Chicaque National Park

We booked this transport to Chicaque National Park fully ready to hike the park on our own. However, we decided that we wouldn't mind a guide if they were a biologist and could help us to identify plant and animal species, so we asked Impulse if they were able to arrange a biologist guide. Lo and behold, they were able to find one, even though it was only a couple days before Christmas. Our biologist guide was more than happy to hike slowly and identify as many species as he could. We saw so many fern, orchid, and moss species that we would have never even noticed without his assistance. One item to note is that the drive to the park is a lot longer than we thought it would be. Thanks to Bogota traffic it took us close to 2 hours each way from La Candelaria. On the positive side, the drive gave us a chance to see a lot of Bogota and the outlying area that we wouldn't have seen otherwise. And the hike made the drive well worth it!

This was truly an amazing experience. One of the most beautiful scenic landscapes I’ve ever seen. We were fortunate to have it very clear upon arrival, very few people, and then have the clouds slowly roll in, becoming fully covered just as we finished. Our guide Vivi was phenomenal- friendly, fun, charismatic, and very supportive. The elevation made breathing difficult for my girlfriend, and Vivi was so kind, helpful, and reassuring. You can take a ride back up if the trip down exhausts you.- we did. Even that was fun. There’s some experiences and people you don’t forget. Grateful to have been to Chicaque led by Vivi

Cristian, our driver was very professional. He arrived on time. The car, Volvo SUV was pristine and spotless. He took us to the park entrance and purchased our tickets (wrist bands). We agreed on the itinerary of the day and estimated the time to do the activities. We planned on meeting at a specific and where to meet after our activities of the day. Everything worked out perfectly. Next time, I will use the company again because of its professionalism, reliability, and service.

We (me, my husband, and our 13 year old son) were very happy with this transport service. Our driver, Ramiro, was ready for us bright and early on New Years Day. I don't speak much Spanish, but we managed to communicate just fine and he was very nice. My family hiked some trails in Chicaque National Park (BEAUTIFUL!) and had lunch at the refugio before returning to the park entrance where Ramiro was waiting for us to bring us back to our hotel in Bogota. It was exactly what we needed and we were very happy with our experience! Thank you!

I had an excellent experience with my driver (Walter). He was prompt, friendly, and gave me a lot of interesting information on the drive. I found this particular transport to be one of the cheapest available for a solo traveler and found it to be worth the money.

Our driver met us promptly at 7am. He was very pleasant. He drove to the park, waited for us and drove back in some very taxing traffic.

If you want to escape the stuffy narrowness of Bogota, Chicaque Park is a nice day trip. On the drive south, you can get a good idea of the urban development of Bogota and the adjacent municipality of Soacha. Many new pedestrian bridges, cycle paths and busways and many new social housings show the efforts to open up the formerly neglected parts of Bogota. The park itself is a biotope in a deep basin, which is accessed by well-signposted paths. A guide is not required, but you first have to descend several hundred meters and then it goes up and down lively in the terrain. In particular, the return with the renewed ascent to the entrance at 2,500 m can cause problems for visitors who are not used to the altitude. The trails do not require any climbing skills, but definitely sturdy footwear and increased attention so that you do not slip on the often irregular stones. After the descent, there is an excursion venue (el Refugio), near which outdoor-affine Bogotanos like to camp. In the surrounding forests, however, visitors are hardly ever to be found. At the entrance you can recharge your batteries with typical cheese from the region and at the edge of the parking lot is a cosy restaurant serving good coffee. You can travel by public transport, but that takes several hours by changing trains. For me, reserving an individual transport with driver was a good solution

<p>This was an amazing adventure. My boyfriend and I ventured on by ourselves, but completed about 7.5 miles of trails within 4 to 4.5 hours. The scenery was beautiful, and we were able to get a close up of the clouds coming into the mountains. We were a bit worried because the park was very empty when we arrived early early at 8:30am, but as the day went on we saw a bunch of people along the trail. This park is safe, well-maintained, and great for the adventure-seekers. I would highly recommend this tour for everyone!</p>

<p>What I would change is: make sure you go with a group of 3 or more or with a guide- there is nobody out there take only the bare neccessities- the lighter the better as it is all downhill, to start, then all uphill to exit with the increase in altitude there is a great decrease of oxygen- not for people with weak lungs or heart conditions make sure you have most of the whole day I suggest that they should always have a guide to go with you or have clearly marked maps to send with the people the directions are as the crow flies and take a lot longer than you would think. Other than this, it was a beautiful place to visit.</p>