Things to Do in Bogota, Colombia

The Colombian capital of Bogota, situated between the Monserrate and Guadalupe mountains, is one of the world’s highest capital cities. Bogota is known for its cooler temperatures, vibrant street art, fantastic museums, colonial architecture mixed with modern high-rise buildings, plenty of green spaces and a brilliant food scene. The list of things to do in Bogota is endless and you could easily fill up your days there with lots of different activities.

In this guide we’ll list some of the places you might want to add to your own itinerary. This includes Bogota’s buzzing historic centre, a must-visit viewpoint, the best markets, a botanical garden and a fantastic day-trip option.

If you’d like to see what we got up to in the capital of Colombia, then make sure to watch our dedicated Bogota video on our YouTube channel. For more Colombia videos check out our Colombia Series.

Introducing Bogota, Colombia

The sprawling city of Bogotá, Distrito Capital (Bogotá, D.C.) is located in the center of Colombia, on a high plateau known as the Bogotá savanna. Situated at around 2,640 meters (8,660 ft) above sea level, it’s considered one of the world’s highest capital cities along with La Paz, Bolivia and Quito, Ecuador.

Before the Spanish arrived, the area was inhabited by the Muisca people and their city was called Bacatá. In 1538, a new city was founded by Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, who named it Santa Fé de Bacatá. Later, in 1550, it became the capital of the viceroyalty of New Granada up until 1819. In 1810, the people of the city started to revolt against Spanish rule, but had to continue to contend with Spanish military loyalists until 1819. This was when Simón Bolívar took the city after his victory at the Battle of Boyacá.

In 1821 Bogota was made capital of Gran Colombia, which was a self-proclaimed state that incorporated modern day Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela and Panama between 1819 and 1830. After this state dissolved, the city stayed the capital of New Granada, which later became the Republic of Colombia. In 2000, the capital’s name was officially changed from ‘Santa Fé de Bogotá’ to ‘Bogotá’. 

Over the past few centuries, Bogota has evolved into one of the most vibrant Latin American cities. It’s the largest city in Colombia and also the fourth most populous city in South America.

Things to Do in Bogota, Colombia

Walk Around La Candelaria, Bogota’s Historic Centre

La Candelaria in Bogota is the number one neighbourhood you should visit during your stay in the Colombian capital. It is basically the historic centre of Bogota. With all the modern high-rise buildings as a backdrop, this area of the city is instead filled with colonial houses, narrow cobblestone streets and an abundance of street art. It definitely doesn’t feel like you’re in the fourth largest city on the continent here.

La Candelaria is filled with attractions, from interesting museums to colourful street art and lively plazas. You can easily spend a full day or more wandering around this neighbourhood. Start your day at Plaza de Bolívar, Bogotá’s main square. It’s home to some of Bogota’s most important buildings.

There are also a few interesting museums you should add to your itinerary such as the Gold Museum (Museo del Oro), the Botero Museum (Museo Botero) or the International Emerald Museum. A visit to La Candelaria wouldn’t be complete without seeing the extensive street art and murals which have helped put Bogota on the list of best street art cities in the world.

Appreciate the Scale of Bogota from Cerro de Monserrate

Possibly the most popular thing to do in Bogota is to visit Cerro de Monserrate. Located at 3,152 m (10,341 ft) above sea level, this hill provides the perfect viewpoint of the city.

In 1640, a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Morena de Montserrat was built on the hill, before a monastery was added in 1657. Even the Muisca people considered the hill sacred and, after the Spanish conquest, Monserrate became a destination for pilgrims. Today, you’ll also find some restaurants, cafes and a small market catered for tourists at the top.

Many people come up Cerro de Monserrate. Some of them climb up for religious reasons, and some run up as part of their fitness training. However, the majority of visitors arrive here for the fantastic views they can get over the Colombian capital. If you’re here for the views too, then try to time your visit for just before sunset. This way, you can appreciate the views in daylight and experience an incredible sunset. If you stay long enough, you can see the city lights at night too.

Make sure to wrap up warm if you’re planning on staying for a while. It’s cold enough down in the city, so once you get above 3,000 m (10,000 ft) it’ll be even cooler.

There are a few ways you can reach the viewpoint. You can hike, take a cable car or ride a funicular.

How to Visit Cerro de Monserrate in Bogotá?

If you’d like to hike up, bear in mind that the trail is about 2.5 km long and all uphill. We recommend spending at least one full day in Bogota to acclimatise first, since you’ll be hiking up to 3,152 m (10,341 ft); an additional 500 m (1,640 ft) of elevation from the city centre.

You will also have to do the hike in the morning, as the trail is only open between 5AM and 1PM. They won’t let you on the trail later in the day for safety reasons. So, if you want to visit at sunset, then you’ll either have to go up twice or just use one of the other methods.

Most visitors go up with either the cable car or the funicular. You can reach the station on foot from La Candelaria. It’s worth highlighting that both methods have slightly different operation times as follows:

• Funicular: Operates Monday to Friday between 6:30AM and 11:45AM. On Saturdays, it’s open between 6:30AM and 4PM and on Sundays from 5:30AM to 5:30PM.
• Cable Car (Teleferico): Operates Monday to Saturday between 12PM and 11:30PM. On Sundays it’s open between 10:30AM and 4:30PM.

Luckily, the cost of both methods is the same. A one-way ride is 16,000 COP ($4 USD) and a roundtrip journey is 27,000 COP ($7 USD) from Monday to Saturday. On Sundays there’s a discount for visitors, with a one-way trip costing only 9,000 COP ($2.25 USD) and a roundtrip journey costing 16,000 COP ($4 USD).

As always, you can also join a tour if you don’t want to go on your own and prefer meeting with new people, or if you just don’t have much time to plan everything out by yourself. You can check out this dedicated Monserrate Tour or this tour that also includes La Candelaria.

Enjoy the Botanical Garden of Bogota

As people who always prefer being close to nature when possible, visiting botanical gardens during city breaks has become somewhat of a tradition for us over the years. Getting away from the city’s hustle and bustle for a while is very refreshing after spending hours navigating people, traffic and attractions.

If you’re also craving some greenery, then definitely head to Bogota’s Botanical Garden (Jardín Botánico de Bogotá José Celestino Mutis). It’s located north-west of La Candelaria, right next to the Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park. The garden was founded in 1955 by Dr. Enrique Pérez Arbeláez, a Colombian botanist and priest. He named the garden after José Celestino Mutis, a Spanish botanist, mathematician and priest.

The best part of the Botanic Garden is the Tropicario, a huge greenhouse that was built only recently. There are now six huge glass structures which were developed in response to the deterioration of the wetlands and other ecosystems in the area. Each glass structure houses a different biome, such as Humid Forest, Dry Forest and Superpáramo or serves a specific function like promoting Special Collections, Useful Plants and Biodiversity.

How to Visit the Botanical Garden of Bogotá?

How to get to the Botanical Garden in Bogotá. The fastest and most affordable way to get there is by bus. You can use the TransMilenio, which is Bogotá’s bus rapid transit system (BRT). First, you’ll need to purchase a bus card (7,000 COP / $1.75 USD) and then you can top that up with enough credit to cover your bus rides across the city. A one-way journey is normally 2,950 COP / $0.75 USD.

Opening Hours: The Botanical Garden is open every day, between 8AM and 5PM on weekdays and 9AM to 5PM on weekends. It’s closed on Monday’s for maintenance.

Entry Fee: 7,000 COP ($1.80 USD) for the main grounds and 20,000 COP ($5 USD) for the Tropicario. A combo ticket is 25,000 COP ($6.20 USD). In our opinion, it’s totally worth paying the extra for the greenhouse!

Find Your Next Souvenir at Usaquén Market

If you’re a regular reader, then you’ll know by now that another one of our favourite activities in a city is to visit its markets.

One of the most popular markets in Bogota takes place every Sunday in the Usaquén neighbourhood of the city. Here you can buy quality handicrafts such as clothes, bags, shoes, and jewellery. The area is also filled with street-food vendors, so you can try some fun, local sweet and savoury favourites such as arepas, empanadas or obleas.

Make sure to bring enough cash with you if you intend to buy something. Even if you’re not, we bet you’ll spot something you won’t be able to leave behind; even if your suitcase is already bursting!

How to Visit Usaquén Market in Bogota?

The market is open every Sunday between around 10AM and 5PM. We recommend getting there just before lunchtime to allow for a few hours of browsing time.

If you’re coming from the La Candelaria neighbourhood, the most affordable way to get to the market is by local bus. Walk to this bus stop at Carrera 10 / Calle 9 and hop onto either the T13 or T25. This bus will travel up this road before joining Carrera 7. You can get off around this bus stop.

As mentioned before, you would need to purchase a bus card (7,000 COP / $1.75 USD) and then top that up with enough credit to cover your bus rides across the city. A one-way journey is normally 2,950 COP / $0.75 USD.

Alternatively, you can also get a taxi to Usaquén from La Candelaria, but of course it’ll cost you a fair bit more.

Take a Day Trip to the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira

Another top thing to do in Bogota is to take a day trip to the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira (Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá). Located in the small town of Zipaquira, about 55km to the north of La Candelaria in Bogotá, a visit here is definitely more of a day trip than a quick activity.

As the name suggests, the Salt Cathedral is a church built inside the shafts of an abandoned salt mine nearly 200 m underground. In case you’re wondering why there is a Cathedral built inside a salt mine, well, the answer is very simple. Working in the mines is a dangerous job, so miners carved out a sanctuary which they used for their daily prayers before starting their shifts.

The first Salt Cathedral was constructed in the early 1950’s. Due to safety reasons it was closed, and then the one you can see today was built in 1995. Today, it’s both a tourist destination and a place of pilgrimage, just like Monserrate.

How to Visit the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira from Bogota?

There are a few ways to get to the Salt Cathedral from Bogota. The most affordable one is to take a local bus to Zipaquira and walk to the cathedral from the town. You can also book a taxi, but this is going to be quite pricey because of the distance. Lastly, you can join an organised tour from Bogota. You can book this dedicated Salt Cathedral tour or one that also includes a visit to Guatavita Lagoon.

Opening Times: Every day from 9AM to 5:30PM.

Entry Fee: the basic entry fee is 98,000 COP ($25 USD) which includes an audio guide. The guide is very useful in explaining the history of the place. This entry fee also includes a fun ‘train’ ride out of the cathedral, WI-FI and a short movie about the mine’s history. You can also buy two more packages that include entries to additional museums and a city tour.

Where to Stay in Bogota

Bogota is a huge city, so there will naturally be districts where it’s not recommended for visitors to stay.

If you’re short on time and want to be close to the main attractions, then the La Candelaria neighbourhood is a great place to base yourself. There are plenty of hotels and hostels in this area for all budgets and needs. La Candelaria is also filled with cafes, bars and restaurants, and is a generally walkable district. Below are some places you can check out:

• Selina La Candelaria
• Arche Noah Boutique Hostel
• Candelaria House Boutique
• Botanico Hostel

Located in the north east of Bogota, Chapinero is a trendy and bohemian neighbourhood. Although you won’t find many attractions here, it’s a good base for those who’re in the city for a bit longer, or those who just want to stay away from the main touristy areas. It also has a great LGBTQ+ community, trendy cafes, restaurants and markets. Find accommodation in Chapinero here.

You can also consider La Zona Rosa which is known for its nightlife, the financial district for any business-related travel, or Teusaquillo which has a lot of green spaces.

Where to Eat in Bogota?

There are plenty of places to eat in Bogota and you definitely won’t get hungry as you’re exploring the city. Below are some of the favourite spots we ate at during our stay:

• Quinua y Amaranto is a small restaurant serving great vegetarian and vegan food. Definitely come here to get a lunch menu.
• Nativa Arte y Comida Natural is a vegan restaurant that also offers some nice lunch deals.
• Mercy Vegan Food is another small vegan restaurant with very friendly staff.
• Usaquen Market is filled with street food vendors as well as sit-in restaurants and cafes. The options here are endless.
• Vegoto Fast Food is another great vegan restaurant in Chapinero serving filling lunches.
• Juan Valdez Cafe is basically the Starbucks of Colombia. Whilst it’s a chain, we definitely enjoyed popping in here for a quick coffee and some pastries.

Do you want to learn more about Colombian cuisine? Then make sure to book a street food tour to have a fantastic gastronomic experience.

Final Thoughts on Things to Do in Bogota, Colombia

Whilst some people don’t spend too long in the Colombian capital before heading to other popular places such as Medellin and Cartagena, we have no regrets about spending a couple of extra days in Bogota. We absolutely loved its historic centre and were blown away by the views from the top of Monserrate. Spending longer in the city also allowed us to visit places that were located a bit further from the main tourist hotspots. It was relaxing to walk around the botanical garden but we also enjoyed browsing the stalls at Usaquén Market.

Have you ever been to the Colombian capital? If so, what was your favourite thing to do there? If not, what activities would you add to your Bogota itinerary? Let us know in the comments below.