Bogotá Tejo Tour with Hotel Pickup (Private)

Tejo is Colombia’s national sport and almost no visitor plays it. You throw a weighted steel disc down a clay lane at a folded packet of gunpowder, and when you hit it the packet detonates with a crack that carries across the room. This is three hours at a working tejo court in a downtown Bogotá neighbourhood, with a guide who explains the rules, the etiquette and why the beer is not optional.

How the day works

• Your driver collects you from your hotel in Bogotá.
• You arrive at a real tejo court, not a version built for tourists.
• Your guide runs through the rules and the throwing technique before anyone plays for real.
• You play. Four beers per person come with the session, because in tejo the beer and the game are the same tradition.
• Your driver takes you back to your hotel. The whole thing runs about three hours door to door.

What’s included

• Private English-speaking guide
• Private hotel pickup and drop-off in Bogotá
• Four beers per person
• Your reservation at the tejo court
• All-risk insurance

Not included

• Extra beers and food, both available to buy at the court
• Personal purchases

Good to know

• This activity involves alcohol. You must be 18 or over, the legal drinking age in Colombia.
• Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. Tejo is played on clay and your hands end up in it.
• No experience needed. Your guide gives everyone a full lesson before the first throw.
• Three hours in total, including the drive each way.
• It gets loud. That is the point.

Frequently asked questions

Is it actually dangerous?

No. The gunpowder packets are small and the explosion is noise rather than force. Courts have been run this way for generations, and your guide sets the safety rules before anyone throws.

Do I have to drink?

No. The four beers come with the session but nobody is going to push them on you, and soft drinks are available at the court. The tour still works if you don’t drink.

Can children come?

No. The activity includes alcohol, so the minimum age is 18.

Do I need to be strong to throw?

Not really. The disc has weight but the throw is about technique, not power. People usually hit their first target within the first half hour.

Is the guide bilingual?

Yes. Your guide works in English and Spanish, and translates the trash talk, which is half the entertainment.