Community and Biodiversity Tour of the Tatacoa Desert

Explore Tatacoa Desert’s biodiversity, unique rock formations, and local culture. Join our tour for unforgettable nature encounters and stargazing at the Astronomical Observatory.

Duration: 14 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Backpackers & Travelers Hostel Neiva - Desierto de la Tatacoa - This is the gathering spot, starting at 8:00 am. It’s a space to meet the group, prepare essentials, and learn about the Hostel’s history, facilities, and receive tour explanations and recommendations.
  • Villavieja - Transportation from Neiva to Villavieja takes 70 minutes. Enjoy a…
What's Included
  • Private transportation
  • Travel insurance
  • Lunch
What's Not Included
  • Entry and Use of the Hoyos or Natural Pool. Value 10 thousand pesos
  • Entrance to the Observatory. Value 10 thousand pesos
Additional Information

With Backpackers Neiva, you’ll experience the full splendor and variety of the Tatacoa Desert. From strolling along the Magdalena River to discovering natural reserves and valleys steeped in history, you’ll dive deep into the richness of this unique ecosystem.
Unforgettable Encounters with Nature: Witness wildlife such as turtles, birds, reptiles,…

Location
backpackers & travelers hostal neiva - desierto de la tatacoa
Carrera 1c
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.8
(33 Ratings)
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1 star
Briandh9917no
Mar 16, 2026
Fantastic Full Day - This is the best tour of the Tatacoa and surrounding region! Carlos was our guide, full of information and a wonderful host. If you’re staying in the region, and want a great day outdoors, this is the tour to do. I had walked through the gray desert by myself the day before, so I thought there would be overlap, but Carlos took us to a completely different area I would not have found on my own, and that was at the end of an already special day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
130nicol_sp
Feb 28, 2026
I liked it. - I really liked the Tour the stars, very nice everything very chevere
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sofiau475
Feb 28, 2026
Excellent experience - Best tour, highly recommended
Review provided by Tripadvisor
M3614vgguillermov
Feb 24, 2026
It was very exciting to visit this beautiful place - Excellent experience, thank you for everything.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Inspire741944
Jan 29, 2026
Bilingual experience, well planned. Many animals, we walk the gray desert and the red desert on trails requires - Well planned. We saw many animals on the road and on the trails. Start in Neiva and we had the option to come back or stay in Villavieja. It is a very complete tour. Have a reservation for alligator care without keeping them locked up. They explained that they can be seen frequently but with wild animals they can sometimes hide
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Maryhw6287oj
Jan 29, 2026
Super recommended experience - We did the Tatacoa desert tour with Fabian and Julian and it was great!! They adapted the order of the places we were going to visit because of the rain, everything was very well organized. The transport quite punctual, the delicious food, the information about the places and the paths. We saw several species of birds along the way and Fabian was explaining everything about them and stopping to take good pictures. Excellent service, everything we loved and we recommend it without a doubt!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Myles_h
Jul 22, 2025
Truly wonderful experience, great guides. Do it! - This was a really great tour. You don't appreciate the beauty until you see it for yourself. I feel like the pictures don't do it justice. Pro tip, you can get some amazing photos of the galaxy at night at the observatory if you bring a tripod (purchased from someplace like Panamericana) and you use the 30 second night mode exposure on like an iPhone 16. Though obviously it is dependent on whether the clouds cooperate.
Review provided by Viator
080mrsun080
Jul 10, 2025
Challenging yet rewarding - Before you book this trip, just aware of that this is a very physical demanding tour you'll have with more than 5 hours of hikes total. Otherwise it's a magnificent tour that you can walk within the desert that made of mud, a mountain hike that pass through 3 valleys. The tour and the driver are professional to keep us safe and accommodated, best when book with the backpacker Hostel.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alexanderlq3957ps
Jul 3, 2025
A great experience - The tour was very good overall. During the journey to the desert, we made several brief stops that allowed us to discover curious and fascinating details of the road. Once in the desert, the tour was wonderful, full of magical places steeped in history and culture. We also saw some of the local animals and plants. The most special moment was, without a doubt, the spectacular stargazing session. Amidst the tranquility of the desert, we enjoyed a breathtaking sky, accompanied by a very complete and enriching explanation that allowed us to better understand the universe and its mysteries. We also visited a natural water pool, perfect for relaxing and connecting with the environment. Miguel, the guide who accompanied us on the second tour, shared a wonderful story about the cultural origins of the desert, giving even more depth to the experience. However, there were aspects that could be improved. The main guide who accompanied us throughout the tour didn't introduce himself or share a clear plan from the start, which somewhat hampered the organization. Furthermore, the boat tour was brief and lacked detailed explanations, which meant a valuable opportunity to learn more about this beautiful place was lost.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Agnes_n
Jan 2, 2026
Too long and too much - Conditions were shockingly bad, run down corroded bus, no safety belts, door barely opened. Very rough drive, the driver didn't even slow down on pot holes. The tour guide didn't even introduce himself, didn't seem engaged at all. First stop was a boat tour on the river which was very contaminated, rubbish floating everywhere, but a few iguanas were seen. Second stop was walking through cows poop like on a minefield looking for caymans but we've seen only ants. Third stop was the actual desert which was pretty impressive. Fourth stop was so called Piscinas Naturales which is nothing else but just an outdoor pool. None of the participants used it so we were just chilling out for half an hour before heading out to do another walk. Fifth stop was a walk through gray desert. We were walking through the mud, narrow canyons and unbeaten path just to see promised "the best view" which was just next to the bus pick up point. Could've just gone there straight away instead of crawling in heat for 1.5 hrs. Sixth stop was the observatory which none of the participants bothered to see and we decided to return back. Only because of good reviews I decided to do this tour but judging by my own experience I believe these reviews are farfetched. If you can skip all the points and go straight to the desert, do it. The only place worth seeing.
Review provided by Viator
From $68
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).