Hiking in Colombia
From snow-capped volcanoes to jungle ruins — Colombia offers some of the most dramatic multi-day treks in South America. All tours are private, guided, and tailored to your fitness level.
Six Signature Hikes
Colombia stacks every climate zone into a few hundred kilometres — Caribbean coast to páramo moorland to Pacific rainforest. We run six hikes that cover the full range, from a 4-day jungle trek to a technical summit above 5,000 metres. Each trip is private with local guides, meals, and all logistics.
Lengerke Trail
4 days · 53 km · Santander
Historic stone paths across Chicamocha Canyon
Nevado del Tolima
4–5 days · 5,215 m summit · Los Nevados
Snow-capped volcano in the Central Andes
Ciudad Perdida
4–5 days · Sierra Nevada
Jungle trek to the Lost City archaeological site
Chingaza Páramo
1–2 days · 3,200–3,800 m · near Bogotá
High-altitude moorland with Andean bears
Cocora Valley
1 day · Quindío
Wax palms, cloud forest, Coffee Triangle
La Chorrera
1 day · Choachí, near Bogotá
Colombia’s tallest waterfall (590 m)
Lengerke Trail
4 days · 53 km · 4 stages · San Vicente de Chucurí to Los Santos
The most historic long-distance hike in Colombia. Named after Georg von Lengerke, a German engineer who arrived in Santander in 1852 and built stone paths and bridges across the Andes to connect remote villages. The trail follows original 19th-century cobblestone roads through three Andean cordilleras and descends into the Chicamocha Canyon — one of the deepest canyons in the world.
The route crosses wildly different climate zones: tropical cacao plantations at 700 m, humid montane forest with ferns and birds inside Serranía de los Yariguíes National Park, dry cacti-covered slopes, the floor of Chicamocha Canyon at 450 m, and the colonial hilltop towns of Zapatoca, Guane and Barichara.
Day-by-Day
- Stage 1 — San Vicente → Zapatoca (18 km · +1,300 m / −1,000 m). Start at the ProAves bird sanctuary. Climb 1,000 m through tropical forest into the Yariguíes cloud forest. Cross into dry, cactus-covered terrain. Motorbike transfer to Zapatoca, a colonial town at 1,700 m.
- Stage 2 — Zapatoca → Barichara (17 km · +770 m / −1,500 m). Descend through hot, dry landscape into Chicamocha Canyon. Cross the canyon floor via a stone bridge (swimming possible). Climb to Guane village with its archaeological museum, then walk the Camino Real cobblestone path to Barichara — white-washed colonial heritage town.
- Stage 3 — Barichara → Jordán (12 km · +100 m / −1,100 m). Descend into the canyon on Lengerke’s original stone path. Stunning views into the gorge. Overnight at Jordán, a tiny village at the canyon bottom.
- Stage 4 — Jordán → Los Santos (6 km · +900 m). Visit Lengerke’s historic stone bridge, then climb out of the canyon. Recently restored trail with lookout points. Intense heat — carry extra water. End at Los Santos with bus connections to Bucaramanga.
Requires good fitness. Bring at least 1 litre of water per stage, sun protection, long sleeves and hiking shoes. We recommend a rest day in Barichara between stages 2 and 3.
Nevado del Tolima
4–5 days · 5,215 m summit · Los Nevados National Park
Nevado del Tolima is a snow-capped stratovolcano in the Central Andes and one of the highest peaks you can summit in Colombia. The trek crosses four ecosystems: coffee farms at 1,800 m, cloud forest, páramo grassland above 3,500 m, and the glacial zone above 4,800 m. The final push to 5,215 m is a scramble over volcanic rock and permanent snow.
This is a serious high-altitude trek. You need to be fit, comfortable with cold camping, and willing to wake at 2 a.m. for the summit bid. On clear mornings, views from the summit stretch across the entire Central Cordillera.
Day-by-Day
- Day 1 — Drive from Ibagué to trailhead (~2,800 m). Trek through cloud forest to first camp at ~3,400 m.
- Day 2 — Acclimatization hike through páramo. Move camp to ~4,200 m base near the volcanic field. Frailejones dominate the landscape.
- Day 3 — Summit day: 2 a.m. start, climb moraine and glacier to 5,215 m peak. Return to base camp.
- Day 4 — Descend to trailhead, transfer back to Ibagué.
Difficulty: Hard. Prior experience above 4,000 m recommended. Crampons and ice axe provided. Summit camp temperatures can drop to −10 °C.
Ciudad Perdida — The Lost City
4–5 days · Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
Ciudad Perdida is a pre-Columbian archaeological site built around 800 AD by the Tairona people — roughly 650 years before Machu Picchu. It sits at 1,200 m in dense jungle of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. The only way in is on foot: a 44 km round-trip trek through indigenous Kogui and Wiwa territory, river crossings, and thick tropical forest.
The trail is challenging but not technical. You will cross rivers up to waist height, sleep in hammock camps, and gain roughly 1,200 m over muddy terrain. The final approach climbs 1,200 stone steps to the terraced city.
Day-by-Day
- Day 1 — Drive Santa Marta to El Mamey trailhead. Trek 7 km through farmland into jungle to Camp 1 (river camp, hammocks).
- Day 2 — Trek 14 km through dense forest, multiple river crossings, arrive Camp 2. Toughest day.
- Day 3 — Early start to Ciudad Perdida (2 h). Climb the 1,200 stone steps. Guided tour of the terraces. Return to Camp 2.
- Day 4 — Return trek to El Mamey. Transfer to Santa Marta.
Difficulty: Moderate-hard. High humidity, river crossings, no showers at camps. The 5-day version adds a rest day at the ruins.
Chingaza Páramo
1–2 days · 3,200–3,800 m · 1 hour from Bogotá
Chingaza National Park protects 76,000 hectares of páramo — the high-altitude Andean grassland found only above 3,000 m. This is where Bogotá gets 80% of its drinking water, and it’s home to Andean bears, white-tailed deer, frailejones and over 380 bird species including the Andean condor.
The park is barely an hour from Bogotá but feels like another planet. Misty moorlands stretch to the horizon, glacial lakes reflect silver skies, and the silence is total. Visitor numbers are strictly limited — permits sell out weeks in advance.
Options
- Day trip — Depart Bogotá 5 a.m., hike the Suasie or Lagunas de Siecha circuit (8–12 km, 4–6 hours), return by evening.
- Overnight trek — Full traverse to Laguna de Chingaza. Camp at 3,600 m, dawn walk for condor sightings. Second day loop back.
Difficulty: Easy to moderate, but altitude affects unacclimatized visitors. Park sits between 3,200–3,800 m. At least one day in Bogotá (2,640 m) before visiting recommended.
Cocora Valley
1 day · Salento, Quindío · Coffee Triangle
The Valle de Cocora is home to the Quindío wax palm — Colombia’s national tree, the tallest palm species on Earth at 60 metres. The valley sits at 2,400 m in the Coffee Triangle. A circular loop trail takes you through open pastures dotted with impossibly tall palms, then into dense cloud forest alive with hummingbirds, before looping back along the Quindío river.
Cocora is the most photographed landscape in Colombia and pairs naturally with Salento, a coffee farm tour, and hot springs at Santa Rosa de Cabal.
The Route
- Morning — Jeep from Salento (20 min) to valley entrance. Cross the Quindío river, ascend through cloud forest to Acaime hummingbird reserve.
- Midday — Continue to the high viewpoint overlooking the full valley. Descend through the iconic palm groves.
- Afternoon — Return to Salento. Optional: coffee farm visit, town walk, or trout lunch riverside.
Difficulty: Easy to moderate. 12 km loop, 4–5 hours. Some muddy stretches — rubber boots available at trailhead. All ages and fitness levels.
La Chorrera Waterfall
1 day · Choachí, Cundinamarca · 1.5 hours from Bogotá
La Chorrera is Colombia’s tallest waterfall at 590 metres, cascading in multiple tiers down a cliff face in Choachí, just 90 minutes from Bogotá. The trail follows a well-maintained path through Andean forest along a mountain stream, with viewpoints at each tier.
The easiest and most accessible hike on our list — a perfect day trip from Bogotá for travellers with limited time. Combine with the Choachí hot springs on the return drive.
The Route
- Morning — Drive Bogotá → Choachí → trailhead (1.5 h). Ascend 4 km through forest and farmland, crossing the stream several times.
- Midday — Reach the base of La Chorrera. Lunch at the eco-lodge, explore lower tiers.
- Afternoon — Descend (1.5 h). Optional Choachí thermal baths. Return to Bogotá by evening.
Difficulty: Easy. 8 km round trip, 3–4 hours. Well-marked trail, some steep sections and stream crossings. Families and casual hikers welcome.
More Routes We Arrange
Beyond the six hikes above, we build custom itineraries across Colombia:
Coffee Triangle
Multi-day walks connecting coffee farms, cloud forests and hot springs across Risaralda, Quindío and Caldas. Includes Río Blanco reserve, Otún-Quimbaya and the Camino del Quindío historic trail.
Valle del Cauca & Farallones
Cali-based treks into the Farallones National Park and the western slope of the Andes. Anchicayá valley, San Cipriano rainforest, and the Km 18 birding route.
El Cocuy
High-altitude circuit through the Cocuy-Güicán massif in Boyacá — glacial lakes, snow peaks, and the most spectacular mountain scenery in the Colombian Andes. 5–6 days, demanding.
Your Colombia Hiking Trip
Every hike is private and built around your dates, fitness level and interests. Tell us what you’re looking for and we’ll design the route.