POST UPDATE
Bogotá, Colombia is a high-Andes gem.
We’ve now made three visits to Bogotá over our seven years as Colombia expats – and each time we go, we fall in love with this vibrant city all over again. In this updated post (from the original 2022 version), here are our favorite things (so far!) about Bogotá, Colombia’s colorful, chaotic, and captivating capital.
Bogotá is a sprawling city of more than 10 million souls, making it the third largest in South America. At 2,600 meters/8,600 feet, it’s also the world’s third highest capital – behind Quito, Ecuador and La Paz, Bolivia.
If Medellín is the “city of eternal spring,” Bogotá could be called the “city of eternal fall.” Year-round temps are much cooler and rain is abundant. Full-sun days are relatively rare (although we’ve always gotten lucky and had beautiful weather).
Bogotá is an important South American center for higher education, with 76 universities and a large student population giving the city a youthful, energetic feel.
Colombia’s history runs deep in Bogotá. Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the Muisca people built a vast civilization that included the large highland plateau upon which present-day Bogotá is situated. In 1528 the city was founded by Spanish conquistadores as the New Kingdom of Granada. In 1819 after Simón Bolívar’s decisive victory against the Spanish (the fabled Battle of Boyacá), Bogotá became the capital of the independent nation of Gran Colombia.
Simón Bolívar’s footprints are all over Bogotá. So who was Bolívar, you ask? In short, he was El Libertador – The Liberator, who lead the military effort to free a large swath of South America from Spanish rule. He is South America’s George Washington, one of this continent’s biggest heroes.
BIKE EXPLORATIONS
One of our favorite things to do when we arrive in a new city is to take a walking tour or bike tour – it’s a great way to get the lay of the land. Exploring by bike is especially easy in Bogotá, a city with more than 600 kilometers of dedicated cycling lanes. Many of those run through the middle of major roads and through the city’s largest parks. On Sundays, just as in Medellín, the city of Bogotá stages a ciclovia by closing major thoroughfares to motor traffic, giving cyclists, skaters, runners, and walkers a fun day out.
On one of our Bogotá visits, we joined a group with Bogotá Bike Tours. Our guide, David, is not only knowledgeable and passionate about his city, but he’s also a talented street artist (@dirt_sucio). That meant his tour was well-seasoned with murals and information about Bogotá’s renowned art scene. Davíd also did not hold back about the city’s violent past and often-bloody political struggles, a history that all should know to truly appreciate today’s Colombia.
Over the six-hour tour, we covered more than 16km and learned far more than we could have, walking on our own. The tour included stops at a local market, a coffee roaster, and the studio of a famous street artist, ending up with cold beers and a quick round of tejo, Colombia’s most traditional game.
THE VIBRANT STREET ART SCENE
Bogotá is world-renowned for its street art, and many Bogotano artists are internationally acclaimed. You don’t have to walk far, especially in La Candelaria district, to find fabulous murals communicating stories, myths, and political messages. In particular, the artists’ beautiful renderings of indigenous people reflect the soul of Colombia.
On our first visit to Bogota in 2017, we did a street art tour through Bogotá Graffiti Tours. We can’t recommend the tour enough and we’re pleased to see that the outfit is still around and thriving. (Here’s our post from that 2017 tour.) On subsequent Bogotá visits, we’ve been happy to see that many of the previous murals are still there, or painted over with equally beautiful work.
THE HISTORIC HEART: LA CANDELARIA AND PLAZA DE BOLÍVAR
La Candelaria is Bogotá’s central historic district, and its beautifully preserved colonial buildings and cobblestoned streets evoke another era. La Candelaria is anchored by the Plaza de Bolívar, Bogotá’s main square and Colombia’s seat of government. Here you’ll find monumental buildings, including the National Capitol, Palace of Justice, and the Primate Cathedral of Bogotá. A block behind the National Capitol is Casa Nariño, the palace of the Colombian president.
THE SUMMIT OF MONSERRATE
Looming over Bogotá at more than 3,000 meters or 10,000 feet, Cerro de Monserrate was sacred to the Muisca indigenous people well before the Spanish Catholics showed up in the 17th century and made it a shrine. Perched atop the mountain is the church of El Señor Caído (The Fallen Lord), built in the 1920s. Monserrate and its gleaming church can be spotted from virtually any vantage point in central Bogotá.
While Monserrate gets its share of religious pilgrims, the views are what draw hordes of tourists on a sunny day. The vistas are truly spectacular and really give a sense of Bogotá’s vastness. And if you’re really lucky and score a cloudless day, you might catch a glimpse of the snow-crowned volcanic mountains of the Andes in the distance.
There are three ways to summit Monserrate: by funicular, by cable car, or by walking the pilgrims’ way up on a steep, 2-mile trail. We chose the funicular, a rail car that is pulled up the mountainside by cables. The funicular runs from 6:30 am to 11:45 pm, but the cable car doesn’t start running until noon. We popped out of bed early on our first sunny morning and walked on to the funicular at 8:30 with no lines; by the time we came back down a couple of hours later, there was a long queue. It pays to go early on a weekday! There are cafes and restaurants at the top, but the church was closed the day we were there.
THE GOLD MUSEUM
Did you know Colombia has the world’s largest collection of pre-Hispanic gold? A huge portion of it is on display in Bogotá’s spectacular Museo de Oro.
The Gold Museum is caretaker of more than 55,000 priceless archaeological and artistic treasures from each of Colombia’s many pre-Colombian indigenous groups. But it’s much more than a collection of gold items: The Gold Museum charts the history of an incredibly rich and vibrant culture that existed before Europeans set foot in the Americas, stressing the importance of goldcraft in the daily lives of these ancient ones. Here’s an interesting article about one of the most famous gold pieces in the collection, a ceremonial raft made by the Muisca people.
Billed as one of Colombia’s top tourist attractions, the museum receives over 500,000 visitors each year. It’s such a special place that it was ranked by National Geographic in 2018 as one of the world’s best museums.
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM
The National Museum is Colombia’s biggest and is also one of the oldest museums in South America, housed in the Panóptico prison built in 1823. This fortress-like building operated as a prison right up until 1946, and many of the galleries inside are former prison cells. Today, the Museo Nacional holds a vast collection of archeological artifacts, items from Colombia’s colonial era, and modern art. We stumbled on this fantastic museum one day while walking the closed streets of the Sunday ciclovia.
THE BOTERO MUSEUM
If you love the art of Fernando Botero as much as we do, the Museo Botero is a must-visit. One of Colombia’s most famous artists, Botero was known for his rotund characters and whimsical take on Colombian politics and society. Botero’s work is displayed all over the world, but the Bogotá museum is the only one featuring art from his private collection – including works by Dali, Monet, Picasso, and many others. The museum is housed in a former colonial mansion, itself a gorgeous building. And best of all? Admission is FREE!
MUSEO QUINTA DE BOLÍVAR
Off and on from 1826 to about 1839, Simón Bolívar and his lover, Manuelita Saenz, occupied a placid country house on the edge of La Candelaria. Today, the Quinta de Bolívar is an interesting museum covering Bolívar’s life and times and surrounded by beautiful gardens, preserved in the colonial style.
MUSEO IGLESIA DE SANTA CLARA
In a city filled with 17th- and 18th-century buildings, this one looks completely unassuming from the outside. But the glory that awaits you inside is almost beyond description! Built in 1647, the Museo was once the Royal Convent of Santa Clara. Today it houses a priceless collection of art from the last four centuries, and it’s a venue for exhibitions by some of Colombia’s most innovative artists. But the art that really caught our eye is the exquisite decoration on the walls and ceilings. Photos truly don’t do this place justice.
MUSEO ARCHEALOGICO CASA DEL MARQUÉS DE SAN JORGE
This small but very interesting museum, known as MUSA, occupies the former mansion of the Marquis of San Jorge, built in the late 17th century. MUSA houses the largest and most diverse collection of pre-Columbian ceramic pieces in the country, representing the main indigenous cultures that once inhabited Colombia. The house itself is considered one of the best-preserved colonial homes in Bogotá, and much of its original wall decoration and architectural features have been painstakingly restored.
THE PRESIDENT’S PALACE: CASA NARIÑO
Casa Nariño, the White House of Colombia, is the president’s sprawling official residence – located in the block just west of the National Capitol and Parque del Bolivar. Visiting Casa Nariño takes a bit of effort, but it’s vale la pena (worth it). We lucked out and were assigned an English-speaking tour guide, a nice young military cadet who was excited to practice his English with us. The tour took about an hour; no phones were allowed until the end, when we got to pose with Bolívar’s most famous sword.
To visit Casa Nariño, you must register and make an appointment in advance on the Casa Nariño website at least three to four weeks before your intended visit. Of course security is very tight; we went through four checkpoints to get in. And make sure you read the fine print – no bags or backpacks are allowed inside and there are no lockers for storing them. That’s a detail we somehow missed, but the very kind policewoman at the entrance bent over backward to find a secure place for us to store our bags. Gotta love Colombians!
SANTUARIO NUESTRA SEÑORA DEL CARMEN
On previous trips, we had walked by this intriguing candy-striped church, but had never had the chance to visit it. We were determined to see the inside on our last visit earlier this year, but it took three tries! The visiting hours are very inconsistent, but when we happened by on a weekday after 2 p.m., the Santuario was finally open. And it was well worth the wait!
Compared to other monumental Catholic churches in Bogotá, many of which date to colonial times, the Santuario is modern. Designed by the Salesian architect Giovanni Buscaglione in the Florentine Gothic style, the church was consecrated in 1938 and underwent an extensive renovation in the 1980s. The striped pattern is a distinct feature of Florentine Gothic architecture, with the red and white paying homage to the colors of the Carmelite order. It’s a glorious and striking house of worship.
TEATRO COLON
Named for Christopher Colombus, the Teatro Colon is Colombia’s national theatre and one of the country’s most iconic cultural landmarks. Designed in the neoclassical style by famed Italian architect Pietro Cantini, the theatre was inaugurated in 1892 to mark the fourth centenary of Colombus’ arrival in the New World. Docent-led tours are given throughout the day on weekdays.
OTHER BOGOTÁ TIPS
Getting There and Getting Around
Bogotá’s El Dorado international airport serves all of the world’s major airlines, including many direct flights from the United States. If you’re traveling in-country, we highly recommend flying with one of the many short-haul domestic airlines. They’re super-cheap and more reliable than traveling by bus.
Unlike Medellín, Bogotá is behind the eight ball on public transportation. That’s changing, with big progress now being made on a citywide light rail system – but for now, Bogotanos have only the Transmilenio bus system. Uber is an extremely reliable alternative; we’ve never had to wait more than 10 minutes for a car to show up. Be aware that traffic in Bogotá is brutal, especially during rush hour, so give yourself plenty of time to get from point A to point B. In fact, Uber charges higher rates from 4:30 – 7:30 and you might wait longer for a car.
Lodging
We just completed our second stay at 93 Luxury Suites Hotel, just a block from Parque 93 in Bogotá’s trendy Chico barrio. For not much more than we would have paid for a simple hotel room in the neighborhood, we had a roomy one-bedroom apartment with full kitchen. Not only is the location ideal, but the friendly staff will go out of their way to make your stay perfect. Some of them even remembered us from our first visit in 2022!
Food and Drink
Parque 93 is surrounded with great eateries, and we have two mainstays: KO Asian Kitchen and Bagatelle, a yummy bakery/breakfast spot. Another good Asian restaurant on the parque is Wok (a chain with locations all over Bogotá). Nearby Parque 93 is Storia d’Amore, a special-occasion Italian restaurant. For pizza, try La Madonna in Chico and Madre in La Candelaria. Both are great!
We hope you enjoyed this tour of Bogotá!
27 Comments
Now you’re making me pine away even more for Colombia, imbued with sensibilities, humor, and civility — a 180 from barbarous Mexico.
You’ll just have to make a visit back! We’d love to meet you. 🙂
Once again, we are gifted by the marvelous photos and informative prose of John and Susan, this one reveals the magical attractions of Bogotá and environs. Many thanks!
Thank YOU, Larry! 🙂
Great blog post! It brings back so many wonderful memories of my time living in Colombia. I absolutely loved Bogotá! The museums were great, La Candelaria was was beautiful with it’s colonial charm, and it was just an amazing, vibrant city. I’ve been to all of these places and they were just as incredible back in 1989 as I imagine they are now. One difference is that the Catedral de Sal has been substantially upgraded for tourism. Back then it was much more raw mine shafts to get to the actual cathedral area and the lighting was much less. There was not a psychadelic lit up tunnel at the entrance, lol.
As a 22 year old at the time, my friends and I decided to hike up the trail to Monseratte. We were so tired from that hike up that we took the funicular back down. But that was one of the coolest hikes of my life with the most incredible views at every turn on the switchback trail. And even back then, they closed many streets on Sundays (in cities across the country) for family time out with the kids on their bikes, for joggers, bikers, community fitness events, etc. It was beautiful to see so many people out in the streets celebrating family time, community and living life to its fullest despite such harrowing times. We should do that here in the USA! And during my time there I enjoyed so many games of tejo accompanied by cerveza, empanads y mis queridos amigos. Oh the memories…
But 1989 was also a tragic and violent time for Colombia and for Bogotá in particular. The drug wars and insurgencies were at their height. I was uncomfortably close to danger and car bombs a few times, but you learned to be careful and vigilant and go on with life. Hopefully such violence will never return to this beautiful country and its wonderful people.
Thank you for stirring up these wonderful memories!
Oh goodness, thank you so much for your lovely comment! And it’s so great that you have such wonderful memories of Bogotá, even during the worst of times. I think that says a lot about the resilience of the Colombian people – even when the awful cartel violence was at its worst, they still knew how to show a 22-year-old “extranjero” a wonderful time! Interesting that they had the ciclovia even then.
I recall that they didn’t complete the current Salt Cathedral until the 1990s, so touring it must have been quite a different experience. More rustic and more of an adventure, for sure.
I don’t believe Colombians will ever allow things to return to those awful days of the 1980s and 1990s. They have worked too hard to rebuild and overcome, and Colombia today is a real player on the world stage in so many key areas. Of course there are still problems with the cartels and paramilitaries, but the new presidente is serious about finally executing on the peace accord. People here are, for the most part, hopeful and optimistic.
Thanks again for reading and commenting!
Such a wonderful tour of Bogata! Thanks so much for sharing this with us as we probably won’t ever get to visit there. Happy, safe travels.
You are so welcome, and thank you for reading! Have a lovely day. 🙂
Thank you for this amazing, helpful, and informative guide to Bogota. We just learned that one of our friends’ dad lives in Bogota during the winter with his Colombian wife, so I have a sneaking suspicion we will spent a bit of time around there, as he is keen to meet us. Your post will come in handy then. The city looks and sounds super attractive – and affordable.
You’re so welcome, Liesbet! It’s great you have someone to visit in Bogotá; it’s always nice to have a local show you around. I’m sure you’ll see off-the-beaten path places we don’t know about (you’ll have to share!). Bogotá and Colombia ARE super-affordable – it’s one of the things we love about life here. Keep us posted on your plans!
We will. Soon! Enjoy Brazil!!
You’re selling it very well, guys – as you often do. There are some South American destinations which are racing up our list now that we’re travelling “properly” again. Getting closer…
We look forward to your posts and your impressions of Bogotá and Colombia, if you make it here. And please do look us up if you come to Medellín!
Great post filled with good advice and inviting photos. Wow, you guys did luck out with the sunny weather!
Thanks, Henry! It just took sunshine through the window for us to say – let’s get up to Monserrate! Glad we jumped at it when we did. Hope you’re well – wish we could see you again!
– Susan
We will definitely have to make it back to Bogota. There was a nation wide strike, can’t remember the cause, but everything was closed and the police even rushed us out of Candaleria. We really only had an afternoon. Your post gives so many more great suggestions gor next time. Maggie
Oh goodness, what a story! Was that the national strike of a year or so ago? Sorry you only had an afternoon, but we hope you can come back someday and spend more time. It really is an extraordinary city!
It was November before Covid, so 2019. I know, there are so many it’s hard to keep track 😊
Wow! Will you have wonderful things to revisit on your computer when you get to be my age! Save them all.
Once again, thanks for letting me tag along. Cheers, Muriel
Thank YOU for reading and commenting, Muriel! Hope all is well with you. 🙂
Great photos! I absolutely love South America’s street art, regardless of the country, it’s all amazing and very political.
Bogotá looks like a beautiful city to visit. It’s been on my list for a while, though much harder to get to now that I’m living in Hong Kong! Love all the colorful street art and that view from the summit of Monserrate.
The murals are so colourful – it just do something for a city (in a positive way)! Actually, after looking at all your lovely photos, Bogotá seems like a colourful city!
How fun to have a street art tour and visit a street artist’s studio. It looks like such a colorful, vibrant city.
“Vibrant” is a great word to describe Bogotá. Thanks for reading!
It looks wonderful!
Thanks, Hannah!