Tunja to Cartago, Colombia is about 286 road miles (460 km): roughly 8 h 13 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
- Level 4: Do Not Travel in Colombia: Valle del Cauca (excluding Cali).
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: “Travel only during daylight hours.”
| Total distance | 286 mi (460 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 8 h 13 min |
| Departments on the route | Boyacá, Cundinamarca, Tolima, Quindío, Valle del Cauca |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 11.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
What the drive from Tunja to Cartago is like
It runs through 5 departments: Boyacá, Cundinamarca, Tolima, Quindío, Valle del Cauca. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Tunja to Cartago
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–74 | 74 | Boyacá, Cundinamarca |
| connecting roads | 74–75 | 1 | Cundinamarca |
| local roads | 75–171 | 96 | Cundinamarca, Tolima |
| connecting roads | 171–173 | 2 | Tolima |
| local roads | 173–254 | 81 | Tolima, Quindío |
| connecting roads | 254–257 | 3 | Quindío |
| local roads | 257–286 | 29 | Quindío, Valle del Cauca |
- Mile 26 of this route: Boyacá → Cundinamarca (department line)
- Mile 170 of this route: Cundinamarca → Tolima (department line)
- Mile 239 of this route: Tolima → Quindío (department line)
- Mile 271 of this route: Quindío → Valle del Cauca (department line)
Places worth a stop between Tunja and Cartago
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Jaime Duque Park (mile 66), Colombian Aerospace Museum (mile 66)
- Nature and outdoors: Jaime Duque Park (mile 66), Thomas van der Hammen Natural Reserve (mile 83)
- Museums and history: Colombian Aerospace Museum (mile 66), Museo de Arte del Tolima (mile 205), Parque del Café (mile 260)
- With kids: PANACA (mile 266)
Jaime Duque Park
Jaime Duque Park is a family amusement park in Tocancipá, in the Bogotá metro area, with the Jaime Duque Zoo, the Museum of Mankind, and replicas of well-known buildings from around the world.
Colombian Aerospace Museum
The Colombian Aerospace Museum is an aerospace museum located near Tocancipá, in the Cundinamarca department of Colombia.
Thomas van der Hammen Natural Reserve
Declared a protected area in 2000 by the Ministry of Environment, the Thomas van der Hammen Natural Reserve preserves part of the Bogotá savanna.
Tibabuyes
Also called the Juan Amarillo Wetland, Tibabuyes covers 549 acres in Bogotá's Suba and Engativá localities and is the largest of the city's wetlands.
Jaboque
Jaboque is a 366-acre wetland near the Bogotá River in the Engativá locality, one of the Wetlands of Bogotá on the Bogotá savanna.
Meandro del Say
Meandro del Say is a wetland in the Fontibón area of Bogotá that extends into the eastern part of Mosquera, Cundinamarca.
Museo de Arte del Tolima
In Ibagué, capital of Tolima, the Museo de Arte del Tolima shows Colombian art alongside contemporary Latin American work.
Parque del Café
Opened in 1995 by Colombia's coffee growers, Parque del Café is a theme park in Quindío, 4 kilometers southwest of Montenegro and 11 kilometers west of Armenia.
PANACA
PANACA is a farming-themed park in Quimbaya, in Colombia's coffee-growing Quindío Department, opened in 1990 to bring city dwellers closer to nature and agriculture.
Once you reach Cartago
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral, Valle del Cauca
Two blocks from Bolívar Park in Cartago, Valle del Cauca, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel stands out for a bell tower set twenty meters apart from the church.
Casa del Virrey
A colonial-era building in Cartago, Casa del Virrey takes its name from the popular tradition that it was built to receive Viceroy José Manuel de Ezpeleta.
More drives to Cartago
- Ibagué to Cartago, Colombia
- Bogotá to Cartago, Colombia
- Villavicencio to Cartago, Colombia
- Yopal to Cartago, Colombia
- Pitalito to Cartago, Colombia
- Neiva to Cartago, Colombia
From Tunja to other places in Colombia
- Tunja to Girardot City
- Tunja to San Cipriano
- Tunja to Quibdó
- Tunja to Yopal
- Tunja to Pitalito
- Tunja to Florencia
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Tunja to Cartago, Colombia?
About 8 h 13 min of driving without stops, over 286 miles.
How far is Cartago, Colombia from Tunja by car?
About 286 miles (460 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 Tunja to Cartago 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: Valle del Cauca (excluding Cali)). Read the full advisory before you go.
What are good stops between Tunja and Cartago?
Closest to the road: Jaime Duque Park (park, mile 66, 0.5 mi from the route); Colombian Aerospace Museum (aviation museum, mile 66, 0.6 mi from the route); Museo de Arte del Tolima (art museum, mile 205, 1 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.