15 Things to See in Bogotá, Colombia (Full Guide!)
Last Updated on January 18, 2024 by Kelly
Bogotá, Colombia, is known for its colorful street murals, exquisite coffee, and rich history. If you are wondering how to spend a day in Bogotá, this post is for you! We spent a 15-hour layover in Bogotá. Even though we had just one day in Bogotá, we were able to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time. In this post, we’re sharing 15 things to see while in Bogotá. In our full guide, we’ll also be sharing recommendations for lodging and food based on our firsthand experiences.
15 Things to Do in Bogotá
1. Try the Coffee
Colombia is famous for its coffee. And because we are from Seattle, another famous coffee city, we couldn’t wait to try the coffee in Colombia. It didn’t disappoint! The coffee was smooth, delicious, and strong. Coffee was just what we needed to power through our layover in Bogotá.
If you’re a big coffee fan, you might want to consider a coffee tour while you’re in the city. Your guide will take you to the best coffee shops and teach you all about Colombian coffee.
Some cafes in Bogotá you might want to consider trying out include: Varietale, Arte y Pasión Café, and Juan Valdez Orígenes.
We had our first cup of coffee at our hotel, and I have to say, it was absolutely delicious! Our server was so gracious, he even brought us a free bag of the coffee grounds to take home with us.
2. Stroll Through La Candelaria Neighborhood
We planned to spend the afternoon in La Candelaria, a historic neighborhood in downtown Bogotá. The neighborhood hosts a number of museums, cathedrals, and other tourism sites, which allowed us to efficiently cover a lot of ground with the limited amount of time we had. As we walked along the cobblestone streets, the juxtaposition between modern city and colonial architecture was an amazing thing to witness.
3. Santuario Nuestra Señora del Carmen
We started our day in Bogotá by visiting the Santuario Nuestra Señora del Carmen. The eclectic church, completed in 1938, is a blur of red and white stripes, framed by jeweled mosaic columns. The church was built in the Florentine Gothic style, but has Moorish and Islamic touches. The interior of the church was equally as colorful as the exterior!
4. Statue of Simón Bolívar in the Plaza Bolívar
From the church, it was only a five minute walk to the Plaza Bolívar, which is the main square in Bogotá. Four buildings frame the plaza: Palacio de Justicia (Palace of Justice), Palacio Liévano (Liévano Palace), Capitolio Nacional (National Capitol), and the Catedral Primada de Colombia (Primary Cathedral of Colombia).
In the center of the square was a statue of Simón Bolívar. He earned his nickname of The Liberator due to his role in establishing Colombia as a sovereign state. Prior to the arrival of the Spanish, indigenous people inhabited the region and they called the city Bacata.
5. Palacio de Justicia
The Palacio de Justicia was the first building we saw in the plaza. It was rebuilt twice due to conflicts in Bogotá. First, it was destroyed during riots in 1948. It was destroyed again in 1985 by guerrilla warfare. The current building contains the Supreme Court of Justice and the Constitutional Court. The inscription at the entrance states, “Colombians, weapons have given us independence. Laws will bring us liberty.” Powerful quote!
6. Palacio Liévano
The cultural hub of Bogotá is the Palacio Liévano. The current building was completed in 1907, after earthquakes and fires destroyed the previous administrative buildings. It was named after Indacelio Lievano, who was the engineer that funded the project. It currently serves as Bogotá’s city hall.
7. Capitolio Nacional
Construction for the Capitolio Nacional began in 1876 and it was completed in 1926. It houses the Congress of Colombia.
8. Catedral Primada de Colombia
The Catedral Primada de Colombia was the final building that we visited in the plaza. The cathedral was built four times, with the final construction occurring between 1807 and 1823. It’s the largest cathedral in Colombia, and it’s one of the largest cathedrals in all of South America.
After exploring Plaza Bolívar thoroughly, we started our walk to the Museo de Oro (gold museum). Along the way, we stopped for a snack and tried some of the foods not available in the United States (such as mayonnaise flavored potato chips!) My parents especially loved walking along Carrera Septima (7th avenue), which was full of markets and street entertainers.
9. Museo de Oro
The Museo de Oro (gold museum) is one of Bogotá’s most popular attractions because it contains the largest collection of gold artifacts in the world! The artisanship of the indigenous people was extremely impressive.
The most famous gold artifact at the musuem is the Muisca Raft. People often refer to it as the “El Dorado Raft” due to its reference to the legend of El Dorado. It represents the ceremony in which the Muisca chief dove into a lake covered in gold dust and jewels for religious offerings. The artifact contains 229 grams of gold! Three farmers discovered it in a cave in 1969.
The Museo de Oro was our final stop for the day. We accomplished a lot in the afternoon, and we still had time to rest for a bit at the hotel before our evening flight. We couldn’t believe how much we had seen with just one long layover in Bogotá!
10. Botanical Garden of Bogotá
The Botanical Garden of Bogotá, known officially as the Jardín Botánico de Bogotá José Celestino Mutis, is home to thousands of plants. It’s a beautiful spot to wander around!
11. Museo Botero
The Museo Botero is a popular art museum in Bogotá. The famous artist Fernando Botero donated hundreds of his pieces of art with the promise that they would be displayed in a free museum.
12. Monserrate
If you have time, you should also visit Monserrate. We recommend taking the cable car to the top of Monserrate. It’s one of the most iconic things to do in Bogotá. It takes about 4 minutes for the cable car to reach the top. Once you’re at the top, you’ll have expansive views of the city.
13. National Museum of Colombia
The National Museum of Colombia has thousands of pieces on display. You can learn all about Colombia’s history while you visit the museum.
14. Simon Bolívar Metropolitan Park
Simon Bolívar Metropolitan Park is an urban green space has lots of trails to explore.
15. Salt Cathedral in Zipaquirá
The Salt Cathedral in Zipaquirá is a Catholic church that was built in the tunnels of a salt mine. It’s located about an hour away from Bogotá. You can book a guided tour of the Salt Cathedral Zipaquira. The tour we linked includes roundtrip transportation.
Our Favorite Meals in Bogotá
We love to eat well while traveling abroad. Here are a few highlights from our trip to Bogotá:
- Colombian Coffee: A must while you’re in Colombia! Even if you’re not a big coffee drinker, it’s worth ordering a coffee just to have a sip or two.
- Sobrebarriga en Salsa: This flank-steak dish was colorful and delicious.
- Empanadas: We tried empanadas from a street food vendor. They were fresh and sooo good!
- Arepa de Huevo: These arepas stuffed with cooked egg was the perfect breakfast snack.
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Guided Tours of Bogotá
We definitely recommend booking a guided tour of Bogotá. You won’t have to worry about navigating the city, and your expert guide will be able to teach you way more about the city than you could discover yourself in such a short amount of time. Your guide will also have lots of cultural knowledge that they can share with you.
There are plenty of tours in Bogotá to choose from. Examples of popular tours include a private city tour of Bogotá, a food tour of Bogotá, a coffee farm tour, and a tour of the Salt Cathedral Zipaquira.
What to Pack for a Trip to Bogotá
Here are a few things we typically bring when we travel internationally:
- Power Bank Phone Charger: Before we leave home, we have at least one (if not two) power banks fully charged. That way we can charge our phones on the go while we’re traveling. Because we use our phones for navigation and for photography, it’s really important that we don’t run out of battery.
- Power Adapter/Voltage Converter: Whenever traveling internationally, it’s important to be able to charge your electronics safely. We’re recommending this power adapter and voltage converter because it can be used globally. It’s a little more expensive than some basic products you can find, but this one has a multi-protection safety system. It also lets you charge up to 7 devices simultaneously. (You don’t need to fight with anyone in your travel party about access to outlets.) It works in over 150 countries.
- Anti-Theft Travel Backpack: Having an anti-theft travel backpack can give you peace of mind as you explore any large city. The one we linked here has lockable zippers, and RFID-blocking pocket, and cut-proof material. This backpack is also extremely light to carry. If you plan on carrying valuables such as a camera, cell phone, and wallet with you, we recommend considering a backpack such as this one.
- Packable Rain Jacket: This rain jacket folds up small and can be easily placed in your backpack. You’ll be prepared for rain just in case!
Where We Stayed in Bogotá
When we visited Bogotá, we stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Bogota Airport. At the time, it was a brand-new hotel located right by the airport, which made it ideal for our long layover in Bogotá between flights. The hotel offered us a free shuttle back to the airport, and we enjoyed excellent service at the restaurant. We would definitely recommend this hotel to others!
Other Hotels in Bogotá to Consider
- Grand Hyatt Bogota: This luxury hotel is located just 10 minutes away from the airport. With a spa and several dining options on site, it would be an incredible place to stay.
- W Bogota: This Marriott property has stunning gold elements that will make you truly feel like you are in the legendary city of El Dorado, with a modern twist. The lobby itself is super Instagrammable!
- Four Seasons Hotel Bogota: This is another luxury property with an amazing spa and a restaurant.
How many days do you need in Bogotá?
To see the most important sites in the city, we recommend spending two to three days in the city of Bogotá. You’ll want to spend at least one day in the neighborhood La Candelaria, and you’ll need at least another day to visit the top of Monserrate. We personally spent one day in Bogotá, and we were able to get a good feel of the city.
Summary: Our Trip to Bogotá
When planning our trip, we wondered exactly how much of Bogotá we would be able to see with only one day in the city. It was important to us to make sure we had time to rest between red-eyes (so we would have lots of energy for Brazil!), and we wanted to take advantage of our time in a new country. Luckily, even with only 15 hours, we were able to do both!
We booked a hotel for just the day, even though we weren’t spending the night, so that we could have the opportunity to sleep in a bed for a couple of hours. We also had a place to shower and store our luggage while we explored the city. We were super glad we made that decision, because it gave us the energy to go out and explore.
It’s totally possible to have a long layover in Bogotá and see a lot of the city. We were surprised by just how much we could see with just one day! We hope this post inspires you to visit this incredible city.
