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When you have treated yourself to a few days of travel in Bogota, full of street art, chicha, and wonderful museums it’s time to head to your next destination. One of the most wonderful destinations in Colombia is the Tatacoa desert in the Huila department. The gateway to the Tatacoa desert is the small town of Villavieja, but it is also possible to go on an organized tour to the Tatacoa desert from the city of Neiva. In this post, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about how to get from Bogota to Neiva and from Neiva to the Tatacoa desert. Here we go!
Bogota, Colombia
Bogota is the vibrant capital of Colombia and is a wonderful city, rich in culture and history. Located in the Andean highlands, it boasts an impressive array of museums, including the famous Gold Museum, which houses the world’s largest collection of pre-Hispanic gold artifacts, and the Botero Museum, showcasing works by the celebrated Colombian artist Fernando Botero.
The city is also known for its distinct street art scene, which reflects its social and political narratives through colorful murals, transforming the urban landscape into an open-air gallery.
A free walking tour in Bogota is something you can miss out on to learn more about the history of the city. They offer an immersive experience of the city’s diverse neighborhoods, especially into the old town of La Candelaria.
Additionally, the city’s culinary scene is not to be missed, particularly the local Paloquemao Fruit Market and the traditional beverage, chicha. With deep indigenous roots, this fermented corn drink is officially illegal in Colombia but you can get a taste of it in some neighborhoods in Bogota, especially in the streets opposite the Concordia market.
Neiva, on the other hand, is the capital of Colombia’s Huila department. It is a city that is not frequently visited by tourists and the ones who do come here mainly just pass by on their way to the Tatacoa desert.
Nevertheless, for Colombians, Neiva is known for its warm climate and rich cultural heritage. The city is famous for its San Pedro Festival, a vibrant celebration that showcases traditional music, dances, and the famous Bambuco pageant. This festival is a colorful display of the region’s customs and folklore, drawing in visitors from around the country.
The surrounding landscapes, however, including the Tatacoa Desert, are what brings most travelers to Neiva. In the next sections, you can find the various ways to get from Bogota to Neiva and how to get from Neiva to the Tatacoa desert!
There are four ways to get from Bogota to Neiva, by plane, by bus, by taxi, or by renting a car. Note that there is no railway service in Colombia. Bus travel is the most common way of travel, and it’s important to book bus tickets a few days in advance, especially if you traveling in December and January.
The fastest way to reach Neiva from Bogota is by flying, which takes about an hour for a direct flight. The distance covered is approximately 233 km.
Airlines operating this route include Avianca, LATAM Chile, and Easyfly, with around 32 flights running weekly, although this can vary on weekends and holidays. Prices for flights range from $50 to $170 but can increase in the holiday period around Christmas and New Year.
You can find the cheapest flight tickets on 12Go and Skyscanner.
The most economical option to get from Bogota to Neiva is to take a bus, with prices ranging from $9 to $17.
There is a direct bus service operated by Coomotor that departs from Terminal Salitre in Bogota and arrives in Neiva. This journey takes approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes, and services run multiple times a day.
Note that the bus services in Colombia can be slow and, due to traffic, construction, and frequently picking up and dropping off passengers, it can take a lot longer than indicated.
You can buy tickets for the bus from Bogota to Neiva in the Salitre bus station in Bogota or online via 12GO.
You can also choose to take a taxi from Bogota to Neiva. This journey typically takes around four to four and a half hours and is the most expensive option. A taxi ride to Neiva from Bogota will cost you between $200 and $300.
You can book a taxi on the website of 12Go. You can either choose to be picked up at your hotel in Bogota or at El Dorado Airport.
If you have access to a car, driving from Bogota to Neiva is another option. The road distance is about 301.2 km and the journey takes approximately four to four and a half hours.
Traffic in Colombia is quite okay and, aside from some speeding by locals, which is something that occurs in every country, feels safe for self-driving.
Renting a car in Colombia is generally on the cheaper side, but prices can triple if you want to book a car during the holidays around Christmas and New Year’s.
Discover Cars has decent prices and offers lot of options to choose from.
Here are the websites I use when I travel to Colombia:
Booking.com: For the best guesthouses, homestays, or small hotels
Hostelworld: To find the best hostels located in the cities
Homestay: For a unique immersive homestay experience in the big cities or the countryside
Busbud and Redbus: The best transport websites for long-distance buses in Colombia. Note that 12Go also works in Colombia but the tickets they will buy for you are open-seat tickets and don’t guarantee a seat on the bus you book online.
Uber: Uber is a convenient and cheap ride-hailing app that can be used in the bigger cities of Colombia. Other apps are Cabify or Didi.
Skyscanner: For affordable flights to Bogota and intercity flights in the country.
Viator and Get Your Guide: book all kinds of activities from the Ciudad Perdida trek to a guided private tour of Comuna 13 in Medellin.
Citizens of many countries, including the United States, Canada, the European Union, Australia, and New Zealand, do not require a visa for short tourist stays (typically up to 90 days). However, this can vary, so it’s always best to check iVisa for the specific requirements for your nationality.
If you’re looking for travel insurance, the one with the best benefits online is undoubtedly Heymondo! It’s very easy to ask for a quote on the website and, if you book with this link you’ll get 5% off!
Access mobile data immediately when entering the country with a Colombian E-sim or a Latamlink E-sim when traveling through multiple countries. If you are already in Colombia, the best local prepaid sim card is Claro.
If you want to visit the Tatacoa Desert, you have two options to choose from. You can either visit the Tatacoa Desert on an organized tour from Neiva or, upon arrival in Neiva, take a taxi jeep to Villavieja and use that town as a base to visit the desert and its surroundings.
Coming by bus from Bogota, you will arrive at the Neiva transport terminal where you can buy tickets for a taxi jeep to Villavieja. Tickets cost 10,000 COP and you will probably be cramped into the van together with other locals and travelers who want to make their way to Villavieja.
There is no fixed schedule and the jeeps tend to leave once there are enough passengers. If you are coming from the airport, you can choose to take a taxi to ply the four kilometers to the bus station or walk from the airport, if you are traveling on a budget and don’t mind the heat.
If you have a cramped itinerary, it might be better to visit the Tatacoa Desert on a day tour from Neiva. Several tours are available and cover mostly the same itinerary and sights. You can book your tour in advance through Viator or Get Your Guide.
There are several accommodation options in Neiva to choose from, ranging from hostels to fancy hotels.
Here is the experience I had, traveling from Bogota to Neiva and further on to Villavieja using public bus transport. Flying is also an option but, as a conscious traveler, this is not something I would go for, considering the distance from Bogota to Neiva.
At first, we were confident to book our tickets online through 12Go, since it is such a convenient option in Asia, but the host of our Hospedache advised against it since his mother recently had a problem with bus tickets that were bought online.
He drove us to the Salitre Bus Station and accompanied us in Spanish to buy the tickets for the bus from Bogota to Neiva for which we were asked $37 for two people. The bus company he recommended was Coomotor. They offer the most comfortable buses in Colombia.
The next day, he drove us to the Salitre Bus Station again and dropped us in the right waiting area for the bus to Neiva. You can find the number of the waiting area on your ticket and if you can’t seem to find it, you can ask around.
The bus was on time and the amenities were beyond expectations. The bus offers comfortable seats with your own personal video screen and there is a toilet on board. We were warned that the trip would take a bit longer than normal due to road construction and this was a fact. Instead of five hours, it took us seven hours to reach Neiva.
All in all, the trip was very comfortable but note that the bus drivers in Colombia love speeding and they don’t mind going much harder than the maximum allowed speed limitations!
Also be sure to stock up on snacks or lunch. The bus doesn’t make any stops along the way.
There you go! I hope this transport guide from Bogota to Neica and the Tatacoa Desert was useful to you.
A next great stop after visiting Neiva and the Tatacoa Desert is San Agustin where you can visit the mysterious centuries-old San Agustin Archaeological Park.
Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions or drop me a message through my contact page.
Also, don’t forget to check out my resources page with my favorite booking platforms and tips to start planning your trip. Additionally, have a look at my favorite travel gear if you want to pack more consciously!
ENJOY!
Disclaimer: This post may include affiliate links. If you click on them, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Hi! I am Annelies and this is Travelers & Dreamers, a blog about conscious travel which means traveling in a more mindful way, with a positive impact on the world and yourself!
On this website, I cover different topics like slow travel, plant-based food guides, responsible travel, sustainable packing, eco-travel, and more!
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