Chingaza Mountain of Water: An Enthralling Private Nature Reserve Tour from Bogota
4.1
14 Ratings
La Calera
Embark on an enthralling private nature reserve tour from Bogota to Chingaza Mountain of Water. Explore stunning trails and discover the wisdom of indigenous people on this 3-4 hour hike.
Duration: 10 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • La Calera - The trip starts at 7:00 am from your hotel in Bogota and will begin a 1.5 hours drive towards the east of the Capital. In the half of the way, you will make a stop at La Calera, meet your guide and have a taste of the local arepas with coffee. The guides, native to this region and with an in-depth knowledge of flora and fauna, will highlight fascinating aspects of the route and will tell you anecdotes related to the native cultures, the former town and mine and traditional farming communities of the area.
What's Included
  • Convenient hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Expert local guide for personalized experience
  • All permit paperwork and entrance fees included
  • Option for English-speaking guide available
  • Breakfast to start your day
What's Not Included
  • Lunch but available if desired
  • Gratuities
  • Snacks
  • Bottled water
Additional Information

Visit a restored Nature Reserve adjacent to the Park on this approximately 3-4 hour hike of low to medium difficulty, where you’ll be joined by a resident guide with unparalleled familiarity of the region. Consequently, flora and paths that seem merely picturesque are transformed into wondrous botanicals and mystical trails through the lens of ancient wisdom. The journey’s course is subject to change, influenced by the number of hikers, with options like the Tunjos trail or the path of the Andean Bear, each offering its own breathtaking vistas.

  • We are visiting one of the biggest water factories on earth, so the chances of rain are high. Bring a rain jacket, hiking shoes and a complete change of cloths (including shoes)
  • Passport name, number, expiration date and country is required at time of booking for all participants
  • Availability depends on the park’s carrying capacity.
  • Maximum altitude of this hike is 4000 MASL.
  • Please Note: No plastic is allowed in the national park
  • Due to the altitude, acclimatization in Bogotá of at least 36 hours is mandatory.
Location
La Calera
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.1
(14 Ratings)
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Roman_l
Sep 5, 2023
Enjoyed the tour. - Very interesting experience. Nature was amazing. High altitude made me sleepy after the tour. We did not see any bears only bear poop. 😅
Review provided by Viator
54jaspreetl
Apr 14, 2023
Chingaza National Park, a must do hike - Incredible tour, one of our favorite days in Colombia. Guides Alejandro and Ana Maria were so knowledgeable and taught us so much about the history of the place. The hike was alot of fun and the views were unforgettable, highly recommend this tour. Be prepared to get muddy but totally worth it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shubhums2021
Dec 27, 2022
Great guided tours! - We had an incredible time with impulse travel! Our trip to chingaza was amazing. Driver is professional and timely, the guide is SO friendly and made the hike an unforgettable experience. Highly recommend to all visitors!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tom_s
Apr 4, 2022
An enjoyable day with nature - We loved the knowledgeable and friendly guides and being out with such a small group in the natural environment; and having the very good arepas when we were starving at the end of the tour!
Review provided by Viator
Laura41671
Jul 2, 2019
Well-organized trip to a fascinating ecosystem - We were able to arrange this trip on very short notice. They picked us up exactly at the agreed hour and used the driving time to fill us in on local history and geography. It was a vacation day so lots of people were arriving at the park; the local guide Clara Ines (of EcoPalacios) thought the trail to the lake might get crowded and suggested instead a trail along a mountain stream. That walk showed us a magical landscape! She was full of information about the different plants, how they contribute to the land's ability to absorb water, which ones were eaten by different animals, and how they were used by the indigenous people. Also she pointed out lots of small orchids and other flowers that I would have missed otherwise. Altogether we had a wonderful time!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Angela_m
Apr 24, 2022
Great experience but not what is listed as your itinerary - I am only giving a 4 out of 5 because the agency didn’t communicate the correct itinerary to the guide. We did not go to laguna buitrago but went to an Ecopalacio Reserve within the park. It was still beautiful but they should communicate the accurate itinerary for future clients.
Review provided by Viator
Blayne_c
Nov 29, 2022
Chingaza NP Tour Experience - The trip did provide a timely pickup. However, everything was on a super tight schedule. The breakfast was super rushed. When we were at the park, I felt the guide did not want to hike/walk very much and it was fairly aimless in the direction we were walking. We did not see anything specific just some very small lagoons/large puddles of water (not the ones in the description of the tour), and walked some of the landscape. Leaving the park the guide and driver seemed rushed to get back to town and to end the trip. I feel for the price, and since it was a private tour, the focus on time was a little excessive. They for sure want you back in Bogota by 14h, but earlier seems better. We did make it to Chingaza, the guide provided a tour, and we had a safe return back. Everything in the description is fairly accurate.
Review provided by Viator
Sophia_l
Feb 27, 2020
Not great not bad - My driver was on time and great. He was safe and the car was clean and in great shape. The guide was knowledgeable and also kind. Be prepared to bring water and pay for the snacks and tickets into the park despite what the site says is included. I had to pay for both. I was a little disappointed at the value/cost ratio. The drive was a few hours but the time in the park was relatively short. It was expensive for what we got. We did not have an option to see the big lagoon. We were only taken on a 40 minute hike to a small one. It is worth going but maybe be specific with the guide before in what you expect.
Review provided by Viator
Donovan_m
Feb 6, 2023
False Advertising with an adventure twist! - I’ve debated how I’m going to write this review, as the experience turned out ok, but I think it is important you know exactly what you are buying, as I did not. So, I think I will just tell the story. I was in Bogota for business and decided to spend an extra day and escape the people and city. I wanted to go somewhere most tourists don’t go, create an amazing memory and be in a national park. I did a bunch of research and settled on a full day escursion to Chingaza National Park. I read permits were required and they only issued 40 per day per trail, so I’d have to find an authorized guide who had purchased tickets ahead of time. I found this one and booked it for myself and two business colleagues who wanted to do the day trip with me. The advertisement clearly said 4 hours of hiking in the park and that we’d pick up guide after entering the park. They asked me for all of my documents “for the permits” and of course I ended up paying almost $400 USD for the three of us (our original 2 + 1). The hotel picked was fine (about 15 minutes late) and we were off. My first read flag was stopping in a little town and meeting the guide. She was great, but clearly not the guide inside the park I was expecting. I then mentioned I knew it was an intense hike and how hard would it be. She laughed and said it would be an easy hike and about an hour. This really got me looped into the fact we were not hiking the actual park. So, to make a long story short this is not an actual hike in Chingaza National Park. Instead they drive you up into the corner of the park where you briefly (about a thousand yards) drive into the park before exciting park into an adjacent private piece of land that this travel company has contracted with. Your hike is then on this land next to the park. It is also lower level, so not same fauna as park. That said, I made a big stink and they said they’d give me a longer hike and the wonderful guide took us on quite the adventure. I loved it! My colleagues not as much. Our guide got lost a lot. We trekked through mud and kept losing the trail and in thr end it took us 3 hours to complete the three mile loop and we were starving at the end! That said, it was a beautiful hike, even though not terrain we had planned. Afterward, they drove us a little deeper inland and to top of mountain and it was beautiful. So, I would say id you don’t have time to drive all the way into the park and you also didn’t get the permits, yet, you want to see the edges of the park this is a great option. In addition, the countryside and territory in way out is amazing. I ended up deciding to just go with it and it was beautiful in the end and our guide, Diana, was beautiful. Still false advertising. Yet, a fun adventure in the end. Unfortunately, I now have to do it again and really do it right.
Review provided by Viator
P9262hqlawrenceb
Mar 29, 2023
Very disappointing - A very expensive trip with very little to see. It's not really a hike but more of a walk along a road. You can't go without a guide, unfortunately, and our guide was not helpful. Please save your money. It's not worth it at all.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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