Popayán to Zipaquirá is about 382 road miles (614 km): roughly 9 h 50 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
- Level 4: Do Not Travel in Colombia: Cauca (excluding Popayán).
This route passes through or near an area the State Department rates Do Not Travel. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive: 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.”
| Distance | 382 mi (614 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 9 h 50 min |
| Departments on the route | Cauca, Huila, Tolima, Cundinamarca, Bogota |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 15.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
How the Popayán to Zipaquirá drive plays out
It runs through 5 departments: Cauca, Huila, Tolima, Cundinamarca, Bogota. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Popayán to Zipaquirá
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–6 | 6 | Cauca |
| connecting roads | 6–7 | 1 | Cauca |
| local roads | 7–89 | 82 | Cauca, Huila |
| connecting roads | 89–90 | 1 | Huila |
| local roads | 90–367 | 277 | Huila, Cauca, Tolima, Cundinamarca, Bogota |
| connecting roads | 367–368 | 1 | Cundinamarca |
| local roads | 368–382 | 14 | Cundinamarca |
- Mile 85 of this route: Cauca → Huila (department line)
- Mile 93 of this route: Huila → Cauca (department line)
- Mile 100 of this route: Cauca → Huila (department line)
- Mile 203 of this route: Huila → Tolima (department line)
- Mile 277 of this route: Tolima → Cundinamarca (department line)
- Mile 283 of this route: Cundinamarca → Tolima (department line)
- Mile 297 of this route: Tolima → Cundinamarca (department line)
- Mile 343 of this route: Cundinamarca → Bogota (department line)
- Mile 366 of this route: Bogota → Cundinamarca (department line)
Stops between Popayán and Zipaquirá
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Guaymaral y Torca (mile 364)
- Nature and outdoors: Tequendama Falls (mile 338)
- Museums and history: Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Neiva (mile 167), Neiva Regional Archaeological Museum (mile 167), Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Lourdes (mile 353), Museo Mercedes Sierra de Pérez (mile 356)
Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Neiva
Neiva Cathedral, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, is the city's Roman Catholic cathedral in the Huila department of southwestern Colombia.
Neiva Regional Archaeological Museum
The Neiva Regional Archaeological Museum in Neiva, Colombia, is dedicated to conserving the cultural heritage of the Huila Department.
Tequendama Falls
Some 32 km southwest of Bogotá in Soacha, the Tequendama Falls is a 132-meter waterfall on the Bogotá River.
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.
Capellanía
Capellanía is one of Bogotá's wetlands, located in the Fontibón locality and part of the Fucha River basin on the Bogotá savanna.
Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Lourdes
On the main square of Chapinero in northern Bogotá, the Basilica of Our Lady of Lourdes is a Catholic minor basilica dedicated to the Virgin of Lourdes.
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.
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.
When you get to 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 Popayán to other places in Colombia
- Popayán to Tuluá
- Popayán to San Cipriano
- Popayán to Guatapé
- Popayán to Tunja
- Popayán to Sogamoso
- Popayán to Pitalito
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Popayán to Zipaquirá?
About 9 h 50 min of driving without stops, over 382 miles.
How far is Zipaquirá from Popayán by car?
About 382 miles (614 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.
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Popayán to Zipaquirá drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Colombia Level 3: Reconsider Travel. Parts of this route are in or near areas rated Level 4: Do Not Travel (Colombia: Cauca (excluding Popayán)). Read the full advisory before you go.
Where can you stop on the way from Popayán to Zipaquirá?
Closest to the road: Neiva Regional Archaeological Museum (archaeological museum, mile 167, 1 mi from the route); Teatro Mayor Julio Mario Santo Domingo (theater, mile 361, 1 mi from the route); Guaymaral y Torca (nature area, mile 364, 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.