Bogotá D.C. 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.
Bogota sits at 2,640 m (8,660 ft) on a high Andean plateau just 4 degrees north of the equator, a combination that produces a subtropical highland climate with almost no seasonal temperature range at all. Daytime highs hover between 18C and 20C (64-68F) every month of the year and nights fall to 7-10C (45-50F), so the city's weather varies far more between morning and evening than between January and July. What does change is rain. Two rainy periods follow the sun's zenith passages - March to May and September to November - and two drier spells sit between them, December to February and June to August. Annual rainfall is high at roughly 1,000-1,900 mm depending on the part of the city, concentrated in short, heavy afternoon downpours rather than all-day drizzle. Ultraviolet radiation is extreme at this altitude and latitude even under thick cloud, and the thin air means that a sunny morning at 20C and a wet evening at 9C can occur on the same day. Bogota has no summer and no winter; it has dry mornings, wet afternoons and a jacket in every bag.
Best time to visit
Overall Best: December to February, and June to August
Summary: The two dry seasons are the best times to visit. December through February brings the clearest skies of the year, the cleanest views of the Andes from Monserrate and the city's Christmas and New Year atmosphere. June through August - the veranito or little summer - is dry, breezy and slightly cooler at night, and coincides with the free Festivales al Parque season and the Festival de Verano.
Best: January and February
Peak Season: Mid-December to mid-January and Semana Santa, when Colombians travel domestically and hotel prices rise; late June to mid-July for the school holidays
Shoulder Season: March, June and September - passable weather and lower prices
Avoid: April, May, October and November, the four wettest months, when afternoon downpours and flooded streets disrupt sightseeing and traffic seizes up
Notes: Bogota's altitude means the weather question is rain, not temperature - there is no warm season to wait for. Anyone whose trip is fixed to a wet month should simply plan museums and indoor food markets for the afternoons and keep the outdoor plans for the mornings, which are usually dry even in October. Note that Colombia's Feria de las Flores is a Medellin event, not a Bogota one; the capital's equivalent summer celebration is the Festival de Verano de Bogota in August.
Reasons:
- Dry-season mornings give clear views from Monserrate over the whole savanna to the Andes
- Daytime temperatures of 18-20C are comfortable for full days of walking in every month
- December-February has the lowest rainfall of the year, as little as 30-50 mm per month
- June-August combines dry weather with Rock al Parque's sister festivals and the Festival de Verano
- Sunday Ciclovia runs year-round, but is far more pleasant in a dry month
Month-by-month weather
Typical conditions throughout the year.
January
19C/66F high, 7C/45F low
The driest month of the year, with bright mornings, clear views of the mountains and cold nights. The city is quiet in the first half while residents are away on holiday.
February
20C/68F high, 8C/46F low
Still dry and the sunniest month, with the highest daytime highs of the year. Excellent conditions for Monserrate, the Ciclovia and day trips to the savanna.
March
20C/68F high, 9C/48F low
The rains return during the month. In even-numbered years the Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro takes over the city from around 20 March. Mornings are usually still dry.
April
19C/66F high, 10C/50F low
One of the two wettest months, with heavy afternoon storms and difficult traffic. Semana Santa processions in La Candelaria and the FILBo book fair at Corferias fill the calendar.
May
19C/66F high, 10C/50F low
Persistently wet, with green hills and full reservoirs. Hotel rates are at their lowest and the museums are uncrowded, which partly compensates for the rain.
June
19C/66F high, 9C/48F low
The dry veranito begins and the wind picks up over the savanna. School holidays start late in the month and the Pride march takes place on the Carrera Septima.
July
18C/64F high, 9C/48F low
Dry, breezy and slightly cooler than average, with the clearest run of festival weekends in the parks. A strong month for walking the city.
August
18C/64F high, 9C/48F low
Windy and dry, the traditional kite-flying month in the Parque Simon Bolivar. The Festival de Verano and the city's 6 August birthday celebrations fill the parks.
September
19C/66F high, 9C/48F low
The second rainy season begins gradually. ArtBo and Jazz al Parque make it the strongest month for culture, and mornings are often clear.
October
19C/66F high, 10C/50F low
The wettest month of the year, with intense afternoon storms over the eastern hills. Rock al Parque still fills the Parque Simon Bolivar, rain or not.
November
19C/66F high, 10C/50F low
Wet and grey, the low point of the visitor calendar and consequently the cheapest time to stay. Indoor Bogota - museums, markets, restaurants - is at its best.
December
19C/66F high, 8C/46F low
The rain stops early in the month and the dry season opens. Christmas alumbrados light the main avenues and the Dia de las Velitas on 7 December is the city at its most festive.
The seasons
What to expect in each part of the year.
Spring
Months: Mar-May
The first rainy season. March is transitional and often pleasant, but April and May are the wettest stretch of the first half of the year, with heavy afternoon storms, flooded intersections and gridlocked traffic. The hills turn vivid green and the Jardin Botanico is at its best. Semana Santa processions fill La Candelaria, and in even-numbered years the Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro takes over the city in late March and early April.
Summer
Months: Jun-Aug
The veranito, or little dry season. Rainfall drops sharply, skies are often clear in the morning, and a persistent breeze off the savanna makes evenings feel colder than the thermometer suggests. This is the city's festival season, with free concerts in the Parque Simon Bolivar, the Festival de Verano de Bogota in August and the city's own birthday on 6 August.
Fall
Months: Sep-Nov
The second and heavier rainy season. October and November are the wettest months of the year, with dramatic afternoon storms over the eastern hills. September is still reasonable and hosts the ArtBo art fair and Jazz al Parque, while Rock al Parque fills the Parque Simon Bolivar in October regardless of the weather.
Winter
Months: Dec-Feb
The main dry season and the clearest, brightest time of year. Nights are cool and occasionally close to freezing on the savanna outside the city, and the air is at its most transparent, with the Andes visible in every direction. Christmas alumbrados light the Carrera Septima and the parks, the Dia de las Velitas on 7 December starts the season, and much of the city empties as Bogotanos travel for the holidays.
Crowds & peak times
When to expect tourists and when to avoid them.
- High Season
- Mid-December to mid-January (Colombian holidays, Christmas lights, New Year) and Semana Santa in March or April; late June to mid-July school holidays
- Shoulder Season
- February, August and September - comfortable weather, normal prices, full cultural calendar
- Low Season
- April-May and October-November, the two rainy seasons, when hotel rates are at their lowest and museums are quiet
- Notes
- Bogota is a business capital as much as a leisure destination, so hotel occupancy in the north peaks midweek and drops at weekends - the reverse of most tourist cities. Weekend rates in Zona G, Parque 93 and Chico are often 30 per cent below midweek rates. The city also empties dramatically over Christmas and the puentes (long weekends attached to Monday public holidays), which are excellent times to have the museums to oneself and poor times to try to leave the city by road.
- Event Spikes
- Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro (even years, late March to early April), FILBo book fair (late April to early May), Rock al Parque (October), ArtBo (late September) and any major concert at the Estadio El Campin or the Movistar Arena fill hotels across the city
Major events & festivals
Time your visit around what matters.
Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro de Bogota
One of the largest performing-arts festivals in the world, staged in even-numbered years across more than 30 venues plus free open-air stages in the parks and the Plaza de Bolivar. Companies come from across Latin America, Europe and Asia, and the free street programme is as much of the event as the ticketed shows.
Semana Santa in La Candelaria
Holy Week processions move through the colonial centre between the Catedral Primada, the Iglesia de San Francisco and the Iglesia de la Tercera, and pilgrims climb the Monserrate footpath through the night. Much of the city closes for Thursday and Friday.
Feria Internacional del Libro de Bogota (FILBo)
Latin America's second-largest book fair fills Corferias for two weeks with publishers, authors and a heavily attended public programme. Bogota was named a UNESCO City of Literature in 2026's continuing designation.
Marcha del Orgullo LGBTQ+
Bogota's Pride march runs along the Carrera Septima from the Parque Nacional to the Plaza de Bolivar, one of the largest in the Andean region, followed by events in Chapinero.
Festivales al Parque
The city's free open-air music series staged by Idartes: Joropo al Parque, Colombia al Parque, Popular al Parque, Jazz al Parque, Hip Hop al Parque and Salsa al Parque, spread across the Parque Simon Bolivar and other venues. Admission is free to every edition.
Cumpleanos de Bogota and Festival de Verano
The capital marks its 1538 founding on 6 August with concerts and public events, and the Festival de Verano de Bogota runs sport, kite-flying and music through the windiest, driest weeks of the year in the Parque Simon Bolivar. This is Bogota's own summer celebration - Colombia's Feria de las Flores belongs to Medellin, not the capital.
ArtBo - Feria Internacional de Arte de Bogota
Colombia's leading contemporary art fair at Corferias, with galleries from across the Americas and Europe and a parallel programme of openings across Chapinero and San Felipe.
Rock al Parque
The largest free rock festival in Latin America celebrates its 30th edition over three days at the Parque Metropolitano Simon Bolivar, drawing hundreds of thousands of people to a completely free line-up of Colombian and international bands.
Ciclovia
Around 120 km of Bogota's main avenues close to motor traffic every Sunday morning for cyclists, runners and skaters, accompanied by free recreovia aerobics sessions in the parks. The programme has run since 1974 and has been copied worldwide.
Dia de las Velitas
The night of candles opens Colombia's Christmas season. Families light candles and paper lanterns on doorsteps, balconies and in the parks, and the city's alumbrado light displays switch on along the Carrera Septima and in the Parque Simon Bolivar.
BOGOSHORTS - Bogota Short Film Festival
A week of short-film screenings, competitions and outdoor projections across Chapinero and the centre, one of the most respected short-film festivals in the Spanish-speaking world.
Alumbrados Navidenos
Large-scale Christmas light installations along the Carrera Septima, in the Parque El Virrey and at the Jardin Botanico, whose ticketed evening light trail is one of the busiest family events of the Bogota year.