Guatavita Lake Day Tour

The Guatavita Golden Lake Tour will take you roughly 60km northwest of Bogotá city to discover the town of Guatavita and the famous turquoise Guatavita lagoon, located in the nearby town of Sesquilé. This is one of the most sacred lakes for the ancient indigenous Muisca Indians as well as being the origin of the famous ‘El Dorado’ legend.

This day tour will begin by travelling from Bogota into the lush green mountains of Colombia to the town of Guatavita. Walk the cobblestone streets of the “white-house village” before driving to the spot where the sacred circular lake lies hidden amongst forest vegetation. The tranquil lagoon is said to be the source of the ‘El Dorado’ legend, which has since attracted treasure hunters from around the world, always leaving with little success in their hunt for fortune and gold. The legend says a Muisca ruler (who was named ‘El Dorado’ by the Spanish Conquistadores) covered his body in gold dust then bathed in the waters of Guatavita lake to make an offering to his gods, at which point other treasures and precious gold were thrown into the depths of Lake Guatavita. On the way back to Bogotá, the scenic drive through Colombia’s mountainous countryside will stop at La Calera, a small town where you will get to taste the famous arepas (typical Colombian food made from yellow corn and cheese) – so good that every car and truck to pass these vendors stops to eat this great Colombian snack. At the end of your golden day tour you will be dropped off at your hotel or at a convenient place within the urban area.

The Guatavita Golden Lake Tour is a fantastic option for travellers or families looking for a peaceful day trip outside of Bogotá city filled with the typical exotic beauty of Colombia, historical tradition and most of all, mysterious legends about Colombia’s golden era!

• This tour departs with a minimum of 2 persons. If there are no other passengers, a single booking is treated as a private tour and carries an extra cost. Should you wish to make an individual reservation, please contact our Customer Support Team to enquire about availability.
• Tour is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese. For other languages, please contact us.
• The order of the tour is subject to change due to weather conditions.
• The duration of tour may be longer than stated.
• Lake Guatavita is closed on Mondays (or on Tuesday if Monday is a public holiday).
• It is possible to combine this tour with the Bogotá City Tour.
• We recommend bringing a jacket and rain coat or umbrella. The mountain and forests are big producers of rain and wind.