Enjoy a carnival dance, discover colorful street art, and find inspiration while engaging in amazing activities in Bogotá.
Bogotá, which spans a high-altitude Andean plateau, combines a mysterious ancient past with laid-back locals whose zest for life enchants tourists. Discover the past of the indigenous Muisca people by exploring the famed Gold Museum and climbing the clouds to the holy Monserrate Mountain.
La Candelaria, the city's historic center, is alive with the sound of vintage romantic guitar music, billows clouds of handmade incense, and displays street art that depicts tales of internal strife, defiance, and long-awaited peace. Locals in Bogotá still enchant visitors with their sincere hospitality. At carnival parties worthy of a Colombian fantasy, they greet guests at events like the citywide cycle day and share bottles of liquor before pointing the way to the lit disco floor.
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| The Top 11 Activities in Bogotá |
1. Carne de Res Andres
What's that? Picture a burlesque circus with multicolored ceramic cows lurking at the door, mariachi bands serenading diners, and dance floors pulsating with Latin beats. This crazy restaurant/late-night carnival in Bogotá seems to have come from Tim Burton's wild imagination.
Why leave? Savor slabs of tender beef and racks of glossy maroon pork ribs; toast with shots of aguardiente (aniseed liquor), a local specialty that's always in demand; and groove to salsa, electro, and reggaeton amidst the weekend revelers.
2. Ciclovia
What's that? Every Sunday, the city blocks off 75 miles of streets so that pedestrians, bicyclists, and even rollerbladers can travel around unhindered by cars. Though it originated in Bogotá, Colombia, the Ciclovia is still most abundant in the nation's capital.
Why leave? Either on two wheels or mingling with brightly attired joggers, it's the perfect way to see the city or get over that throbbing hangover. Refuel with sweet, juicy mangos from street vendors or take a big gulp of guarapo, which is the sweet juice extracted from sugarcane.
3. The Museum of Gold
What's that? A three-story museum featuring indigenous artifacts that shed light on past civilizations and the largest collection of gold relics in the world (more than 55,000).
Why leave? Discover exquisite gold figurines of jaguars, eagles, and frogs that were formerly thought to be sacred to pre-Hispanic peoples. The 87 distinct indigenous communities of Colombia still practice an ancient way of life that is preserved in their spears, masks, and ceramics. Advice: Take advantage of the free English tour on Tuesday through Sunday at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
4. Tour of Graffiti Art
What's that? The three-hour Graffiti Walking Tour, which is free but donations are accepted, takes visitors around the La Candelaria neighborhood while illuminating Colombia's fascinating and frequently tragic past.
Why leave? Stroll along the wavy cobblestone streets and take pictures of original artwork, such as DJ Lu's anti-war pictures of soldiers firing love hearts and pineapple grenades, or El Pez's signature multicolored psychedelic fish. As you learn about Colombia's journey from war to peace, you'll pass gatherings of dreadlocked vendors selling hand-woven bracelets and groups of acoustic guitarists sporting trilby hats.
5. Mount Monserrate
What's that? A 3,152-meter-tall city mountain that dominates Bogotá's historic district. This sacred spot was known by the pre-Hispanic Muisca indigenous community as quijicha caca, or grandmother's foot, before the Spanish Catholics added a famous whitewashed sanctuary.
Why leave? Devotees ascend to the seventeenth-century church every Sunday to honor the shrine of El Señor Caído, also known as The Fallen Lord. Humble pilgrims have been known to crawl up on their hands and knees; the cable car with its expansive views of the city is highly recommended.
6. The Son of the Grills
What's that?
This traditional Bogotá home has been transformed into a restaurant with low-hanging chandeliers, pearl-white tablecloths, and elaborate three-pronged candlesticks. Enchanting flute music fills the air.
Why leave?
Savor ajiaco, a soup made with soft, shredded chicken, juicy corn on the cob, and diced potatoes peeking through the sage-colored broth, while dining in one of the city's oldest structures. Serve this neighborhood favorite with fresh coriander, rice, avocado, cream, and tart capers.
7. The Septima Challenge
What's that? Every month on the first Saturday, the La Septima Challenge is held along Carrera 7, where visitors and locals are encouraged to form teams and compete in three hours of sometimes absurd tasks.
Why leave? Try your Spanish and rhythm by taking selfies with dogs wearing Colombian soccer jerseys or salsa dancing with locals. Following the event, everyone involved (including patriotic dogs) gathered at the Australian Beach House bar to enjoy a beer and some barbecue.
8. Trash Museum
What's that? Francisco Antonio Zea Restrepo opened a museum with plastic dolls with one eye, floor-scattered glasses of whisky bottles, and stained bras hanging from the ceiling for a reason.
Why leave? Francisco issues a warning, saying that if we do nothing, our world will end up looking like this unsteady, disorganized mess. The wiry, bearded owner of El Museo de la Basura might offer you a glass of whiskey as he spins an enthralling tale about how he ended up living among trash.
9. The Market at Emerald
What's that? Seventy to ninety percent of the world's emerald market comes from Colombia, and many of these gems make their way through the capital and end up in shops between Carrera 12 and Calle 6.
Why leave? Explore an extensive selection of superior quality emeralds that even the most seasoned gemstone seeker will drool over, sourced from mines located in Boyacá and Cundinamarca. A certificate of authenticity and a follow-up inspection of each stone are required by the establishment.
10. Farmers Market in Chapinero
What's that? Locally grown products are brought to the Mercado Agroecológico Campesino in the Chapinero neighborhood every Sunday by farmers from the surrounding area.
Why leave? Eat your way through the stands, savoring recently made empanadas and sipping unusual fruit drinks like passion fruit or lulo. Get iconic Colombian items like frijoles (beans) and panela (raw sugarcane), while locally made artisanal goods like organic cosmetics and natural healing creams delight the earth and calm the body.
11. Tejo La 76 Club
What's that? Imagine drinking a beer and throwing a chunk of iron the size of an ice puck at a pile of gunpowder.
Why leave? Tejo, which dates back more than 500 years, is still played in a lot of bars and specialized venues like Club de Tejo La 76. The object of the game is for players toss a puck 18.5 meters (roughly the width of a tennis court) towards a triangle-shaped section of gunpowder that is trapped in a clay mesh. Advice: Novices move upstairs to shorter, more straightforward lanes that ensure greater value for money.