Overview
** BOGOTA, COLOMBIA TOURS **
Read travel tips for Bogota, Colombia from our amazing community of BLACK AND BROWN TRAVELERS that will help you find some of the best places to visit Bogota, Colombia. Our variety of travel tips will definitely help you plan your next trip. Our tips range from best places to visit in Bogota, Colombia, affordability, nightlife, local food, where to stay and even what it is like Traveling While Black. Lastly, we are working diligently to create a comprehensive city guide for Bogota Tours. Stay tuned! But in the meantime, scroll down to read tips below!
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Colombia was one of the most peaceful and welcoming places I’ve ever been. The first weekend of December, which happens to be my birthday, they have a holiday festival. Dia de last Velitas, The Day of Little Candles. I’ve been taking Spanish daily since I got back. I will be returning. And yes, definitely Black friendly. Colombia is one of the top 10 most highly melenated countries outside of the continent of Africa.
We spent two weeks in Colombia, Bogota was our first stop and then Cartagena. The trip was amazing, the food and the culture was something to experience. Make sure you exchange your currency because they do not accept US cash. Be prepared for the street sellers and folks begging as well, it could be a little heart broken but it’s the norm there. A few of the street vendors can get a little aggressive but nothing to be concern about. But whatever you do do not flash your cash. We did a bike tour of the city which is a must because you get to see the historic sights also food was included. We also did a bar hopping tour that we booked on booking.com. The bar tour came with a guide and alcohol was including. She took us to various bar where we had beer and rum tasting and ended the night at a local night club that is located in the city sqaure with other clubs around. It was also easy to get around with taxis located on the outside everywhere we went and also Uber works there as well which was pretty safe. A little suggestion to book all your tours on notable sites such as Booking.com, Expedia and Vaitor. We visited the Salt Cathedral and if you do this tour please make sure that you wear good footwear because the salt is slippery under your feet and you could fall, sandals/slippers are not recommended. You do wear a translator while touring that explains every stop on the tour and the end of the tour you end up at a dog arena for all those animal lovers out there. Our last day in Bogota we did a hike up a mountain that almost killed me because the air became extremely thin but it was worth it because the meaning behind gives you a full history of a tribe that lived in the mountains. We had to take a bus outside the city which was a one hour drive, the bus, guide and lunch was included in the tour, we booked with Vaitor.
In my opinion, the capital city of Bogota is the least interesting major city in Colombia when it comes to things to do. I feel that Medellin, Cali, and Barranquilla may have more options for travelers to enjoy. However, the zone where most of the clubs/shopping/restaurants are is Zone T. This is also one of the safest zones as the city can be very dangerous. Sightseeing in the downtown area at Bolivar Square is night and day from Zone T. There are many homeless, poor people peddling goods. It was swarming with cops but still a very dangerous area. It could be very picturesque due to the history of the plaza and the monuments in that area but it is truly filthy there. If I had to list the top 3 sights for visitors to see, they would be: Bolivar Square, Gold Museum, and Monserrate.
Bogota is a chilly city so don’t forget to bring a coat! The city is huge so it’s best to go by transport – be careful with taxis cause they might rip you off! We went to the Gold musem (Museo del Oro) for a small entrance fee about 4000 colombian pesos (around 1 USD) which had all of Colombias history in it. It was so worth it! We also went up the mountain Monserrate by train – a must cause the view of the city at the top is amazing! It costed around 14 000 colombian pesos (5 USD). At the top there is also a church that you can visit.
Definitely take a walk into the city for all the shops and food vendors.! Go to Monserrate and walk up to the top, beautiful views. BUY BUÑUELOS..sooo good. When walking around in the city, watch your bags carefully the pick pocketers will get you !
There are a lot of things to do in Bogota Colombia, they have a selection of tours, museums, art events, and local culture. It is a great place to explore, learn about their cultures, eat amazing food, and all at a great cost. Not much is spent to get there and to explore. There isn’t much relaxation unless one makes it into a relaxation trip, since Bogota is a busy city and is surrounded mostly by its city life. Colombians love to party, and they will have all kinds of clubs/ lounges to choose from if that is your scene. Traveling while black did involve some stares, however, everyone was more interested to know where we visited from and excited when they see people from America, however, as an AfroLatina myself, wish I saw the same support for their local black people.
Colombia is one of those countries I would definitely move to. I love Cartagena I loved the coconut rice the lemonada frio the roof top clubs and I definitely suggest renting a boat and visiting Rosario island I would definitely definitely recommend Colombia and also go to the mud volcano and get a bathing massage bath it’s a different experience
Colombia ?? is hands down the best trip I’ve taken! Bogota is full of rich history and culture, and is extremely cheap! In fact, we were leaving on the day of the Presidential Election last year, and boy was the trip informative because of the corruption in the government.
Police officers were walking the streets with AK47’s, and citizens excited for their particular parties. We stayed in a downtown hotel and spit our time between Bogota and Medellin.
The only thing that is normal price in computation to USD is the mall because it carries a lot of American Brands.
For our dinner on top of the Mountain. I had a full bottle of wine, creme brûlée, a fillet, a la cart sides, and an appetizer and spent $27 American dollars. It was the best steak I’ve had in my life mind you. The grain of the steak when the knife hit the meat was unreal.
I may have taken $250 American Dollars at most and gave half of it to our house maid in Medellin because she took such great care of us. I virtually spent no money in Colombia, and bought everything for 5 days.
Must TRAVEL!
This was actually my first time going to South America and, I must say, I definitely plan on going back. Every thing from the land, the people and the food was truly an beautiful moment and experience I’ll never forget. I traveled by Delta International Airlines and the service was an exceptional 5 star rating. When I got to the beautiful city of Bogota Colombia, I came to this amazing hotel called, “NH Hotel & Suites”, located in the heart of downtown Bogota Colombia. As soon as I entered, I was stunned by the beauty of 3 glass chandeliers, but the true beauty I’ll never forget was on my floor which showed a glorious overview of the entire city of Bogota. I could see the great mountains from all around the area which showed the beauty of the sun rising and setting with clear skies for the week I stayed. As soon I stepped out the hotel in the morning, I was amazed by the enriching smells of their classic, delicious food; the empanadas were my absolute favorite by the way. Bogota had also has so many flora and fauna that I’ve never seen before. The flowers’ and trees’ beauty was simply breathe taking. The people of Bogota Colombia were so kind to me. I learned so much from the people about the history of the country that I’ll never forget. They all have been through rough times, but they all work and stick together, and they’re so welcoming. It felt like a big happy family. They truly made me feel at home. All I can say is I had an amazing, fun, life changing experience in Bogota. The city of Bogota Colombia has a piece of my heart and I WILL be back again. Til’ next time Colombia ??.
Bogota was a beautiful surprise. I explored here during a 6 hr. layover on the way to Cartagena. The city was easy to traverse with a simple taxi process (line right outside of a the arrivals area of the airport). Uber also is an option here. My recommendation, for greatest value, is to stay with a local host at an ABNB. Comfortable for traveling while Black. Please note, due to the high altitude, elevation sickness is a possibility. Take it slow, hydrate and allow your body to acclimate.
link to AirBnB below:
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/30428535?guests=1&user_id=186689947&ref_device_id=5fe61d5f56abe277&_branch_match_id=614534852475493470&adults=1
I fell in love with Bogota during my 4 days trip there with my sister. I looked at Airbnb for activities to do, my suggestion always checkout Airbnb experiences for activities. I booked a walking tour with my sister and it costed approximately $32. The walking was at Usaquen, Bogota, we walked with a couple from the area and they took us to a trail that led to a water factory with a beautiful view of Bogota. We also booked a Graffiti Tour which is free you can book on bogotagrafitti.com. We also visited Mount Monserrate, it costed approximately $15 each and I suggest that you do go if you plan to take the ferry up because the lines are long. But if you plan to walk please know that it can take two hours to walk up and about one hour and half to walk down, but it also depends on how fast you choose to walk.
This was my first South American trip. I spent 3 days here around Labor Day, which is more than enough time. We stayed at a boutique hotel a bit north of La Candelaria. Most days we would Uber (sit in the front seat of the Uber!) down to La Candelaria and hang out around there. The people are nice and food is good. Within the city itself, as most people have noted already, Monserrate offers the best views in the city. I got some great photos from the top! I might be in a minority but I wasn’t impressed with the Gold Museum. It just didn’t do it for me.
The best part of the trip for me was the hiking I did in Choachi about an hour or so outside of Bogota. Hiking through an Andean rain forest to see the tallest waterfall in Colombia was memorable! Easily the hardest hike in my life though. The casually walking through Bogota in altitude was difficult as is, but hiking for hours in altitude was brutal. Also, off roading in a car that’s basically a Honda Fit provided even more to the experience. I will never forget that day!
Stayed at Botanico Hostel. Went on a graffiti art tour. I wouldn’t have found some of these places without the tour. The guide gives the meaning behind the art as well. Took the cable cars to Monserrate for beautiful views over Bogota. Ate tamales at La Puerta Falsa. Tried ajiaco (traditional soup) at El Gato Gris. It was good, but a little bland. There is a Colombian fusion restaurant, Sant Just, that has really good food. The plazas are large and did not have much activity in the evening. The area walking to Paloquemao market is not safe. Someone stole my phone on the way there.
My fiance and I had a long layover in Bogota. Had to get used to the elevation first, as it’s a city in the mountains, so let your sinuses adjust first lol. We went to Monserrate, since we didn’t have but almost a day. Great views. There’s restaurants all over, so you can just wing it as far as food. It’s cheap everywhere. We checked out the Gold Museum. It had a lot of pieces and artifacts. The locals were very friendly since many of them have the same brown skin that we have. Inexpensive city, safe, relaxing, and enjoyable. Don’t have to spend but 3 days at the most.
Bogota | IG: Que.Hall
My girlfriend and I spent 24hrs in Bogota lol. Got to love layovers lol. Bogota was unique. It did not scream come visit but it seem like the perfect wind down to an event trip. We checked out Monserrate which overlooks the city. All downtown Bogotá, south Bogotá and some sections of the north of the city are visible facing west, making it a popular destination to watch the sunset over the city. It has just recently in 2017 and the views are amazing. There’s restaurants also for a very nice romantic dinner.
We also checked out the Gold Museum. Its one of the most visited museums in the country. The museum has a collection of 55,000 pieces, 6,000 of which are on display in their expanded building. There are bilingual descriptions of almost all exhibits. On the first floor houses the museum’s main entrance, a shop, and a restaurant.
We managed to check out a college, Town Hall, and Parque de Usaquen. Uber was readily available. I don’t remember many places accepting our credit cards. The locals were friendly and we also watch a news cast record live. A street performance was happening also. It was very relaxing to walk around into different areas and soak in the activities that were happening. Inexpensive, safe and enjoyable.
I spent 3 days in Bogota and it was more than enough time to experience the city. Bogota has many different museums to visit if you’re into visiting museums during international travel. The Museo de Oro (Gold Museum) is probably the coolest of the museums. Also, I highly recommend visiting Monserrate (the monastery in the mountains). There are three ways to reach Monserrate: cable car, train, or stairs. The stairs are the cheapest way, but it is a pretty good hike to the top. I was also told by a local that it can be dangerous. I took the cable car and it was a great experience. The views on the cable car are amazing.
BOGOTA! I so loved it there. I was very cheap and the food was amazing I was only there 2days. I ate this restaurant called Andres D.C. get the Salmon dish!!! I took a tour at the Monserrat on the cables to the top on some mountains, view was breathtaking! Cost about 6USD Then I went to the Guadalupe, it was closed but emu driver still took me and I was at to take really amazing pictures… I really want to go back. Don’t get wine at the airport the cheapest is 30 usd.. and it’s not all that lol get your souvenirs before you get the airport.
I love me some Bogota! It reminds me of San Francisco (where I live) but it’s WAAYYY more affordable. We stayed in an Airbnb that was on the top floor of a complex for cheap. The complex had free laundry, a 200M track on the roof and full gym. Additionally, we took a trip to Fusagasuga which was also beautiful and historic. And to add on, very affordable. By affordable I mean 16 empanadas (the most delicious empanadas I’ve ever had) for the US equivalent of $10.
Given the chance, I encourage anyone to take a trip to Bogota…and also Fusagasuga.
I was only in Bogota for a days and I wish I had more time because the city is beautiful; not picturesque but the culture is prevalent and that’s the beauty in it.
I spent time in Bolivar Squares just walking around. There’s locals in the center either showcasing their talent or selling their art. I had delicious empanadas and their local drink known as a Canelazo. It was delicious and infused with Colombian spices and liquor. It’s a must try!
Also as you walk down the street past the squares, you’ll run into some cool Colombian street art.
My friends and I also went to a local coffee shop call Contraste and their coffee was amazing. This place is also and must try.
Visit the W Bogota bar for a drink and chop it up with the bartenders. They’re super friendly!
There was a Black Colombian woman we met there and she was soooo excited to see us because there’s not many Black or darker skinned people in Bogota.
Oh and the food there is also amazing. I will definitely be back!
Seriously fell in love with Bogota! I travelled across Colombia to Medellin, Cartagena, and Bogota… they are all amazing for very different reasons but Bogota was the most non-touristy which is probably why I liked it the most. So much history written in the walls of bogota and it was truly incredible. I traveled in Bogota for 3 days and that was the perfect amount of time to see the city in my opinion. The views in Bogota were absolutely amazing… I can’t stress it enough! Worth the trip 110%