El Dorado & Salt Cathedral: Unforgettable Bogotá Day Trip

Exceeded expectations. Our tour guide Emilio was passionate and knowledgeable about Muisca culture and the impact of colonialism. I also learned a lot about the local medicinal plants and paramo ecosystem. The salt cathedral / mine was also something to behold.

Use restroom before hopping on the tour bus at pickup point as the ride was about 2 hours long. 1) Town of Guatavita - this was our first stop where we got to hear a bit of the area and a chance to walk around on our for about 15 min. 2) Lagoon - tickets were included in this tour. Washrooms are available and waited for our scheduled time before entering the park. We learned about the plants and Muisca civilization, this is the flat walk before going up the lagoon up 3100m (highest point). The steps are well defined, but you can really feel the thin air going up (maybe 30min) this was the most strenuous, not difficult, just take your time. We had plenty of time walking around and even time for a snack break at the Yellow house before boarding the bus. 3. Drive to lunch was an hour to Zipaquirá at Toro Salvaje, a traditional Colombian restaurant serving grilled meat along with live musicians playing. Estimating we were there for 2hrs around 3-5pm. 4. Short drive to Salt Cathedral. We bought tickets together, otherwise it was about $30 USD at the door. The mine was closed, so we had the audio tour, walked through the 14 chambers and the different cathedrals inside. The audio tour was fairly boring, but it was cool to see such an amazing underground cathedral with such high ceilings. 5. Drive back to pick up sites. Overall, the tour delivered what it shared. Timing could be improved to meet their window of return of around 7:30/8:30, but reality we came back around 9pm at Parque 93. We had a lot of long breaks in between, so while we were not rushed, be aware of a long day.

Diego was a wonderful tour guide! His English was excellent and he switched effortlessly between languages to accommodate the American/British/Latin American and Spaniards on our tour! I wish I could do more tours with him while I am here, but alas, I am attending a conference.

Nestor our guide was good. He did the tour both in English & Spanish. The Salt Cathedral was amazing and is truly a must see. Going back to Bogota after the tour was tiring since it was rush hour and the traffic is horrible.

The tour was great! Pickup location was easy to find, our tour guide Nestor was friendly and prompt. The ride up to Guatativa was scenic and enjoyable. The town itself was quaint, and the lagoon was stunning. The coca tea was helpful in combating elevation sickness. The Salt Cathedral was absolutely stunning, overall the trip was well paced and the sights were breathtaking. The one complaint I have was that the tour did not come with a complementary lunch, but overall, Nestor was great.

You get a lot for your money with this tour. The guide on the bus, Esteban, and the guides in both locations were knowledgeable and personable. We stopped at a restaurant for lunch (food not included in the tour) with a lot of personality. Tours were arranged so we didn’t have to wait. The only down time was the way back home. It was a great day.

These are listed as two of the should sees around Bogota. I am glad I did it and Emilio was an excellent guide. I write this noting for the readers sake that I am not a great tour participant (I prefer to do my own thing). So, it is a long day, but the tour is quite well constructed.We certainly got a lot of good information. It included stops for bathroom en route - then the lake (about 2 hours) - a late lunch (for an hour) and then the cathedral (2.5 hours). A lot of driving in between each (except lunch and the cathedral). If you are an English speaker, then at the Salt Cathedral, get the free audio set. You can go at your own pace and get good - albeit a somewhat flowery - explanation of the different parts of the cathedral.

Our experience was fantastic, the professionalism and care from Nestor and the driver were exceptional. They accommodated every need we had and the day went very smoothly. Highly recommended.

Easy hike to lagoon. Matteo was knowledgeable friend guide translating in both English and spanish. Salt Cathedral was a highlight, absolutely amazing to see .highly recommended and big thanks to Matteo the guide

This was a fabulous experience. Esteban took great care of us, had tons of knowledge about the area, and made sure we had a fun time. Lake Guativita is a hike uphill, so be prepared for that, but the view is worth the trip. And The Salt Cathedral is very cool to see - it's amazing what the miners were able to do. Definitely recommend!