Best Things To Do in Bogota, Colombia

Are you looking for what to do in Bogota?

PLACES TO SEE

  • Museo Botero: Named to honour the generous donation of over 100 works of art, some of them rare and never seen before; the Museo Botero is the world’s largest permanent exhibition of the world renowned artist Fernando Botero.
  • Museo del Oro: The Museum of Gold as it is rightly named is Bogota’s prized possession. With over 34,000 pieces of gold and 20,000 other Colombian relics, this 3 storied museum is a fascinating visit back in time, before the Spanish inquisition.
  • Iglesia de San Francisco: The oldest church of the city, this 17th century piece of architecture is considered to be the finest work of that era with equally captivating interiors and a ceiling reminiscent of Mudejar borrowed from an Islamic tradition.
  • Museo Nacional: The National Museum in its former days was a prison where people who went against the conquerors were imprisoned. The Museo Nacional will take you through the events that shaped the Colombia the world knows today.
  • Catedral Primada: Dubbed as the biggest church in all of South America, the Catedral Primada is un-miss-able when strolling through the Bolivar Plaza. Like most churches in Colombia, the brilliant façade does is not reflected among the interiors, although there are some impressive paintings and sculptures from the 17/18th century.

Below we have a list of things to do in Bogota and the places where you want to spend the best moments of your trip. At the same time, the city offers you the best neighborhoods to explore and new foods to try.

This list should help you in deciding and prioritizing what you should plan on your Bogota getaway. Find a mix of must-see tourist spots, underrated local hangouts, and maybe even a few new experiences you can try out.

Make the most of your trip to Bogota with confidence.

Tourist Attractions in Bogota

Here is the list of things to do in Bogota and tourist attractions in city.

  1. Plaza De Bolivar

    4.5 (1463 Votes)
    Plaza De Bolivar

    Plaza

    The best way to start exploring Bogota is from the Plaza de Bolívar, the heart of the city. The Plaza gets its name from the first public figure to be ever erected in the city- Simon Bolivar, to show appreciation for his services rendered during the independence movement. All the major tourist attractions as well as important government buildings are all located within the periphery of t...Read more
  2. Gold Museum Or Museo Del Oro

    4.7 (1750 Votes)
    Gold Museum Or Museo Del Oro

    Specialty Museum

    How much gold do you think you can see before your eyes start to hurt? Can’t put a number on it? Head down to the Museo del Oro and see for yourself. Bogota’s most prized possession, the Museo del Oro literally translates to the ‘museum of gold’. Displaying over 34,000 pieces of gold and some 20,000 of other Columbian relics, the museum is spread over 3 floors. The secon...Read more
  3. Museo Botero

    4.8 (1363 Votes)
    Museo Botero

    Museum, Specialty Museum

    A relatively new museum, the restored colonial house that is Museo Botero was established in 2000 when the world renowned artist Fernando Botero donated over 100 of his works, including 85 original pieces of art by European and North American artists. Fondly referred to as “the man who paints fat people”, most of the exhibits you’ll come across will be chubby art- children, ha...Read more
  4. Colombian National Museum

    4.7 (970 Votes)
    Colombian National Museum

    Museum, History Museum

    The National Museum of Colombia is the biggest and oldest museum in Colombia. This museum houses a huge collection of archaeological findings and collections on Columbia’s history, art, and culture. This museum was built in 1823 and the architectural style of the buildings is that of a fortress with many arches, domes and columns. The museum is home to a collection of over 20,000 pie...Read more
  5. Museo Historico Policia

    4.5 (1140 Votes)
    Museo Historico Policia

    History Museum

    Pablo Escobar was perhaps the most notorious drug lord of Columbia and his demise was certainly a victory for the police force. The Museo Histórico Policía was the ex-headquarters of the police force and as casual a visit you may think a visit here will be, it’s going to be quite the opposite. The most famed exhibits at the museum are Pablo Escobar’s Harley Davidson an...Read more
  6. Maloka

    4.3 (1188 Votes)
    Maloka

    Science Museum, Children Museum, Amphitheater

    The perfect place to take your kids to, the Maloka is an interactive science and technology museum. With over 9 rooms full of interactive fun, the most frequented ones is the Human Room where visitors get to explore the human body is as minute a detail as they want; the Universe Room is the other popular room where you can perform a variety of experiments. In addition to all these interactive r...Read more
  7. Santa Clara Church Museum

    4.7 (1192 Votes)
    Santa Clara Church Museum

    Church, Religious Site, Museum, Architecture

    The Santa Clara Church Museum ( Iglesia Museo Santa Clara), in its glory days of the colonial era, was a church which has now been turned into a museum for preservation purposes. The uniqueness of the church lies in its architecture which is a single-nave with painted motifs on the spirals. Easily one of the top 3 works of colonial architecture, the walls of the church are completely covered in...Read more
  8. Casa De Narino

    4.4 (1309 Votes)
    Casa De Narino

    Palace, Architecture , Heritage Building

    The White House of Columbia, the Casa de Nariño is the President’s palace. Named after Anthony Narino who on the down low, translated French human right laws into Spanish and was jailed several times for this, the Casa de Narino isn’t all open to the public. If you want to visit the palace, you’ll have to go through their official website (www.presidencia.gov.co) and ch...Read more
  9. Museo De Arte Colonial Bogot

    4.7 (1237 Votes)
    Museo De Arte Colonial Bogot

    Art Museum

    The home of colonial art, the Museo de Arte Colonial was restored in 1999 to preserve the exhibits and keep it open to public. Not as well maintained as the other bigger museums of the city, the walls are tainted with trail sketches and other such blemishes. While the bottom half of the museum is dictated by the religious artifacts, a majority of the pieces on display are the works of Gregorio ...Read more
  10. Church Of San Francisco

    4.6 (1183 Votes)
    Church Of San Francisco

    Church, Religious Site, Architecture

    Another feather in Bogota’s cap, the Church of San Francisco (Iglesia de San Francisco), built in the 17th century is the city’s oldest church. The interiors of this church, particularly the main altarpiece is considered to be the Bogota’s best and most elaborate art. A beautiful example of some fine architecture of that era, the ceiling is reminiscent of Mudejar borrowed from...Read more
  11. Catedral Primada

    4.7 (1239 Votes)
    Catedral Primada

    Church, Religious Site, Cathedral

    Located in Bolivar Square, you absolutely cannot miss the stunning facade that is the Catedral Primada. Dubbed as the largest church in all of South America, the church’s architecture is influenced by neoclassical architecture. Like all the other Columbian churches, the interiors are rather simple without any frills and splendor. The Catedral Primada does however, have paintings and sculp...Read more
  12. Museo Del 20 De Julio

    4.6 (1156 Votes)
    Museo Del 20 De Julio

    Museum, War Memorial

    The place that started it all-when a broken vase meant a lot more than just shattered glass. A small row between a Spaniard and a Columbian that resulted in the War of Independence, the Museo del 20 de Julio is at the northeast corner of the Bolivar Plaza. The 10 hall museum, displaying war memorabilia, is a product of the resultant war and the vase in question is on display within the halls.
  13. Quinta De Bolivar

    4.7 (834 Votes)
    Quinta De Bolivar

    Museum, Architecture

    Named after the beneficiary of the palace, the Quinta de Bolivar is a government building that was gifted to Simon Bolivar as a token of appreciation for his services in the freedom for independence. After Bolivar’s passing, the Columbian government acquired the Quinta in 1922 and turned it into a museum. The museum is home to many period artifacts among which are a few of Bolívar&...Read more
  14. La Candelaria
    Many landmark events took place at La Candelaria including the South American independence and the near killing of Simon Bolivar. Some streets are reserved for pedestrians. The oldest Bogota neighborhood has many museums and churches.
  15. Hacienda Santa Barbara
    Hacienda Santa Bárbara is a shopping mall located in the Columbian capital of Bogota. Blending together the historic and modern architecture, this mall is built around the mid-19th century colonial house. This is a one stop shop for all your daily need. Be it visiting the bank, or withdrawing a cash amount from an ATM, or buying grocery, watching a movie or eating at a restaurant. This m...Read more

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  • Where can I go in Bogota, Colombia to see typical dances and music? Thanks, Luis E Zuzunaga luchozuzunaga@gmail.com

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    • A specific venue, where you can see typical dances and music in Bogota, is not known. You can ask the locals around as they are the best source of information. 

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