Guatavita lagoon & Nemocon salt mine day tour from Bogota

Walk inside a working salt mine carved through centuries of mining

A day tour from Bogota to the Andes highlands visits the sacred Guatavita lagoon (a site tied to the Eldorado legend), and descends into Nemocon's salt mine, where you walk through passages shaped by thousands of years of extraction. The group stays under ten people; a bilingual guide leads in English and Spanish; lunch and all entry tickets are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Lake Guatavita55m · entry included
2. Nemocón Salt Mines45m · entry included

Guatavita lagoon and Nemocon salt mine

• Travel from Bogota to Guatavita lagoon
• Visit Sacred Guatavita lagoon
• Explore Guatavita village
• Enjoy typical Colombian lunch and desserts
• Tour Nemocon salt mine
• Return to Bogota

The experience

The route climbs from Bogota into the highlands of Cundinamarca, crossing 2,500 to 3,100 meters above sea level in roughly 90 minutes. The Guatavita lagoon sits in this high country: a crater lake sacred to the Muisca people and tied to the legend of El Dorado. You walk the shoreline and learn how this place shaped the region's history and how communities live in the mountains today. The village of Guatavita itself is a reconstruction built after the original town flooded. It was planned around tourism while keeping a functioning mountain community.

From there, the tour moves to Nemocon, a village known for salt work that has continued for thousands of years. You enter the salt mine on foot and walk through the passages: a 45-minute underground route that shows how miners have extracted salt from this region across centuries. The mine is small and colorful, with the work and the landscape woven into the story of how Cundinamarca developed.

Lunch is a menu of typical regional dishes (soups, mains and desserts from Colombian mountain cooking) included in the price. A snack of local specialties rounds out the day. Private transportation picks you up in Bogota and returns you there. The guide speaks both English and Spanish throughout.

What’s included

• Private transportation from Bogota.
• entry tickets to the Guatavita lagoon and Nemocon salt mine.
• a typical regional lunch with soup, main course and dessert.
• a local snack.
• and a bilingual guide in English and Spanish.

Before you book

Days and timesTuesday to Sunday

AgesAdult (18 to 64 years) · Senior (75 to 95 years) · Youth (15 to 17 years) · Child (2 to 14 years)

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 17 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by JORGE DAVID CRUZ OVIEDO

Is this one for you?The guide leads in both English and Spanish, so you can follow the commentary in whichever language is comfortable for you. Groups stay under ten people, which keeps the pace manageable and the experience intimate across the high-altitude sites.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (15 to 17 years); Child (2 to 14 years).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How long does it take to get from Bogota to the Guatavita lagoon?

The drive from Bogota to the lagoon takes about 90 minutes, crossing the city and climbing into the Andes highlands.

What is the Guatavita lagoon and why is it important?

Guatavita is a crater lake in the Cundinamarca highlands that was sacred to the Muisca people and is connected to the El Dorado legend. It sits at high altitude and offers views of the mountain landscape and the history of the region's indigenous cultures.

What happens inside the Nemocon salt mine?

You walk through the mine passages for about 45 minutes, seeing how salt has been extracted from this site for thousands of years. The mine is small and colorful, and the route shows the work and the geology of salt mining in Cundinamarca.

Is lunch included, and what kind of food is served?

Lunch is included and features typical Cundinamarca dishes: regional soups, mains and desserts from Colombian mountain cooking. A local snack is also part of the day.