Bogotá

No reviews yetCity Bogota D.C., Colombia

Bogotá, antigua Gobernación de Cundinamarca, Bogotá, Bogota D.C., Colombia

Bogotá Parque de la 93, Bogotá, Bogota D.C., Colombia

Biblioteca Virgilio Barco Bogotá Colombia, Bogotá, Bogota D.C., Colombia

About Bogotá

At about 2,600 metres above sea level on a high Andean plateau, Bogotá is one of the loftiest capitals in the world, a city of brick towers and cool, changeable weather watched over by the green peaks of Monserrate and Guadalupe. Days can bring sunshine, drizzle and a chill in the evening, so locals carry a jacket all year.

The Spanish founded the city in 1538 on land of the Muisca people, and the colonial core of La Candelaria still has cobbled streets, balconied houses, gilded churches and the grand Plaza de Bolívar. Here too are the city's most celebrated museums: the Museo del Oro with its dazzling pre-Hispanic goldwork and the Museo Botero with Fernando Botero's rounded figures.

Modern Bogotá stretches north through leafy neighbourhoods, restaurant districts and the old village of Usaquén with its Sunday market. On Sundays and holidays, the Ciclovía closes major roads to cars for cyclists and walkers. Try ajiaco, a hearty chicken and potato soup, and the exotic fruits at Paloquemao Market.

Best seasonDecember-March and July-August, the drier periods

Ideal stay3-4 days

ArrivingEl Dorado International Airport, about 15 km west of the centre

Top 12 Experiences in Bogotá

Viewpoints 1

Monserrate

Rising above the eastern edge of the city to more than 3,100 metres, this mountain is crowned by a white 17th-century sanctuary an...

Museums 3

Museo del Oro

The Gold Museum of the Banco de la República holds one of the world's largest collections of pre-Hispanic goldwork, with tens of t...

Museo Botero

Fernando Botero donated a large group of his own paintings and sculptures to the city along with works from his personal collectio...

Quinta de Bolívar

This elegant colonial country house at the foot of Monserrate was given to Simón Bolívar after independence and is now a museum de...

Neighborhoods 2

La Candelaria

The oldest part of Bogotá is a grid of steep, cobbled streets lined with colonial houses painted in bright colours, wooden balconi...

Usaquén

Once a separate town, Usaquén in the north of the city keeps a leafy central square, a white colonial church and low houses now fi...

Landmarks 1

Plaza de Bolívar

Bogotá's main square is surrounded by the neoclassical Primary Cathedral, the colonnaded Capitolio Nacional, the Palace of Justice...

Sacred Sites 1

Iglesia de San Francisco Bogota

Built in the second half of the 16th century, this is one of the oldest surviving churches in the city, and its plain exterior on...

Entertainment 1

Teatro Colón Bogota

Opened in the late 19th century and designed by an Italian architect, Colombia's national theatre has a richly decorated horseshoe...

Parks 2

Parque Simón Bolívar

One of the largest urban parks in Bogotá, this expanse of lawns, trees, a lake and sports facilities is where many residents spend...

Jardín Botánico de Bogota

Named after the botanist José Celestino Mutis, this botanical garden showcases the plants of Colombia's ecosystems, with special a...

Food and Drink 1

Paloquemao Market

Bogotá's best-known food market is a busy hall piled high with fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and herbs from across the country. It...

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Photo credits

Photo: Felipe Restrepo Acosta, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Felipe Restrepo Acosta, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Felipe Restrepo Acosta, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Mario Carvajal, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Felipe Restrepo Acosta, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Felipe Restrepo Acosta, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Bernard Gagnon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Felipe Restrepo Acosta, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Pedro Szekely from Los Angeles, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: Felipe Restrepo Acosta, derivative work Lämpel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Pedro Szekely from Los Angeles, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: Peter Angritt, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Felipe Restrepo Acosta, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

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Photo: Felipe Restrepo Acosta, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

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Photo: Felipe Restrepo Acosta, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

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Photo: Felipe Restrepo Acosta, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

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Photo: Felipe Restrpo Acosta, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Felipe Restrepo Acosta, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

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Photo: Pedro Szekely from Los Angeles, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

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Photo: Racso (Oscar Fernando Gómez), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

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Photo: Felipe Restrepo Acosta, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Felipe Restrepo Acosta, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

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Photo: Felipe Restrepo Acosta, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

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