Bogotá is Colombia's capital district, a high-altitude Andean metropolis of roughly eight million people spread across a plateau at 2,640 metres (8,660 ft). The city pairs a dense colonial core in La Candelaria — home to the Gold Museum and the Botero collection — with the glass towers of the northern business districts, a 200-kilometre cycle network, and the green wall of the eastern mountains rising directly behind the historic centre.
Top attractions
The most popular and significant attractions in Bogotá.
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1
Museo del Oro
The Banco de la República's gold museum holds more than 34,000 pieces of pre-Hispanic goldwork and tumbaga alloy alongside ceramics, textiles and stone, drawn from the Muisca, Quimbaya, Calima, Tairona, Zenú, Tolima and Tumaco cultures. Its signature object is the Muisca raft from Pasca, the votive figure that gave rise to the El Dorado legend, displayed in the darkened Offering room on the third floor.
Tip: Reserve a time slot in advance on the Banco de la República website (banrepcultural.org). · Arrive at opening on a Tuesday to Friday to see the Offering room with few people. · Sundays and public holidays are free but much busier. · The museum is closed on Mondays, including holiday Mondays. · Allow two to three hours; the audio guide helps with pacing.
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2
Cerro de Monserrate
The 3,152-metre peak that rises directly behind La Candelaria, topped by a 17th-century sanctuary housing the Señor Caído statue that has drawn pilgrims since the 1650s. A funicular railway and an aerial cable car both climb from the same base station, and a stone pilgrim stairway of roughly 1,500 steps offers the free route up. The summit terrace gives the definitive view across the whole Sabana de Bogotá.
Tip: Walk up only in the morning; the trail is closed on Tuesdays and hikers should not go alone. · Bring a warm layer and rain jacket, as weather at 3,152 metres changes quickly. · Sundays are cheaper by ticket but far more crowded with pilgrims. · Take the funicular or cable car up and walk down, or the reverse, to save energy. · Consider a slow first day in Bogotá to acclimatise before the climb.
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3
Museo Botero
In 2000 Fernando Botero gave the Banco de la República 123 of his own paintings and sculptures plus 85 works from his private collection, including pieces by Picasso, Monet, Renoir, Degas, Chagall, Dalí and Bacon. The collection occupies a restored colonial house around a courtyard in La Candelaria and has never charged admission.
Tip: Entry is free, so budget time rather than money for the visit. · Free tours run in Spanish at noon and 5PM, and in English Friday to Sunday at 3PM. · The museum is closed on Tuesdays. · Weekday mornings are the quietest; Sundays draw large local crowds. · Pair the visit with the Museo del Oro and Museo de Bogotá nearby.
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4
Plaza de Bolívar
The ceremonial centre of Colombia, laid out as the settlement's main square in 1539 and named for the bronze Simón Bolívar that Pietro Tenerani placed at its middle in 1846. Four institutions face the paving: the neoclassical Capitolio Nacional, the modern Palacio de Justicia rebuilt after the 1985 siege, the Catedral Primada and the French-inspired Palacio Liévano that houses the mayor's office.
Tip: Visit in daylight and keep bags closed and phones out of sight in crowded moments. · Weekday mornings are quietest; large demonstrations can close parts of the square. · Sunday Ciclovía brings cyclists along Carrera 7 and adds crowds. · The surrounding institutions keep separate hours, so check before planning to enter one. · Combine with the cathedral and Museo del Oro within a short walk.
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5
La Candelaria Historic Quarter
The original colonial grid of Bogotá, a compact hillside of single-storey houses in ochre, indigo and terracotta with carved wooden balconies, wedged between the Plaza de Bolívar and the eastern mountains. The quarter holds most of the city's museums, the Teatro Colón, three universities, and the densest concentration of commissioned street murals in Colombia.
Tip: Plan around museum closing days, since many close on Monday or Tuesday. · Stay on busier streets after dark and keep valuables out of sight. · Weekday mornings are the quietest for photographs. · Comfortable shoes matter on the cobbles and slopes. · A guided walking or graffiti tour adds context to the murals and history.
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6
Museo Nacional de Colombia
The oldest museum in Colombia, founded in 1823, occupying a cruciform brick building designed by Thomas Reed as the Panóptico penitentiary and used as a prison until 1946. Its four floors trace archaeology, colonial history, the independence wars and 20th-century Colombian art, with rooms devoted to Botero, Obregón, Grau and Débora Arango.
Tip: Bring cash, since the ticket desk accepts only pesos. · Sunday entry is free but crowded; Tuesday to Thursday is calmer. · The museum is closed on Mondays, including holiday Mondays. · Allow at least two hours and start with the upper floors to avoid backtracking. · Combine with the nearby Planetario and Parque de la Independencia.
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7
Jardín Botánico José Celestino Mutis
Bogotá's 20-hectare botanical garden, named for the Spanish botanist who led the Royal Botanical Expedition of New Granada, specialising in the flora of the Andean páramo and the cloud forest. Its centrepiece is the Tropicario, a cluster of glasshouse domes covering desert, tropical rainforest, páramo and aquatic plant collections, opened in 2020.
Tip: Arrive on a weekday morning before the afternoon rain and the weekend crowds. · Check the maintenance closure on the first working Monday of each month. · Carry a rain jacket and sun protection, as weather and altitude both vary. · Confirm whether the Tropicario is included in the ticket when buying entry. · Pair with the nearby Parque Simón Bolívar for a full day outdoors.
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8
Parque Metropolitano Simón Bolívar
The largest urban park in Bogotá at around 400 hectares including its adjoining sports complexes, built around an artificial lake with 12 kilometres of paths, rowing boats, an amphitheatre and broad lawns. It hosts the city's biggest open-air events, among them Rock al Parque, Salsa al Parque and Jazz al Parque, all of them free.
Tip: Sunday morning is the liveliest time, with the Ciclovía linking to the park. · Check the festival calendar, since major events bring crowds and restricted access. · Boat hire and Salitre Mágico are paid extras. · Leave before the 6:00PM closing and avoid quiet corners at dusk. · Bring water and sun protection, as altitude raises ultraviolet exposure.
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9
Usaquén and the Mercado de las Pulgas
A former colonial village absorbed by the city's northward growth, Usaquén keeps its own plaza, whitewashed church and cobbled lanes lined with restaurants. Every Sunday and public holiday the streets beside the Hacienda Santa Bárbara fill with the Mercado de las Pulgas, a flea and craft market of several hundred stalls selling jewellery, leather, ceramics and antiques.
Tip: Arrive by late morning on Sunday to beat the lunch queues and the early-afternoon crowds · Carry small peso notes; many stalls prefer cash and accept polite bargaining · Take TransMilenio to Calle 116 or Prado, then a short taxi or SITP bus to the plaza · Keep phones and bags secure in the Sunday crowds · On weekdays the market is absent but the restaurants and plaza stay open
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10
Plaza de Mercado de Paloquemao
The working wholesale and retail market that supplies much of central Bogotá, opened in 1972 and covering flowers, fruit, meat, fish and prepared food under one roof. The fruit aisles are the main draw for visitors, stocking granadilla, lulo, mangostino, zapote, uchuva, borojó and other species rarely seen outside Colombia, and the flower hall trades at its busiest before dawn.
Tip: Arrive between 6:00AM and 9:00AM for the flower and fish halls at full pitch · Wear closed, non-slip shoes; aisles are narrow and floors are often wet · Carry small peso notes for fruit bags and tasting plates · Ask vendors before photographing them or their stalls up close · Keep valuables secure in the crowded aisles · Use TransMilenio to Paloquemao station on the Calle 19 corridor
Attractions by category
Explore by your interests.
Landmarks
Plaza de Bolívar
The ceremonial square of Colombia, ringed by the Capitolio, the cathedral and the Palacio de Justicia
Cerro de Monserrate
A 3,152-metre pilgrimage peak reached by funicular, cable car or stone stairway
Chorro de Quevedo
The plaza traditionally marking the 1538 founding site of the city
Biblioteca Pública Virgilio Barco
Rogelio Salmona's spiral brick library with public roof terraces
Cerro de Guadalupe
The higher of the two eastern peaks, topped by a 1946 statue of the Virgin
Museums
Museo del Oro
More than 34,000 pieces of pre-Hispanic goldwork, including the Muisca raft
Museo Botero
Botero's donated collection plus Picasso, Monet, Renoir and Dalí, free to enter
Museo Nacional de Colombia
The country's oldest museum, set inside a 19th-century panopticon prison
Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogotá
Colombian and Latin American modern art in a Salmona brick building
Maloka Museo Interactivo
Underground science centre with nine halls and a dome cinema
Museo de Bogotá
The city's own museum, tracing 500 years of urban growth from two colonial houses
Nature
Jardín Botánico José Celestino Mutis
Twenty hectares of Andean and páramo flora with the domed Tropicario glasshouses
Parque Metropolitano Simón Bolívar
The largest urban park in the city, built around a lake with 12 km of paths
Parque Nacional Enrique Olaya Herrera
A 283-hectare park of 1934 climbing from Carrera 7 into the eastern foothills
Quebrada La Vieja
A free cloud-forest ravine trail open only in the early morning
Religious
Catedral Primada de Bogotá
The neoclassical cathedral of 1823 on the Plaza de Bolívar
Iglesia Museo Santa Clara
A 17th-century Poor Clares church with a gilded mudéjar ceiling and 148 paintings
Santuario de Monserrate
The hilltop sanctuary of the Señor Caído, a pilgrimage site since the 1650s
Markets
Plaza de Mercado de Paloquemao
The central wholesale market, strongest for exotic fruit and cut flowers before dawn
Mercado de las Pulgas de Usaquén
A Sunday craft and antiques market of several hundred stalls in the northern village
Practical information
What you need to know before you go.
- Hours
- Most Bogotá museums run 9:00AM-5:00PM and close on Mondays; the Banco de la República venues (Museo del Oro, Museo Botero, Casa de Moneda) instead close on Tuesdays for the Botero house and Mondays for the gold collection, so checking the specific day matters
- Fees
- Museum entry is very low by international standards: COP 3,000-16,000 (~$0.94-5.03) for most collections, free at Museo Botero and Museo de Bogotá, COP 4,000 (~$1.26) at Museo del Oro and free there on Sundays. The Monserrate return ride at COP 35,000 (~$11.0) is the single biggest attraction cost in the city
- Best Times
- December to March and July to August are the driest months; within any day, mornings between 8AM and 1PM are the reliable window because rain usually falls between 2PM and 6PM
- Booking
- Almost nothing in Bogotá requires advance booking. Monserrate tickets are sold at the base station and online at monserrate.co, MAMBO sells online through its shop for the Tuesday two-for-one offer, and the Bogotá Graffiti Tour takes walk-ups at Parque de los Periodistas. Fine-dining tables at El Chato and Leo are the exception and need several weeks of notice
Tips for visiting attractions
Make the most of your sightseeing time.
Buy a TuLlave card on arrival for about COP 7,000 (~$2.20); TransMilenio and SITP buses take no cash and no bank cards
Museo del Oro is free on Sundays and public holidays, and Museo Botero, Casa de Moneda and the Museo de Bogotá are free every day they open
Spend the first day at low-lying museums and save Monserrate at 3,152 metres for day two, since the altitude affects most arrivals for the first 24-48 hours
Plan viewpoints and outdoor markets for the morning and museums for the afternoon, because rain typically arrives between 2PM and 6PM
Leave La Candelaria by taxi or app car once the museums close rather than walking the side streets after dark
Carry small notes and coins: market stalls, chicha bars and neighbourhood bakeries rarely have change for a COP 50,000 note
Sunday and public-holiday mornings bring the Ciclovía, which closes Carrera 7 and Calle 26 to cars from 7AM to 2PM and makes walking or cycling between sights far easier than driving
Frequently asked questions
How many days are needed to see the main attractions in Bogotá?
Three full days covers the Museo del Oro, Museo Botero, La Candelaria, the Plaza de Bolívar, Monserrate and one northern district such as Usaquén; a fourth day allows the Botanical Garden, Paloquemao market or a day trip to the Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral
Which Bogotá museums are free?
Museo Botero, Casa de Moneda, the Colección de Arte del Banco de la República and the Museo de Bogotá charge nothing at any time; Museo del Oro is free on Sundays and public holidays, and the Museo Nacional is free on Sundays
Is it better to take the funicular or the cable car up Monserrate?
Both leave from the same base station on Carrera 2 Este, cost the same and take about four minutes. The funicular climbs through a tunnel-and-cutting alignment with hillside views, while the cable car hangs clear of the slope and gives the wider panorama, so most visitors ride one in each direction
Is La Candelaria safe to walk around?
La Candelaria is busy and policed during museum hours, roughly 9AM to 5PM, and walking it by day is routine. After dark the side streets away from the main plazas see robberies, so the practical approach is to finish sightseeing by late afternoon and use an app-hailed car to reach evening plans