Why book this tour
Everything you would otherwise have to arrange yourself
The road to Zipaquirá is somebody else's job
A van collects the group from a hotel or a central Bogotá point and drives north across the Sabana, about 80 minutes on the itinerary, so the morning starts without a TransMilenio transfer or a timetable to read before sunrise.
A driver-guide narrates the Savanna and the mine
A Spanish/English driver-guide travels with the group, and an audio guide in your own language covers the underground walk itself.
The Cathedral's own entry is separate
The Cathedral's own entrance is not part of the tour: you pay for it on site. The Cathedral sets its rates by nationality and age and checks identity documents at the entrance, so bring your passport or ID card.
Zipaquirá's town centre is part of the day
After the Cathedral, a panoramic tour of the town's colonial centre and main square is part of the same day, rather than something you would have to find time for on your own.
The signature of the descent
Deep underground, fourteen stations at a time
Every visit follows the same route: down into a single gallery cut through the rock, past fourteen small chapels carved by the miners who once worked this level for salt rather than for visitors. Only after the fourteenth station does the tunnel open into the Cathedral itself — three interconnected naves and, at the far end, a cross lit from its own base.
- 1 Surface
I — Jesus is condemned
The gallery opens here — the same tunnel the miners once cut for salt, long before it carried a single visitor.
- 2
II — Jesus takes up his cross
A scene carved directly into the salt wall, lit from below so the rock itself seems to glow amber.
- 3
III — Jesus falls the first time
The first of three falls in the sequence, carved along a stretch of tunnel that once moved ore, not people.
- 4
IV — Jesus meets his mother
Set at a bend in the gallery, where the passage briefly widens before narrowing again.
- 5
V — Simon of Cyrene helps carry the cross
Carved into the same rock face the miners once blasted for salt, not for a congregation.
- 6
VI — Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
One of the quieter chapels — this far down, footsteps and dripping water are most of what you hear.
- 7
VII — Jesus falls a second time
Roughly midway along the gallery that runs from the entrance to the naves.
- 8
VIII — Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
A slightly wider chapel, built so a small group can pause without blocking the gallery behind them.
- 9
IX — Jesus falls a third time
By this point in the walk, the surface world outside has stopped feeling especially close.
- 10
X — Jesus is stripped of his garments
Carved near where the gallery first begins to widen toward the naves ahead.
- 11
XI — Jesus is nailed to the cross
The crucifixion scene, lit in the same warm amber as the rest of the descent.
- 12
XII — Jesus dies on the cross
Set just before the gallery opens out — one of the last stations before the naves.
- 13
XIII — Jesus is taken down from the cross
Near the threshold where the narrow tunnel gives way to the Cathedral's own scale.
- 14
XIV — Jesus is laid in the tomb
The fourteenth and last station, at the point the gallery opens into the three naves.
- ✦ ≈180–200 m
Three naves and the great cross
The gallery ends in three interconnected naves — birth, life and death — beneath four columns cut to represent the Four Evangelists, closing on a cross lit from its base, among the largest carved underground anywhere.
The Cathedral gives its depth as 180 metres, while Wikipedia says 200; both describe the same Cathedral. Individual station depths are not published, so only the start and the naves carry a marker here.
How the day is run
How the day is run
One pickup, one drive, one ticket counter — the practical shape of the day, in order.
Pickup, by neighbourhood
The van collects from a hotel or an agreed central point in Bogotá. The booking calendar shows the starting times.
The road to Zipaquirá
The drive north across the Bogotá Savanna takes about 80 minutes on the itinerary, with views of fields, small towns and the Andes before you reach Zipaquirá.
Buying the one ticket that isn't included
The Cathedral's own entrance is paid for on site, and its rates depend on nationality and age. The Cathedral checks identity documents at the entrance, so carry your passport or ID card.
The return leg
After the Cathedral and the time in town, the van drives back to Bogotá and drops you at your accommodation. The whole day runs about nine hours.
The Cathedral, in pictures
The Cathedral, in pictures
The illuminated crosses, the salt-carved reliefs, and the town of Zipaquirá above ground.
Ways to visit the Salt Cathedral
Ways to visit the Salt Cathedral
| Option | What it includes | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Guided group tour with pickup (this site) | Round-trip van transport from Bogotá, a driver-guide, an audio guide and a town walk — the Cathedral's own entrance ticket is bought separately on arrival | About 9 hours; the ticket counter's nationality/age pricing still applies at the gate |
| Cathedral's own passports, booked direct | Entry to the Cathedral with an audio guide, bought online or at the ticket office; Basic, Standard and Premium passports add more attractions. You arrange your own transport | Refunds only for force majeure, and only on passports bought directly from the Cathedral |
| TransMilenio + intermunicipal bus, independently | TransMilenio to Portal Norte, then a bus to Zipaquirá, roughly an hour to an hour and a half | No pickup; you buy your own entry, online or at the ticket office, and an audio guide is included with every passport |
| Turistren tourist train | A round trip by train from Usaquén or Gran Estación; the Cathedral's entry is bought separately | Runs Saturdays, Sundays and holidays only — not an option for a weekday visit |
Ways to book the visit
Find a date for your visit
Each way down to the Cathedral is booked through GetYourGuide, with live seats and the price already converted to yours.
Planning your visit
Planning your visit
Bring your passport or ID
The Cathedral's entrance is priced by nationality and checked at the counter, so the document you'll book under is worth having on you, not left at the hotel.
Dress for two temperatures
Zipaquirá sits at about 2,652 metres and the mine stays cool, so a light jacket and comfortable shoes cover both the town and the tunnels.
Know your rate before you pay
The Cathedral prices entry by nationality and age band and checks identity documents at the entrance. Know which rate applies to you before you pay, and keep your passport or ID card with you.
Save the walking for the gallery
The route underground is long and the ground is uneven, so comfortable, flat shoes matter more here than on most day tours.
Planning a Salt Cathedral visit
Planning a Salt Cathedral visit
Salt Cathedral tickets and tours
How to choose between a group tour from Bogotá, the Cathedral's own passports, the tourist train and the public bus, checked against the official sites.
Read more →The Cathedral, explainedThe 14 Stations of the Cross, and how the Cathedral was carved
Miners carved a prayer chapel here in 1932 out of habit, not ambition. What stands now — fourteen chapels, three naves, one enormous cross — grew from that in two very different builds, six decades apart.
Read more →Getting there and what to expectBogotá to the Salt Cathedral
How the bus, tourist train, car and group tour compare from Bogotá, how long to allow, what to wear and who the underground walk suits, from official sources.
Read more →Beyond the CathedralThe salt mine's history, and the town of Zipaquirá
Salt was mined here for centuries before anyone carved a chapel into it. The town above ground has its own square, its own cathedral, and its own much older relationship with the same white rock.
Read more →Practical guidePractical: tickets, language, and what's actually underground
The nationality-priced ticket, the 180-versus-200-metre depth question, and what the tour's audio guide does and doesn't cover — the practical details worth knowing before you book.
Read more →Around the tripBogotá beyond the Salt Cathedral day trip
The Zipaquirá day takes a full day of a Bogotá stay. Here's how to plan the days around it, and what else in the city and the Savanna is worth the rest of your time.
Read more →FAQ
Salt Cathedral tour questions
What is the Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral Group Tour with Pickup?
It is a roughly 9-hour guided day trip from Bogotá to the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá, a Catholic church carved inside a working salt mine. The booking bundles round-trip van transport, a driver-guide, an audio guide for the underground walk, and a short walking tour of Zipaquirá's colonial centre. The Cathedral's own entrance ticket is not included and is bought on arrival.
Is the Cathedral's entrance ticket included in the price?
No. The tour covers transport, the driver-guide, the audio guide and the town walk; the Cathedral's own entrance fee is paid separately at the on-site ticket counter, priced by nationality and age band — confirm the current official rate before you go.
How deep underground is the Cathedral?
The Cathedral's own website says 180 metres underground, while Wikipedia gives 200 metres. Both describe the same Cathedral, built inside the tunnels of a salt mine.
What are the 14 Stations of the Cross inside the mine?
They are fourteen small chapels carved in salt relief along the entrance gallery, each depicting one scene of Christ's Passion in the traditional order — from his condemnation through to the tomb. They were carved by the mine's own workers and lead, in sequence, to the Cathedral's three main naves.
Do I need to book my own entrance ticket in advance?
On this tour you pay for the Cathedral's entrance on site. If you go independently, the Cathedral sells its passports online and at its ticket office. Rates depend on nationality and age band, identity documents are checked at the entrance, and refunds are limited to force majeure and to passports bought directly from the Cathedral.
How long is the day, and what should I wear?
About 9 hours door to door, with about two hours at the Cathedral itself and the rest on the road, in town and at lunch. The mine stays cool, so a light jacket is useful, and comfortable shoes matter because the ground underground is uneven.
Is there a private or independent way to visit instead?
Yes. Independent travellers can reach Zipaquirá by bus from the Salitre terminal or Portal Norte, or on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays by the Turistren tourist train. In both cases you buy your own entry from the Cathedral, online or at its ticket office, and an audio guide is included with every passport.