Bogotá Travel Guide

The city of Bogota has many attractions and tourist sites to see.

Visitors will be able to discover the Gold Museum, the old center of Bogota “la Calenderia”, the sanctuary of Montserrat with a panoramic view of Bogota and Bolivar’s country house, the quinta de Bolivar.

The city also has beautiful religious sites such as the Church of Saint Ignatius and the Primada Cathedral.

Bogota Essentials

The city of Bogota has many attractions and tourist sites to see.

Best things to do for free: Candelaria Neighborhood, Plaza Bolivar, Paloquemao Market, Gold Museums

Best places to visit near Bogota: The best day trips near Bogota are : Guatavita, Zipaquira, La Chorerra waterfall, Salto de Tenquendema, Parque Chicaque

Best Museums in Bogota: Gold Museum, Botero Museum

Best things to do in Bogota

The Candelaria Neighborhood

The pedestrian area of La Candelaria, with its colourful houses and colonial architecture, forms the historic centre of the city.

This neighborhood is full of colonial houses, interior gardens, small squares, temples …

Lose yourself in these charming alleys to land at the Plaza Bolivar, passing by the Journalist Park (parque de los periodistas)

This also in this neighbourhood that you’ll find the best hotels in Bogota

Note: The visit of the Candelaria can be done on foot or by bicycle (count 3 to 4 hours).

The Gold Museum

With its 34,000 gold pieces, the gold museum (Museo del Oro) is considered one of the best history museums in the world, it the most famous and complete museums in the capital.

It is really a very interesting museum in which you can see the legacy of the pre-Columbian culture. 

They take a tour, through the exhibition (sometimes interactive) of gold and pottery pieces of indigenous cultures, from the whole pre-Columbian period.

• Location Gold Museum of Bogota: Carrera 5ª esquina de la calle 16. 
• Hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 9.00am to 06.00pm / Sundays and holidays from 10.00am to 04.00pm
• Rates: 3.000 COP, free entrance on Sundays.
• Website :  Museo del Oro

Botero Museum

In the year 2000, Fernando Botero ceded a part of his art collection to the Banco de la República.

Thanks to this donation this museum was able to be founded with a total of 208 works of which 123 are by Botero himself and 85 by different international artists.

Within the 123 works of Botero the visitor will be able to enjoy pictorial and sculptural works and some drawings of this great artist.

As far as the collection of international artists is concerned, this collection offers a route of the evolution of the painting of this century, works of Picasso, Leger, Renoir, Dalí, Monet, Giacometti, Freud, Bacon, Calder and Beckmann can be found.

• Location: Cl. 11 #4-41, Bogotá
• Hours: Monday to Saturday from 09:00 am to 7:00pm. (last admission at 6:30pm)/ Sundays and holidays from 10:00am. to 5:00pm. (last admission at 4:30) Tuesdays closed.
• Rates: This museum is free.

Plaza Bolivar

It is the central square of Bogota and is where the formal foundation of this city was inaugurated. Around this square the tourist can see large historical buildings of great charm:

Capitolio Nacional

is the Congress of the Republic designed by Thomas Reed between 1848 and 1926 in neoclassical style.

From 1975 it is declared a National Monument, since it is considered one of the buildings of greatest architectural value in the whole city.

The entire structure is made of yellow quarry stone. It cannot be visited inside.

Palace of Justice

This majestic building was built in 2004, since the old Palace of Justice was destroyed in 1985 due to a takeover by the M-19 guerrilla to claim their rights.

The Colombian military army took over the Palace destroying the whole building and as a consequence many people died.

After this incident they decided to rebuild the Palace of Justice in the same place, but they had to do the whole building again.

Liévano Palace

headquarters of the City Council. This building is made up of three floors and an interior courtyard facing south.

The facade with large windows and arches is French style designed by the architects Gaston Lelarge and Ricardo Lleras Codazzi.

This building was inaugurated in 1905, anyway before this construction there had been in this space a commercial establishment that was razed in 1900 because of a fire.

Primary Cathedral of Bogota

this cathedral dedicated to the Immaculate Conception is of neoclassical style and was designed by Domingo de Petrés and began its construction in 1807.

Even so it is important to point out that before this cathedral there were 4 more in this place that were demolished by different phenomena.

Chapel of the Sagrario of the Cathedral: temple of catholic cult that keeps the Holy Sacrament.

This temple was built between 1660 and 1700 and is of Granada’s baroque style.

It is important to go inside to enjoy the paintings of Gregorio Vásquez de Arce y Ceballos.

You can visit it during the mass schedule Archbishop’s Palace: it is the building where the Archdiocese of Bogota is located.

The main artistic interest of this building is the main door, since it was designed by the Italian sculptor who executed the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Vico Consorti.

Palacio Nariño

Located in Carrera 8 No. 7- 26: This is the official residence of the Presidents of Colombia, so it should not surprise the traveler that in this street there are a lot of police and military who inspect their backpacks, since on more than one occasion they have tried to attack it.

Plaza del Chorro Quevedo

It is in the heart of the candelaria on 13th street with the carrea 2 i is one of the most emblematic points of the city.

In fact the city of Bogota began in this square when Gonzalo Jimenez Quesada in 1538 decided to build the first house in the city at this point.

The name of the square was not given until 1832 when the parents of the Agustina community with the surname Quevedo decided to build a fountain in the square to supply the whole community with water.

The neighbors, in order to thank them for this fact, decided to baptize it as the Quevedo’s Jet Square.

Nowadays, in this square it is easy to find students, musicians and all kinds of young people who are going to enjoy their free time here.

Santuario Nuestra Señora del Carmen

Located on Calle 8 con la carrera 4. This temple of Florentine Gothic style with Byzantine and Arab influence was declared a National Monument in 1993.

The building painted with white and brown stripes is composed of three naves forming the classic Latin cross plant.

The construction of this temple began in 1926, however, already in the 17th century there was a small sanctuary in this place dedicated to the Virgin of Carmen.

Jimenez de Quesada Avenue

It bears the name of the city’s founder, but is also known as 13th street or environmental axis is another important route.

Previously it was possible to circulate in car, but from 2002 the circulation of all the vehicles was prohibited except for the Transmilenio.

It is important to remember that under this street is the most important river of the city, San Francisco, you can see by the slopes of the promenade how it has been channeled.

This street is the one that separates the historical center from the international center of Bogota.

La Septima (7th Street)

This street, which crosses the city from south to north, is one of the most important in the city. 

In this street important events are held throughout the year, for example this street every Sunday morning is cut so that people can walk and bike.

This same day in this same race with the 24th street there is a famous craft market and second hand quite interesting to know (San Alejo Flea Market).

All this makes it an important commercial area, where the traveler can find more than one space to buy handicrafts at a good price (Pasaje Artesanal Colombia linda Carrera 7ª con calle 24 and between the seventh and the plaza Bolívar there is another big store to buy handicrafts).

It is important to note that between Carrera 7 and Jimenez Avenue is the place where Jorge Eliécer Gaitán was murdered.

Interested tourists will be able to see some inscriptions on the wall in homage to one of Colombia’s most important political leaders.

Fruit Tour in Paloquemao market

If you are passionate about markets and fruits (and Colombia is a fruit paradise), a good plan is to take the fruit tour at the Paloquemao market.

Located 10 minutes from the city centre, this authentic place, resplendent with colours and smells, is the refuelling point for individuals and professionals.

It lasts about 3 hours and will take you to the colorful market of Paloquemao where you will learn about the different fruits that are sold there (as well as trying them).

Pro Tip: In the morning, take also a stroll through the flower market.

Usaquen Neighborhood

A colonial style neighborhood

This small neighborhood located in the north of Bogota more or less on Carrera 7 with Calle 116.

Usaquén used to be a small town near the capital in a totally colonial style that little by little was absorbed by the big city.

Sightseeing in Usaquen

Currently, this neighborhood formed by about four streets is one of the highest areas of Bogota so tourists can enjoy cafes and restaurants of high level.

It is also nice to visit the small train station of Usaquén, as it is preserved exactly as it was in its time.

It is important to note that on Sunday mornings there is a craft market very nice to discover.

The Sanctuary of Montserrate de Bogota

Visit the Sanctuary of Monserrate in Bogotá

The eastern mountain range that borders the city of Bogotá is called the hill of Montserrate which is part of the eastern cordillera of the Andes. 

This hill is a place of pilgrimage for Christians, yet it is beautiful to climb to this place, because if the day is not cloudy you can appreciate the immensity of this city of more than 8,000,000 inhabitants, since the traveler will be at 3,200 meters above sea level.

The Sanctuary is located in a very beautiful area where the traveler can be walking for a while and also visit a typical colonial church. 

There is also a street full of stores where you can buy any kind of souvenirs, anyway we recommend buying them in other places in Bogota because being such a tourist area prices are a little more expensive.

How to get to the Sanctuary of Monserrate in Bogotá

The most common thing is to go up with the cable car, since on foot it is a good walk that is not recommended to do when it starts to get dark.

• Location :The funicular station is located on Carrera 2 con Calle 21
• Timetables: Monday to Saturday from 7:00am to 11:45am, Sundays from 5:30am to 5:30pm and holidays from 6:00am to 5:30pm
• Rates: The daytime return price from Monday to Saturday and holidays is 15.400 COP, the nighttime 17.000COP and on Sundays 9.000COP.

National Museum of Colombia

The National Museum of Colombia was founded in 1823 for the conservation and dissemination of the country’s cultural heritage.

This is the oldest museum in Colombia with more than 20,000 objects on display. It was originally located in the Casa Botánica de Colombia and has been changing venues to its current location.

In this museum the visitor will be able to enjoy the historical evolution of this country, since you will find collections from the pre-Columbian historical origins until our times.

This museum is divided into 4 collections: history, art, archaeology and ethnography.

• Location: Carrera 7 calles 28 y 29.
• Hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm / Sundays from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
• Rates: in 2012 the entrance to the museum is free.

Parks and Gardens

José Celestino Mutis Botanical Garden

It is the most important botanical garden in the city created in 1955, this is a very good place to spend a day in the middle of a big city and to be able to appreciate the Colombian flora of the typical Andean forest, cloud forest, greenhouse circuits of hot, dry, rainy climate… It can be accessed both on foot and by car. It is a good place to spend a whole morning or afternoon getting to know the flora of this beautiful country.

Location José Celestino Mutis Botanical Garden: Avenida Calle 63 No. 68-95 Visiting hours: Monday to Friday from 08.00am to 05.00pm

Metropolitan Park Simon Bolivar

This is undoubtedly one of the best known parks in the city, in fact this park is formed by a group of parks, squares and sports and event complexes that make it a place full of life. It is nice and pleasant to miss a whole day knowing this park which offers multiple activities for all types of tourists.

Metropolitan Park La Florida

This 200-hectare park is also full of activities: places to do high-risk sports, soccer fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, areas for barbecues, camping with a dining room… but you can also see great varieties of trees such as the famous Quindio wax palms, migratory birds and is very close to the Jaboque wetland. It is located in the municipality of Cota on the outskirts of Bogota.

Mirador de los Nevados Park

Located in the town of Suba, north of Bogota. It is a place with a large number of pedestrian trails where you can observe a variety of native flora and fauna. It is important to know that on good weather days it is possible from here to see the peaks of the Parque Nacional de los Nevados.

Third Millennium Park

Located between Sixth and Ninth Streets is a place to go for a walk and enjoy recreation, is full of gardens, places to bathe, to rest …

Best things to do Near Bogota

Here are the best places to visit near Bogota:

Zipaquirá salt cathedral and Nemocón

Zipaquira is a city of mining tradition due to the salt mines that have surrounded this place.

In 1995 the city’s Salt Cathedral was inaugurated and it has been considered one of the most emblematic temples in the department of Cundinamarca.

Inside the mountain the Bogota architect Roswell Garavito Pearl designed this Salt Cathedral.

On the way to it, the traveler will be able to observe the whole path of the Way of the Cross of Jesus by means of the sculpture of a cross.

This place is considered by Colombians as one of the 7 wonders of Colombia, anyway, it is not a must visit either if one travels to Bogotá. 

• Location: Zipaquirá is a city near Bogotá.
• How to get there: If you want to go by public transportation you should get to the Transmilenio Portal Norte stop and there take the bus to Zipaquirá for 5400 Cop, or if you have little time and don’t want to complicate yourself, you can take a tour for 54000 COP that lasts about 6 hours, which already includes the entrance to the Salt Cathedral and in which you are picked up at your accommodation.
  Otherwise you can contact Oscar from Bogota Car Service, which is our recommended driver.
• Hours: Monday to Sunday from 09:00 am to 06:00 pm: Adults (13-59 years old)
• Prices : If you go on your own, the entrance to the cathedral costs around 50000 COP for foreigners, 30.000 COP for nationals.

Pro Tip: Nearby you also have the Nemocón Salt Mine which is less frequented

Monguí and the Ocetá moor

The páramos are one of the most important ecosystems in Colombia, as they are like sponges where fresh water is generated to supply much of the country.

From Bogotá you can go to Monguí and Páramo de Ocetá and see the famous frailejones up close, about 4 hours from the capital.

Ideally, you will sleep one night in Monguí (for example at Hospedaje Las Cabanas, for 7000 COP/night the double room with private bathroom).

Guatavita Lagoon

This small town with great charm is located at 3100m above sea level and is built on the side of the Tominé Reservoir, in the jurisdiction of the current municipality of Sesquilé

In this quite traditional village the traveler will be able to enjoy a lot of craft stores that sell the products at a good price.

But if you decide to go to this little town it is essential to visit the Guatavita Lake where different buses will take you there

How to get to Guatavita

• By bus : To get to Guatavita the visitor must go to the Transmilenio stop in Portal Norte and from there take the bus to Guatavita, it’s about 2 hours away
• With a tour : If you have little time and want to take advantage, the best way to visit Guatavita is to take a private tour where for less than 90 Usd you can visit Zipaquira and its Salt Cathedral, and the Guatavita lagoon in the same day, returning to Bogota to sleep (entrance fees not included)

History of Guatavita Lagoon

Guatavita was the most famous of the sacred lagoons of this pre-Columbian culture because the legendary rite of El Dorado was staged there, which took place every time a new cacique was enthroned and consisted of the entry of the new chief naked into the lagoon, mounted on a raft, to dive into the waters while his subjects threw small gold statuettes called tunjos.

The lagoon has been the object of numerous immersions in different historical periods, all with the purpose of rescuing the supposed treasures hidden under its waters. The monumental northern gap (foot presents the crater that contains it corresponds precisely to an attempt to drain it.

Villa de Leyva

Villa de Leyva is an escape from Bogota that we include here because of how beautiful it is but really it is the only one in which it is more than advisable to stay overnight, to enjoy it and especially because it is a beating to do it the same day.

It is about 3-4 hours from the capital, and has a huge main square.

Founded in 1572, it has colonial architecture, cobbled streets and varied rural landscapes in its surroundings, and is considered one of the most beautiful towns in Colombia.

You can go there by yourself (by bus from the north terminal in Bogotá, it takes about 4 hours), which we recommend if you’re going to spend a night there because you’ll save a lot of money and enjoy Villa de Leyva much more.

If you have little time in Colombia, we recommend you to go on a tour so you don’t lose much time in public transport and take advantage of the hours to the maximum.

La Chorrera, Colombia’s highest waterfall

A natural waterfall 590 meters high, the highest in Colombia (and sixth in South America).

How to get to la Chorrera ? The best and easiest way is to contact Oscar from Bogota Car Service, which is our recommended driver.

Salto del Tequendama

 a very picturesque natural waterfall

Canyon of the owl

In Suesca, you can appreciate the “farallones”, walk through acacia, pine and eucalyptus forests, go through a canyon where the Bogota river passes until you reach the town of Santa Rosita.

It is also possible to do rappel and canoeing.

Salto de los Micos

It’s a fantastic natural place located about 90km from Bogota in the municipality of Villeta.

This place full of trails for excursions allows the traveler to enjoy different waterfalls ranging from 5 to 40 meters.

In addition, in this place, the traveler will be able to enjoy a good spa to rest and to enjoy the tranquility.

How to Get to Salto de los Micos

Salto de los Micos is a bit remote and can hardly be accessed by bus. So the best and easiest way is to contact Oscar from Bogota Car Service, which is our recommended driver.

Cañón de la Lechuza

Located about 60 km from Bogota, in the village of Santa Rosa there is a small lake fed by the Bogota River. This lake is surrounded by huge rock walls that look like a canyon.

• How to get there: The Cañon de la Lechuza is a bit remote and can hardly be accessed by bus. So the best and easiest way is to contact Oscar from Bogota Car Service, which is our recommended driver.
• Once there, to get to the lake you have to walk about 45 minutes around the mountain or following the river level. 

Still need more inspiration ?

Here is a usefull site to check out Bogota Official Tourism Website : http://www.bogotaturismo.gov.co/

Best Time to Visit Bogota

For Tourism

The high season to travel to Bogotá coincides with the Christmas and New Year’s vacations, as they are the best time to find good weather.

This causes that there is enough movement of tourists, as much at international level as national, since it also coincides with the vacation period of the Colombian population.

Anyway, in July and August one will also find tourists, especially Westerners who take advantage of their vacation to travel to Bogotá.

It is important to know that prices do not change too much between high and low season

For Weather

It’s cool in Bogotá and it’s like that all year round.

Any time is good to visit Bogota, since there are hardly any seasons and the temperature does not vary much, although if you are very sensitive to cold, in theory, the best months (when it is less cold and there is less chance of rain) would be from December to March.

How to get to Bogota ?

Get to Bogotá By plane

If you are visiting Colombia from another country, you will most likely go by plane and land in one of the major cities (Bogotá, Medellín or Cartagena).

If you are flying from USA, it is very common to fly to Bogotá as there are direct flights, although if you have time and want to save money you can find good combinations to other cities (we fly Florida->Cartagena for less than 350 USDone way).

To find the best deals, we recommend you use flight comparators such as Skyscanner and be flexible with the dates.

It is also possible that you arrive in Bogotá by domestic flight from somewhere else in Colombia, as if you have little time and want to see many parts of the country it is the fastest way.

If you have to buy domestic flights in Colombia, we recommend you to check VivaAir and also the comparators we just mentioned (Skyscanner), in case there are offers from other companies (check VivaAir because it is very cheap but you have to check well the small print and baggage policies, so the price you will see at first is without checking in and with a small backpack as hand luggage)

Get from the airport to downtown Bogotá

If you arrive by plane to Bogotá, you have several ways to get to the city center, more expensive or cheaper depending on the comfort and speed:

You can Hire a transfer with Oscar in advance: from 22 Usd per vehicle

By taxi: they work with a meter, it is safe, and it costs between 20,000 and 35,000 COP (between 6 and 10 euros for the taxi).

In transmilenio: it’s an articulated network of public buses from Bogotá.

You have to buy a card (5000 COP, 1,30 ?) and the trip to the center costs about 2400 COP (0,7 ?).

The problem is that they get very crowded at rush hour and with the backpacks they still don’t let you in (or it can be an odyssey), so we don’t recommend it.

Also from the airport you have to take a free bus to the transmilenio stop first.

Other city buses: apart from the transmilenio, there are other city buses that you can also use to get to the centre at a very low price, although we haven’t used them so we don’t have any information.

Get to Bogota by road

If you come from somewhere else in Colombia, Bogotá is very well connected by private company buses.

You can check buses and schedules, and buy your tickets, on websites such as Redbus.com or Pinbus, which work very well and you can choose your seat (be careful because on those websites not all options appear, so there may be more schedules and/or companies).

You can also check information (not always updated) at https://www.horariodebuses.com.co/

Safety in Bogota

The advice that local people all over Colombia will give you most regarding security is: Don’t give away papaya!

It’s an expression they use to indicate that you don’t become an easy target: don’t go around showing off things of value (smartphone, camera, money) and thus avoid attracting attention.

Obviously, as tourists/travelers, we like to photograph the places, look for information on our smartphone, etc., and this doesn’t mean you can’t do it.

It just means that you are more cautious than usual and try to limit carrying your camera on the street.

Safety in the center and north of Bogotá

Apart from this, as far as urban security is concerned, the center of Bogota and the north are quite safe during the day; at night one has to be more careful and avoid passing through the streets if there is no movement of people.

During the day as well as at night it is important to be careful not to go too far down from Caracas or carrera 14, everything and that the neighborhood of San Victorino is curious to know one has to go with a little care through this area during the day and not go at night, beyond the commercial area of San Victorino is quite dangerous to move.

Safety in the south of Bogota

As far as the southern part of the city is concerned, during the day it is more or less safe, but it is easy to cross the border with dangerous neighborhoods without realizing it, that is why we recommend not to move around in this sector of the city, since there is nothing of tourist interest there either.

Anyway some of the most dangerous neighborhoods are

• Ciudad Bolívar
• Portal de las Américas
• Bosa
• Fontibon- Versalles
• Plaza de las Americas
• Diana Turba
• Lucero-Meissen
• San Francisco-Juan Pablo Segundo

How to get around in Bogota

The public transport par excellence in Bogota is the transmilenio, a network of articulated buses with their own lanes that connect the whole city at a low cost.

Get Around in Bogota by public transport

Moving around Bogotá is relatively easy both on foot and by transportation when one learns how the streets are organized in the city, since like big U.S. cities the streets do not have names, but numbers.

To understand how this works it is important to know that there are Streets, which are the “Calle” (Street) that run perpendicular to the mountain, and “Carreras”, which are the roads that run parallel to the mountain.

Therefore, when you want to go to a point, you have to move forward or backward depending on whether you are at a higher or lower number than you have to go.

It is important to keep in mind that in the southern sector of the city the enumeration of streets and carreras begins again, therefore if one goes to the south of Bogota on foot or by cab one will have to indicate to part of the street and carrera that one is going to the southern sector.

Get Around in Bogota by TransMilenio

The transmilenio (Third Millennium Mass Transit System) is kind of articulated bus that have the same operation as a subway, so it is the easiest way to move around in Bogota for tourists who want to travel by public transport.

You should use it at least once, to get more involved in local life, although all the local people will tell you that you better not use it because sometimes there are thefts and during rush hours it gets very crowded and you go like a sardine.

There are different TransMilenios that cover different routes in the city and in each station the traveler can find a map with the routes and connections of the TransMilenios.

At the final stations of the TransMilenium route there are what are called “feeders” which are other non-articulated buses, which finish arriving in some areas that the TransMilenium does not reach and enter at the same price as the TransMilenium ticket.

The TransMilenio ticket is bought at the ticket office of each station.

The tickets go with an electronic card and you can buy as many tickets as you want without them expiring.

It is important to keep in mind that during rush hours (first thing in the morning and from seven in the evening until nine at night) it is almost an adventure to take this type of transport, since there are a lot of people fighting to get in.

Get Around in Bogota by bus

In Bogotá there are different buses or adapted vans that cover the whole city.

Traveling in these types of vehicles is a little cheaper than the TransMilenio and one can get anywhere, but until one starts to get to know this capital a little better it is very easy to get lost.

It is also important to keep in mind that during rush hours there is a lot of traffic in the city and it can take more than half an hour to get around.

Get around in Bogota by cab / Uber

Moving around Bogotá by cab or Uber is the easiest way when you don’t know this great city. All cabs have a meter, but sometimes the tourist has to remind the driver to turn it on so they don’t make up the price later.

Cabs, compared to Europe, are not expensive but sometimes they lengthen the runs so they can charge more to travelers. (between 5000 and 10000COP – between $ 1,30 USD and $ 2,60).

To make sure they you are not cheated by the price, all cabs have to carry a card that indicates the equivalence of the number on the meter with the real price they have to charge, the passenger is entitled to be shown the card.

For taxis, in Colombia it is always recommended not to get into street taxis, so we recommend the Easy application (now belonging to Cabify) with which you can order legal taxis through their app

Get around in Bogotá with a private Driver

If you want to move freely in Bogota, we highly recommend to hire Oscar from Bogota Car Service.

He speaks perfectly english and love to make you Discover Bogota and surroundings.

He has 5/5 ratings on 43 reviews on Trip Advisor, recommended 100%

Rent a car in Bogotá (car rentals or other vehicles)

Of course, if the tourist only wants to be in Bogota we do not recommend renting a car to move around the city, since driving in this great capital is quite chaotic if one is not used to it.

However If you want to take a road trip in Colombia and have the freedom to visit the area at your own pace, a good idea is to rent a car. Here you can compare the available offers and rent a car at the best price.

Get Around in Bogota by Transmicable

Since 2018 Bogotá has been equipped with a Cable Car transport, similar to the one in Medellin. It has helped to open up the municipality of Ciudad Bolivar and boost its economy. The ticket costs 2600 Cop, and if you have the time, it is definitely worthwhile to try it.

Important Info : the Pico y Placa

It is important to know that if you rent a car in Bogotá there is a law known as the Pico y Placa.

This law indicates that vehicles finished with an even license plate may not circulate in the city on even days and odd days the other way around.

The restriction is only from Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.

The fine for driving on a day when it is not the driver’s turn is quite high.

Best Restaurants in Bogota

In Bogota the traveler will be able to eat everything, since being a big city it is easy to find restaurants of all types and from anywhere in the world, in addition there are also plenty of vegetarian restaurants for those who do not like to eat meat.

The areas where it is easier to find a variety of restaurants is the Candelaria area and the International Center of Bogota, the G Zone and for those who do not care about the price of food in Usaquen will find many high level restaurants.

In the International Center and in La Candelaria you can find restaurants from the most expensive to the most economical and at night it is easy to find places that sell food on the street.

Anyway if you are a meat lover it is recommended that you go to a restaurant on 7th Street to have a barbecue.

La Puerta Falsa

one of the most emblematic restaurants in the city, right in the middle of the city, where you can eat the famous soup, the ajiaco, or have some good tamales for breakfast.

The ajiaco is a soup with corn, several types of potatoes, water, guasca (aromatic herb) and crumbled chicken.

There are also vegans (without chicken).

• Adress: Cl. 11 #6-50, Bogotá
• Review: Trip Advisor
• Social Media : Instagram | Facebook

Tomodachi Ramen Bar

It’s not even traditional Colombian food but we couldn’t help but mention it.

The day we woke up craving ramen, thank goodness we went to Tomodachi because we discovered the best ramen we had ever tasted outside of Japan.

Really, if you like ramen, don’t doubt it.

It costs about 18 euros/person (Asahi beer included) to transport you to Japan.

• Adress: Dg. 70a #466, Bogotá
• Website: https://tomodachiramen.com
• Reviews: Trip Advisor | Google Reviews
• Social Medias: Facebook | Instagram

Best Places to have a Coffee in Bogota

If you have plan to visit Bogotá for a few days, one way to soak up the local life is notably to spend time in local cafes.

Here’s a list of the best places to have a coffee in Bogotá

Juan Valdés Orígenes

 the coffee for digital nomads par excellence.

It is huge, it has all kinds of tables (high, low, small, big) with plugs where you can work for several hours with a coffee without being disturbed.

That is if you can resist the delicious brunches they have accompanied by the Colombian coffee of the Juan Valdés chain

Art and Passion Café Escuela de Baristas

Where to have a coffee of all kinds, literally.

Japanese, Turkish, Colombian.

You say that you want that surely they have it.

Very recommendable.

Mistral

A bakery with delicious bread and croissants and some tables where you can hit the keyboard

Petunia

A small cafeteria with a terrace where they make a delicious espresso and a brownie to cry about.

It’s also a project that supports the LGBTIQ collective, so besides being a beautiful and quiet space ideal for a coffee and cake or a little work, you’ll be contributing to an incredible people’s coffee

ArteSano Crepes&Waffles

 yes, it’s from the famous Crepes&Waffles chain (Excellent salad buffet) but with a slightly different menu (healthier) and a great terrace.

Perfect for brunching.

Amor Perfecto

 Nice, good coffee and better desserts so if you have cravings you know where to go

Bogota Nightlife : Best Places for Parties

Bogota being a great capital allows the tourist to enjoy any kind of party with all kinds of music styles, as you can go listen to jazz in a quiet place to go in a local electronic music until dawn.

Apart from the places that we indicate here it is also important to know that one of the riches of the party in Bogota is to go out in private parties or in places that many times the same hostels can inform you about.

Now we are going to name some of the sectors that you cannot miss if you like the party:

Nightlife in Zona T

It is located on Calle 82 with the Carrera 13.

They are two pedestrian streets that are shaped like a T and offer a lot of bars and cafes of high quality, the locals in this area mostly put lounge music, electronic and crossover.

Aura Bar

Av. 82 No. 12-29. You can listen to electronic music.

Bogotá Beer Company

Carrera 12 No. 83- 33.

Bar that produces its own handcrafted beers with an English style atmosphere.

They put a mix of classic and contemporary rock.

Salomé Pagana

Calle 82 con Carrera 14

This site is for lovers of Salsa and Son, as the owner is an expert in this genre and guarantees customers to dance the best of the best. On weekends it is easy to find live groups of considerable recognition in this place.

Salsa Camara

Carrera 14 No. 82- 45. It also offers live music on weekends and it is one of the most popular places for salseros in Bogota.

El Rincón de Rafael Ricardo

de Calle 85 No 14-55.

This is a good place to be able to dance good Vallenato, in fact the name of the place is that of an important singer of Vallenato.

It is also a place with a lot of partying to do until closing time.

Jhonny Cay Bar restaurant

carrera 13 No. 82- 17. It is an ideal place to listen to reggae, but also to find some of the best cocktails in Bogota at a good price. Some weekends you can listen to live music.

Parque de la 93

It is located on 93rd Street with Carrera 13 and its surroundings.

This site is the most typical place to go out to party in the city, since one can find different bars, pubs and places to have a drink and dance to music of any kind.

Anyway all this area is characterized by the terraces of these premises.

El Sitio

Carrera 11 No.93- 52.

It is a very good place to go out to party, as you can see live music from different artists.

Point G

Calle 94 No. 11- 46. In this pleasant place you can hear live music, as the local has its own orchestra.

Ramón Antigua

Calle 93ª No. 13b- 56.

In this place you can listen to music of all times so you can dance to any kind of audience.

The best day to go out dancing in this place is Thursday night.

Nightlife in Bogota Zona Rosa

Streets 79 to 85 between Carrera 11 and 15.

This is the rumba sector and the maximum nightlife fun as it is full of bars, pubs, party places with music of all styles: reagge, merengue, electronic, rock, hip-hop, tropi-pop…

Alma

85th Street No. 12-51. It is a three-story discotheque and in each one of them, you can listen to a different style of music: hip hop, electronic and tropipop.

Gothic

Carrera 14 No. 82-50.

In this local in the afternoons they are accustomed to project movies, in the nights they put music of all the styles.

Anonymous

Carrera 12 No. 83- 23.

It is a beautiful and pleasant place with a big terrace to spend a good night.

Nightlife in Usaquen

In and around 119th Street with Carrera 6.

This area apart from being a beautiful place for its colonial style has bars and pubs where those who do not like to go out until the early morning can dance a while or listen to music while drinking a beer or a cubata.

Barba Rosa

Race 6 no. 117- 44. They play lounge music, jazz on Wednesdays and different DJ’s on weekends.

Kantabar

Carrera 5 No. 119- 55. It is a place for Karaoke and live concerts.

La Candelaria

It is the historical center of the city. A place full of bars and places to go dancing with a little more bohemian character. It is one of the best places to spend a night out in Bogota, also some bars you can find live music groups of any kind. Recommended places:

Quiebra Canto

located on Carrera 5 No. 17-76. One of the most popular places that are open from Monday to Saturday. The weekend is for salsa lovers, as they play the best salsa songs. During the week one can listen to other types of music like Rock in English and Reggae.

El Goce Pagano

very close to Quiebra Canto on Avenida Jiménez No. 00-06. At night all kinds of public attend to listen to Salsa and Reggae.
El Gato Gris

It is a bar restaurant located in the Chorro de Quevedo (Carrera Quinta calle 12ª).

It is a place for those who want to go to listen to live music with a little quiet.

The place is beautiful, of very good quality, but also a little expensive compared to other places.

Penthouse

Carrera Segunda No. 13ª- 40. It is a very well decorated place with elves and fairies where you can listen to Rock & Roll from the 60s, 70s and 80s.

Galleries

53rd street with 27th race. A place full of bars to dance many types of music, yet there are some of the best places specialized in cossover, mariachis and vallenato.

Nightlife in Avenida Primer de Mayo

Primero de Mayo with Boyacá Avenue. A street full of bars to go out and have a good night.

Alternative Places for parties in Bogota

La Trampa Vallenata

Carrera 7 No. 47- 61. In this place they play live music and if you make sure you listen to good vallenato.

Congo Reggae

Carrera 7 con Calle 49- 57.

This place is open from Thursday to Saturday from eight in the afternoon until three in the morning.

It is a good place to dance reggae with a very good atmosphere.

Dread

Carrera 7 with Calle 55-o5 floor 1.

It is a good place for reggae lovers, but you will also hear other styles such as dance hall or roots reggae.

Where to Buy Souvenirs in Bogota ?

First of all, here are some ideas of souvenirs to bring back from Bogota:

• Amerindian pottery
• handmade blankets
• Coffee
• Mochilas (bags)
• Ruanas (Colombian panchos)
• Scarves (bufandas)
• Leather and jewelry.

San Alejo Flea Market

You will find many items at the San Alejo Flea Market in downtown Bogota

• Adress : carrera 7 and street 24

The souvenir store of the botero museum also has original articles and beautiful old maps

Souvenir Stores in Calle 11

There are beautiful crafts as well as souvenir stores in all the street that goes up from the Bolivar square to the Botero museum

• Adresse: Cl. 11 #N 5-03, Bogotá, Cundinamarca

Large shopping malls such as 

• Atlantis Plaza
• Unicentro
• Andino
• Superley will also open their doors to you.

And of course you will find many stores in Bogota’s airport for last minute souvenirs

What should you pack for Bogota ?

If you are ready to leave on a trip to Bogotá and don’t know what to put in your suitcase, here are some tips so you don’t forget anything.

To travel to Bogota it is important to take warm clothes, because as we have explained in other sites of this website the climate is quite cold, anyway, we also recommend you to take some short sleeve shirt, in case the sun makes the temperature increase some day. It is also highly recommended to take an umbrella or a raincoat, the rains all over Colombia are frequent. Also, if you are not traveling to Bogota in the dry season, it is also important to take water boots, as the streets are easily flooded.

In addition to these more specific things we also recommend that you take a first aid kit with everything you need, although in Bogota you will find everything. Just as it is important to carry a good camera for those who love photography.

List of things to pack

Here we show you a list of possible things you need to do to travel to Bogotá. As we do not know the number of days your trip will last you must be the one who decides the number of things you will take with you. It is also good to know that if you go many days in Bogotá it is easy to find places that clean your clothes for an economic price and it does not take more than two days to return your clothes.

In the following list you will see some empty boxes, they are for you to fill with things that you will need more. Remember that you should always carry your money and documents with you and never ship them, so that they are not stolen, we recommend that you keep them in an interior anti-theft pocket.

• Long pants
• Long sleeve shirt
• Short sleeve t-shirt
• Shirts
• Sweaters
• Socks
• Underwear
• Jacket
• Shoes
• Slippers
• Swimwear
• Sunscreen
• Camera/Video
• Sunglasses
• Umbrella / Waterproof
• Toilet bag (here you can create another list with the things you will need)
• Small size flashlight (always useful)
• Passport and documentation
• Travel guide
• Shower slippers
• Plastic laundry bags
• Electricity adapter (in Colombia the electricity is 110Kv American type)
• Mobile / Laptop charger and what you will need
• Belts
• First Aid Kit
• Small backpack for excursions

Tips for preparing your suitcase

To prepare the suitcase it is important to choose a good suitcase.

For air travel we recommend using a hard suitcase, since this way you avoid getting your things broken at the airport.

Anyway, if you do not have a hard suitcase is recommended to wrap the backpack with the plastic of the airport, is the best way to ensure that you will not spoil anything.

It is also important that you take a handbag with a mode, because if by bad luck you lose your luggage at least you will have spare clothes for a day.

Once you have the bag ready it’s time to start filling it. If you prepare a list with everything you want to take is much more difficult to forget something important.

Bogota Wiki

Bogota is both the financial and administrative capital of Colombia.

Industrial, modern and developed, it is nevertheless home to remarkable old districts, such as the Candelaria.

Number of Inhabitants

The city of Bogotá has a population of approximately 7 743 955  (2018 estimate)

Bogotá is the capital of Colombia with an extension of 33Km from south to north and 16 from east to west

Bogota is located in the department of Cundiamaraca located in the Eastern Cordillera of the Andes this explains why it is the third highest capital in the world, as it is about 2,625 meters above sea level

History of Bogota

Bogotá was officially founded in 1538, by the conqueror Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada.

At that time, the city was called Santa Fe de Bogota and was under the viceroyalty of Peru, attached to the Spanish crown.

It obtained its independence in 1819.

From 1948 to 1960, Colombia was the scene of a civil war, followed by a period of guerrilla war (armed conflict in Colombia).

Bogotá develops all the same during and especially after the civil war, enriching itself with new districts.

From 1995 onwards, it undergoes many changes with the construction of new infrastructures, the creation of bicycle paths, the new TransMilenio bus network, as well as the development of social programmes and new laws aimed at making the city friendly and pleasant.

Geography

Located in central Colombia, north of the Andes, Bogotá is built on a plateau at 2640 m above sea level.

It is crossed by several rivers joining the Rio Bogota, which gives rise to a magnificent 132 m waterfall (Salto del Tequendama).

Bogota Travel FAQ