If you’ve had the good sense to spend several days in the Colombian capital, you may be wondering what to do around Bogotá The department of Cundinamarca has plenty to offer for a day out!
So if you’re looking for things to do in the Bogotá region, here are a few ideas to help you round off your stay in the Colombian capital.
Contents
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General information Bogotá area
Radius: 100 km around Bogota
Region: Andes
County: Cundinamarca
Demonym: Cundinamarqués/a
Population: 13 million
Towns and villages: 117
Max. altitude nevado del Sumapaz 4506m
Min. altitude río Magdalena 300m
Average temperatures : 0°C to 30°C
Climates: from hot and humid to cold and humid
Disclaimer: we apologize in advance for any grammatical or syntactic errors, as our native language is not English (we're a Colombian-French couple), so we hope you'll forgive us and still enjoy the information we share with you! Please note that all the information on our blog is based on our own experience, and is checked and updated regularly.
Guided tours in English around Bogota
Excursions around Bogota
Our partner Felipe, a English-speaking Colombian guide, offers private guided tours in English of Bogotá and the surrounding area.
Felipe is a language teacher, translator, interpreter, scuba diving enthusiast and tour guide! He shares his passion for Bogotá and Colombia with travelers curious about what to do around Bogotá.
English tours around Bogotá suggested by Felipe
- Trek to Chingaza
- Laguna de Guatavita
- Nemocon salt mines
- Zipaquira Salt Cathedral
- La Chorrera waterfall
- Sueva waterfall
Felipe also offers a tour of downtown Bogotá (including Paloquemao Market, Gold Museum, Candelaria, Monserrate, Botero Museum)
Chingaza National Nature Park
The closest paramo to Bogotá
Less than 2 hours from Bogotá, you can discover one of the unique landscapes of the Andes: the Paramo! A magical ecosystem whose special feature is its water production: 80 th of the water consumed in Bogotá is produced by the Paramo de Chingaza!
You can’t leave Colombia without seeing a paramo. So if you love nature and hiking in the mountains, we recommend you escape to this once-sacred territory.
At Chingaza Natural Park, 6 ecotourism trails are open to the public. If you’re very lucky, you might even spot some deer, and if you’re very lucky, the emblematic “Oso de Anteojo”, the spectacled bear! Chingaza offers access to the lakes that are part of the Eldorado legend.
Most of the walks take place during the day. However, if you want to take a longer route, you can stay overnight (camping or dormitory). In the interests of conservation, admission is limited to 40 people per day, so bookings must be made in advance. You can either contact the park directly to reserve your place, or go through an agency that takes care of everything and provides you with a guide for the hike.
PRACTICAL INFO CHINGAZA
- When to go : December to March, July-August.
- Average temperature: between 6°C and 10°C
- Altitude: between 3,400 and 3,700 m (beware of altitude sickness)
- Day hikes
Contact FElipe, English-speaking guide to Chingaza
Laguna de Guatavita
THE ORIGIN OF THE EL DORADO MYTH
The Laguna de Guatavita is one of the many sacred sites of the ancient indigenous peoples who inhabited the region. Add to this the fact that this lagoon has the distinction of being the origin of the myth of El Dorado, and you have the makings of an interesting historical site with a very special atmosphere.
On site, a guide accompanies you to explain the history of the lagoon, the ceremonies that took place there, the arrival of the settlers and the madness of those who were desperate to find the gold, the long-hoped-for treasure..
Here we are, less than 1h30 from Bogotá, heading for one of the traditional outings of the bogotanos for a weekend day out with the family. Visiting the Lagoon in the morning, eating in a typical restaurant at midday and ending up strolling through the streets of the village of Guatavita or along the immense reservoir in the afternoon is a good program. That’s what my father and sister and I did on our last trip!
PRACTICAL INFO LAGUNA DE GUATAVITA
The Laguna de Guatavita is located in Sesquile, a small village not far from Guatavita, which we recommend you visit on your way back from the lagoon.
- How to get there: Take a bus from Bogotá to Sesquile or Guatavita and then take a shuttle to the lagoon (only on weekends and public holidays, in which case you’ll need to take a cab). We advise you to leave early in the morning, as access to the lagoon closes at 4 p.m.
- Duration: 2 hours
- Bus fare: approx. $10,000
LAGUNA DE GUATAVITA NATURE RESERVE
- Easy hike
- Lagoon opening hours : Tue-Sun: 9am – 4pm
- Entrance fee: $25,000
- Duration of visit: approx. 2h
Contact Felipe, English-speaking guide to Guatavita
Zipaquira Salt Cathedral
WHAT TO DO AROUND BOGOTA
If there’s one visit to Bogotá highlighted by the tourist office, it’s the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira! And yet, in our opinion, the other visits we suggest in this article are just as (if not more) interesting.
In a country as religious as mine, a place like this is highly reputed and much appreciated by the locals. This cathedral, built 180 m underground, is considered the “first wonder of Colombia”, no doubt for its uniqueness and originality. It was the miners who took part in its construction, and their work is remarkable.
The visit lasts about an hour, and admission includes an introductory 3D film, an audioguide, a “light show” at the end of the tour and a tour of the city’s historic center to discover its architectural heritage.
The cathedral is part of a trail called the Salt Park, where you’ll find other activities such as an open-air climbing wall and a zip-line tour of one of the city’s squares (of course, these activities must be paid for in addition to cathedral admission)
This might be interesting if you’re going with children or if you like this kind of activity, but if you ask me, even if the cathedral is pretty and impressive, the place has become hyper-touristy and the entrance fee seems a bit excessive. However, it’s a visit that many people enjoy.
PRACTICAL INFO ZIPAQUIRA SALT CATHEDRAL
- Opening hours: Daily: 9am – 5.40pm
- Admission: Adults: $55,000 ($34,000 for Colombians or if you live in Colombia) / Children (4 to 12 years): $34,000
- Length of visit: just over an hour
- Online booking possible
How to get there
- Take the direct Bogota – Zipaquira bus
- Journeytime : approx. 1 hour
- Bus fa re: approx. $6,000
Contact Felipe, English-speaking guide to Zipaquira
Nemocon salt mines
UNDERGROUND EXPERIENCE AROUND BOGOTA
Just 1 hour from Bogota, you’ll find the Nemocon salt mines. A visit 60 meters underground and a 2500-meter journey to admire the natural salt formations, and learn about the history of this mine that has been in operation for 200 years.
Today, it’s been turned into a museum, and it’s pretty impressive: you’ll pass through the various chambers, its chapel to the Virgin Mary (yes, you’re in Colombia) and the large salt crystal heart cut by a miner in the mid-twentieth century.
It’s all very well preserved and well presented, and the tour is well organized, so you’re sure to be surprised.
You can also take a stroll through the pretty, quiet village and sample specialities such as “cuajada con melao” (a kind of fresh cheese made with molasses) and Almojabana (a tasty salted bread roll) con Masato (a drink made from fermented maïz).
PRACTICAL INFO NEMOCON MINES
- Opening hours: Mon-Sun: 9am – 5pm
- Admission fee: Adults: $41,000 / Children: $38,000
- Length of visit: approx. 1 hour with guide included in admission price
- Online booking possible: minadesal.com
How to get there
- Direct bus from Bogotá to Nemocon.
- Another option: take the Bogota – Zipaquira bus, which leaves more frequently, and from there take another bus to Nemocon.
- Direct fare: approx. $7,000
Contact Felipe, English-speaking guide to Nemocon
Cascada de Sueva
WHAT TO DO AROUND BOGOTA
Located about 3 hours’ drive northeast of Bogota, the Cascada de Nemusten or Cascada de Sueva is a sight worth seeing!
This impressive waterfall is caused by the sudden bursting of the Rio Sueva, a river flowing straight down from the Chingaza National Park. The landscape offers an idyllic view of Andean forest and rocky cliffs , at the foot of which the soft green grass invites you to take a break.
Once there, it takes about 1 hour’s walk along the “camino real” to reach the Sueva waterfall, bordered by a meadow offering a most bucolic panorama. No restaurants, no infrastructure, just nature… so it’s the perfect place for a picnic! Bring something to enjoy!
From here, you can also climb up to a mirador to admire the surrounding landscape. It’s also possible to abseil here.
Located as it is almost everywhere in Colombia on the grounds of a finca, you’ll have to pay an “entrance fee” of $4,000, and it’s also possible to pitch a tent and spend the night there for $10,000.
PRACTICAL INFO CASCADA DE SUEVA
- Bus: From the Salitre terminal towards Junin: ask the driver to stop at “la hidroelectrica de Sueva”, explain that it’s to go to the waterfall (“donde queda la cascada” ).
- Bus fare: $18,000
- Entrance fee: $4,000
- Distance from road: approx. 3km
- Camping : $10,000 to pitch tent
- Average temperature: 15°C, high humidity.
- Altitude: between 2125 m and 2300 m
Depending on the weather, bring rain gear, cold weather gear, good walking shoes, waterproof if possible, and a change of clothes just in case.
Contact Felipe, English-speaking guide to Sueva
La Chorrera
The highest waterfall around Bogotá
Just over an hour’s drive from Bogotá, on the outskirts of Choachi, La Chorrera is considered Colombia’s highest waterfall, with a free-fall drop of 590 m over several levels.
On the way to Choachi, you’ll enjoy an unexpected landscape just a few minutes from the city, a superb valley, the beginnings of the Paramo and its frailejones, cliffs… a real enchantment.
Hidden in the middle of a tropical rainforest, a visit to La Chorrera is an opportunity to discover a “Cloud Forest” ecosystem, where you can observe a host of orchids, bromeliads and varieties of birds..
The community of Choachi has set up an association called “Parc d’aventure la Chorrera”, offering a wide range of activities such as abseiling and zip-lining. The association promotes responsible tourism, integrating and benefiting the community and helping to protect ecosystems.
PRACTICAL INFO LA CHORRERA
- Opening hours: Mon-Sun: 8.30am – 5.30pm
- Information: lachorrera.com.co
How to get there
This is more of a plan to make with an agency or if you have a rental car, as the route is a bit complicated otherwise.
Take a Trasoriente or Tras fomeque bus to the junction of Avenida Caracas and Calle 6, near the “Tercer Milenio” Transmilenio stop. Once on the bus, ask for the “Parque La Chorrera” stop, but you haven’t arrived. From there, it’s a 1-hour walk to the park entrance… Maybe you can find a cab to get you closer..
Contact Felipe, English-speaking guide to La Chorrera
The cliffs of Sutatausa
What to do around bogota
Around 1h30 north of Bogotá, Los Farallones de Sutatausa is located on the road between Zipaquira and Chinquiquira. It’s a huge, impressive rock formation that can be climbed on a day hike.
On the Camino Real (yes, again), you’ll pass through a pine forest before reaching the top of the Sutatausa cliffs at over 3200 m altitude. Up there, nature offers spectacular views over the Ubaté valley.
The cliffs can also be seen and admired from the valley floor, where they are an impressive 12 km long. On the way back, we take the opportunity to discover Angélica’s childhood town and stop for lunch in Chia!
The Sutatausa cliffs are located between the municipalities of Zaipquira and Chiquinquira, near the village of Ubaté. To get there on your own, take a bus from Bogotá’s Terminal del norte in the direction of Ubaté and ask for the Sutatausa stop.
PRACTICAL INFO CLIFFS OF SUTATAUSA
- Average temperature: between 15°C and 20°C
- Altitude: between 2,600 m and 3,200 m
- Day hikes
Group outings in Spanish from BOgota
Our friend Dario and his agency offer regular group outings to the Sutatausa cliffs from Bogota by minibus.
Sumapaz National Nature Park
The world’s largest Paramo
The Sumapaz Paramo is considered the largest in the world, covering over 300,000 hectares!
About half of the Sumapaz Paramo became part of Colombia’s national parks in 1977. As with Chingaza and the paramos in general, this is one of the largest sources of water production for the Bogotá region, but the Paramo de Sumapaz is also one of the main regulators ofwater supply for three of Colombia’simmense rivers: the Rio Magdalena, the Rio Meta and the Rio Guaviare.
A trek to the Sumapaz National Park is an opportunity, just a few hours from Bogotá, to discover a combination of two ecosystems typical of the Colombian mountains between 700 m and 4275 m: the bosque andino and the Paramo .
The Sumapaz National Nature Park is a reserve that boastsone of the widest ranges of high-mountainflora in Colombia. It is also one of the parks with the highest concentration of birdlife in Colombia.
PRACTICAL INFO SUMAPAZ
- Best time to go : rain-free months from December to March and July-August.
- Average temperature: between 0°C and 20°C
- Altitude: between 700 and 4275 m (beware of altitude sickness)
- Day hikes
Spanish group tours from BOgota
Our friend Dario and his agency offer regular group outings to Paramo de Sumapaz from Bogota by minibus. Please check if the scheduled departure dates are convenient for you.
Cerro de Quinini
WHAT TO DO AROUND BOGOTA
Cerro de Quinini is a sacred mountain located 2h30 south of Bogota, very close to the town of Fusagasuga.
Quinini means “moon goddess”, and was a sacred place for the Panche, an indigenous civilization now extinct. Traces ofrock art and engravings can be found on site, a sign of the sacred nature of the place.
The ascent to Cerro Quinini follows the traditional paths built by past civilizations, the famous “Camino Real” found throughout Colombia. These paths were later used and developed by settlers.
During the hike, it’s possible to observe a wide variety of flora and numerous species of birds.
The summit of Pico del Aguila offers a sublime view of the rio Magdalena valley, and on a clear day it’s even possible to catch a glimpse of the 4,965 m Santo Isabel volcano and its ice cap, located several hundred km away in Los Nevados Natural Park!
PRACTICAL INFO CERRO DE QUININI
Cerro de Quinini is located between the municipalities of Tibacuy and Cumaca. To get there on your own, take a bus from Bogotá’s Terminal del Sur to Silvania.
- Average temperature: between 15°C and 20°C
- Altitude: between 1,200 m and 2,130 m
- Entry fee: $5,000
- Day hikes
Group outings in Spanish from BOgota
Our friend Dario and his agency offer regular group outings to Cerro de Quinini from Bogota by minibus. Please check if the scheduled departure dates are convenient for you.
Tatacoita Desert
THE TATACOA’S LITTLE BROTHER
We’re staying close to Nemocon to discover a little-known area on the outskirts of Bogotá, a sort of miniature replica of the Tatacoa desert!
It’s called the Desierto de la Tatacoita, or “little Tatacoa”, and for good reason. Indeed, in this labyrinthine canyon you’ll find the same kinds of rock formations sculpted by time in a semi-desert environment just 1h30 from Bogotá!
The route to the desert is not very well signposted and can take up to 3 hours, so we recommend that once you arrive in Nemocon you ask a motocarro to take you as close as possible to the entrance to the desert. Just ask for the “Desierto de la tatacoita”.
Once you’ve reached a red gate, you’re at the entrance to the finca that leads to the Tatacoita. You may need to call the “person in charge” to enter, as this is private property. Ask for Juan José at 310 227 9771. It’s possible to camp on site, but check with the owner.
PRACTICAL INFO LA Tatacoita
- Entrance fee: $5,000 – You may have to call to get in
- Tel: 310 227 9771
How to get there
From Terminal Salitre, take a direct Bogota – Nemocon bus. Alternatively, take the more frequent Bogotá – Zipaquira bus and from there another bus to Nemocon.
- Direct fa re: approx. $7,000
- Journeytime: approx. 1h30
Once in Nemocon, ask a motocarro to take you as close as possible to the entrance to the desert for around $15,000, so you don’t get lost. Take the driver’s number if you want him to pick you up on the way back.
Leave early in the morning to make the most of the day, and take everything you need to eat and drink with you.
Spanish group tours from BOgota
Our friend Dario and his agency offer regular group outings to the Tatacoita from Bogota by minibus. Please check the scheduled departure dates to see if they are convenient for you.
Where to stay in Bogota
Bogota, Chapinero
Hotel
Top Tours accomodation
Double room : $100.000 to $150.000 COP
An affordable hotel with really nice facilities in the heart of Chapinero and close to all the activity of the Zona Rosa.
Airport, Bogota
Hostal
Mr. Huesped
Dormitory : $50.000 to $100.000/Double room : $0 to $100.000 COP
Mr Huesped is a new hostal located about 10 minutes from the airport by cab. For a very reasonable price, it offers comfortable rooms and a great breakfast included!
Airport, Bogota
Hotel
Hotel Marriot Airport
Double room : $400.000 à $700.000
For those looking for an upscale hotel close to the airport, the Marriot hotel is a sure bet. With its free shuttle service between the airport and the hotel, it’s the perfect place to spend a night in transit, in comfort and with all the services that go with it.
Airport, Bogota
Hotel
City Express
Double room : $250.000 to $300.000 COP
For a night in transit, the City Express hotel is perfectly located just a few minutes from Bogotá airport. It’s a favorite with our readers, who want both comfort and convenience, especially the free shuttle bus that takes you directly to the airport.
Bogota, Chapinero
Hotel
Hotel Espacio 94
Double room : $150.000 to $200.000 COP
A hotel located close to Parque 93 in the Zona Rosa, a safe neighborhood full of restaurants and bars for going out.
Bogota, Chapinero
Appartement
Soy Local apartments
Double room : $100.000 to $150.000 COP
Apartments just a stone’s throw from Parque 93 in the trendy Chico district north of the famous Zona Rosa, for those wishing to stay in this area dedicated to parties and restaurants.
Bogota, Usaquen
Hotel
Hill House Suites
Double room : $150.000 to $200.000 COP
A beautiful hotel located in the heart of Usaquen, a stone’s throw from the square.
Bogota, Usaquen
Hotel
Zana Hotel
Double room : $100.000 to $150.000 COP
A simple hotel, with basic decor, but clean, functional, with a warm welcome and perfectly located 2 blocks from Parque Usaquen.
Bogota, Candelaria
Finca
The Candelaria House Hotel
Double room : $250.000 to $300.000 COP
Ideally located just a stone’s throw from the Gold Museum and the Botero Museum, The Candelaria House offers beautiful guest rooms set in an antique colonial house in La Candelaria. For old-world charm!
Bogota, Usaquen
Hostal
Usaquen Station Hostal
Dormitory : $25.000 to $50.000/Double room : $0 to $100.000 COP
A superbly located hostal a stone’s throw from Parque Usaquen, the nicest spot in the neighborhood. A hostal. cheap, simple, but where the warmth of the welcome makes all the difference.
Practical info
For all practical information on Bogotá, visit our general article and our dedicated articles:
