT ON THE FLOOR IN OUR ROOM | COP 340,200 | $ 140.00 |
| Lunch | COP 20,000 | $ 8.23 | |
| Mercado de San Alejo | M-F 8am-6pm | COP 20,000 | $ 8.23 |
| Snacks | COP 10,000 | $ 4.12 | |
| Dinner | COP 40,000 | $ 16.46 | |
| SUBTOTAL | COP 2,643,200 | $ 1,087.74 | |
| Saturday, March 14 | |||
| Bogotá | |||
| Breakfast | COP 10,000 | $ 4.12 | |
| Transmilenio (public transportation) | COP 5,000 | $ 2.06 | |
| Museo del Oro | Tues-Sa 9am-6pm, Su 10am-4pm | COP 6,000 | $ 2.47 |
| Lunch | COP 20,000 | $ 8.23 | |
| Walk around La Candelaria District | FREE | COP 0.00 | $ 0.00 |
| Church of San Francisco | COP 0.00 | $ 0.00 | |
| Snacks | COP 10,000 | $ 4.12 | |
| Dinner | COP 40,000 | $ 16.46 | |
| Miscellaneous | COP 48,600 | $ 20.00 | |
| SUBTOTAL | COP 91,000 | $ 37.45 | |
| Sunday, March 15 | |||
| Bogotá to Tunja | |||
| Breakfast | COP 10,000 | $ 4.12 | |
| Transmilenio (public transportation) | COP 5,000 | $ 2.06 | |
| Check out of Hostel | have them hold our luggage for the day | COP 0.00 | $ 0.00 |
| Church & Museum of Santa Clara | T-F 9am-5pm, Sa-Su 10am-4pm | COP 6,000 | $ 2.47 |
| Lunch | COP 20,000 | $ 8.23 | |
| Transmilenio (public transportation) | COP 5,000 | $ 2.06 | |
| Tram up Monserrate OR walk | Will made me walk up (& I thought I was dying the whole way)/so it was FREE | COP 17,000 | $ 7.00 |
| Monserrate | FREE | COP – | $ – |
| Snacks | COP 6,000 | $ 2.47 | |
| Tran for Monserrate OR walk | FREE because we walked | COP 17,000 | $ 7.00 |
| Transmilenio (public transportation) | COP 5,000 | $ 2.06 | |
| Bus from Bogotá to Tunja | COP 40,000 | $ 16.46 | |
| Stayed with Beka in her dorm/house | FREE/4 nights | ||
| Miscellaneous | COP 48,600 | $ 20.00 | |
| SUBTOTAL | COP 179,600 | $ 73.91 | |
| Monday, March 16 | |||
| Tunja | |||
| Breakfast | COP 14,000 | $ 5.76 | |
| Walk around Tunja | COP 0.00 | $ 0.00 | |
| Lunch | COP 15,000 | $ 6.17 | |
| Church of Santa Clara La Real | 8am-12pm | COP 6,000 | $ 2.47 |
| Casa del Fundador Suarez Rendon | 8am-12pm, 2-6pm | COP 4,000 | $ 1.65 |
| Snacks | COP 6,000 | $ 2.47 | |
| Dinner | COP 36,000 | $ 14.81 | |
| Miscellaneous | COP 48,600 | $ 20.00 | |
| SUBTOTAL | COP 81,000 | $ 33.33 | |
| Tuesday, March 17 | |||
| Day Trip to Villa de Leyva | |||
| Breakfast | COP 14,000 | $ 5.76 | |
| Bus from Tunja to Villa de Leyva | ~35 minutes/leaves every 15 minutes | COP 12,000 | $ 4.94 |
| Walk around Villa de Leyva & Plaza Mayor | FREE | COP 0.00 | $ 0.00 |
| Casa Museo de Luis Alberto Acuña | 9am-6pm | COP 8,000 | $ 3.29 |
| Lunch | COP 15,000 | $ 6.17 | |
| I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HERE | just outside town???? | COP 10,000 | $ 4.12 |
| Bus from Villa de Leyva to Tunja | ~35 minutes/leaves every 15 minutes | COP 12,000 | $ 4.94 |
| Snacks | COP 6,000 | $ 2.47 | |
| Dinner | COP 48,000 | $ 19.75 | |
| Miscellaneous | COP 48,600 | $ 20.00 | |
| SUBTOTAL | COP 125,000 | $ 51.44 | |
| Wednesday March, 18 | |||
| Day Trip to Paipa Hot Springs | |||
| Breakfast | COP 14,000 | $ 5.76 | |
| Bus from Tunja to Paipa | ~40 minutes | COP 12,000 | $ 4.94 |
| Taxi to particular hot spring | COP 8,000 | $ 3.29 | |
| Paipa Hot Springs | COP 40,000 | $ 16.46 | |
| Lunch | COP 15,000 | $ 6.17 | |
| Bus from Paipa to Tunja | ~40 minutes | COP 12,000 | $ 4.94 |
| Snacks | COP 6,000 | $ 2.47 | |
| Dinner | COP 36,000 | $ 14.81 | |
| Miscellaneous | COP 48,600 | $ 20.00 | |
| SUBTOTAL | COP 143,000 | $ 58.85 | |
| Thursday, March 19 | |||
| Tunja to Bogotá | |||
| Breakfast | COP 14,000 | $ 5.76 | |
| Bus from Tunja to Bogotá | COP 40,000 | $ 16.46 | |
| La Pinta Hostel | Check in 2pm/2 nights | COP 218,700 | $ 90.00 |
| Transmilenio | COP 5,000 | $ 2.06 | |
| Lunch | COP 20,000 | $ 8.23 | |
| Museo Botero | 9am-7pm/FREE | COP 0.00 | $ 0.00 |
| Plaza Bolivar | FREE | COP 0.00 | $ 0.00 |
| Snacks | COP 10,000 | $ 4.12 | |
| Taxi round trip to dinner | WE DID NOT END UP DOING THIS TRIP | COP 180,000 | $ 74.07 |
| Dinner/Andres Carne de Res, Chia | WE DID NOT END UP EATING HERE – WILL WAS NOT INTO IT WHEN HE FINALLY LOOKED AT THE PHOTOS LOL | COP 170,000 | $ 69.96 |
| Miscellaneous | COP 48,600 | $ 20.00 | |
| SUBTOTAL | COP 657,700 | $ 270.66 | |
| Friday, March 20 | |||
| Day Trip to Zipaquira | |||
| Breakfast | COP 14,000 | $ 5.76 | |
| Taxi round trip to Zipaquirá | MY ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO TAKE A TAXI THERE BUT WE FOUND A MUCH CHEAPER BUS OPTION IN COUNTRY | COP 180,000 | $ 74.07 |
| Tour of Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá | COP 40,000 | $ 16.46 | |
| Lunch | COP 20,000 | $ 8.23 | |
| Snacks | COP 6,000 | $ 2.47 | |
| Dinner | COP 30,000 | $ 12.35 | |
| Miscellaneous | COP 48,600 | $ 20.00 | |
| SUBTOTAL | COP 290,000 | $ 119.34 | |
| Saturday, March 21 | |||
| Bogotá to South Florida to Central Florida | |||
| Breakfast | COP 14,000 | $ 5.76 | |
| Transmilenio (public transportation) | COP 5,000 | $ 2.06 | |
| Check out of Hostel | COP 0.00 | $ 0.00 | |
| Taxi to Airport | COP 25,000 | $ 10.29 | |
| Flight: BOG to MIA | COP 0.00 | $ 0.00 | |
| Drive from South Florida to Orlando | Gas & Car Snacks | COP 121,500 | $ 50.00 |
| SUBTOTAL | COP 165,500 | $ 68.11 | |
| ESTIMATED TOTAL | COP 4,376,000 | $ 1,800.82 | |
