Quick Ipiales Travel Guide (+ Map)
TL;DR
Our honest and practical Ipiales travel guide shows you how to make the most of this underrated border town – complete with tips on colectivos, crossing between Colombia and Ecuador, as well as why Las Lajas alone makes it worth the stop.
Planning to cross the border between Colombia and Ecuador and wondering whether Ipiales is worth a stop? That’s where our Ipiales travel guide comes in.
We’ve been there, navigated the colectivo system, visited the famous Las Lajas Sanctuary, and found the best way to make the most of your (probably short) stay in this often-overlooked town. While Ipiales might not be a destination in itself, it’s a practical and culturally fascinating pit stop for border crossers – especially if you’re curious about seeing one of Colombia’s architectural wonders.
Whether you're worried about transport and safety or just curious about what to eat and where to sleep, we’ve got you covered with firsthand tips and honest advice.
Ipiales Travel Guide
Ipiales Colombia Map
Is Ipiales Worth Visiting?
Honestly? Probably not. Ipiales is quite far away from everything else – the closest big city Cali is more than 10 hours away by bus.
But of course, there’s one reason to visit Ipiales still: To cross the border to Ecuador. The stunning church of Las Lajas is a bonus.
How to Get to Ipiales
From the Colombian side, you can reach Ipiales from
- Cali (10+ hours)
- Popayan (8 hours)
- Pasto (4.5 hours)
We took the bus from Pasto to Ipiales. You don’t really find a schedule or a lot of information online. Buses leave regularly throughout the day, so you can simply arrive at the station and trust that you will be put on the right bus. When we arrived, people were shouting the names of the next destinations, we were brought to the ticket counter, bought our tickets, were led to the bus, and the bus left almost instantly.
From the Ecuadorian side, you first have to take a bus to Tulcan. Tulcan is well-connected to destinations like
- Quito (~ 5 hours)
- Otavalo (~3 hours)
In Tulcan, you can take a colectivo to the border, cross the border, and take a colectivo to Ipiales on the other side.
How to Get Around Ipiales
The centre of Ipiales is very walkable.
We considered takimg a taxi from the bus station to our hostel but were quoted a very high price. We also couldn't find any available Ubers.
That’s why we were super happy to learn that Ipiales has a great colectivo (shared taxi) infrastructure. It’s super cheap and easy to get from the centre or the bus terminal to Las Lajas as well as the border to Ecuador. We have marked the relevant colectivo stations on our map!
Where We Stayed in Ipiales
We stayed at Xantico Hostal. The location is convenient and central. The staff was super helpful and lovely. We loved the fact that there’s a restaurant on site.
There’s a nice common area but during our stay, there was not really a social vibe as most travellers only stop for one night before or after the border crossing.
Things to Do in Ipiales
1. Las Lajas
You can’t talk about Ipiales without talking about the Sanctuary of Las Lajas. Voted as one of the Seven Wonders of Colombia, this church is absolutely worth a visit.
The church itself is stunning but you also shouldn’t neglect the surroundings. A short walk to the other side of the river, there’s a small waterfall as well as the San Miguel Arcangel viewpoint.
You can enter the church for free and there’s also a small museum where you can learn about the history of the church for a small fee.
If you don’t want to walk, you have the option to ride a cable car to the church.
2. Historical Centre
In case you’re staying in Ipiales for the night, don’t miss the historical centre. The main square Plaza 20 de Julio with the Catedral de San Pedro Martir is a nice starting point. From here, stroll the streets towards San Felipe Park with the white and blue San Felipe Church and the Ipiales sign.
Where to Eat in Ipiales
Walking around Las Lajas, we saw loads of places that served cuy (guinea pig) which we recommend you try at least once if you eat meat.
In Ipiales itself, we only tried the restaurant which belongs to Xantico Hostal because we only stayed for one night and this is a super convenient option.
How Many Days in Ipiales Do You Need
When you cross the Border between Colombia and Ecuador, we strongly recommend making a pit stop in Ipiales to visit Las Lajas.
You can either store your luggage at the bus terminal (as we didn’t try it ourselves, we would be super happy if any of you could leave a personal review in the comments below) or spend a night in Ipiales.
Personally, we recommend spending one night here for convenience reasons.
Ipiales Tips
ATMs in Ipiales
As Ipiales was our last stop in Colombia, we didn’t use any of the ATMs but we saw some walking around.
Supermarkets in Ipiales
There’s a good variety of smaller shops in the centre and bigger supermarkets a bit outside the centre.
Internet in Ipiales
Both our hostel WiFi and our local SIM card worked fine.
Is Ipiales Safe
Ipiales is a border town and we were frequently advised that it’s not super safe. We also heard some stories about petty theft so be careful.
We stuck to the centre and Las Lajas during the daylight hours and did not encounter any problems.
This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission. You would help us a lot if you do so. Thanks.