Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral tour from Bogotá: Guide, lunch & tickets

Underground cathedral, colonial village squares, and ajiaco lunch in one morning from the city

A guided tour from Bogotá to the Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral, an underground marvel 160 meters deep built by miners in honor of the Virgin of Guasá. The guide handles your entry tickets and walks you through the 8,500-square-meter cathedral, then leads a stroll through the historic center of Zipaquirá before a three-course lunch featuring ajiaco with chicken, a signature Colombian dish.

Step-by-step itinerary

Zipaquira Salt Cathedral and Village Tour

• Panoramic tour of northern Bogotá
• Visit Zipaquira Salt Cathedral
• Walk historic center of Zipaquira
• Enjoy typical ajiaco lunch

The experience

The day starts with hotel pickup and a panoramic drive north through Bogotá's outskirts, passing the Moroccan Castle and the Common Bridge before crossing into the villages of Chia and Cajicá. The route sets up what comes next: the Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral itself, an underground structure excavated entirely in rock 160 meters below ground. Your guide meets you at the entrance, handles the admission tickets, and walks you through the cathedral's 8,500 square meters: a space built by miners as a shrine to the Virgin of Guasá and officially recognized as Colombia's first wonder.

After the cathedral, the guide leads a walking tour of Zipaquirá's historic center, moving through Independence Square and Central Square at a pace that lets you absorb the colonial architecture and local atmosphere. This is not a rushed sprint through landmarks. It is a chance to see how the town sits around the mines that shaped it.

Lunch rounds out the day: a three-course meal that includes ajiaco with chicken, the emblematic Colombian soup, alongside other local dishes. The meal is included, so there is no hunting for a restaurant or deciding what to order. You return to your hotel after roughly seven to eight hours out of the city.

What’s included

• Private transportation from your hotel.
• bottled water throughout the day.
• admission tickets to the Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral.
• a professional Spanish-speaking guide for the cathedral and the historic center.
• a three-course lunch featuring ajiaco with chicken and other local dishes.
• a medical assistance card.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

GroupPrivate

Live guideSpanish

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. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 12 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortWheelchair accessiblePets welcomeInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Viajes Uniglobe

Is this one for you?The guide speaks Spanish, so you will follow the tour in Spanish. If you are fluent or comfortable with a Spanish-language experience, this arrangement keeps the group small and the pace intimate. Hotel pickup and drop-off mean you do not arrange your own transport to the mines, and the guide handles your entry tickets at the cathedral.

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Top questions

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.

What exactly is the Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral and why is it 160 meters underground?

The Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral is a shrine carved entirely inside a salt mine 160 meters below ground, built by miners in honor of the Virgin of Guasá. It spans 8,500 square meters and has been declared Colombia's first wonder. The cathedral exists because the miners who worked the salt deposit created it as a place of worship within the mine itself.

Does the guide speak English or only Spanish?

The guide speaks Spanish. If you are comfortable following a Spanish-language tour, the guide will walk you through the cathedral and the colonial squares. If you need English commentary, you would want to confirm accessibility before booking.

What is ajiaco and will I like it if I don't usually eat spicy food?

Ajiaco is a traditional Colombian soup made with chicken, potatoes, corn and cream: hearty and warming rather than intensely spicy. It is the emblematic dish of Colombian gastronomy and the centerpiece of your included lunch. The three-course meal also includes other local dishes alongside it.

How much walking is involved in the tour?

You will walk through the 8,500-square-meter cathedral underground and then stroll through the colonial squares of Zipaquirá's historic center. The operator notes that travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness. The cathedral itself is wheelchair accessible, though the walking tour through town involves uneven colonial streets.

What villages do we pass through on the drive north from Bogotá?

The panoramic drive takes you through Chia and Cajicá, picturesque villages north of Bogotá, before reaching Zipaquirá. Along the way you will see the Moroccan Castle and the Common Bridge, emblematic landmarks of the city's northern edge.