How To Get To The Salt Cathedral Of Zipaquirá From Bogota, Colombia (The Cheapest & The Easiest Way)

Traveling To Bogota, Colombia And Wondering How To Get To The Nearby Salt Cathedral In Zipaquirá From This Capital City?

When I was living in the Coffee Region of Colombia, I visited the Bogota area twice so that I could see and do everything I wanted to in this capital city area, including visiting the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá, but I did not choose the best way to get there so here is a detailed explanation on how to reach this unique site so you don’t make the same mistake that I did.

🚐 How To Get To The Salt Cathedral Of Zipaquirá From Bogota, Colombia

Getting there isn't too difficult but one way is much easier than the other.

Although the Salt Cathedral is only about 30-ish miles (45-ish km) from Bogota in the town of Zipaquirá, getting there might not be as simple as it sounds depending on which way you choose to go, but I do still think the Salt Cathedral is worth visiting no matter what.

The Cheap Way To Get There

I was living on a Colombian salary so wherever I went I tried to find the cheapest options. I usually loved using the public transportation system all over Colombia, but to get from Bogota to Zipaquirá where the Salt Cathedral is located, I do not recommend it.

I started out like I did in most situations in Colombia and went to the transportation terminal in Bogota and bought a ticket to Zipaquirá, but that was the end of the experience being easy.

😫 Despite the usual travel time between Bogota and Zipaquirá being about an hour, because the bus stopped a thousand times (maybe a little exaggerated), the trip took me 3 hours!

By the time we reached the Zipaquirá area, I almost missed the stop because it was hard to hear the announcer (just a guy that stands at the front of the bus) and they didn’t say anything like “the Salt Cathedral is here” (La Catedral de Sal está aquí).

➡️ It may be the cheapest way (about $2 each way) to get to the Salt Cathedral in Zipaquirá, but it is not worth the headache in my opinion.

The (Much) Easier Way To Get There

Although it might be a little more expensive, this is the easiest way to get to the mine.

Because I think the Salt Cathedral is still worth visiting, you can avoid the headache of using public transportation and instead visit one of these easier ways:

for the most personal and direct route to the Salt Cathedral, you could take an Uber from Bogota to Zipaquirá, and if you’re splitting it with others it could be pretty reasonable (about $30-40 one way), and then you’d just have to buy your entrance to the mine (about $33-44 depending on which option you choose)

while taxi’s aren’t always as safe, nice, or cheap as Ubers in Colombia, one reason why you might need an official taxi here is if you have trouble finding an Uber after you visit the Salt Cathedral from Zipaquirá back to Bogota

by far the easiest, most convenient, and stress-free way to visit the Salt Cathedral is to go on a guided tour where everything is arranged for you and you don’t have to worry about anything other than exploring the mine; it can also be not too expensive depending on the size, additional stops, and whether or not the ticket to the mine is included on the tour you choose (anywhere from $40 to $230)

⛪️ Is The Salt Cathedral Of Zipaquirá Worth Seeing?

I think the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá is very unique and a really cool place to visit so I'd definitely say it's worth visiting.

Although it’s not the cheapest activity in Colombia, I think the Salt Cathedral is one of the most unique sites in the country so I definitely think it’s worth visiting.

Out of all of the things I did all over the country when I was living here, visiting the Salt Cathedral is still one of my most favorite adventurous activities that I did and I would recommend it to anyone visiting the capital city area.

🔁 Sum Up: How To Get To The Salt Cathedral Of Zipaquirá From Bogota, Colombia

Even though it was the cheapest option (about $4 roundtrip), I did not choose the best way to get to the Salt Cathedral in Zipaquirá from Bogota, Colombia using the public transportation system because it took twice as long as it should have to reach the mine and I nearly missed my stop because it wasn’t super clear, but I definitely still recommend visiting this unique attraction, just going with the easier guided tour option to avoid the headache of using the bus.