Around Bogota Travel Guide : best things to do and see in the area

Guided tours in English around Bogota

Excursions around Bogota

Our partner Felipe, a English-speaking Colombian guide, offers private guided tours in English of Bogotá and the surrounding area.

Felipe is a language teacher, translator, interpreter, scuba diving enthusiast and tour guide! He shares his passion for Bogotá and Colombia with travelers curious about what to do around Bogotá.

English tours around Bogotá suggested by Felipe

• Trek to Chingaza
• Laguna de Guatavita
• Nemocon salt mines
• Zipaquira Salt Cathedral
• La Chorrera waterfall
• Sueva waterfall

Felipe also offers a tour of downtown Bogotá (including Paloquemao Market, Gold Museum, Candelaria, Monserrate, Botero Museum)

Chingaza National Nature Park

The closest paramo to Bogotá

Less than 2 hours from Bogotá, you can discover one of the unique landscapes of the Andes: the Paramo! A magical ecosystem whose special feature is its water production: 80 th of the water consumed in Bogotá is produced by the Paramo de Chingaza!

You can’t leave Colombia without seeing a paramo. So if you love nature and hiking in the mountains, we recommend you escape to this once-sacred territory.

At Chingaza Natural Park, 6 ecotourism trails are open to the public. If you’re very lucky, you might even spot some deer, and if you’re very lucky, the emblematic “Oso de Anteojo”, the spectacled bear! Chingaza offers access to the lakes that are part of the Eldorado legend.

Most of the walks take place during the day. However, if you want to take a longer route, you can stay overnight (camping or dormitory). In the interests of conservation, admission is limited to 40 people per day, so bookings must be made in advance. You can either contact the park directly to reserve your place, or go through an agency that takes care of everything and provides you with a guide for the hike.

Laguna de Guatavita

THE ORIGIN OF THE EL DORADO MYTH

The Laguna de Guatavita is one of the many sacred sites of the ancient indigenous peoples who inhabited the region. Add to this the fact that this lagoon has the distinction of being the origin of the myth of El Dorado, and you have the makings of an interesting historical site with a very special atmosphere.

On site, a guide accompanies you to explain the history of the lagoon, the ceremonies that took place there, the arrival of the settlers and the madness of those who were desperate to find the gold, the long-hoped-for treasure..

Here we are, less than 1h30 from Bogotá, heading for one of the traditional outings of the bogotanos for a weekend day out with the family. Visiting the Lagoon in the morning, eating in a typical restaurant at midday and ending up strolling through the streets of the village of Guatavita or along the immense reservoir in the afternoon is a good program. That’s what my father and sister and I did on our last trip!

Zipaquira Salt Cathedral

WHAT TO DO AROUND BOGOTA

If there’s one visit to Bogotá highlighted by the tourist office, it’s the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira! And yet, in our opinion, the other visits we suggest in this article are just as (if not more) interesting.

In a country as religious as mine, a place like this is highly reputed and much appreciated by the locals. This cathedral, built 180 m underground, is considered the “first wonder of Colombia”, no doubt for its uniqueness and originality. It was the miners who took part in its construction, and their work is remarkable.

The visit lasts about an hour, and admission includes an introductory 3D film, an audioguide, a “light show” at the end of the tour and a tour of the city’s historic center to discover its architectural heritage.

The cathedral is part of a trail called the Salt Park, where you’ll find other activities such as an open-air climbing wall and a zip-line tour of one of the city’s squares (of course, these activities must be paid for in addition to cathedral admission)

This might be interesting if you’re going with children or if you like this kind of activity, but if you ask me, even if the cathedral is pretty and impressive, the place has become hyper-touristy and the entrance fee seems a bit excessive. However, it’s a visit that many people enjoy.

Nemocon salt mines

UNDERGROUND EXPERIENCE AROUND BOGOTA

Just 1 hour from Bogota, you’ll find the Nemocon salt mines. A visit 60 meters underground and a 2500-meter journey to admire the natural salt formations, and learn about the history of this mine that has been in operation for 200 years.

Today, it’s been turned into a museum, and it’s pretty impressive: you’ll pass through the various chambers, its chapel to the Virgin Mary (yes, you’re in Colombia) and the large salt crystal heart cut by a miner in the mid-twentieth century.

It’s all very well preserved and well presented, and the tour is well organized, so you’re sure to be surprised.
You can also take a stroll through the pretty, quiet village and sample specialities such as “cuajada con melao” (a kind of fresh cheese made with molasses) and Almojabana (a tasty salted bread roll) con Masato (a drink made from fermented maïz).

La Chorrera waterfall

The highest waterfall around Bogotá

Just over an hour’s drive from Bogotá, on the outskirts of Choachi, La Chorrera is considered Colombia’s highest waterfall, with a free-fall drop of 590 m over several levels.

On the way to Choachi, you’ll enjoy an unexpected landscape just a few minutes from the city, a superb valley, the beginnings of the Paramo and its frailejones, cliffs… a real enchantment.

Hidden in the middle of a tropical rainforest, a visit to La Chorrera is an opportunity to discover a “Cloud Forest” ecosystem, where you can observe a host of orchids, bromeliads and varieties of birds..

The community of Choachi has set up an association called “Parc d’aventure la Chorrera”, offering a wide range of activities such as abseiling and zip-lining. The association promotes responsible tourism, integrating and benefiting the community and helping to protect ecosystems.

Villa de Leyva

What to do around bogota

Villa de Leyva is considered one of Colombia’s most beautiful villages. It’s located in the Boyacá department, about a three-hour drive north of Bogotá.

Angélica used to go there often when she was little, and it was one of the first places we visited together in Colombia.

The atmosphere of this town has always drawn us in, and over the years we’ve discovered some wonderful initiatives that proved one thing: no, there’s more to Villa de Leyva than just the Casa Terracota and the Pozos Azules!

So, hit the roads of Boyacá and let us inspire you to explore this heritage village for yourself.

Sumapaz Paramo

The world’s largest Paramo

The Sumapaz Paramo is considered the largest in the world, covering over 300.000 hectares!

About half of the Sumapaz Paramo became part of Colombia’s national parks in 1977. As with Chingaza and the paramos in general, this is one of the largest sources of water production for the Bogotá region, but the Paramo de Sumapaz is also one of the main regulators of water supply for three of Colombia’s immense rivers: the Rio Magdalena, the Rio Meta and the Rio Guaviare.

Trekking inside the National Park area is prohibited but there is some trails at the limit of the park that are allowed If you are accompanied by guides from the local farming community.

The Sumapaz National Nature Park is a reserve that boasts one of the widest ranges of high-mountain flora in Colombia. It is also one of the parks with the highest concentration of birdlife in Colombia.

Cerro de Quinini

WHAT TO DO AROUND BOGOTA

Cerro de Quinini is a sacred mountain located 2h30 south of Bogota, very close to the town of Fusagasuga.

Quinini means “moon goddess”, and was a sacred place for the Panche, an indigenous civilization now extinct. Traces ofrock art and engravings can be found on site, a sign of the sacred nature of the place.

The ascent to Cerro Quinini follows the traditional paths built by past civilizations, the famous “Camino Real” found throughout Colombia. These paths were later used and developed by settlers.

During the hike, it’s possible to observe a wide variety of flora and numerous species of birds.

The summit of Pico del Aguila offers a sublime view of the rio Magdalena valley, and on a clear day it’s even possible to catch a glimpse of the 4965 m Santa Isabel volcano and its ice cap, located several hundred km away in Los Nevados Natural Park!