If you are planning to visit the beautiful capital of Colombia stay tuned because we have collected 20 things to do in Bogota in this article!
Bogota is the home of approximately 10 million people. It is the third largest city in the whole South America. If you go there you will experience that gastronomy is one of their main profiles. You will find hundreds of restaurants serving exceptional food and wine. Whether you want adventure or a relaxing walk Bogota has both for you. Here is the list of what we think are the best things to do in Bogota once you are there.
1. Museo Botero del Banco de la Republica
The most famous museum you can visit in Bogota with around 500.000 visitors per year. The place was named after the famous artist Fernando Botero who donated 208 artifacts to the Banco de la República. The collection also includes several works by Picasso, Chagall, Renoir, Monet, Pissarro and Miró, and some hilarious sculptures by Dalí and Max Ernst. You can get audio guides in a few different languages.
2. Gold Museum
El museo del oro in Spanish receives the same number of visitors as the previous one in our collection. The museum features the greatest collection of pre-Columbian gold and other metal alloys together with pottery, stone, shell, wood and textile archaeological objects. The museum has a collection of 55,000 pieces. On the first floor, you will find a nice restaurant and a shop.
3. Mount Monserrate
You can take a really cheap funicular ride right to the top of the mountain which rises to 3,152 meters (10,341 ft) above the sea level, where there is a really old church that was built in the 17th century. Apart from that, the view is just breathtaking from there which you can enjoy all day long if you wish to do so.
4. Teatro Mayor Julio Mario Santodomingo
Fancy watching a theater performance? Look no further that this! Teatro Mayor Julio Mario Santodomingo is a cozy but rather famous theater of Bogota which has a huge selection of concerts and different events every week. The snack bar inside is a little bit overpriced so if you can bring your own snacks and water with you.
5. Jardin Botanico de Bogota Jose Celestino Mutis
The botanic garden of Bogota is located a bit outside of the city but once you are there you will admit that it was worth coming down there. Enjoy a relaxed stroll or picnic in the grass with your family and friends. You will definitely get what you expect from such places with nice ponds and lakes, hilly parts and valleys. The park management is more than happy to educate its visitors on trees, plants, shrubs, mushrooms and ecosystems of Colombia.
6. Biblioteca Virgilio
If you love books this place is a must for you to visit. You can find a great collection of academic and non-academic books here. Take your time and suck in some knowledge because that’s the only thing no one can steal from you! The roof has a small open-air area that you can climb up to and relax or read in there for a while.
7. Parque Central Simon Bolivar
Another great choice to run away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Its green areas will stun you and surprisingly it even has a small beach where you can enjoy a little bit of the nice cooling Colombian water on an average hot and sunny day. The location is also the best as it is situated in the heart of the city.
8. Iglesia de San Francisco
This church represents a surprisingly quiet and peaceful atmosphere as opposed to being in the middle of the bustling city. The wall a nicely decorated with fine golden pieces and the simple wooden made ceiling has something to it that makes us think that sometimes the less is more. It was built in the 16th century which, as a fact itself, is fascinating. If your holidays include a Sunday you must visit the church in the morning as this could be one of those things to do in Bogota that allows you to mingle with some locals.
9. Zona Rosa
This is an area that is worth visiting as it has some of the best dining places in the cities along with some independent shops and shopping malls. Apart from this, when the sun goes down the area turns into a crazy nightlife place with a lot of clubs and bars that you can enjoy until the next sunrise. So the simple recipe here is to go there, shop, eat, and dance!
10. Casa Museo Quinta de Bolivar
This is a great and well-organized historical site that is definitely worth a visit. The small museum located a little bit far from the city and surrounded by an awesome, spectacular garden area. It is focused on the history of Simon Bolivar who was a Venezuelan military and political leader who played a leading role in the establishment of Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Panama as sovereign states, independent of Spanish rule.
11. Plaza de Bolivar
If we have already mentioned Bolivar and the house that was named after him let’s take a look at the square that has his name too. This is the main square of Bogota with the parliament down on one side, the cathedral and the rebuilt justice dept on another, It is about 500m from the gold museum so if you visit one of them just simply include the other too.
12. Casa de Moneda
This museum is free to visit and if you are lucky you can even get a memorial coin for free. It is right next to the Botero museum so don’t leave it out. The artists’ works in this museum are about how money was made. It also has many possibilities for active participation so if your children get bored of visiting museums you can take them here and their attitude will certainly change.
13. Torre Colpatria
If you travel on a budget but you still want to take a look at Bogota from above this tower is more affordable than going to the Mount Monserrate. The elevator takes you up to a certain point and then there will be some steps to walk to the top of it. The view is almost just as awesome as it is from the top of the Monserrate and in addition, it takes only a few minutes to get to the top in this case.
14. Palacio de Narino
Just a 3 minutes walk from Plaza de Bolivar you can find the home of the president of Colombia. Obviously, you can’t go inside as it is protected by guards unless you have some special appointment or approval. If you wish to know more you can get easily find yourself a tour guide, who are mostly young members of the army, to take you on a 90 minutes tour around the palace.
15. Planetarium of Bogota
Normally, in Bogota, the weather has to be sunny but in the case of a cloudy and rainy day here is what you can do. Simply, visit the planetarium until those nasty raindrops go away. This is a great educational entertainment for both children and adults. Every information is written in English and Spanish. You will find everything here that you would expect to find in a Planetarium plus some unique local stuff as well.
16. Mercado de Las Pulgas
Bogota’s flea market. If you feel like you can beat the locals at bargaining try your skills here! It is a different free market from what you would find in some other countries, though. Here you may find a lot of handicrafts, local food, and delicacies. The presentation is very colorful and also the place is very safe to walk around.
17. Casa Libreria Wilborada 1047
This is a perfect place for those people who want to indulge themselves with a good cup of coffee while reading a good book. The moment you enter here you feel as if you’re transported to another place. From time to time the place hosts cultural and musical events as well but not all of them are in English.
18. Salitre Magico
This is an awesome theme park with various rides. Some say that you need to be a little bit patient in the queue as it can take up to 30 minutes to get to the entrance of a ride if you go on a busy day. Note that the policy of the park strictly forbids taking pictures or videos so that people don’t steal the design and their unique ideas. Unfortunately, some rides need maintenance as they are broken down at the moment but regardless of this, there is sill plenty of them to enjoy.
19. La Macarena
La Macarena is an especially unique neighborhood in Bogota. There are a lot of galleries and food options with all types of cuisines in this area. Some really nice parks and green places belong to the La macarena neighborhood too. The walls here show the history of beginnings of the city and the colonial era.
20. Cascada La Chorrera
This is the last item on this “Things to do in Bogota” collection but this should definitely be your priority if you are a nature lover. The trail that leads there is really clearly marked so you don’t even need a tour guide to get there safely. The hike could be a little bit rough if you are with children or elderly people. Mini streams, caves, waterfalls are all waiting for you here! IT is definitely worth going there and let the sight take your breath away.
