Meet in front of the small chapel in Chorro Quevedo and start to learn about the impressive history of a group of locals from the Egipto neighborhood in Bogot. Deciding to leave their criminal past behind they have started the initiative Breaking Borders, showing tourists around their streets filled with artwork that tells the neighborhoods history. In this way, tourism has formed a real alternative for their personal and professional development and opened the doors for a brighter future.Youll meet your English speaking guide at Chorro Quevedo in La Candelaria, the founding place of Bogot. There you will learn about the project before heading to Nuestra Seora de Egipto, the church located at the entrance of Barrio Egipto. This is also the scene for the festivities on the 6th of January.All along the way, you will be able to see the history of the people illustrated in impressive graffiti art. Your guide will let you in on the meanings and stories behind these murals.
You will then reach the hills where the modest houses of the local guides and their families are bedded into the steep hills. You will note that the community is still underdeveloped and struggles with access to basic utilities. In spite of these conditions, this place is full of life thanks to the peoples warmth, joy, and desire of their children to fight for their dreams.In this area, you will also see one of the biggest changes in the neighborhood. Thanks to the project; a football field has been constructed for the children of the district. Hear why this field in and essential part of the ongoing transformation.
Breaking Borders - Bogota's Social Change Experience
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Tour Information
Key Details
- Mobile Voucher Accepted
- Hotel pickup Available
- Duration: 4 Hrs
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Language:
English
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Departure Time :
10:00 AM Valid from the time you exchange your voucher, for the duration selected.
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Return Details :
• Please email Impulse Travel at info@impulsetravel.co to confirm your booking and pick up details (if the transportation options are chosen) • Comfortable walking shoes are recommended • Note: .. read more
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Cancellation Policy : This activity is non-refundable Tours booked using discount coupon codes will be non refundable.
Overview
Some authors define resilience as the ability to develop skills and positive attitudes in an unpleasant scenery and under negative circumstances. In this tour, you will witness the resilience of a group of young people from Egipto neighborhood in Bogot. You will hear about their fascinating life stories, especially about their radical transformation from being gang members to become tour guides. They are eager to show you how their personal development influenced their social environment in a very positive way. This tour is a great way to have an approach to the reality of many Colombian underprivileged neighborhoods.Know More about this tour
Itinerary:
Meet in front of the small chapel in Chorro Quevedo and start to learn about the impressive history of a group of locals from the Egipto neighborhood in Bogotá. Deciding to leave their criminal past behind they have started the initiative Breaking Borders, showing tourists around their streets filled with artwork that tells the neighborhood’s history. In this way, tourism has formed a real alternative for their personal and professional development and opened the doors for a brighter future. You’ll meet your English speaking guide at Chorro Quevedo in La Candelaria, the founding place of Bogotá. There you will learn about the project before heading to Nuestra Señora de Egipto, the church located at the entrance of Barrio Egipto. This is also the scene for the festivities on the 6th of January. All along the way, you will be able to see the history of the people illustrated in impressive graffiti art. Your guide will let you in on the meanings and stories behind these murals.
You will then reach the hills where the modest houses of the local guides and their families are bedded into the steep hills. You will note that the community is still underdeveloped and struggles with access to basic utilities. In spite of these conditions, this place is full of life thanks to the people’s warmth, joy, and desire of their children to fight for their dreams. In this area, you will also see one of the biggest changes in the neighborhood. Thanks to the project; a football field has been constructed for the children of the district. Hear why this field in and essential part of the ongoing transformation.
Inclusions
- Private transportation from and to your hotel (if transportation option is chosen)
- Expert guide in your language of preference (English, Spanish)
- Local Guide
- Chicha and snack (typical Colombian food)
Exclusions
- Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Lunch
- Optional tips and gratuities
- Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
Additional Info
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Children must be accompanied by an adult
We recommend taking cash for personal expenses
We recommend wearing comfortable clothes and shoes.
Traveler Reviews
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Diese Tour war eine der am meisten beeindruckende Erfahrung während unserer gesamten Kolumbien-Reise! Es war eine Ehre, das Barrio Egipto und dessen Bewohner kennenlernen zu dürfen, deren Schicksal es ist, schlicht und einfach auf der falschen Seite der Straße geboren worden zu sein. Die Geschichten, die wir dort erzählt bekamen, kannte ich sonst nicht einmal aus dem Fernsehen. Manchmal erschien die ganze Situation fast irreal. Ich war schon in den Favelas von Rio und, nach dieser Tour, auch in La Comuna 13 in Medellín (ein ganz schlimmer Ort, ein "Disneyland", das so, wie es sich jetzt präsentiert, seiner furchtbaren Geschichte keinesfalls gerecht wird), aber nichts hat mich so tief beeindruckt wie der Nachmittag im Barrio Egipto. Ich kann wirklich nur jedem dringend empfehlen diese Tour zu machen und auch diese Seite von Bogota kennenzulernen! Vielen Dank auch an Felipe von Impulse Travel der mir super übersetzt hat und auch ganz viel spannende Infos fur uns hatte.
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Incredible, informative tour of a sadly overlooked part of Bogota - Egipto. Our guides grew up in the neighborhood and were extremely informative (along with our English language translator). We felt safe, and we’re impressed with their presentation of the past conditions and the efforts to bring peace to the area. I’d highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Bogota! We even met one of guides kids, who had just returned from school. It was great!
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This was one of the most unique and interesting tours I've ever been on. Monkey walked us through the difficult history of Barrio Egipto - including his personal stories - and told us how this program is helping to create peace in the neighborhood. It was a great way to learn about a side of Bogota that many don't get to see and support an excellent cause.
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We felt very privileged to be shown Harold’s home and we loved his rap dance! Monkey was very open about,his experience as a gang member and even showed us his bullet wounds. Everyone who visits Bogotá should do this tour to get a perspective on the gang era.
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Must do experience in Bogota and in Columbia. The stories of the ex-gangs are touching and you see a real Columbia. Doing such initiative without government’s support is impressive!
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What a unique and inspiring tour! Andres, Monkey, and Valentina were great tour guides, and showed us around Barrio Egipto, a gang-controlled neighborhood that's too dangerous to explore if you're not accompanied by a local. The tour had a relaxed, informal pace...we even stopped to hang out and drink a beer. This is less of a rigid, "cookie cutter" tour, and more like an informal walking tour interspersed with observations and anecdotes. We also made a brief visit to a knitting workshop that employs mainly older women from the neighborhood who have trouble finding employment elsewhere. Everyone was super cool, and we had a lot of laughs, while getting a brief education about life in a dangerous, impoverished neighborhood. Why go on this tour? It's a rare glimpse into a different way of life and a different socioeconomic environment. But at the end you realize that we have a lot more in common than we realize ☺️
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Incredible insider view into life for some in Bogotá. Our guide showed us a few great spots around La Candelaria before bringing us into Barrio Egipto and introducing us to community members who carried the tour from there : explaining the history of the neighborhood, the meaning of the street art, the ongoing push for social change, and even bringing us into his home. The cost of the tour directly contributes to improving the future opportunities for the kids from this barrio. Without a doubt this was one of the highlights of my trip to Colombia.
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Phenomenal, must-do tour in Bogota. Our guide, Andres was extremely knowledgeable, humorous and offered insights impossible to get anywhere else. The gang members, Herman and Monkey, were personable and affable. They also provided information as to the “real life” inside the barrio. We felt as safe inside the barrio with these three guys as we did in the comfort of our Zona Rosa Airbnb. Please do you’re self a favour and make time to take this tour. Guaranteed it will be worth every second of your time.
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Une très belle découverte en famille une rencontre avec des gens extraordinaires qui se donnent à fond pour faire évoluer les mentalités à leur sujet Une visite à ne pas rater à Bogota
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Alejandro did not provide a direct translation of what Monkey and Harold were saying. Harold had a very compassionate story about Breaking Borders and Alejandro gave a glazed version of it. Alejandro seems like a very sweet person, but didn’t express the cause, mission and successes of Breaking Borders clearly. I think we would have enjoyed this more if we could have gotten a better translation of what Monkey and Harold were trying to share. We also would have loved to hear more about the community that lives there, especially in the favela style homes. What we saw was very interesting, we are grateful they opened their community to us.
