Carnival of Blacks and Whites, Pasto
Six Days in Colombia’s Most Original Festival
Every January the southern city of Pasto turns into an open-air workshop. The Carnival of Blacks and Whites, recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, began in colonial times, when enslaved people asked for a single day of freedom and the town celebrated together. Today it is one of Colombia’s most distinctive celebrations: giant floats made by local artisans, Andean music and dance, and two days of shared play in the streets. This six-day program is built around the festival calendar, with a reserved box for the parades and excursions to Lake La Cocha, the Las Lajas Sanctuary, Sandoná and across the border to Tulcán, Ecuador.
Day by Day
Day 1 · 2 JanWelcome to Nariño and the Children’s Carnival at La Cocha
Arrival at Antonio Nariño Airport (Chachagüí), where you are met and welcomed. Drive east to El Encano and Lake Guamuéz (La Cocha), the largest lake in Colombia, ringed by more than fifty private nature reserves. Lunch by the water, then a stroll through El Puerto, a small lakeside hamlet of Swiss-style wooden houses. Back in Pasto, check in at your hotel. The children’s “Carnavalito” is the opening of the festival: a parade of floats, costumed groups and murgas built to a young scale, and a good look at the craft tradition being handed on.
Day 2 · 3 JanPasto’s Artisans and the Choreographic Groups
Breakfast at the hotel, then a tour of Pasto’s main churches, museums, plazas and craft centers. This is the home of barniz de Pasto and enchape en tamo, two decorative techniques found nowhere else in the world and rooted in the region’s Indigenous heritage. Lunch, then the day’s parade: the top Andean dance groups move through the city’s main streets and finish at the Carnival Plaza, where the best are chosen to take part in the Grand Parade.
Day 3 · 4 JanLas Lajas Sanctuary and Tulcán, Ecuador
Breakfast, then a scenic drive south through the Andes of Nariño to Ipiales. Cross to Tulcán, the northern gateway to Ecuador, known for its “sculptures in green”: figures clipped from cypress trees and a National Heritage site of Ecuador. Lunch, then Las Lajas Sanctuary, 7 km from Ipiales at 2,612 meters above sea level, a neo-Gothic church built across a river canyon. Return to Pasto. The day coincides with the Day of the Castañeda Family, the festival’s welcome to every visitor.
Day 4 · 5 JanSandoná and the Day of the Blacks
Breakfast, then drive to Sandoná, the sweet side of Nariño. Its stone Gothic-style church holds one of the largest hand-carved wooden Christs in the world, a National Heritage piece. The town is also known for toquilla straw hats and for panela, unrefined cane sugar still made the traditional way. Lunch, then a scenic route through a string of small Andean villages before returning to Pasto. The Day of the Blacks recalls the origin of the carnival: people gather in the public squares and paint their faces black, whatever their background.
Day 5 · 6 JanThe Day of the Whites and the Grand Parade
Breakfast, then the Magno Parade, the high point of the carnival and the fullest showing of the artisans’ work: floats, murgas, costumes, choreographic groups and comparsas. You watch from a reserved box (palco). After lunch, the Juego de Blancos: the whole city joins in the final celebration. The evening is for the carnival nights.
Day 6 · 7 JanFree Time and Departure
Breakfast at the hotel, time to rest and shop for local crafts, then a transfer to the airport at the agreed time.
What’s Included
Included
- 5 nights’ accommodation at the hotel of your choice
- Daily breakfast at the hotel; lunches on the days with excursions
- Airport–hotel–airport transfers
- Private ground transportation for all scheduled days
- Participation in the carnival activities listed in the program
- Reserved box (palco) for the scheduled parades
- Excursion to Sandoná
- Excursion to La Cocha, with lunch
- Excursion to Las Lajas, with lunch
- Excursion to Tulcán, Ecuador
- Permanent guide-coordinator
- Hotel taxes and travel medical assistance card
Not Included
- Domestic or international flights
- Services not listed in the program
- Alcoholic drinks
- Tips and personal expenses
- Visa or documentation costs, if required
Good to Know
The carnival runs on fixed dates, so this journey is offered for 2–7 January 2027 only, and hotels in Pasto fill early: the sooner you ask, the wider your choice. You can pick from several hotel categories in the city, and the program can be extended with other stops in Colombia. Check passport and visa requirements for the day trip to Ecuador. As with every ColombiaSky itinerary, there is no fixed price shown here: request a quote and we will price it around your hotel choice, rooming and group size.
