What’s Included

You’re getting 240 hours of Spanish classes total, that’s 15 hours a week, 3 hours a day, Monday to Friday, at a prestigious Bogotá university like Los Andes or Javeriana, studying alongside local students with transferable credits available. Art workshops happen weekly, covering painting, sculpture, or street art inspired by Colombia’s creative scene. Cultural outings include guided tours to museums like the Botero Museum and Gold Museum, plus city landmarks like La Candelaria. Two weekend trips are included, one to Villa de Leyva and one to Zipaquirá’s Salt Cathedral, both guided. Your homestay with a vetted Bogotá family includes a private room and two meals a day, breakfast and dinner, perfect for practicing Spanish daily. Airport transfers from El Dorado International Airport are covered, both ways, along with a welcome orientation and a group dinner at a local restaurant. The program team’s got your back with 24/7 support for any hiccups.

Month-by-Month Breakdown

Month one starts with your arrival at Bogotá’s airport, where a driver whisks you to your homestay, and your host family greets you with maybe some hot chocolate and cheese or a big smile. At the welcome orientation, you meet your group, about 8-12 folks, grab a map of the city, some safety tips, and a rundown of the four months ahead. Your first dinner with the family’s your chance to try some Spanish, probably tripping over a word like “arte,” but they’re super warm and patient.

Week one dives into Spanish classes, 3 hours each morning at the university, where native teachers and local students make classes lively, focusing on real-life convos like ordering empanadas or discussing art. Afternoons bring an art workshop, maybe painting with a local artist, and you’re picking up Spanish terms for colors and techniques. Another day’s a tour to the Gold Museum, marveling at pre-Columbian treasures and practicing Spanish with your guide. Evenings are with your homestay family, chatting over ajiaco soup, maybe fumbling “museo” but soaking up the Bogotá vibe.

Month two keeps Spanish classes rolling, 3 hours a day, and you’re starting to toss out phrases like “qué chévere” with ease. One afternoon, you visit the Botero Museum, gawking at those plump paintings and trying to describe them in Spanish. Another day’s an art workshop, maybe sculpting or sketching, learning vocab for clay or charcoal. The first weekend trip’s to Villa de Leyva, included in the price, where you wander cobblestone streets, visit colonial plazas, and practice Spanish with your guide. Homestay dinners are cozy, with your family serving up bandeja paisa, and you’re chatting more confidently, maybe swapping stories about Bogotá’s art scene.

Month three’s Spanish classes have you speaking smoother, maybe even joking in Spanish about Botero’s chubby figures. Afternoons include a tour to La Candelaria, exploring colorful streets and street art, asking questions in Spanish like a pro. Another day’s an art workshop, maybe diving into street mural techniques, inspired by Comuna 13. The weekend’s free, so you might explore Bogotá’s markets with your group or chill with your homestay family, practicing Spanish over a Sunday meal of sancocho. You’re feeling like part of the household, maybe debating soccer with your host family.

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Month four wraps up with your final Spanish classes, and you’re amazed at how you’re chatting like a Bogotano, maybe even dreaming in Spanish. The second weekend trip’s to Zipaquirá’s Salt Cathedral, included in the price, where you explore an underground church carved in salt and practice Spanish describing the eerie beauty. Afternoons include a last art workshop, maybe creating your own mural, and a final museum tour, like the National Museum, diving into Colombia’s history. The group dinner’s at a cozy restaurant, digging into local flavors and toasting with your group, nailing Spanish slang like “parce.” The last day’s for goodbyes—your host family might slip you a woven bracelet or some Colombian coffee, and your airport transfer’s covered, so you leave buzzing with Spanish fluency and artistic inspiration.