Top 10 Day Trips from in Santander Department, Santander Department

The Chicamocha Canyon is over 125 miles long (200 km) and from the river to its tallest peak approximately 1.25 miles (2000 m) high. This makes it a greater depth than the Grand Canyon in Arizona. The piece de resistance is the cable car which travels 0.75 miles (1200m) down into the canyon and also up on the opposite side, with a total travel time of ½ hour giving you plenty of time to take the perfect photo. The actual theme park is a combination of historical and cultural events as well as supplying more adventurous activities such as climbing an artificial waterfall, zip lining, an extreme swing, virtual reality, a waterpark, trampolines and more.

Inclusions: Air-conditioned vehicle, Private transportation, Bilingual Guide for entire tour time, Entrance fees, 2x Cable Car rides, Stop at Café Mesa de los Santos: Opportunity to buy some of the most exclusive coffee in Colombia

Exclusions: Meals and drinks not mentioned in the plan, Experiences and transportation not mentioned in the plan, Personal expenses and tips

Rio world class, considered one of the best in South America for its rapids, is a river that is approximately 1 hour from San Gil. This activity has 12 km of navigation where the wonderful landscape of the Suarez Canyon will be visualized and is one of the highest doses of adrenaline for those who dare to explore its waters. The starting point of rafting is on the Vázquez bridge via Socorro - Simacota and ends at the junction of the Suarez river and the Fonce river.

Inclusions: Rafting equipment, vest, helmet and paddle, Private transportation, Snack, A beer,  FREE, GoPro camera photos and videos

Exclusions: Tip

The Chicamocha Canyon is the second largest in the world and in it we can observe its majestic river that for lovers of extreme sports the rating on this river turns out to be an experience. It leaves from San Gil at 10:00 a.m. until you reach the rafting starting point of the Chicamocha River (fishing bridge) the descent is made to the municipality of Jordan (changrilla refuge) traveling 15km, in changrilla you will enjoy a typical lunch of the region and a cold beer to pass the heat.

Inclusions: Rafting equipment, helmet, vest and paddle, Lunch, Private transportation, GoPro photographs and videos available

Exclusions: Tip

Barichara, known as the most beautiful town in Colombia, is famous for its colonial architecture, the quiet cobbled streets, adobe houses, artisan workshops and its craft shops. You will see amazing churches, chapels, graveyards, sculptures and parks. Also, you will be entering the stores where the handcrafted goods are made and sold. These handcrafted goods include baskets, paper, clothes, bags, shoes, little figures, dreamcatchers, etc. and are great souvenirs you can take back home. You will have the chance to make your own handcrafted paper from the local plant Fique, an experience that you do not want to miss. There are amazing viewpoints of the Suarez Canyon that will be visited during the walking tour. If you wish to do a physical activity, you will have the opportunity to walk down the Camino Real. It is a trail that was build 150 years ago by the famous German immigrant Geo von Lengerke. The complete hiking trail is about 5 km (3.1 miles) long and takes you about 2 hours.

Inclusions: Private transport to Barichara, Walking tour in Barichara, entrances included, Paper processing experience, Hiking trail “Camino Real” to Guane (if you desire to hike for 2 hours) and ride back to Barichara, Lunch included in Barichara, English-, Spanish- and/ or German-speaking accompaniment, Travel insurance

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San Gil is the adventure capital of Santander. You can do river rafting, paragliding, zip lining, bungee jumping, canyoneering, caving, mountain-biking, etc. in San Gil or near the town. In one day it is possible to do up to 2 or 3 different activities. River rafting can be done on 3 different rivers: the Fonce River (45,000 COP) which is up to class III rafting (medium), the Chicamocha River (180,000 COP/ full day) which is class IV (advanced) and the Suarez River (130,000 COP) which is up to class V rafting (advanced/ extreme). The paragliding sites are Curití (80,000 COP) and the Chicamocha Canyon (180,000 COP). The zip lines (30,000 COP) and the bungee-jumping platform (70,000 COP) are located in San Gil. Canyoning is climbing down of the Juan Curí Waterfalls (70,000 COP) on a secured rope and for the caving activity you have a professional guide and hike through the Indian Cave or the Cow Cave (30,000 COP) for approx. 2 hours. Prices listed in parenthesis might change slightly.

Inclusions: Private transport to San Gil, Transport to all the sites of the extreme sports that you wish to do, Lunch in a typical Colombian town market in San Gil, English-, Spanish- and/ or German-speaking accompaniment, Guarantee of fair prices for any additional activity (as listed above in parenthesis), Travel insurance and additional insurances for extreme sports

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As soon as you arrive you’ll be able to see the top waterfall and it won’t disappoint. With a combined height of 820 ft (250 m) these waterfalls are both impressive and peaceful at the same time. You’ll enjoy the 25-minute trek via the tropical rainforest to get to the lower waterfalls and a swimming spot where you can simply relax and enjoy this idyllic scene. Once you’ve soaked up this amazing landscape and committed every part of this tremendous morning to memory you will head off to the wonderful town of Barichara. After spending only a few moments in Barichara you’ll completely understand why it is called the most beautiful town in Colombia and quite possibly the world. You will fall in love with the colonial architecture, cobbled roads and artisan workshops. You’ll cherish the spectacular views of the Suarez Canyon and relish the experience of making by hand your very own paper. You’ll savor your lunch and also have an opportunity to take a 2-hour hike to Guane.

Inclusions: Air-conditioned vehicle, Private transportation, Bilingual Guide for entire tour time, Entrance fees, Lunch, Walking tour of Barichara, Making Paper by Hand experience, Hiking “Camino Real” to Guane (2 hrs) – optional, no extra cost., Juan Curí Tour

Exclusions: Meals and drinks not mentioned in the plan, Experiences and transportation not mentioned in the plan, Personal expenses and tips

More than just a transfer to Barichara from Bucaramanga. This tour includes a 30-minute cable car ride through the Chicamocha Canyon, a tour of PANACHI with its magical views, and a tour of the most beautiful town in Colombia; Barichara!

Inclusions: Air-conditioned vehicle, Private transportation, Bilingual Guide, Entrance Fees

Exclusions: Meals and drinks not mentioned in the plan, Experiences and Transportation not mentioned in the plan, Personal expenses and tips

Hiking from Barichara to Guane is one of the must-do hikes during your stay in Santander, Colombia. And the only way to make this an even more fantastic experience is to finish up with a wonderful 3-hour gastronomical tour through Barichara!

Inclusions: Air-conditioned vehicle, Private transportation, Bilingual Guide for entire tour time, Entrance fees, Lunch, Walking tour of Barichara

Exclusions: Meals and drinks not mentioned in the plan, Experiences and transportation not mentioned in the plan, Personal expenses and tips

Often referred to as the most stunning and beautiful Colombian town, Barichara is renowned for its colonial architecture, peaceful cobbled roads, artisan workshops, adobe houses and the craft shops within. On you tour you’ll visit remarkable chapels, churches, graveyards, parks and sculptures. You’ll checkout some of the best-handcrafted artisan shops where you can pick up a unique souvenir. You’ll also have the opportunity to use a local plant called Fique to make your very own handmade paper. After you’ve mastered the art of papermaking or at least given it a good try, you’ll checkout the incredible views of the Suarez Canyon at the edge of the town. At this point you have the choice of strolling around Barichara and taking more photos or exploring the Camino Real trail (or at least part of it) and hiking for about 2 hours to Guane. This trail was built by Geo von Lengerke, a famous German immigrant about 150 years ago and is approximately 3 miles (5 km) long.

Inclusions: Air-conditioned vehicle, Private transportation, Bilingual Guide for entire tour time, Entrance fees, Walking tour of Barichara, Making Paper by Hand experience, Hiking “Camino Real” to Guane (2 hrs additional time) – optional, no extra cost.

Exclusions: Meals and drinks not mentioned in the plan, Experiences and transportation not mentioned in the plan, Personal expenses and tips

The Chicamocha Canyon is known as the most impressive paragliding site in Colombia and one of the best in the world. Different to many other paragliding sites you are able to fly up to 2000 meters above ground if the weather conditions permit. The platform is located about 1600 m above sea level while the river is about 550 m above sea level. The paragliding tandem flight itself takes about 15 minutes. Before starting the flight, you will get your equipment and detailed safety instructions. The professional guide also explains you interesting facts about the place and the winds which are different to other paragliding sites.

Inclusions: Private transport to the paragliding platform in the Chicamocha Canyon, Tandem flight (approx. 15 minutes), English- and/ or Spanish- speaking professional paragliding guide, Paragliding equipment, English-, Spanish- and/ or German-speaking accompaniment, Travel insurance and additional insurance for extreme sports

Exclusions: