Plan on about 7 h 22 min of driving for the 267-mile (430 km) trip from Bucaramanga to Yopal, before any stops.
Read the full advisory before you go: Colombia. Advisory issued: Colombia March 31, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Colombia: “Mountain roads may lack safety features such as crash barriers or guard rails.”
| Total distance | 267 mi (430 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 7 h 22 min |
| Departments on the route | Santander, Boyacá, Casanare |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 10.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 6 |
How the Bucaramanga to Yopal drive plays out
It runs through 3 departments: Santander, Boyacá, Casanare. Of the 6 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.
Bucaramanga to Yopal: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–178 | 178 | Santander, Boyacá |
| connecting roads | 178–180 | 2 | Boyacá |
| local roads | 180–267 | 87 | Boyacá, Casanare |
- Mile 134 of this route: Santander → Boyacá (department line)
- Mile 233 of this route: Boyacá → Casanare (department line)
What to see on the way from Bucaramanga to Yopal
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Chicamocha Canyon (mile 29), Chicamocha National Park (mile 35), Sochagota Lake (mile 158), Archaeology Museum, Sogamoso (mile 177), Salto de Candelas (mile 220)
- Nature and outdoors: Chicamocha Canyon (mile 29), Chicamocha National Park (mile 35), Sochagota Lake (mile 158), Salto de Candelas (mile 220)
- Museums and history: St. Lawrence Cathedral, Duitama (mile 165), Archaeology Museum, Sogamoso (mile 177)
Chicamocha Canyon
Carved by the Chicamocha River, Colombia's Chicamocha Canyon has steep walls reaching depths of up to 2,000 meters and runs for about 227 kilometers.
Chicamocha National Park
About 50 km from Bucaramanga, Chicamocha National Park (Panachi) sits along the Chicamocha Canyon, with paragliding, caving, hiking, camping, kayaking, rafting and climbing on offer.
Sochagota Lake
Lake Sochagota (Lago Sochagota) is a man-made lake in Paipa's hotel zone, built over a wetland fed by two streams and the thermal waters of the Paipa geothermal system.
St. Lawrence Cathedral, Duitama
St. Lawrence Cathedral, also known as Duitama Cathedral, is a Catholic church in Duitama dedicated to St. Lawrence.
Archaeology Museum, Sogamoso
Officially the Parque Museo Arqueológico Eliecer Silva Celis, the Archaeology Museum in Sogamoso, Boyacá, holds 4,000 pieces from the Muisca and Herrera periods.
Salto de Candelas
In the municipality of Pajarito, Boyacá, Salto de Candelas is a 140-meter waterfall surrounded by dense forest in Colombia's Eastern Andes.
More drives to Yopal
From Bucaramanga to other places in Colombia
- Bucaramanga to Tunja
- Bucaramanga to Sogamoso
- Bucaramanga to Zipaquirá
- Bucaramanga to Manizales
- Bucaramanga to Quibdó
- Bucaramanga to Pereira
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Bucaramanga to Yopal?
About 7 h 22 min of driving without stops, over 267 miles.
How far is Yopal from Bucaramanga by car?
About 267 miles (430 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.
Is it safe to drive from Bucaramanga to Yopal?
The U.S. State Department rates Colombia Level 3: Reconsider Travel. Read the full advisory before you go.
What are good stops between Bucaramanga and Yopal?
Closest to the road: Chicamocha Canyon (canyon, mile 29, 0.2 mi from the route); Chicamocha National Park (national park, mile 35, 0.2 mi from the route); Archaeology Museum, Sogamoso (museum, mile 177, 0.4 mi from the route). All stops are described above.
How we put this guide together
Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on October 10, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.