By air
El Dorado International (BOG), ~15 km
South America · Colombia
Bogotá, Colombia
A high-altitude capital of gold and graffiti
Getting there
Best time to visit
December to March — the driest months
Don't miss
The Gold Museum
Monserrate
La Candelaria
The Botero Museum
Things to do
The Gold Museum
Monserrate by cable car
La Candelaria's street art
The Sunday Ciclovía
Where to eat
What to pack
Layers and a rain jacket (it is cool at 2,600 m)
A quieter corner
The Usaquén Sunday flea market
Questions travellers ask
When is the driest time to visit Bogotá?
December to March, the driest months. Pack layers and a rain jacket — it's cool at 2,600 m.
How far is Bogotá's airport from the city?
El Dorado International (BOG) is about 15 km away.
What are the top things to do in Bogotá?
The Gold Museum, Monserrate by cable car, La Candelaria's street art and the Botero Museum. On a Sunday, ride the Ciclovía or browse the Usaquén flea market.
Which dishes should I try in Bogotá?
Ajiaco soup, and hot chocolate with cheese.
About Bogotá
- Mountains
Where it is
Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, lies on a high plateau, the Sabana de Bogotá, at an average of about 2,640 m in the Eastern Cordillera of the Andes, with the peaks of Monserrate and Guadalupe rising directly above its old centre.
History
The name comes from Bacatá, a settlement of the Muisca, who farmed the plateau, and the conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada founded the city on 6 August 1538. It became the capital of the Viceroyalty of New Granada in the 18th century and, after the Battle of Boyacá in 1819, of independent Gran Colombia and later Colombia; its colonial core survives in La Candelaria.
People
Bogotanos, informally called rolos or cachacos, speak a clear, formal Spanish, often using usted even with friends, and the city draws people from every region of Colombia. Ajiaco, a chicken and potato soup, and hot chocolate with cheese are classic foods, and every Sunday the Ciclovía closes main roads to cars for cyclists and walkers.
Known for
- The Gold Museum
- La Candelaria's colonial streets
- Monserrate by cable car or funicular
- The Sunday Ciclovía
- Ajiaco soup and hot chocolate with cheese
Did you know?
The Gold Museum holds one of the world's largest collections of pre-Hispanic goldwork, including the Muisca raft, found in 1969, which depicts the ceremony behind the legend of El Dorado.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.