The things to do in Bogota honestly didn’t impress me at first. I found Bogota to be a very hectic city with little to do. Once I visited Bogota a second time I realized that traveling to Bogota is like sour patch kids, at first its sour but then its sweet. The city is massive compared to other cities in country, the 2nd largest city Medellin isn’t even half the size of Bogota. What Bogota can offer is an array of cultural aspects of Colombia you won’t find anywhere else in the country. Here are the top things to do in Bogota:
Church in the famous Plaza Bolivar
La Candelaria Historic District –
This is historic part of the city where you will find many old historic cathedrals and the famous Plaza Bolivar. Make sure to visit one of the many restaurants in the area and take plenty of pictures. The Colombian presidential complex is very near the plaza and also heavily guarded.
Museums –
There aren’t many cities in the world that can offer what Bogota offers in museums. You could spend over a week just going from museum to museum. Make sure to visit the world class gold museum (Museo De Oro) and the ever interesting Emerald Museum & Colonial Art Museum.
Cerro Montserrate –
One of the most magical views of the city can be seen from the top of Cerro Montserrate. Once at the top you will find a small church and slew of tourist souvenir shops. The catch is actually getting a clear day as most days in Bogota are cloudy and rainy. There is also another hill just across from Cerro Montserrate that you can visit. In order to get to the other hill you will have to contract a taxi.
The Salt Flat Cathedral in Bogota
Salt Cathedral (Catedral de Sal de Zipaquira) –
You can find this church about an hour away from the city inside a small town called Zipaquira. The church has been carved out of a salt mine and you can get incredible pictures inside the brightly light mine. Click here to see one of my pictures. It’s a tourist catch by any stretch of the imagination but is still something that you should see.
Bogota’s Ciclovia –
Every Sunday the city of Bogota shuts down many of its roadways including its main artery, La Septima (7th ave), to turn the normally chaotic streets into a massive street party. One of the main things you will see are thousands of people riding bicycles riding through the shutdown roadways. This is a great opportunity to try local food from street vendors and soak in the culture of Rolos (people from Bogota).
