The Festival Internacional de Manizales runs for two weeks each January in the Caldas capital - one of Colombia’s oldest continuous cultural festivals, combining folklore parades, live concerts, cultural pageants, and, for those who seek it, a corrida season. If you’ve decided to go, what you book in advance is what separates a patchy experience from a genuinely memorable one. This guide covers the tours worth pre-booking, transport logistics, and where to stay.
City Tours: Getting Your Bearings in Manizales
Manizales is a steep, layered city built on Andean ridgelines. A guided city tour on your first day saves hours of disorientation and puts the festival geography in context - the parade route along Carrera 23, the Teatro Los Fundadores, the cable car network, and the viewpoints over the valley.
The standard Manizales city tour on GetYourGuide covers the Cathedral Basilica of Manizales (with its distinctive bronze dome visible from across the city), Chipre viewpoint (the best panoramic view of the city and surrounding mountains), a cable car ride, and a coffee stop at one of the city’s roasters. Tours run approximately 3–4 hours and start from around COP 90,000–140,000 per person as of 2026. English-speaking guides are available but book early during the festival period.
A more focused cable car and Chipre evening tour is worth considering during festival week - the cable car at sunset with the Andean valley below is a different experience from the midday version, and Chipre’s mirador fills with locals during the festival evenings.
Browse all Manizales tours and activities on GetYourGuide
Coffee Farm Tours: The Eje Cafetero Within Reach
Manizales sits at the northern edge of Colombia’s Eje Cafetero, which means working coffee haciendas are 30–60 minutes from the city centre. A half-day coffee farm tour is the single best add-on to a festival trip, particularly if this is your first time in the coffee region.
Hacienda Venecia, near Chinchiná (approximately 45 minutes from Manizales), is one of the most visited working haciendas in Colombia. Tours run daily and cover the full process from cherry picking to wet milling to cup, with tastings of the farm’s own estate coffee. Tours cost approximately USD 25–40 per person as of 2026 and include transport from Manizales on some packages. Book directly through the hacienda website or via GetYourGuide - slots during January fill fast.
Hacienda Guayabal, also near Chinchiná, is a smaller operation with a more intimate tour experience. It’s popular with travellers who want less of a production and more time on the farm itself. Prices are similar to Venecia.
Both haciendas can be combined with a festival day: the coffee tour runs in the morning, you return to Manizales in time for the afternoon and evening festival events.
The coffee landscape continues south toward Pereira and Salento. Pereira tours on GetYourGuide, Salento tours and the El Ocaso coffee farm tour make easy extensions, and you can search Pereira hotels on Booking.com if you split your stay.
Los Nevados Day Trips: Access Is Weather-Dependent
Los Nevados National Natural Park is 2–3 hours from Manizales by road and includes the Nevado del Ruiz volcano and high-altitude páramo landscapes. Several Manizales operators run guided day trips to the park.
January is within the dry season window for the Caldas highlands, which makes conditions better than the wet months. However, access to Los Nevados is regularly restricted based on volcanic activity levels - Nevado del Ruiz remains an active volcano and park authorities restrict access when alert levels are elevated. Always check the current status with Parques Nacionales Naturales before booking. Tours typically cost COP 180,000–280,000 per person as of 2026, including transport and guide but not the park entrance fee (approximately COP 45,000 for international visitors as of 2026).
Getting to Manizales
By Air
La Nubia Airport (MZL) receives direct domestic flights from Bogotá El Dorado (El Dorado–La Nubia, approximately 45 minutes). Avianca and Latam both serve the route. Expect to pay from around COP 180,000–350,000 one-way during January as of 2026. Book early - seats fill quickly for the festival period.
The airport is approximately 20 minutes from the city centre by taxi. Fare to the centre runs approximately COP 15,000–25,000.
By Bus
Buses from Bogotá (Terminal de Transportes, Salitre) to Manizales take approximately 7–8 hours via the Autopista del Café. Operators include Flota Magdalena and Expreso Bolivariano. Fares run approximately COP 80,000–130,000 as of 2026. Comfortable semi-cama buses are available and recommended for the overnight journey.
From MedellĂn (Terminal del Norte), buses to Manizales take approximately 3.5–4.5 hours on the winding mountain road via Chinchiná. Fares run approximately COP 60,000–90,000. This is the most scenic overland approach and several travellers combine MedellĂn (Feria de las Flores in August) and Manizales (festival in January) in the same trip.
Within Manizales
The city’s cable car (teleférico) connects the bus terminal area near the lower city to Cable Plaza in the north. Fare is approximately COP 4,000–6,000 as of 2026. It’s a practical transit link and also gives good views over the valley. Taxis and InDriver (the most widely used ride app in Manizales) handle the steep streets efficiently. During festival days, don’t attempt to navigate with a rental car - parking is essentially non-existent near the main event zones.
Where to Stay
Manizales has limited hotel inventory by Colombian city standards. January demand from the festival means quality rooms sell out 6–8 weeks in advance.
Search available hotels in Manizales for your dates
City centre / Parque Caldas area is the most practical base for the festival - walking distance to the parade route on Carrera 23, Teatro Los Fundadores, and the main plaza stages. Mid-range hotel rates during the festival run approximately COP 220,000–400,000 per night as of 2026. Several business hotels cluster on Carreras 22–25. Check Booking.com for current availability - rates fluctuate significantly between festival and non-festival weeks.
Cable Plaza neighbourhood is quieter and slightly more upscale, 10–15 minutes by cable car or taxi from the main festival zones. Better suited if you want to retreat from the noise at night. A handful of boutique hotels and apartahotels here attract travellers who prefer comfort over proximity to the action.
El Cable hostels fill fastest of all options in January. Budget beds run approximately COP 65,000–110,000 per night. International travellers gravitate to this neighbourhood for its concentration of cafés and restaurants. If you’re planning to stay in a hostel, book in October at the latest.
Coffee region hacienda stays around Chinchiná or Palestina (45 minutes from Manizales) offer a quieter alternative base, with the festival accessible as a day trip. This works well if you have a vehicle, and the hacienda morning experience is more peaceful when you’re not commuting from the city centre.
Planning the Days
The festival is concentrated in the first two weeks of January. A practical 4-day itinerary:
- Day 1: Arrive and settle in. City tour in the afternoon - cable car, Chipre, Cathedral. Evening concert at Parque Caldas (free, no ticket needed).
- Day 2: Coffee farm day trip to Hacienda Venecia or Hacienda Guayabal in the morning. Back in Manizales for evening folklore performance at Teatro Los Fundadores.
- Day 3: The Desfile de Mitos y Leyendas parade if dates align (check the January programme in advance). Arrive at the Carrera 23 route at least 90 minutes early.
- Day 4: Los Nevados day trip (if access is open) or Salento/Cocora Valley depending on transport. Late bus or early morning flight home.
The festival itself is affordable - street events are free, ticketed theatre shows rarely exceed COP 80,000. Accommodation and transport are the main costs. A comfortable daily budget (good hotel, meals at local restaurants, one ticketed event) runs approximately USD 55–85 as of 2026.