How to Book the Best Guajira Tours

4 mistakes to avoid when booking your Guajira Tour

Remember these mistakes while planning your trip to La Guajira, and I promise your adventure will outshine the average tourist’s.

Mistake 1: Choosing the cheapest tour

We all have a vacation budget, and it’s essential to stick to it. But in the end, what truly matters is maximizing your adventure by getting the best value for your money, time, and experience, right?

I went full backpacker mode on my first trip to the La Guajira desert. With an Austrian friend, we took a bus to Uribia and found a shared jeep heading to Cabo de la Vela. The ride took three hours. There were 10 of us crammed in the jeep; my neighbor was a chicken, and my pillow was a pile of chip bags.

After finding a spot to hang our hammocks for the night in Cabo de la Vela, we agreed to the first driver we saw to take us to Punta Gallinas the next day.

On the way, the jeep broke down for two hours, and once we arrived at Punta Gallinas, we were packed into the back of a large truck under the blazing sun, all the backpackers crammed together like little cows.

All of this to save 70 euros over three days.

Now, you’re probably not going to go on such an “extreme” adventure, but there’s still a moral to this story.

There are more than 50 agencies offering tours to La Guajira. And trust me, there will always be one that offers a cheaper price. But that often means:

• The agency probably isn’t legal (no insurance, etc.)
• They don’t have a team that can quickly handle desert emergencies (like Wayuu blockades or muddy, impassable roads)
• They’ll hire any driver (often grumpy ones), and the jeeps are usually in bad shape.
• You’ll be left to fend for yourself once you arrive

I’m not telling you to book the most expensive tours either. Some tours on platforms like Viator charge ridiculous prices.

No.

Choose an agency that offers reasonable prices while ensuring quality service. That’s why we chose to recommend Paola’s agency.

TOM’S TIP

For the classic 3-day/2-night shared tour, you can expect to pay a reasonable price of 800,000 to 900,000 COP per person on average.

Mistake 2: Omit La Macuira in your tour

The tour everyone talks about is the 3-day/2-night trip to Cabo de la Vela and Punta Gallinas.

And it’s already a fantastic experience.

You’ll see surreal, otherworldly landscapes, breathtaking viewpoints, great swimming spots (though watch out for the currents), and incredible sunsets.

In short, you’ll be amazed.

But for me, something was missing to make the adventure feel a bit more meaningful.

This is why I decided to come back and take a four-day trip, which includes a visit to the Macuira National Park— an oasis in the La Guajira desert with rivers and a tropical cloud forest—in addition to Cabo de la Vela and Punta Gallinas.

That extra day allowed me to do a 4-hour hike in a stunning environment, completely different from the rest of the trip. In the evening, we stayed in the village of Nazareth, where Paola’s agency organized two experiences for us to spend time with the locals.

And that’s when I realized what was missing from the classic 3-day tour: a good hike to soak in the landscapes and interact more with the Wayuu people.

Now, I understand that a trip to La Macuira requires one more day from your itinerary, and it’s also more expensive (mainly because it’s harder to do as a shared tour).

So, you’re probably going to hesitate.

-“Should I stay or should I go?”

But if you’re traveling all the way to the northernmost tip of South America, isn’t it worth dedicating one more day to an even more unforgettable experience?

Based on my experiences in the La Guajira desert, I’d say: “Absolutely.”

ADRIEN’S TIP

The 4-day/3-night tour to La Macuira is Paola’s signature trip. She designed it herself and works with the best drivers to ensure a smooth journey.

Mistake 3: Expectations might not match reality

At Tomplanmytrip, we always try to describe experiences exactly as they are. This helps our readers avoid disappointment when booking with our local partners.

Visiting La Guajira is a unique experience in itself.

I wouldn’t say it’s particularly physically demanding, but you do need to be able to handle the heat (you’ll be in a desert) and long hours in the jeep. That’s why choosing an agency with good vehicles (like Paola’s) is so important, and booking a private tour might be worth it if you’d rather not share a jeep with 6 travelers + driver.

It’s also important to note that your driver is not a guide (though some are very friendly and happy to answer questions). Having decent Spanish to communicate with your driver and the locals is better.

A good alternative is to pay a bit extra for a bilingual guide to accompany you throughout the trip (Paola offers excellent bilingual guides at a reasonable price). This is especially useful if you’re interested in the cultural side of the Wayuu indigenous people during the adventure.

Lastly, La Guajira is one of the poorest departments in Colombia. Many children are sent by their parents to set up “toll stops” to block jeeps between Cabo de la Vela and Punta Gallinas. It’s often a heavy sight for travelers.

That’s why I recommend choosing an agency that works in solidarity with the Wayuu, so your money directly benefits local communities.

TOM’S TIP

Paola was the first agency to train Wayuu communities in tourism, empowering them to host travelers. With her agency, you can book additional activities, with payments going directly to the Wayuu families.

Mistake 4: Failing to fit La Guajira smoothly into your travel plan

Paola offers daily departures for the classic 3-day/2-night tour, making it easy to join a group. It’s still a good idea to reach out to her agency while planning your itinerary to optimize your trip (and Paola doesn’t even require a deposit for this tour).

Riohacha isn’t an exciting city, so you can stay around Palomino or Dibulla and ask Paola to arrange a taxi to take you to Riohacha on the day your tour starts.

There’s also an airport in Riohacha with direct flights to Bogotá and Medellín, which can help you optimize your travel plan instead of making a round trip from Santa Marta.

On that note, avoid booking a La Guajira tour from Santa Marta. These agencies outsource to those in Riohacha, and it adds a long drive to your journey.

Remember to consider the seasons. May and September to November can bring rain, making jeep travel challenging due to muddy roads. During these months, reaching La Macuira can be impossible, and sometimes, even Punta Gallinas is off-limits.

ADRIEN’S TIP

I recommend booking the La Macuira tour in advance, as it’s mostly a private one.