A Complete Guide to Bogota, Colombia
Bogota, the capital city of Colombia, is a place that every traveler will eventually visit when traveling around this South American country. Our Bogota travel guide includes practical tips on how to get there, safety, when to go, the best things to do in Bogota, top attractions, and must-visit places.
Every time we travel, we usually expect that the visit to a country's capital city will be one of the highlights on our travel itinerary.
The capital city is usually the showcase of the country, featuring the top attractions, plenty of things to do, amazing architecture, top museums, hotels, countless restaurants, cafes, or bars.
Overall, it has a different vibe than the rest of the country.
Bogota was the first destination we ever visited in South America, and even though we could not wait to explore all the best things to do in the city, we must admit that we did not fall in love with Bogota at first sight.
Maybe not even at the second one.
But the longer we stayed, the more we started appreciating this sprawling city and its amazing location on the plateau in the Andes at 2640 meters above sea level.
As we had spent quite many months on the road, we are now pretty confident to say that it is super important to set your expectations right when traveling to a new destination.
Had we done that, we would have fallen head over heels with Bogota instantly.
Hopefully, this travel guide will inspire you to visit Bogota, and you will, from the very beginning, enjoy the location nestled on the edge of the green hills, cool temperatures, photogenic colonial architecture, romantic cobbled streets in La Candelaria district, a surprisingly wide selection of museums, excellent street art, and modern architecture as well.
Our Bogota guide includes tips on the best things to do in the city, but we also answer the most burning question you might have: whether is Bogota safe.
We will also share tips on when to visit, how to get, or how to get around.
BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
With 8 million inhabitants, Bogota is the largest and most crowded city in Colombia, especially on weekends, when everyone takes a family to the city center for a lunch and leisure stroll.
The whole country, Bogota included, goes through a complicated process to restore its reputation and gain credibility and the image of a safe and tourist-friendly country.
Even though the situation is much better than it used to be twenty or even ten years ago, the violent and drug-related history is not easy to erase and forget, and there is still a long way to go.
Because of the reputation, we often get many questions regarding safety in cities such as Bogota and Medellin and Colombia overall.
IS BOGOTA SAFE?
Although there's been progress in past years for sure, visitors still should follow simple rules to avoid inconveniences and use common sense.
Do not walk far from tourist areas. It is always better to travel at least as a couple or group of friends.
You should not walk alone after dark and, when possible, hire a taxi (Uber is illegal in Colombia, so it up to you if you want to use this service or you opt for a regular taxi).
Every city has an area that is better to avoid, but this area was surprisingly close to Bogota's center.
Once, we didn't pay attention to where we were going, and within 10 minutes, we were in a neighborhood where we really didn't feel comfortable and quickly fled.
Also, pay attention to your belongings. Even locals recommend to wear a backpack on your belly (in the crowded areas) or at least somewhere you can see it all the time.
Unfortunately, for the first time we traveled around South America, we were robbed, and it was right here in Bogota.
It happened within a second. I had a jacket around my waist, left a phone in a closed pocket, and some "professional" got lucky.
So the advice is, enjoy all the features this city has to offer, but don't walk around light-headed and always follow safety rules so your visit won't have a bitter taste.
We've also created the article how to stay safe in South America where you can find more useful tips from our personal experience.
THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN BOGOTA
We spent five days in Bogota and had plenty of time to explore the best things to see and do in the city.
Even if you do not have that much time, we have good news. Despite its size, Bogota city center is easily walkable, and some of the top attractions are accessible on foot.
No matter whether Bogota is your first or last stop on your Colombia itinerary, make sure you do not miss it, as we are not afraid to say your visit would not be complete without spending at least a day or two in Colombia's capital.
Here's a list of must-visit places you should not miss while exploring Bogota for the first time.
MUSEO DEL ORO
Museo del Oro, also known as Gold Museum, is Colombia's best museum. And one of South America's best museums as well.
Although we usually prefer spending our time outdoors, we enjoyed this museum (Bogota has actually a great choice of museums in case this interests you).
We can only recommend it to you to put this attraction on your must-see list.
The museum displays more than 55 000 pieces of gold from pre-Hispanic cultures in Colombia. The museum is not only visually captivating, but you will also learn a lot about gold and the importance of the country's culture and society.
The exhibition has many interesting objects, but the cherry on the top is the golden Muisca raft that plays a major role in the El Dorado legend.
The entrance fee is only 4 000 COP, and it is free on Sundays, but we recommend to visit it on other days if possible as it gets crowded.
We appreciated bilingual descriptions (Spanish and English) as it is not always common in Colombia.
In case you think you won't make it, there are a few more gold museums in the country, for example, in Cartagena or Santa Marta, but on a smaller scale.
In case you want to learn more, you can book the Gold Museum guided tour that also includes the entrance ticket.
STREET ART & GRAFFITI
Bogota is among the best ten cities globally, where you can find excellent street art.
It almost seems that cities that were once gloomy and gritty try to fight this reputation with colorful murals.
After traveling in South America for a year, we couldn't but notice this trend, and if you are into street art, cities such as Valparaiso in Chile or Rio de Janeiro in Brazil must be on your list.
If you love the graffiti culture, make sure to book a tour.
Knowledgeable guides know the best places and also often know about the newest street art in the city.
You can explore graffiti on a La Candelaria Graffiti Tour, but if you want to get off the beaten path, consider this Comuna El Paraiso tour.
We didn't find it necessary to join the tour to find colorful walls for two reasons.
First of all, we traveled on a low budget, and second off, we are not art experts. Plus you can always take graffiti tour in the next South American city.
Therefore we were satisfied with what we found by simply walking around the city.
Street art can be literally found everywhere around the city, giving Bogota a special lively atmosphere.
The story of the legalization of graffiti in Bogota is quite complicated, and it contains violence, death, Justin Bieber, protests, and rapid changes of law.
Generally, the story is colorful as Colombia itself, and that's why, in the end, all artists in the city are now grateful they have legal places where they can express themselves and show their art.
CERRO DE MONSERRATE
Bogota is set 2640 meters above sea level and even higher above the city, in 3152 meters, is towering a mountain with a sacred church, Monserrate Monastery.
Cerro de Monserrate hike is one of the favorite things to do in Bogota, especially if you are craving to get away from the crowds and enjoy a bit of hiking.
In case you plan on visiting mountains in Colombia, for example, Los Nevados National Park, we also have to mention that climbing Cerro de Monserrate is great for your acclimatization.
There are three ways to get to the top of the mountain that will take you to the open views of Bogota and the valley. It is possible to take the funicular, cable car, or active travelers can walk.
We decided to get to the top on foot, and it took us about an hour and a half to get to the monastery from the center of Bogota.
Cerro de Monserrate used to be a dangerous area where knifepoint muggings were no exceptions. It should be OK now, though.
That's why it is still recommended to visit it during weekends when the route is more trafficked, and locals enjoy their time off (we hiked up on Sunday, and there were hundreds or maybe even thousands of people, and we felt completely safe).
Travel Insurance
We never leave home without travel insurance that was designed to cover our expenses if something goes wrong during the trip.
Travel insurance protects against theft, flight delays, injury, illness, cancellations, and much more.
World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers to cover their trip essentials, including sports and adventure activities.
SafetyWing is affordable travel insurance for backpackers, long-term travelers, and digital nomads.
Travel smarter and safer!
BOGOTA FREE WALKING TOUR
Bogota is a different world. We felt that our visit would not be complete without learning more about its difficult past, and joining a tour seemed the best way to fill the gaps in our knowledge.
Free walking tours are super-popular in Bogota for many reasons.
First of all, the guide will take you to places you cannot miss, second of all, you will feel more safe walking in a group, and last but not least, you will learn a lot about Bogota's history in a very comprehensible manner.
We usually prefer to explore a city on our own.
Still, we decided to give it a try and joined the free walking tour, and it was awesome.
It gave us a great base for walking the city's streets later alone as we felt more confident, and in general, it was an awesome introduction to Colombia.
One of the well-rated companies providing this kind of service is Beyond Colombia. Of course, donations are appreciated (so you might say it's not completely free).
If you prefer a more intimate experience, check out this Candelaria Private Tour.
Backpackers looking for a bit different way how to explore the city have a chance to take this favorite Bogota Bicycle Tour.
Cycling is actually very popular in Bogota, and the city has many kilometers of trails that you can explore.
LA CANDELARIA
La Candelaria is the downtown of Bogota, and it is one of the areas you cannot miss.
It is the historic district, a city within the city if you will. La Candelaria offers a mix of colonial buildings, cobbled streets, churches, and modern architecture.
It feels great to wander La Candelaria streets with a camera in hand and admire the colonial architecture, houses with cute balconies, and small cafes where you can taste traditional drinks such as chicha or chucula.
When in La Candelaria, you shouldn't miss Calle de Embudo, Plaza de Bolivar, Primada Cathedral, San Francisco Church, San Augustin Church, or walk Carrera Septima street.
Even if you visit a part of La Candelaria on a guided tour, make sure you visit it later on your own, take your time, and look for the details you had missed before.
Even though La Candelaria is a place on every travelers' bucket list, and you can find many hotels here, it is good to know it is not the safest part of the city, especially after dark.
PLAZA DE BOLIVAR
Plaza de Bolivar is part of La Candelaria, but we want to mention it separately for its importance. It is Bogota's main square located right in the capital's city historical center.
The square is lined with buildings of high historical and architectural significance.
There is the Primary Cathedral of Bogota on the East side of the square, National Capitol on the South, Lievano Palace on the West (today's city hall), and the North side belongs to Palace of Justice.
This is the newest building on the square, which had to be rebuilt after it was completely destroyed by the Colombian Army, during M-19's siege, in 1985.
Plaza de Bolivar is the natural meeting point and one of those places where people hang out and enjoy being surrounded by some of the most important and most beautiful buildings in Colombia.
STREET PERFORMANCE ON CARRERA SEPTIMA
Bogota is a lively city, and the best place to observe the Colombian temperament is Carrera Septima.
The boulevard is a no-go zone for cars, and thanks to it is full of street performers such as dancers, actors, singers, or magicians who do their best to attract passing by people, get the appreciation for their artistry, and make some money.
All the performances were captivating, and we really enjoyed the atmosphere.
Especially on the weekends, Carrera Septima is one of Bogota's most crowded places, so watch your belongings.
INTERNATIONAL EMERALD MUSEUM
Colombia is the world's largest emeralds producer, so no wonder that the capital city holds an exposition with the precious emerald collection.
It is not allowed to take photos in the private museum.
You can take pictures only from the windows as the museum is on the 23rd floor of the Avianca building and the views from here are another reason why visit this place.
We liked the compositions of this exhibition where we could see emerald, but also we could learn about the mining process that was explained to us by a passionate guide.
The entrance fee to the Emerald Museum is 5 000 COP.
MUSEO BOTERO
Fernando Botero is the world's renowned painter and sculpturer from Colombia.
He was born in Medellin, where you can also see many of his art on the streets, but one of the best museums dedicated to his work is right here, in Bogota.
If you are backpacking Colombia and looking for free things to do in Bogota, this is a place you shouldn't skip.
The entrance is free of charge, and the museum consists of many collections, especially of modern art, and not all of them are made by Botero.
But on the other hand, it is his art that attracts crowds.
Botero's style is unmistakable as he plays in all his work with proportions and volume. We found his work a bit strange at the start, but after all, we are not experts.
DRINK COFFEE
It is not possible to visit Colombia and not to have at least one cup of coffee, even if you are not a coffee lover.
You can see vendors selling tinto (cheap coffee) everywhere on the streets, and even us, who prefer tea over coffee, had our share of this delicious beverage here in Colombia.
It is good to know that tinto is cheap for a reason.
In case you want to get the best experience and taste a quality coffee, go to one of the renowned coffee shops in the center of Bogota. In case you won't make it, no worries.
We are pretty sure that you have on your itinerary Jardin, or one of the towns in the Zona Cafetera such as Salento or Manizales, where you can get some of the best coffee experiences.
If you want to know more about the coffee culture, take a half-day coffee farm tour from Bogota where you can learn more.
SALT CATHEDRAL
Bogota offers so many great things to do, but one of the top attractions is located outside the city's limits, about an hour's drive away. We talk about the famous Salt Cathedral in a small town, Zipaquira.
The cathedral is completely underground, and it is pretty cool when you realize it was once a working salt mine.
The interior of the cathedral is very visual, and it is an awe-inspiring experience to stand in the second-largest salt church in the world.
It is a real tourist attraction, that's why the entrance fee is quite steep, 50 000 COP.
You can get to Zipaquira by a frequent bus from Portal del Norte Bus, but many travelers book this Salt Cathedral Tour that is reliable and well-rated.
BOTANICAL GARDEN
Where else should be Colombia's biggest botanical garden than in the capital city, Bogota.
Botanical gardens are always so peaceful that we could spend there an entire day, and because of the size, you can do exactly that.
When the Bogota starts to be too much for you and you feel that you need to escape the crowds, pay a small fee, and get lost in narrow paths lined with unique flora.
There are literally thousands of plants, so this place is a photographer's dream.
TRY AJIACO
It seems that every region in Colombia has the signature dish, and Bogota has Ajiaco.
Because of the cooler weather, we can see why this warm, rich soup gained its popularity. We quickly grew fond of this filling soup ourselves.
Ajiaco soup is one of the typical Colombian meals, made of potatoes, chicken, rice, corn, and served with a piece of avocado.
You can find Ajiaco on almost every menu, so make sure to taste it.
DAY TRIP TO VILLA DE LEYVA
Colombia is a country of cute colonial towns, and some of them are only a stone's throw away from Bogota.
One of the best places to visit from Bogota on a one-day trip is Villa de Leyva, where you can admire whitewashed buildings, narrow cobblestone streets, and one of the largest plazas in Latin America.
Villa de Leyva has a unique atmosphere, and in case you have more time, it is worth it to spend here a day or two as the area is incredibly picturesque.
Except for the photogenic architecture, the region around Villa de Leyva is also archeologically significant.
You can take a frequent bus from Bogota to Villa de Leyva, but if you have just a day for the visit, consider taking this Villa de Leyva Day Tour from Bogota.
WHERE TO STAY IN BOGOTA
Nowadays, there are many hostels and hotels in Bogota to choose from for every budget.
The most recommended areas are the historic district, La Candelaria, and a bit further is a little bit upscale Chapinero area, or Zona Rosa and Zona G, both also known for excellent food scene and safety.
We stayed in Santa Fe, a well-connected area to the city center, and from here, we could get everywhere on foot and didn't have to use any transportation at all.
We've handpicked the best hotels in Bogota for every traveler's budget.
Budget | Hotel San Francisco de Asís - Located in the Santa Fe district, close to the city's most important sights, this nice hotel is a great choice for budget travelers.
Mid-range | Hotel Ibis Bogota Museo - Wonderful location right next to the national museum, modern, clean rooms, and a buffet breakfast make this hotel a great value for money.
Luxury | Courtyard by Marriott Bogota Airport - Spacious, modern, and comfortable rooms, great service, and an excellent location close to the international airport. A free airport shuttle is provided.
Alternatively, search for your accommodation via Hostelworld.
HOW TO GET TO/FROM BOGOTA
Getting to Bogota is very easy. It is well-connected by bus with most of the country's tourist destinations, and the international airport receives many flights from the USA but Europe as well.
BY PLANE
El Dorado International Airport is the largest in Colombia, located almost 15 kilometers from the city center. It usually takes something between 30 minutes to an hour to get to the city center depending on the traffic.
We took Uber to the city center, but it was a little bit more complicated than we had expected as the driver could not find us.
There are also regular yellow taxis available at the airport.
Next time, we would have opted for this reasonably priced airport private shuttle.
BY BUS
Bogota is well-connected with the rest of the country, and there are currently three main bus stations.
You shouldn't have any safety problems when traveling around Colombia by bus. Just be prepared for the long distances and the necessity to take an overnight bus from time to time.
Here is our tip - always use only reputable transport companies, even though they are usually slightly more expensive.
This is a rule of thumb not only in Colombia but South America in general.
BEST TOURS IN BOGOTA
Bogota has one advantage - it is the entry point, and no one expects that you will feel here immediately comfortable.
It is, for many, after all, the first visit to such a large city in South America. In case you are a traveler in heart, but need a bit of help, no worries.
Bogota offers an incredible number of tours that will help you see the best Colombia's capital has to offer, and you won't have to worry about navigation, transport, or your safety.
Here are the most popular tours that will help you get to know the city.
Bogota Bicycle Tours | Colombians love cycling, so why not explore Bogota on a bike tour?
Bogota: Full-Day Grand City Tour | A guided tour with a local will help you to understand Bogota's complicated history better.
Salt Cathedral Tour | Are you looking for a day trip from Bogota? Then Zipaquira Salt Cathedral is a must-visit place.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT BOGOTA
Bogota is infamous for its weather, even though we do not think it is that bad. Sure, you cannot expect the sunny skies as in Tayrona National Park, but you should be fine once you do not underestimate the clothing.
Because of the altitude and surrounding hills, expect cooler temperatures all year round, but nothing extreme.
Most of the days are pleasant, spring-like, but the chance of precipitation is surely higher, especially in the afternoon. The sky is often greyish, overcast, but nothing that should put you off visiting.
The best time to visit Bogota is between December and February, it is the dry season in Colombia.
We visited Bogota at the beginning of July, and except for a few showers, we could not complain.
WHAT TO PACK FOR BOGOTA
Because of the higher altitude and clouds that often hang above the hills, you should always pack an extra warm layer, just in case.
Never leave your hotel room without an umbrella or rain poncho, and we always had a fleece jacket in our backpack.
As we try to travel sustainably as possible, we always had our favorite water bottle with us, so we did not have to buy plastic ones.
For hiking to the Cerro Monserrate, don't forget hiking boots and a windbreaker, but also sunscreen. It is often cloudy, but the sun is still strong due to the high altitude.
When it comes to safety, we wore a moneybelt in the city center, but you can also think about purchasing an anti-theft daypack to keep your valuables safe.
We've also created a useful South America packing list where you will find more tips and advice on what to pack.
Travel Resources
Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.
Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.
Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.
We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.
Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.
Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.
Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.
