Villa de Leyva is a small, colonial town that’s just three hours from the Colombia’s capital of Bogotá. The highlight for many is wandering the streets and enjoying the beauty of this picturesque town. With just one day in Villa de Leyva, you can experience all of the highlights of this small town without feeling rushed.
One Day in Villa de Leyva
I like to start my days early. However, when I traveled through Colombia, I found that I wasn’t on the same page with Colombians. The days start a bit later, which is fine, but you need to adjust for it. This itinerary starts at 9:00, but the first activity is completely optional.
Regardless of when you start, take the time to eat some breakfast before you start, either at your hotel or from one of the cafes in town.
9:00 – Cerro de la Cruz
As mentioned, this first activity today is 100% optional. If you’re fit and up for a steep hike, consider visiting Cerro de la Cruz. This takes you up a mountain side to a cross and gives a fantastic view of the city of Villa de Leyva.
Now, I like to think that I’m in decent shape, but I spent my first several days in Colombia huffing and puffing through hikes and any uphills. I live at sea level and both Bogotá and Villa de Leyva are significantly higher. But in my opinion, the elevation wasn’t what made the trail difficult.
The trail to Cerro de la Cruz is incredibly steep and poorly maintained so the hike itself is challenging. But there are people who have done it and if it sounds like something that you would enjoy (the views are spectacular), by all means hike the trail. However, if the idea of an incredibly steep hike up uneven terrain sounds awful, don’t feel bad for skipping it.
One last warning. I’d really suggest reconsidering this hike if it has rained recently. I traveled to Colombia in the rainy season and while I saw the sun every day, it also rained every day (either late afternoon or at night). So, the trail was still damp when I started my hike and that was not fun. The views were spectacular but it was the least fun I’ve ever had hiking (and that includes the time I dislocated my knee while hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park).
So, decide if you want to hike. If you do, I recommend hiking in the morning because parts of the trail are completely exposed and it’s not a trail you want to do in the hot sun. If you don’t want to hike, you have more time to wander the streets of Villa de Leyva.
And lastly, know that you can choose to only hike part way. In the end, I chose to turn around early, but arguably should have turned around earlier. While I’m sure the views at the very top are amazing, I was very happy with the views that I got about halfway up the mountain.
11:00 – Main Square and Surroundings
The charm of Villa de Leyva is in its colonial architecture. With your one day in Villa de Leyva, this is sure to be the highlight.
From its massive main square (Plaza Principal) to all of the streets leading off from the square leading to shops and restaurants. Yes, explore the square (that includes the cathedral of Parroquia Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Villa de Leyva) but branch off and explore the side streets. Look for the flowers and admire the architecture. There feels like there’s little color here, since all of the buildings are white, but somehow, it all still works.
As you wander, pop into some of the shops. Yes you’ll find plenty of the stereotypical tourist souvenirs, but so many jewelry options as well.
1:00 – Lunch
I’m usually pretty bad at including breaks for lunch in my one day itineraries, but I am giving a stop for lunch on today’s itinerary. The choice is yours where you want to eat, so find a good restaurant and enjoy it.
I’m the first to admit that I’m not a foodie traveler, but I can recommend two places because were great.
The first is La Tienda de Teresa which is a small restaurant serving sandwiches and arepas. For budget travelers, I think this is a great option. The second restaurant is La Terraza Villa de Leyva which has a little bit of everything (grilled meats, pastas, pizzas, etc.). It was a bit pricier, but my pasta was fantastic and the roof top area was nice (at least until it started raining).
2:00 – Museo del Chocolate
After lunch, it’s time to get back to sightseeing. As I’ve mentioned, there aren’t a ton of sights in Villa de Leyva, but one of the things that comes up on every list is the Museo del Chocolate, or Chocolate Museum. Here you can take a tour and learn about the chocolate production and visit the shop to pick up something to satisfy your sweet tooth.
If you’re not interested in the tour, I still recommend visiting the store because it is one of the most beautiful store interiors and I think it’s worth just stopping for a quick photo.
3:00 – Las Galletas
After the Chocolate Museum, we’re making one more food stop. Head to La Galleta Pasterlia Cafe to try a milhoja. Milhojas are a famous pastry from this area of Colombia and while you’ll find it offered at several cafes, La Galleta Pasterlia is by far the most popular.
Here’s where I would tell you all about what the pastry tastes like and what to expect from this specific cafe. I can’t do that because the line was crazy when I arrived on Monday. No problem, I thought. I’ll just go the next day and I can go earlier in the day and there won’t be a line. That didn’t work so well for me.
La Galleta Pasterlia is closed on Tuesdays, so I never got my milhoja, but I encourage you to do some sightseeing with your taste buds—provided you aren’t also here on a Tuesday.
4:00 – Traveler’s Choice
I’m ending this Villa de Leyva itinerary here. There’s still about an hour and a half of daylight and it’s your choice how you want to spend it. Continue strolling the lanes, find a cafe or a bar, return to your hotel and just relax. There choice is completely up to you.
With More Time
So what happens if you have more time to spend in Villa de Leyva? Sure, you could spend another day here, but I think one day is really all you need. There’s only so many sights within in the city, so if you have more time, I recommend looking into adding time to other destinations on your Colombia itinerary.
I spent two nights in Villa de Leyva. I arrived in the mid afternoon and did a tiny bit of exploring and then spent the full next day exploring Villa de Leyva. Then on the third day, I caught a bus to my next destination.
Can You Do a Day Trip from Bogotá?
Technically yes, you can visit Villa de Leyva on a day trip from Bogotá. You could do it independently by purchasing a ticket from the bus station or join a guided tour.
But should you visit Villa de Leyva on a day trip from Bogotá? Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend it. While Villa de Leyva is light on sights and much of the fun comes from just wandering through the streets and colonial architecture, the travel time is a lot for a day trip. You’ll likely be spending a minimum six hours (optimistically if there is no traffic and you depart from and return to Terminal Norte in Bogotá), but it’s incredibly likely to be closer to seven or eight hours. For me, that seems like too much transportation for a day trip.
So in my opinion, I recommend staying at least one night. Even if you leave Bogotá, spend the night in Villa de Leyva, and move on to the next destination on the following day, you’ll be in better shape.
Connections to and From Villa de Leyva
Villa de Leyva is small and has fewer connections that some other cities in Colombia, but it’s still well connected.
From Bogotá, you can expect to a trip to Villa de Leyva to take about 3 to 4 hours. The distance of course depends on traffic, but also which bus terminal you depart from. Buses depart hourly from both Terminal Salitre and Terminal Norte.
You’ll also find buses to Tunja and Barbosa, where you can transfer to buses to larger and more distant cities. From Villa de Leyva to Tunja, expect the journey to take just over an hour. There are numerous buses throughout the day and unlike so many buses in Colombia, the bus station actually had posted schedules.
One popular route takes you from Villa de Leyva to San Gil. There are no direct buses so you’ll need to transfer along the way, but both towns are popular with tourists.
When to Visit Villa de Leyva
Villa de Leyva can be visited all year round. While many countries have weather that can change drastically throughout the year, Colombia has just two season: dry season and rainy season.
Dry season is more popular because rain is less likely. Dry season typically runs from December through February or March. Then there is another dry season from June through August.
Rainy season comprises of the other months of the year. April and May and September through November. While it is rainy season, it may not rain every day, but you need to be prepared that it could rain at any time.
While dry season, particularly December through February, is the most popular time to travel, I chose to visit in November. It was rainy season and it did rain every day of my visit. However, the rain typically did not occur until the late afternoon or evening, meaning on most days my mornings were dry and I was able to explore in the dry sunshine.
Final Thoughts
Villa de Leyva is fun to explore. While the city is light on sights, I enjoyed strolling through the lanes of this small city. Plus, after my visit to Bogotá, Villa de Leyva felt a world away and that alone made it worth the journey.
Continue Your Adventure
Colombia: Start your planning with my nine day Colombia itinerary. Start in Bogotá, venture to Villa de Leyva, and finish in San Gil. Plus get my top safety tips and learn how to determine a realistic travel budget in my Colombia Travel Guide.