The 6 National Park Trips in Colombia That Are Worth the Detour

1.Tayrona National Park Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 131 reviews · 11 hours · from $77Our pick

Review of the Santa Marta to Tayrona guided tour, with a four-hour forest hike, Cabo San Juan beach time, costs, tips, and honest drawbacks.

“Malheureusement, je trouve que l’activité ne vaut pas du tout son prix. Le guide ne parlait pas un mot anglais, ok c’était précisé que l’activité se faisait en espagnol mais à certains moments on se savait pas quoi faire et il ne nous aidait pas. Pendant tout le trajet il avait l’air pressé, il enchaînait tout et il ne prenait pas le temps de se poser. Le trajet est de plus ou moins 12km et c’est un aller retour, on reprend le même chemin pour rentrer et ça va encore plus vite que pour l’aller. Je vous conseille vivement de le faire par vous même, ce n’est pas compliqué car…”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Guided Hiking through Tayrona National Park and Cabo San Juan

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 73 reviews · from $45Best value

Review of Tayrona’s Cabo San Juan hike from Santa Marta, with route details, costs, beaches, fitness advice, and honest booking tips.

“the place is actually nice, but the tour a real shamble. The bus was 1.5h late and the guide was not able to speak at all. When I complained after the tour, I have been told the other guide was sick, but really not an excuse”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Chingaza National Park Eco Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 28 reviews · 7 hours · from $158

Review of a private Chingaza National Park tour from Bogotá, with páramo hiking, wildlife, local guides, transport, costs, and practical tips.

“Magnifique parc naturel, des paysages magnifiques, et bel découverte de cet écosystème du paramo. Le chauffeur et la guide étaient très sympathiques et professionnels, de même que le guide local.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Tayrona National Park: Scuba Diving Tour for Beginners

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · 4 hours · from $138Top rated

Try beginner scuba in Tayrona National Park with a PADI instructor, boat ride, gear, photos, snacks, and a small four-person group.

“This was my first time scuba diving and the experience could not have been better. The sites were excellent and David could not have been a better guide. He insured not only was the experience great but also safe.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Aviary National Park Tour with Hotel Pickup

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 14 reviews · 5 hours · from $83

Review of Cartagena’s National Aviary tour, with private hotel pickup, air-conditioned transport, bird highlights, costs, tips, and booking advice.

“The national aviary was fabulous. Driver picked us up at our hotel at 8:00 AM and dropped us off in Old Town Cartagena at 1:30 PM for lunch. (He can drop off back at hotel too.) It was a private and scenic one hour drive to the aviary and back. He got tickets for us on arrival and waited for us for as long as we wanted to stay at aviary. We stayed about two hours and even saw a bird show.”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Sumapaz National Park Hike Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 13 reviews · 8 hours · from $136

Hike Colombia’s Sumapaz Páramo from Bogotá, with hotel pickup, private guides, Chibcha stories, misty trails, and high-altitude views.

“Excelente experiencia. Nuestro guía, José, fue un encanto de persona, siempre atento a nuestros pasos. Nos explicó lo que estábamos observando con mucha paciencia y conocimiento Gracias José por compartir tu conocimiento con nosotras.”

Check availability →Read our full review