Sumapaz Páramo Trek: High-altitude hike in the Andes

Challenge your limits hiking steep Andean trails at 3,800 meters altitude

The Sumapaz Páramo Trek is a guided high-altitude hike in a private nature reserve in the Colombian Andes, reaching 3,800 meters above sea level. You drive through the historic colonial town and past Tequendama Falls before spending 3 to 4 hours hiking steep, uneven trails through an ecosystem found nowhere else outside the Andes. The trek demands good physical fitness (the effort at high altitude equals roughly double the same distance at sea level), but the guide, transport and entrance fee are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Sumapaz Páramo Trek and Scenic Drive

• Drive through historic colonial town
• Hike 3 to 4 hours in nature reserve

The experience

The day starts with a drive through a historic colonial town and past Tequendama Falls before you reach the trailhead. The hike itself covers 3 to 4 hours on trails that are steep, uneven and often muddy, climbing about 400 meters from 3,400 to 3,800 meters above sea level. At that altitude, the air pressure is low enough that each hour of hiking feels like two hours at sea level, so the operator is direct about what the body will feel. The páramo ecosystem (the high-altitude grassland and shrubland unique to the Andes) surrounds you the whole way, with fauna and flora that exist nowhere else on earth.

This is a group tour, so you'll hike with other travelers rather than as a private party. A local guide leads in English, Spanish, Italian or French, depending on the option you choose at checkout. Transport from your starting point, the guide's expertise, entrance to the nature reserve, sugar cane tea and an arepa are all included. The operator notes that the trails demand a high level of physical fitness and warns that the trek is not suitable for travelers with spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health or pregnancy. Children as young as 11 can join. The upper age limit is 69.

What’s included

• Your tour includes private transportation to and from the trailhead.
• a local guide fluent in your chosen language.
• entrance to the private nature reserve.
• sugar cane tea and an arepa during the hike.

Options for this experience

2 options

Páramo hike - 4 hoursGuide in Spanish · No fixed timeGuided tour in Spanish. Duration: 8 hours, including a high-altitude hike of 3 to 4 hours (high difficulty), an arepa and a hot drink. Private vehicle: we do not use public transport. Pickup is included.

Hike through the páramo, bilingual, lasting 4 hoursGuide in 4 languages · No fixed timeBilingual guide available in English, French or Italian (subject to availability). Duration: 8 hours, including a 3 to 4 hour, highly demanding high-altitude mountain trek, a picnic sandwich and a warm drink. Private vehicle, as we do not use public transport. Pickup is included.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (15 to 69 years) · Youth (11 to 14 years) · Under 11: can't be booked

GroupUp to 17

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Paid on siteUS$ 10

Prices and times updated 9 days ago

Good to know

Physically demandingNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Andes EcoTours

Is this one for you?The fixed group format means you'll share the experience with other hikers, which keeps costs lower than a private trek. If you're fit enough for steep mountain terrain and want to experience an ecosystem that exists nowhere else on earth, the 3,800-meter altitude is the trade-off that makes it possible, not a barrier, but the exact reason the place is worth reaching.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (11 to 14 years). Children under 11 can't be included in the booking.

What is the Sumapaz páramo, and why is it worth the physical effort?

The Sumapaz páramo is a high-altitude ecosystem in the Colombian Andes found nowhere else outside the mountain range. At 3,800 meters, the landscape is a unique mix of grassland and shrubland with animal and plant species that exist only in this environment, so the hike puts you in a place most of the world never reaches.

How steep are the trails, and what makes them harder than a regular mountain hike?

The trails climb about 400 meters over 3 to 4 hours and are steep, uneven and often muddy. The real challenge is the altitude: at 3,400 to 3,800 meters above sea level, the air pressure is so low that each hour of hiking demands roughly the same effort as two hours at sea level, so your body works much harder even though you're moving at a normal pace.

Do I need to arrange my own way to the trailhead, or is transport included?

Transport is included in the tour price. You'll be picked up and driven through a historic colonial town and past Tequendama Falls before reaching the nature reserve where the hike begins.

Can I rent hiking gear if I don't have my own equipment?

Rubber rain boots and hiking poles are available to rent separately, as are binoculars if you want to watch the wildlife more closely. The operator does not include these in the base tour price.