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Villa de Leyva Day Trip: Explore Colombian Architectural Marvel from Bogota
4.4
18 Ratings
Villa de Leyva
Discover the enchanting colonial town of Villa de Leyva. Wander its well-preserved streets, visit the expansive Plaza Mayor and stunning cathedral, explore the ancient archaeological site El Infiernito, and marvel at the Blue Ponds and a prehistoric Kronosaurus fossil.
Discover the enchanting colonial town of Villa de Leyva. Wander its well-preserved streets, visit the expansive Plaza Mayor and stunning cathedral, explore the ancient archaeological site El Infiernito, and marvel at the Blue Ponds and a prehistoric Kronosaurus fossil.
Duration:
12 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
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Villa de Leyva - You will hardly find in Colombia a place that takes architectural preservation work as seriously as Villa De Leyva. This population was built by Spanish colonizers in 1572, and it gives the feeling that it remained frozen in time thanks to the way in which it has been preserved as a heritage town.
The tour starts by picking you up…
- Villa de Leyva - You will hardly find in Colombia a place that takes architectural preservation work as seriously as Villa De Leyva. This population was built by Spanish colonizers in 1572, and it gives the feeling that it remained frozen in time thanks to the way in which it has been preserved as a heritage town.
The tour starts by picking you up at your hotel at 7:00 am. After a 3 hour drive, you will arrive at Villa de Leyva and tour its main highlights such as the enormous Plaza Mayor and Villa de Leyva’s Cathedral with our knowledgeable guide.
After visiting the village you will go to El Infiernito (little hell), an ancient Muisca observatory used to calculate the optimal time for harvesting. You will then have time to have lunch (at your own expense) before heading to the Blue Ponds, some vivid blue water reservoirs in the middle of the desert that contrast beautifully with the arid soil and vegetation around it. Optionally, you can visit the 7M long fossil of a Kronosaurus; a predatory dinosaur that lived 120 million years ago when this area was submerged under the ancient Atlantic Ocean.
With so many things to do in this village, we highly recommend arranging at least a one-night stay here, as you can also arrange activities that can vary from hiking to natural parks, buggy races, horseback riding, bird watching, or visiting archaeological sites and museums.
You will return to Bogotá via Ráquira. A picturesque and colorful village that has become famous for its long tradition of pottery work. This is a perfect place to make a stop on the way back and get some really beautiful handicraft souvenirs. You will be taken to your hotel in Bogotá arriving at approximately 7:00 pm.
What's Included
- Expert guide in preferred language
- Private hotel transfers in Bogota
- Included entrance tickets to attractions
- Expert guide in preferred language
- Private hotel transfers in Bogota
- Included entrance tickets to attractions
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks
- Optional tips and gratuities
- Personal expenses.
- Food and drinks
- Optional tips and gratuities
- Personal expenses.
Additional Information
- We recommend wearing comfortable clothes and shoes.
- We recommend wearing comfortable clothes and shoes.
Location
Villa de Leyva
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.4
(18 Ratings)
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Sara0904_08
Jul 2, 2024
Family plan - Nice place, warm people, cheerful atmosphere. Delicious food, has very beautiful colonial style sidewalks, little shops to choose between very beautiful souvenirs.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Avaldesp10
Nov 21, 2022
Villa de Leyva experience. - In Villa de Leyva, you can go to Aventura park that is 32 minutes of the principal park, is a good and funny place in where you can do a lot of activities; I advice you that go with extreme people for more enjoy. Also, you can go to different museums for meet the history of the place. Villa de Leyva is a cold place, I recommend go with hoodies, jackets and trousers.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Juanu887
Apr 27, 2021
5 stars for Impulse - We had an amazing time on this trip. The village is so beautiful and full of history. The surroundings are worth the visit as well, especially the Casa de Barro. The way there was 3 hours but it was a fun and entertaining conversation with our guide Juan who gave us a very insightful perspective on Colombia's current matters and history. I'd really recommend taking this trip with Impulse.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
J_jimenezch
Apr 23, 2021
My trip - During the pandemic my family and I wanted to take a trip near Bogota to clear our heads and came across this tour. What a blessing! The organization and communication for the pick up was perfect. Our driver David was very funny and cordial, he showed us local music, however the best part of our trip was our guide Raul, we thought that doing this whole trip in 1 day would be too much, however he made everything so flexible and enjoyable that we didn't realize at what point we did so much. Great memories as a family.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hrndvd
Apr 23, 2021
Villa de Leyva trip - I’m so glad to have booked this experience. From the very first moment the communication with the provider was very fast, they told us every single trip detail. Our guide Andrés had all time a very good mood, he took us to magical and hidden places and gave us this remarkable experience. we really loved this town. I highly recommend this tour to any one.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Searcher297
Feb 6, 2020
Unexpected trip to Villa De Layva - My tour to Villa De Leyva was a one with a detour that took us on a path we had not planned for giving us a day of memories I won’t soon forget. In the morning we lost our car on our way to Villa De Layva. Instead of waiting for a replacement car, our tour guide Daniel Pedraza Archila was able to quickly get us on a local bus to the nearest of Tunja. From Tunja, we boarded another bus to our final destination of Villa De Layva. The local bus experience was awesome. Once we arrived in Villa De Layva, we explored the old street that have not changed much since 1620 when the city was founded. By the time we finished lunch, the Impulse tour company had a new car waiting for us to continue with our stops outside of Villa De Layva. What I liked the most about this trip was exploring the streets of Villa De Layva, seeing the unique architecture of Casa Terracotta and the morning local bus rides seeing a different side of Colombia. Thank you Daniel for being a professional guide making a situation that could have been a disaster into a memorable experience. Thank you Impulse Tour Company for getting the replacement car and driver so quickly. I am a very satisfied customer.
Review provided by Viator
Jaime_s
Dec 24, 2019
Fantastic day! - This was a fantastic day with guide Juan and our driver Leonardo. it was a long day but was made so enjoyable with the great chats we had. Juan was an amazing guide and made a solo female traveler very comfortable and I had a great time. highly recommend this trip!
Review provided by Viator
Malismd
Jan 6, 2019
A trip worth taking - This is a beautiful quaint town that is worth a visit if you are going to Colombia. We were here around Christmas and the town was quite beautifully decorated.
As far as Impulse travel services are concerned I would give them 3.5 stars. They are responsive to your queries but it takes them few hours to respond to your emails. This can be a problem if you are in a time crunch and need some resolution soon. The transportation was good. They provided a comfortable van for our party of nine that showed up on time. We had booked a guided tour and and our guide, Andrea, was very good. We had also booked a tour with them to the Zip salt mine cathedral. I guess they sub-contract the transportation services. The route that the driver was instructed to take to the salt mines was not familiar to the driver himself. We had to turn around a few times to get onto the right road. Moreover, a good part of that route was unpaved. The return trip was much smoother with a known paved road all the way to Bogota.
My main issue with Impulse travel was that they should provide you with a dedicated number to call when needed
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cheryl
May 12, 2018
My husband and I took the Villa de... - <p>My husband and I took the Villa de Leyva trip on a Wednesday in April. We were told it could be cold and rainy, but the weather was perfect, sunny and 70 or so. The tour was indeed customized for us. We were picked up promptly at 7am the traffic leaving Bogota was horrible that time of day and we were later told its because of so many students going that direction to the universities at that time.<br/>
Our first stop was to sample the local specialty of arepa made with corn flour and local cheese very delicious. Next we went to the village of Chiquinquirá to visit a cathedral renown for a miracle concerning an image of the Virgin Mary. We then drove on to Raquira to do a little souvenir shopping and to have a traditional lunch at a restaurant on the main square. The town is very picturesque and has many shops that sell pottery made of the local red clay. <br/>
After lunch we stopped at El Infiernito Little Hell, a title given to the area by the Spanish colonists due to a number of phallic pillars at the site. It was a religious worship site for the indigenous people. It is now an archeological dig site belonging to a university. The site served the indigenous as a burial ground and observatory, helping them to create a calendar. <br/>
We arrived in Villa de Leyva about 2:00 and walked around the village, taking note of the fossils which the Spanish colonists incorporated into their buildings and pavements as decoration. We also stopped for a hot chocolate at the Museum of Chocolate an unexpected, but delicious, experience.<br/>
Our guide was very knowledgeable and explained the background of all the sites on the tour as well as information on the lifestyle of the farm people. The farmers have their own cultural practices, music and way of dressing.<br/>
It was a very full day and we felt that we were able to see a much more diverse side of Colombia by going on this tour.</p>
Review provided by Viator
Joe
Oct 25, 2017
Great Day and Great Company - I booked my trip in a rush, and booked the wrong day. I emailed Destino and requested a date change and got a very fast response that it was no problem. No change fees or hassle of any kind. Walter was my guide. He picked me up in a very nice car, was candid about the things to do, and the things not to do. He was very knowledgeable about the region and offered suggestions beyond the day that we spent in Villa de Leyva. He got to know me and tailored our agenda. I recommend spending the night in Villa de Leyva if you can. It's just a bit far for a day trip, and there is plenty to see and taste there!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
