Plan on about 5 h 14 min of driving for the 217-mile (349 km) trip from Neiva to Zipaquirá, 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: “Highways may not have lights or signs showing destinations.”
| Distance by road | 217 mi (349 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 5 h 14 min |
| Departments on the route | Huila, Tolima, Cundinamarca, Bogota |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 8.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
What the drive from Neiva to Zipaquirá is like
It runs through 4 departments: Huila, Tolima, Cundinamarca, Bogota. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Neiva to Zipaquirá
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–201 | 201 | Huila, Tolima, Cundinamarca, Bogota |
| connecting roads | 201–203 | 2 | Cundinamarca |
| local roads | 203–217 | 14 | Cundinamarca |
- Mile 38 of this route: Huila → Tolima (department line)
- Mile 111 of this route: Tolima → Cundinamarca (department line)
- Mile 117 of this route: Cundinamarca → Tolima (department line)
- Mile 130 of this route: Tolima → Cundinamarca (department line)
- Mile 178 of this route: Cundinamarca → Bogota (department line)
- Mile 201 of this route: Bogota → Cundinamarca (department line)
Places worth a stop between Neiva and Zipaquirá
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Bogotá Botanical Garden (mile 188), St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Engativá (mile 188), Guaymaral y Torca (mile 199)
- Nature and outdoors: Tequendama Falls (mile 173), Bogotá Botanical Garden (mile 188)
- Museums and history: Bogotá Botanical Garden (mile 188), St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Engativá (mile 188), Museo Mercedes Sierra de Pérez (mile 191)
Tequendama Falls
Some 32 km southwest of Bogotá in Soacha, the Tequendama Falls is a 132-meter waterfall on the Bogotá River.
La Vaca
La Vaca, also called Techovita, is a wetland of about 20 acres in Bogotá's Kennedy locality, part of the Wetlands of Bogotá in the Tunjuelo River basin.
El Burro
El Burro is a wetland of about 47 acres in Bogotá's Kennedy locality, part of the city's savanna wetlands and crossed by Avenida Ciudad de Cali.
Bogotá Botanical Garden
Bogotá's José Celestino Mutis botanical garden works as both a recreation and research center, with a focus on Andean and páramo ecosystems.
St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Engativá
Also called Engativá Cathedral, the St. John the Baptist Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral in the Engativá locality of Bogotá.
Museo Mercedes Sierra de Pérez
Also called Museo El Chicó, this park-museum in northern Bogotá was declared a district cultural heritage site in 1992 and gives its name to the surrounding neighborhood.
La Conejera
La Conejera is a 146-acre wetland in Suba, Bogotá, part of the Wetlands of Bogotá in the Juan Amarillo River basin on the Bogotá savanna.
Teatro Mayor Julio Mario Santo Domingo
Part of the Julio Mario Santo Domingo cultural center in Bogotá, Teatro Mayor shares the complex with a public library and the Teatro Estudio. It also hosts workshops, master classes and free rehearsals for music, theater and dance students.
Guaymaral y Torca
Part of the Wetlands of Bogotá, Guaymaral y Torca is a combined wetland in the city's north, spanning the Suba and Usaquén localities on the Bogotá savanna.
Arriving in Zipaquirá
El Abra
El Abra is an extensive archaeological site in the valley of the same name, stretching from eastern Zipaquirá into the western edge of Tocancipá, Cundinamarca.
Zipaquirá Cathedral
Zipaquirá Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral dedicated jointly to the Holy Trinity, St. Anthony of Padua, and Our Lady of the Assumption in the Colombian town of Zipaquirá.
Tibitó
Tibitó is a dated archaeological rock shelter in Tocancipá, on the northern Bogotá savanna, part of Colombia's Altiplano Cundiboyacense.
More drives to Zipaquirá
- Bogotá to Zipaquirá
- Ibagué to Zipaquirá
- Armenia to Zipaquirá
- Manizales to Zipaquirá
- Pereira to Zipaquirá
- Cartago, Colombia to Zipaquirá
From Neiva to other places in Colombia
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Neiva to Zipaquirá?
About 5 h 14 min of driving without stops, over 217 miles.
How far is Zipaquirá from Neiva by car?
About 217 miles (349 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 Neiva to Zipaquirá?
The U.S. State Department rates Colombia Level 3: Reconsider Travel. Read the full advisory before you go.
Where can you stop on the way from Neiva to Zipaquirá?
Closest to the road: Bogotá Botanical Garden (museum, mile 188, 0.5 mi from the route); St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Engativá (cathedral, mile 188, 0.6 mi from the route); Guaymaral y Torca (nature area, mile 199, 0.2 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.