Visit Colombia itinerary

Boyacá Highlands & Crafts

Eastern Andes · 7–10 days · Highlands, crafts & páramo

Link Tunja with colonial plazas, pottery workshops, thermal highlands, mountain villages, and El Cocuy in a broad regional planning sequence across Boyacá.

Canonical: https://visit-colombia.com/routes/boyaca-highlands-crafts
Interactive map: https://visit-colombia.com/map?route=boyaca-highlands-crafts
Editorial guide: https://visit-colombia.com/blog/handicrafts-raquira-clay-capital

Ordered stops

1. Tunja — Boyacá
Details: https://visit-colombia.com/cities/217
2. Villa de Leyva — Boyacá
Details: https://visit-colombia.com/cities/326
3. Ráquira — Boyacá
Details: https://visit-colombia.com/cities/287
4. Paipa — Boyacá
Details: https://visit-colombia.com/cities/277
5. Monguí — Boyacá
Details: https://visit-colombia.com/cities/268
6. El Cocuy National Park — Boyacá and Arauca
Details: https://visit-colombia.com/natural-parks/263
Guide required: Laguna Grande de la Sierra and Ritacuba reopened on 17 July 2026, and all three authorized trails are currently listed for visits. Confirm capacity and road conditions before paying; advance reservation, an approved guide or interpreter, induction, and accident and rescue insurance are required.
Source: Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia — https://www.parquesnacionales.gov.co/nuestros-parques/pnn-el-cocuy/
Reviewed 2026-08-24; recheck by 2026-09-23

Transport and access

1. Tunja → Villa de Leyva · Road
2. Villa de Leyva → Ráquira · Road
3. Ráquira → Paipa · Road
4. Paipa → Monguí · Road
5. Monguí → El Cocuy National Park · Road
Allow a full regional transfer before beginning any authorized high-mountain trail.
Guide required: Laguna Grande de la Sierra and Ritacuba reopened on 17 July 2026, and all three authorized trails are currently listed for visits. Confirm capacity and road conditions before paying; advance reservation, an approved guide or interpreter, induction, and accident and rescue insurance are required.
Source: Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia — https://www.parquesnacionales.gov.co/nuestros-parques/pnn-el-cocuy/
Reviewed 2026-08-24; recheck by 2026-09-23

Curated Colombia itinerary

Boyacá Highlands & Crafts

Link Tunja with colonial plazas, pottery workshops, thermal highlands, mountain villages, and El Cocuy in a broad regional planning sequence across Boyacá.

Eastern Andes7–10 daysHighlands, crafts & páramo6 stops

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Route sequence

Ordered stops

Follow the editorial order below, or open any stop directly in the interactive map.

1
Boyacá
Tunja
Discover Tunja, Boyacá, Colombia's highest department capital, where colonial mansions, Muisca heritage, sacred wells, museums, and independence routes turn a stopover into a layered cultural stay.
Show stop on map Destination details
Related guides
- Tunja: Best Things to Do in Boyacá (2026)
2
Boyacá
Villa de Leyva
Step back in time in Villa de Leyva, a colonial treasure nestled in the heart of Boyacá. From its massive cobblestone plaza to prehistoric wonders.
Show stop on map Destination details
Related guides
- Villa de Leyva Tours: What to Book (2026)
3
Boyacá
Ráquira
Journey to the most colorful town in Boyacá and discover the ancestral art of pottery that has defined Ráquira for generations.
Show stop on map Destination details
4
Boyacá
Paipa
A relaxed Boyacá highland escape combining thermal waters, Lake Sochagota, almojábanas, and the Pantano de Vargas monument.
Show stop on map Destination details
Related guides
- Paipa Guide 2026: Sochagota & Hot Springs
5
Boyacá
Monguí
Discover Monguí, one of Colombia's most beautiful colonial villages, where historic stone bridges meet the mystical Paramo de Ocetá in 2026.
Show stop on map Destination details
Related guides
- Monguí, Boyacá: Stone Bridges, Soccer Balls, and Paramos (2026)
6
Boyacá and Arauca
El Cocuy National Park
A high Andean national park of glaciated peaks, páramo, and the Sierra Nevada de Güicán, Chita or Cocuy.
Guide required
Laguna Grande de la Sierra and Ritacuba reopened on 17 July 2026, and all three authorized trails are currently listed for visits. Confirm capacity and road conditions before paying; advance reservation, an approved guide or interpreter, induction, and accident and rescue insurance are required.
Time-sensitive protected-area guidance
Source: Parques Nacionales Naturales de ColombiaLast reviewed 2026-08-24Recheck by 2026-09-23
Report a correction
Show stop on map Destination details
Related guides
- El Cocuy Trekking Guide & Safety (2026)

Between stops

Transport and access

These are planning connections, not turn-by-turn directions. Confirm operators, schedules, road conditions, and access rules before travel.

Road
TunjaVilla de Leyva
Road
Villa de LeyvaRáquira
Road
RáquiraPaipa
Road
PaipaMonguí
Road
MonguíEl Cocuy National Park
Allow a full regional transfer before beginning any authorized high-mountain trail.
Guide required
Laguna Grande de la Sierra and Ritacuba reopened on 17 July 2026, and all three authorized trails are currently listed for visits. Confirm capacity and road conditions before paying; advance reservation, an approved guide or interpreter, induction, and accident and rescue insurance are required.
Time-sensitive protected-area guidance
Source: Parques Nacionales Naturales de ColombiaLast reviewed 2026-08-24Recheck by 2026-09-23
Report a correction

Editorial guide

Handicrafts of Ráquira: The Clay Capital of Colombia (2026)

Journey to the most colorful town in Boyacá and discover the ancestral art of pottery that has defined Ráquira for generations.

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Optional planning

Stays and activities for this route

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Useful overnight bases

Stay in Villa de Leyva

Use the heritage town as the practical overnight base for the Boyacá segment.

Expedia hotels

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Route-specific activities

Villa de Leyva heritage

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Viator tours

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Ordered stops

Tunja

Villa de Leyva

Ráquira

Paipa

Monguí

El Cocuy National Park

Transport and access

TunjaVilla de Leyva

Villa de LeyvaRáquira

RáquiraPaipa

PaipaMonguí

MonguíEl Cocuy National Park

Stay in Villa de Leyva

Villa de Leyva heritage