Arrival recommendations in Bogotá
Although in general Colombia is a safe country, please take extra precautions and do not hail a cab from the streets or at the airport. Instead use any of the below options:
UBER
Uber works like it does anywhere else.
HOTEL OR AIRPORT TAXI
Work with your hotel to schedule a cab for you. You can also take an official taxi from within the airport to your hotel destination.
HOTEL SHUTTLE
Inquire with your hotel about the shuttles available to and from your Bogotá hotel and the BOG airport.
Travel to Villa de Leyva
By car
Bogotá – Tunja – Villa de Leyva
Depart Bogotá via the Autopista Norte toward Tunja. Before reaching Tunja, just after passing the Puente de Boyacá, take the left-hand return toward Samacá. From there, you will join the midway point of the road connecting Tunja and Villa de Leyva. This route allows you to bypass Tunja; although there are a few rough stretches, it offers the most beautiful scenery and is our favorite route.
Travel time: 2 hours and 45 minutes
Depart Bogotá via the Autopista Norte toward Tunja. In Tunja, take the road toward Chiquinquirá, and before reaching Sáchica (just after the toll booth), turn off toward Villa de Leyva. With the new dual carriageway, the road is very good up to Tunja. While in Tunja, you may visit the Founder’s House, Plaza de Bolívar, and tour its historic churches.
Travel time: 3 hours
Bogotá – Chiquinquirá – Villa de Leyva
Along the way, you can stop at the Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral, Ubaté, Lake Fúquene, the recently renovated Shrine of Our Lady of Chiquinquirá, Ráquira, Sutamarchán, and finally Villa de Leyva. This is the ideal route for returning to Bogotá, traveling from town to town, with very beautiful scenery.
Travel time: 3 hours and 30 minutes