Tour of Zipaquirá: Visit the Salt Cathedral and the main squares

Badge of ExcellenceBogotá, Colombia

7 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Explore the Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral, one of Colombia’s most unexpected architectural wonders, during this guided tour. Head underground to the town's salt mine where you discover this unique monument to human ingenuity. Back above ground, enjoy an included Colombian lunch and a tour of Zipaquirá’s colonial center.

Explore Zipaquirá and its remarkable Salt Cathedral
Visit Zipaquirá's colonial center, including Independence Square and one of the country's oldest churches
Includes a typical Colombian lunch
Popular day trip from Bogotá

What's Included

Private transportation
Lunch
Audio guide inside of the cathedral
Entrance fees
Medical assistance insurance

Gratuities
Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
Food and beverages not mentioned in the tour

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Let us come for you to your hotel, hostel, Airbnb, or any accommodation of your choice in Bogota. Let us know the exact address and we will come for you.

What To Expect

Receive a pickup from your accommodation in Bogotá as you travel to Zipaquirá to begin your cathedral tour. When you arrive in town, descend underground to discover the unique modern architecture of this religious structure, learning about its construction and key features.

When you return back to the surface, enjoy an included Colombian lunch of either meat, fish, or vegetarian options. Spend the rest of your visit exploring the colonial center of Zipaquirá, including one of the oldest churches in Colombia and Independence Square. Return to your Bogotá accommodations at the end of the day.

Catedral De Sal De Zipaquira

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Independence Square

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Infant seats available

Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
Maybe operated by a multi-lingual guide (optional)
The duration of transfers are approximate, the exact duration will depend on the time of day and traffic conditions
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
It is suitable for all types of public
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.5

55 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 55 reviews

Big rock cave

Nick_I, Jul 2022

It’s more of a rock cave than an actual salt mine. The carvings of the crosses were decent… nothing spectacular. It’s a huge place though and the girls we went with took a ton of pics and wanted to shop inside the mine. So by the time we got out, it was noon. We went to eat, then back to Bogota. The tour guide was super nice and talkative but we were bummed when she said we didn’t have time to go to the Zipaquira square. Would’ve been nice to at least drive past it but we didn’t see it at all.

Response from Host, Jul 2022

Hello, we are sorry that the salt cathedral did not meet your travel expectations, but in the product description it does not say that it is a salt mine and that they are going to show you the process, we understand that for your taste it is a simple rock, but our service is to take you comfortably in a private transport from your hotel and show them the first wonder of Colombia in architecture that they have a gastronomic experience by trying a typical dish of the region and that our guide supports them with all the possible information about Colombia and feel that Colombia is the country friendliest in the world and as you mention we fulfill it and if you wish you can book with us a tour to the Nemocon salt mine which is an active mine and they teach you the salt process and it is a different experience. we are here to serve you

Salt Cathedral

Marisel_C, Jun 2022

Very nice experience. Tour was very good. Beautiful Underground salt church Totally recommend when visiting Colombia

Response from Host, Jun 2022

Thank you for your review, we are glad you enjoyed your experience.

Great tour!

Viren_G, Dec 2021

This tour was awesome, I highly recommend it for any tourists looking for something different to do outside of the normal site seeing in Bogota. Cindy was an awesome guide and very insightful on all our questions.

Response from Host, Dec 2021

thank you for your opinion and we are pleased that it was unforgettable.

The Salt Cathedral was...

Allen_S, Apr 2021

The Salt Cathedral was just breathtaking and was just beautiful. Highly recommend this tour and Cindy was a very good tour guide. The lunch was delicious too.

Response from Host, Apr 2021

Thank you for entrusting us with your activities in Colombia and it was a pleasure to show you some of the sites beautiful of our country and as always we will wait for you with open arms when you want to return to Colombia

Truly amazing

Christiana_S, Feb 2021

Cindy was truly the best! She was on time, friendly, and went above and beyond to make sure I had a great day! She was a fabulous guide, making sure everything was taken care of and I knew exactly where to go. I would definitely go out with her again!

Response from Host, Feb 2021

Thank you for booking with us, and it's good that you had a great time.

Amazing guide and tour

William_K, Jul 2018

We spent 10 days in various parts of Colombia and the salt cathedral tour was one of our favorite tours. Our guide was incredible and the cathedral was mind blowing. Do not miss it!

This tour was a lovely way to spend...

Haleh_T, Mar 2018

This tour was a lovely way to spend the day. The Salt Cathedral has voice guides so you can tour at your own speed. The guide provides insight into the history of Colombian during the square tour and the lunch is a great way to try a traditional Colombian lunch. This tour is a must!

The Salt Cathedral was spectacular...

Karen M, Mar 2018

The Salt Cathedral was spectacular and Independence Square was definitely worth seeing. Our guide was friendly and knowledgeable but not very talkative, so we had to ask a lot of questions. Overall good experience, but other group tours may be a better value.

Takes an hour to get to the town...

Ian_P, Feb 2018

Takes an hour to get to the town. Not a lot of time to actually see the square. timing was based on getting to the Salt Cathedral. This is a bit cave like which did not appeal to me. Was on a tour for over an hour. You then have double back to get out. Big religious oriented lots of crosses. Afterwards I was not sure where to meet the guide and had to come back to the main exit. Watch there are 2 parking lots, one being lower. Afterwards we had an included lunch beer extra. I actually enjoyed the lunch. The driver was not English speaking but the guide was. They were both quite pleasant

Great day trip if you've already...

Melanie M, Feb 2018

Great day trip if you've already spent some time in Bogota. It does take a while, though, so not ideal if you only have 1 day in the city.

The tour starts with a pickup from...

Chee-Khiang S, Jan 2018

The tour starts with a pickup from your hotel, and away you go to The Salt Cathedral! Our guide was Andrea and we had a good conversation throughout the tour. Lunch was provided in Zipaquira and it was good local fare. This tour is recommended!

We were picked up from our hotel in...

Siva, Dec 2017

We were picked up from our hotel in Bogota by 9 am and we reached Zipaquira within an hour. The tour in the Salt mine and Cathedral was in English and it included a movie and light show. Total it took 2 hours to complete the tour and on our way back we stopped at the Main square. We also enjoyed the Vegetarian lunch provided at a restaurant in Zipaquira itself. We returned to Bogota by 3 pm. It was a worthwhile tour and well arranged. The guide and driver both were very helpful.

Miguel was on time to pick up us...

Ernesto_pchc, Nov 2017

Miguel was on time to pick up us, and also was very kind and helpful with us. Definitely, if I visit again Bogotá, I will ask for his services through your website. Thanks Miguel!!

Pros: 1. This cathedral is...

Natty, Nov 2017

Pros: 1. This cathedral is AMAZING and well worth a visit if you are coming to Bogota plus, it will break up your stay in Bogota 2. Guides were very nice people Cons: 1. Showed up 30 minutes late. I was dog dead tired and exhausted, but I still showed up on time. If I had known they would be that late, I could have slept another 30 minutes. They did not proactively reach out and tell me how late they would be either, so we just sat their waiting for them to arrive 2. They took a lot of pictures of us. To be fair, they asked if this was okay in the beginning and we said sure. However, at lunch, they kept taking pictures of us eating and I said I didn't want anymore pictures, but they kept taking them. I highly recommend the cathedral itself - but I am mixed on this particular tour group.

A nice private tour to see the salt...

Alvin T, Oct 2017

A nice private tour to see the salt cathedral. Our guide Andrea and the driver handled all the logistics. Learned a few things about Columbia and Bogota on the way. The lunch was great as well. Overall, a very relaxing experience.

Andrea guide and Wilson driver were...

Scott_D, Oct 2017

Andrea guide and Wilson driver were fabulous! This is an absolute must tour when in Bogota. The Salt Cathedral is amazing as is the shopping there. The town of Zipaquira is beautiful and charming. If you're luck the old church in town will be open so you can see how beautiful it is inside. Lunch in town was incredible. Fabulous local food soups and meats. Insider tip: stop at the Café on the Plaza in town to buy some Tres Leches cake!!!!!

The guides were very useful and...

Giovanni S, Oct 2017

The guides were very useful and friendly. The Sal Cathedral was amazing. We also enjoyed a typical Colombian lunch at a no thrills yet nice place. Highly recommended

Great trip with knowledeable guide...

Peter H, Sep 2017

Great trip with knowledeable guide and experienced driver. Salt Cathedral is a must see in Bogota.

Good tour. The cathedral is...

Veersen B, Aug 2017

Good tour. The cathedral is interesting especially from a Geological perspective. Guide Andrea was very nice and polite.

This tour was awesome, our guide...

Melanie L, Aug 2017

This tour was awesome, our guide Kelly was a young lady full of knowledge with perfect English! She was very informative and chatted the entire time. The Salt Cathedral was so cool and the time inside went quicker than expected. The traditional Colombian lunch was delicious and the town of Zipaquira was quaint. I would recommend this tour!