Villa de Leyva Guided Day Tour: Sisga, Raquira & Fossils

Three hours north of Bogota, the valley of Boyaca keeps a different century running. Villa de Leyva’s Plaza Mayor, one of the largest cobblestone squares in South America, has barely changed since the town was founded in 1572, and the hills around it hold a 130-million-year-old seabed full of marine fossils. This private day covers the whole arc, from a reservoir viewpoint to a potter’s village to the colonial square to turquoise mineral pools, with a bilingual guide and a vehicle that begins and ends at your Bogota hotel door.

Twelve hours sounds long. It reads differently from inside the day: the drive north is part of the landscape, the stops build on each other, and by the time you stand in the plaza you understand what you are standing in, which is the entire point of doing this with a guide instead of a rental car.

Check live availability and prices — or read on for how the day unfolds.

How the day works

• Hotel pickup in Bogota (about 30 minutes). Be in your lobby ten minutes early; the day is long and starts on time.
• Sisga Dam (about 45 minutes). A photo stop over the Andean reservoir before you leave Cundinamarca.
• Raquira (about 45 minutes). Colombia’s artisan capital, where every facade is a different color and every storefront is stacked with handmade ceramics from a craft tradition older than the Spanish.
• Villa de Leyva historic center (about 90 minutes). The Plaza Mayor and the streets around it, with 450 years of history placed into the architecture by your guide.
• Antonio Narino House Museum (about 45 minutes). The colonial residence of the man who first translated the Rights of Man into Spanish, declared a Site of National Cultural Interest in 1961. Entry included.
• The Fossil Museum (about 45 minutes). The valley’s Cretaceous record: marine fossils from the era when all of this was ocean floor. Entry included.
• Pozos Azules (about 45 minutes). Sapphire mineral pools set against an arid hillside, the most visually surreal stop of the day. Entry included.
• The drive home (about 3 hours). Back to your hotel in Bogota.

What’s included

• Private certified bilingual guide (English and Spanish) for the full day
• Private round-trip transportation from and back to your Bogota hotel
• Entry fees to the Fossil Museum, Pozos Azules, and the Antonio Narino House Museum
• Stops at Sisga Dam and Raquira

Not included

• Food and drinks; your guide recommends the best lunch spots in Villa de Leyva
• Personal purchases and souvenirs
• Tips

Good to know

• It is a full 12-hour day. Comfortable walking shoes are essential: the plaza and streets are entirely cobblestone, and Pozos Azules involves a short uphill walk on uneven ground.
• Climate: the Boyaca highlands sit above 2,100 meters; mornings run cold, middays warm, and the semi-desert sun is stronger than it feels. Layers and sunscreen.
• Lunch: not included by design; Villa de Leyva’s restaurant scene, from local Colombian to international, is part of the experience, and your guide knows it well.
• Accessibility: the cobblestones and hillside walking make this day unsuitable for wheelchairs and strollers.
• Weather: the tour runs rain or shine; the valley’s semi-arid climate makes clear days the norm.
• Cancellation: free up to 12 hours before departure; within 12 hours, non-refundable.

Frequently asked questions

Isn’t three hours each way a lot of driving?

It is the honest cost of the day, and the route is built to pay it back: Sisga Dam and Raquira break up the outbound leg, so you are never driving three hours straight, and the return is the quiet stretch where the day settles. Travelers who want more time in town often turn this into an overnight; ask us about that option.

Why are there fossils in the middle of the Andes?

Because 130 million years ago this valley was seabed. When the Andes rose, the Cretaceous ocean floor came up with them, which is why the region produces some of South America’s most important marine fossils, including the great sea reptiles in the museum’s collection.

Is this tour good for children and older travelers?

The pace is easy and the stops are short and varied, which works well for families. The two honest caveats: the day is long, and the cobblestones demand steady footing. If mobility is a concern, write to us first and we will tell you plainly whether it fits.

What are the Pozos Azules exactly?

A set of small artificial pools whose mineral content turns the water an intense turquoise against the semi-desert around them. You view them from the walking paths; there is no swimming.

Can we adjust the stops?

The day is private, so within the timing limits it flexes: linger longer in the plaza, trade a museum for more of Raquira, or tell your guide what interests you at pickup and let them re-balance the day.

Just need the ride, not the tour?

If you are staying overnight in Villa de Leyva or want the day on your own terms, our private transfer to Villa de Leyva gives you the same professional driver with no itinerary attached.

Ready? Check your date and lock it in — free cancellation up to 12 hours before departure.