For people who love to visit the culturally rich places, then there is no better place to visit, than Bogota, the beautiful capital of Colombia.
Latin America’s major cultural centre, Bogota is also the largest Colombian city that lures tourists with the ethereal beauty of the ancient churches that vie with the modern sky-rise buildings.
Whether you are looking to spend a trip in calm and peace or in a lively set-up of city life, you get both in one place.
Bogota Tours
Find the best city sightseeing tours & attraction tickets on GetYourGuide or Viator. You’ll get to discover the highlights of the city and have a guide (usually local) to give you information on the places you visit.
Best Places to Visit in Bogota
Some of the top things to do include:
La Candelaria
This should be at the very top on your itinerary, as this is where you get to experience the colonial beauty, in the churches and museums found in abundance here. Santa Clara Church near Plaza de Bolivar is loved by all and is a must-see.
Simon Bolivar
Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park, which is located in the center of the city of Bogotá, is surrounded by artificial lakes, a coliseum and an amusement park, and it’s known to hold many free concerts by famous musicians. This is Bogotá’s most famous park that attracts hundreds of tourists, is a place where you can get to enjoy stuff like kite flying, or just enjoy the nature.
Botanical Gardens
No two botanical gardens are the same. If you love nature, strolling in the grounds of botanical gardens can be a beautiful experience. The most amazing aspect of the Bogotá Botanical Garden is that it houses every single plant known to the region. It’s also the biggest botanical garden in Colombia. It only takes $1 to enter and the food available there is delicious.
Monserrate
Monserrate is a large mountain located in the center of Bogotá. It has some great tourist facilities, such as a restaurant and souvenir shop that are located on the top of the mountain.
Visit the church at its peak to get a panoramic view of the city. Use the cable car for some added excitement.
Torre Colpatria
If you’d like to see a true landmark you can visit Torre Colpatria, which is the tallest building in Bogotá. It stands at 50-stories high and is home to many financial institutions. Visitors can even visit the top floor on weekends and holidays.
Art, Museums and Libraries
Visit El Museo del Oro, the popular haunt for art connoisseurs. The gold artifacts they’re unbelievable.
You can also visit the Botero Museum and get a feel of the greatest artists on earth, like Picasso, Matisse and Renoir.
The Molaka Museum is a great place for science enthusiasts to visit because it has nine rooms filled with interactive science games and also has an aquarium with piranhas.
The number of libraries in Bogota is unbelievable. There are some that are famous, like the El Tunal and El Tintal as well as the Virgilio Barco Library.
Relaxation
Feel like relaxing on your trip? There are lots of spas located throughout the city.
Bogota Travel Tips
Getting Around
Stay central and walk to most of the local attractions. Official taxis are reliable. Horse drawn carriages are bound to attract you, and you can use them to explore the city.
Sports
Sports fans have a lot too in the form of Colisea Cubierto El Campion. This is an indoor arena, but there is plenty for the outdoor lovers in Bogota: horse riding, soccer golf and much more.
Shopping
Antique shopping is big in Bogota and La Candelaria is where you should be heading. The Town Center is filled with stores where you get clothing, jewelry, books and music. You wouldn’t want to miss the Unicentro shopping mall, if you’re looking for classy shopping.
Nightlife in Bogota
Known for its nightlife, there are a vast number of high-quality pubs, bars and clubs. Bar Venus, Hard Rock café Bogota and Salome Pagana.
Festivals
The festival of performing arts, Ibero-American theater festival is held every two years in March or April. The Carnival is the highlight of Bogota, and is extremely popular with tourists from around the world.
Everything from parades, dances and masquerades pull people into the middle of the excitement. Finally, if you get a chance, don’t miss out on the Summer and Rock al Parque festivals that Bogota has to offer.
Plan a Trip to Bogota
Bogota has everything that a tourist can ask for and more, this is one of the best cities to visit when backpacking South America. Time you got your traveling shoes on!