First Timer’s Guide to Bogota Itinerary: What to Do, How to Get Around & Where to Stay

A lot of people skip Bogota and opt for the more tourist-visited places in Colombia, like Cartagena and Medellin. But let’s get the record straight: YES! Bogota is well worth visiting. If! You love culture, history, art, food, and shopping.

I was in Bogota for a week, and it wasn’t enough. It quickly became one of my favorite cities in Latin America. Not only is it the food capital of Colombia, but I couldn’t believe the richness in immersive cultural experiences, including a plethora of bookstores, cafes, history, museums, art galleries, boutique shopping, local tours, and emeralds!

Bogota is also the main hub connecting much of Colombia, making it an easy and convenient stop on your way to another destination in Colombia or across Latin America!

How to Get To & From the Bogota Airport

From the Airport, I got a $30 pickup from Gran Colombia Tours via GetYourGuide, but you can also just hail an airport-certified taxi, pay at the airport counter, and then use that receipt to give to your taxi driver. 

It’s about a 20 to 30 minute drive between El Dorado Airport and the most popular parts of Bogota to stay in, including Candelaria and Chapinero (more on that below).

Then, on my last day, I took an Uber to the airport from my hotel in Chapinero, and it cost me about $7.

On arrival, I wanted the peace of mind that someone would be waiting for me with a sign and would walk me out because some airports can get crazy. That said, Bogota’s airport was honestly totally fine and orderly.

How to Move Around Within Bogota

Walking: You can get around Bogotá on foot, but I don’t always recommend it unless you see a lot of people around. Walking in most of Candelaria, Bogotá’s historic old town, is totally fine. Because it is truly bustling with people, even after sunset. Walking in Chapinero, many parts are fine. Just be sure there are other people walking around, or within sight.

UBER: This is your best and safest bet. You want to use an Uber! It’s easy and affordable, for about $7 for 30 minutes of driving or $5 for 20 minutes. In many cases, the driver might ask if you can sit in the front of the Uber. This is very commonly expected in Colombia to avoid regulatory issues. I keep reading mixed reports about whether Uber is 100% legal in Colombia. I mostly sat in the back, but a local friend would explain, halfway through the trip, that in Colombia, you should sit in the front/passenger seat of the Uber. I never had a single issue, and only had to sit in the front once, when my airport driver picked me up. Feel it out!

Safety Note: DO NOT TAKE YOUR PHONE OUT UNLESS IT’S SAFE IN BOGOTA. Even if you’re in a car, make sure no one can snatch it from your window.

Where to Stay in Bogota

For your first trip, you want to stay in one of two neighborhoods. 

CHAPINERO neighborhood is your best bet for a comfortable, well-located base. It’s a huge area that’s calm, lush, green, full of cafes and very cool boutique shopping. Getting from one point of Chapinero to the other can be a 20-minute Uber drive; that’s how big it is. And within Chapinero are other micro neighborhoods like El Nogal and Alto Chapinero. It’s also home to some of the city’s queer scene, including Teatron – supposedly the biggest queer nightclub in the world.

Much of it is gorgeous, with its leafy building facades and terracotta architecture. Many parts are walkable, some parts look a little industrial, and some you should Uber. 

I stayed at the HAB Hotel in Chapinero. This boutique hotel alone is worth the stay, with a gorgeous cafe restaurant and some of the best dishes for both dinner and breakfast. And it all felt luxurious while being ECONOMICAL. The rooms start at $55. GET THE SUITE. Trust me. And it felt super safe being here as a solo female traveler. By the end of my stay, we all knew each other by first name. The staff was so sweet (Gabriella, David and Paxon really took care of me!).

The meals at their on-site restaurant (Hab Cafe) start at around $5 to $10+ (unless you get a two-person ribeye, of course), and if you get altitude sickness here, order the coca leaf infusion tea!

Stay at the HAB Hotel, ask for room 304B, and thank me later!

CANDELARIA neighborhood is the other great option for first time visitors. It is considered the tourist center and home to most of the top first-time attractions, including the Emerald District, Botero Museum, Gold Museum, Museo Nacional de Colombia, the teleférico to Monserrate – you get the idea! 

But Candelaria can feel extremely noisy with the motors of bikes and cars, the air feels way more polluted, and some streets are historic, tiny one-way, making it stressful to get in and out of your Uber. If that doesn’t bother you, you could stay in Candelaria and make a full day trip of Chapinero instead!

Note: Both neighborhoods are an easy 20-30 minutes Uber drive ($5) from each other.

How to Handle the Altitude

Bogotá sits at 8,660 feet above sea level, making it the third-highest capital city in the world. So it’s likely your body will feel it, especially the first couple of days. Here’s what helped me, as a chronic altitude-sufferer (I’ve learned the heard way from Cusco to Mexico City):

Order coca leaf infusion tea. The HAB Hotel has it, and it works. Go easy on red meat and eat good-for-altitude foods like chicken hearts in Salva Patria – it helped a lot!. Drink an insane amount of water, ideally with electrolytes. If you can, do some cardio in the weeks before your trip so your lungs aren’t completely caught off guard. And if you get a headache, don’t tough it out. Bring painkillers. Sleeping slightly elevated, or sitting up, also helps your body adjust overnight.

The altitude isn’t unbearable, but don’t ignore it either. Give yourself a slower first day and you’ll be fine.

Things to Do in Bogota: A 3 Day Itinerary

DAY 1: Museo Botero + Emerald District + Candelaria

Museo Botero

Spend your first day in Candelaria. Start your morning at the Botero Museum, probably the most popular attraction in the city. Fernando Botero was Colombia’s most celebrated artist, known for his signature style of painting and sculpting figures with curvy proportions. You’ll find round, full, larger-than-life characters bursting with color and personality. Botero used his art to comment on power, politics, and Colombian society, including a powerful series on the violence that plagued the country for decades. He donated hundreds of works to the people of Colombia, including his own pieces and works by other huge artists such as Picasso and Joan Miro. It’s all housed in Museos del Banco de la República – a stunning complex of free museums housed within a colonial mansion. I went on my own, but you can also take a tour for a guided experience. Don’t miss the gift shop, so many cute gems there!

Lunch at San Felipe Candelaria Restaurante

Get lunch at San Felipe Candelaria Restaurante. TRUST ME. I accidentally found this unassuming place because I was altitude-dehydrated and needed to buy a bottle of water. It looks dead from the outside. But when you go upstairs, it’s bustling with locals. The meals are about $5 for a start, main, and beverage. It was one of the best meals I had, and I’m getting hungry just thinking about it. They ONLY do lunch.

Emerald District

Then, head over to the Emerald District to make your own emerald ring and shop for emeralds! Since Colombia is the #1 exporter of emeralds, producing around 90% of the world’s emerald supply, you can find some of the coolest gemstones here in a wide variety at a more accessible price. I did an emerald ring-making class, and in just 2 hours, I had created my own hand-made shiny emerald ring -, book the emerald ring making workshop here for $130, too. Absolutely worth it.

Explore Candelaria Neighborhood

Since you’re already here, explore Candelaria’s cutest spots such as Plazoleta del Chorro de Quevedo, a pretty and. popular square for people to try chicha drink and peruse market stalls. Right next to that is Callejon del Embudo, a tiny, cobblestone, picturesque street with little shops and restaurants. The famous Plaza de Bolivar here is an iconic site not to be missed. And right next to that is the oldest restaurant in Bogota, La Puerta Falsa – 210 years old! I didn’t get to go in here because it was either closed or had a long line. So try to plan that one wisely. Lastly, the historic Calle 12 is full of restaurants, cafes, and pastry shops – the very bottom leads you to the big Lerner Bookstore, where you can pick up some books about Latino America and/or Colombia!

DAY 2: Colombian Breakfast Tour + Fashion Tour 

Colombian Breakfast Tour

Start your morning with a Colombian breakfast tour. Listen-  I’m not a breakfast girly, but for the first time in my life, the Colombian breakfasts converted me. It’s so much more than the same 5 regurgitations of bread and eggs like in the USA. And there’s no better way to sample it all, along with some cultural connection, than with a local-led tasting of traditional morning staples from hot chocolate with cheese to yuca waffles. 

Local Fashion Tour

Then, spend the afternoon on a local fashion tour with Valentina, a personal stylist who actually gets to know you before taking you anywhere. After learning about my style and what I was looking for, she curated a full route of local boutiques featuring Colombian and Latin American designers. I found places I never would have found on my own and pieces I can rewear a hundred times. She nailed it. I tried on things I never would have reached for myself and left with some of my favorite finds from the entire trip. And the designers are often right there, ready to tailor pieces on the spot. You can book the fashion tour here ($53).

If shopping isn’t your thing, consider the El Nogal Art Gallery hopping tour, just a few blocks over.

Explore Alto Chapinero

End your day exploring Alto Chapinero, the leafy, upscale pocket of Chapinero filled with independent cafes, concept stores, art galleries, and great restaurants. Seriously, so many restaurants and cafes are here. It’s the kind of neighborhood you can wander for hours without a plan and still have a great time. 

DAY 3: Gold Museum + Museo Nacional + Monserrate

Gold Museum

Start your last day at the Museo del Oro, or Gold Museum, one of the most fascinating museums in all of South America. It houses the largest collection of pre-Columbian gold artifacts in the world, over 34,000 gold pieces from Colombia’s indigenous cultures. Gold held deep spiritual and ceremonial meaning for these civilizations, long before the Spanish arrived. A famous piece is the Muisca Raft, a golden artifact directly tied to the legend of El Dorado. But my favorite was La Concha (a seashell gold encasement that’s over a thousand years old). Entrance is at $1.25, and free on Sundays and holidays. But you can also take a private tour for a guided experience.

Right next to the museum is Café El Dorado. Stop by for a break. Get the empanadas, pandebono (Colombian cheese bread), or pandeyuca (cassava bread). 

Museo Nacional del Colombia

You can continue exploring with a stroll through the Museo Nacional de Colombia and/or the Paloquemao Fruit Market, one of the most colorful and vibrant markets in the city. It’s a great place to try fresh tropical fruits you’ve probably never heard of. One of the most popular tours in Bogota is actually the fruit tasting tour here.

Cerro de Monserrate

End the day by taking the funicular or teleférico up to Cerro de Monserrate. The main draw here is the views of the city from above, surrounded by the Andes mountains. So it’s a quick visit. I went in the morning, but many locals suggest coming here for sunset, so you can also see the night view of the city from above. Just a heads up: Monserrate sits another 1,600 feet above the city, so wait until you’re more acclimated to the altitude before heading up.

And if you want to knock out most of these in one go, this guided tour ($170) covers Monserrate, Candelaria, Gold Museum, Botero Museum – all in one morning/afternoon, and they even pick you up from your hotel. Great for context, and you’ll have someone to take your picture 😉 If you’re really short on time, this is a good option. I had more days, so I slowly did it all myself at my own pace.

Bogota, Colombia – My Conclusion

Bogotá will surprise you. It surprised me. A city that doesn’t beg or need your attention but earns it quickly through its food, art, people, and the kind of experiences you don’t find on a highlight reel. One week here felt like both too short and just enough to know I needed to go back. If you’ve been sleeping on Bogotá, consider this your sign. Even just a day itinerary here is truly well worth it.

Final verdict: If you love culture, history, art, food, and shopping – do not pass on Bogota!

Let me know if you have any questions in the comments. Hope this first timer’s guide, itinerary + cost breakdown of Bogota helped you! I wrote it from the heart.

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