10 ESSENTIAL PLACES TO VISIT IN BOGOTá

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This list of the best places to visit in Bogotá It will help you not to miss anything important in one of the most amazing and interesting cities in South America.
Located at more than 2600 meters of altitude, the capital and largest city of Colombia is a mixture of modernity and tradition in which you will feel at home thanks to its incredible people who give off good vibes.
There is many things to do in Bogotá, like visiting its incredible museums, such as the Gold Museum or Botero's Museum, trying its delicious cuisine, getting carried away by rhythm and good music, enjoying its street art or strolling through the charming neighborhood of La Candelaria.
In addition to not making efforts during the first day to avoid altitude sickness, it is advisable to use common sense in security matters and as the locals would say "don't give papaya", which consists in not facilitating the work of thieves showing valuables or being careless.
In our case we do not feel insecure at any time although we only go out at night through the Chapinero Alto neighborhood, where we are staying, and use Uber to approach the historic center where all the points of interest are concentrated, and that you can travel with total peace of day.

Based on the experience of the two days we spent in the city during our trip to Colombia in 46 days, we have made this list of what we believe are the 10 essential places to see in Bogotá. We start!

1. Cerro de Monserrate

One of the best things to do in Bogotá is to climb the Cerro de Monserrate to enjoy the best views of the city.
This hill located at 3,152 meters high, is the most famous of those around the city, and the one that still retains much of the Andean forest.
In addition to incredible viewpoints and restaurants, at the top of the hill is the Basilica of the Lord of Monserrate, which has been an important place of pilgrimage since colonial times.
After enjoying the views you can take a walk through the artisan market, travel the path of the Viacrucis and be surprised by the beauty of the hummingbirds that choose between the branches of the trees.
You can climb to Monserrate in an hour walking, although we recommend using the funicular or the cable car to avoid altitude sickness and thus start your visit to the city on a good footing.
In our case, after checking that the sky was clear, we decided to go up early to avoid the queues at the entrance to the cable car and have good light although another good option is to climb in the afternoon to enjoy the sunset.
Whenever you can, it is advisable to climb the Cerro de Monserrate after one or two days of stay in Bogotá, so that your body is acclimatized.

Visiting hours: Monday to Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. and Sundays from 5:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Views of Bogotá from the Cerro de Monserrate

2. La Candelaria

La Candelaria, located in the historic center, is the most famous neighborhood to visit in Bogotá.
Getting lost in its narrow cobbled streets and feel the weight of history watching the colonial houses of brightly colored facades is a real pleasure for the senses.
Among its shopping streets full of souvenir and handicraft shops, 10, 11, Calle del Divorcio and Carrera Seventh or Calle Real, its most emblematic route, stand out.
Another of the best things to do in this neighborhood is to try local cuisine such as ajiaco, tamale or patacones in recommended restaurants such as La Puerta Falsa or el Gato Gris. And of course, for dessert you can not stop eating a delicious wafer with arequipe in one of the stalls scattered around the streets of the Candelaria.
A highly recommended option to learn about the history of the neighborhood and not miss anything important is to book this guided tour of the neighborhood of La Candelaria or this free tour of Bogotá Free !.

La Candelaria

3. Gold Museum

The Gold Museum, located among the 25 best museums in the world according to the TripAdvisor portal, is another of the essential places to see in Bogotá.
This museum is the most important in its theme to have the largest collection of pre-Hispanic goldsmiths in the world with more than 34,000 pieces of goldsmith's (most gold) and 25,000 objects of ceramics, stone, shell, bone and textile, among the that stand out the Poporo Quimbaya and above all, the Muisca Raft, a small golden raft that represents the coronation ceremony of the chieftain in the lagoon of Guatavita and that gave rise to the Legend of El Dorado.
To better understand the history of the most important pieces it is advisable to take the audio guide when buying the ticket.

Visiting hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Raft Muisca in the Gold Museum

Our recommended hotel in Bogotá
Our recommended accommodation in Bogotá is The Grace Hotel, located in Chapinero Alto, one of the safest areas with the best catering offer in the city. In addition to its excellent location, the hotel has studio apartments with kitchen and views of the city, 24-hour reception and a magnificent breakfast served in the room. To get to the historic center you can take an Uber that takes about 20 minutes and has a price of less than 3 euros.

4. Funnel Alley

The Callejón del Embudo is the most beautiful corner of the La Candelaria neighborhood and our favorite to visit in Colombia.
In this narrow street of cobbled and irregular soil, some of the best street art murals in the city are concentrated, highlighting the rest of the expressive face of an indigenous woman.
In the old houses that surround this street many bars are concentrated to try the typical arepas and shops to buy some souvenirs.
At the end of the street you will reach the beautiful Plaza del Chorro de Quevedo, with several graffiti and full of atmosphere in the afternoons.
One of the best things to do in Bogotá is to go to the alley first thing in the morning to be able to take the typical photo that will fill your Instagram with likes, without having many people.

Urban Art in the Alley of the Funnel

5. Plaza de Bolívar, one of the places to visit in Bogotá

The huge Plaza de Bolívar, located in the heart of the old town, is the most important to see in Bogotá.
This square, a meeting point between tourists and locals, concentrates some of the most important buildings in the city such as the Primada Cathedral, the Palace of Justice, the National Capitol and the Liévano Palace, seat of the town hall.
We recommend entering the Cathedral, a building built between 1807 and 1823 in neoclassical style and which was recognized as a National and Primate Monument of Colombia.
In addition to entering the church, it is worth approaching the statue of Simón Bolívar, a leading figure of the independence of Colombia and several Latin American countries from the Spanish empire.

Plaza de Bolívar, one of the places to visit in Bogotá

6. Botero Museum

Located in a beautiful colonial house in the neighborhood of La Candelaria, the Botero Museum is another of the essential places to visit in Bogotá.
The renowned Colombian painter and sculptor Fernando Botero, donated more than 100 works to this museum in which he shows his most personal style of bulky bodies full of exuberance and sensuality like that of La Monalisa.
In addition to Botero's works, there are others by great masters such as Picasso, Dalí, Miró, Klimt or Monet.
Admission is free and guided tours in Spanish are organized every day for those who want to know more about this artist and his works.

Visiting hours: Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Visit the Botero Museum, one of the things to do in Bogotá

7. San Francisco Church

Another of the best things to do in Bogotá It is to enter the impressive Church of San Francisco, the oldest in the city.
This church dedicated to San Francisco de Asís and built between 1550 and 1595, was damaged during the earthquake of 1743 and subsequently rebuilt.
Inside there are several chapels and a magnificent altarpiece of Renaissance style that will leave you speechless.

San Francisco Church

8. Journalists Park

The Gabriel García Márquez Journalists Park, located in the Las Nieves neighborhood, is another of the iconic places to visit in Bogotá.
In the 1960s journalists, writers and poets who work in the media located nearby met in this large space.
Among its most prominent places is the temple of Bolívar that contains a statue of the national hero Simón Bolívar.

Parque de los Periodistas, one of the places to visit in Bogotá

Recommended travel cards
Remember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.

9. Santa Clara Church Museum

The Santa Clara Museum, located in the former temple of the Royal Convent of Santa Clara, is one of the great colonial jewels and another of the most beautiful places to see in Bogotá.
This baroque-style church, built in 1647, was delivered in 1983 as a museum to all Colombians, where upon entering its interior you will be impressed by the decoration composed of baroque altarpieces of carved wood, oil paintings, sculptures, painting Mudejar murals and lattices.
Do not miss the vaulted ceiling decorated with golden wooden flowers, the Presbytery, the Crypt, the Sacristy and the Altarpiece.
A few meters from this museum is the Casa de Nariño, official residence of the president and seat of government of Colombia.

Visiting hours: Tuesday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Church Museum of Santa Clara, one of the places to visit in Bogotá

10. Excursions in Bogotá

One of the best things to do in Bogotá It is to make a day trip to some of the wonders that are closer such as the Salt Cathedral, the Guatavita Lagoon or Villa de Leyva.
To reach the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá, a religious site located inside a salt mine, the beautiful town of Villa de Leyva and the legendary Laguna de Guatavita, you can take a bus in the North Portal of Transmilenio or a taxi .
A more comfortable way to make these routes and learn better the history of each of these places, especially in the case of Laguna de Guatavita, is to book one of these guided tours in Spanish: