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    The best City Tour in Bogota to understand the history of Colombia

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    A guided tour of Bogotá in english to understand the history of Colombia, the armed conflict and the peace process: that’s what’s missing from any good travel itinerary in Colombia!

    An absolute must at the start of your trip!

    The historical guided tour of Bogotá’s Candelaria attracts visitors with its promise of a tour far removed from clichés, designed to give them a better understanding of the country you’re about to spend a few weeks in!

    If you haven’t already packed your travel schedule, it’s essential to add this activity to your program and discover this guided tour!

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    Understanding the history of the Colombian conflict

    The best Bogota City tour

    The best City Tour in Bogota to understand the history of Colombia

    Meeting point at Parque Santander, opposite the Gold Museum, in the heart of Bogotá’s historic center. Camila or Maria Paula, your guide for the day, will be waiting with a smile to get you started!

    The tour gets off to a flying start and gets to the heart of the matter, Colombia’s recent history in the 20th century, in other words, “When did the conflict start and why?”

    The tour continues to the monument to Gaitán, a Colombian politician assassinated in 1948, who was close to the underprivileged and “one of the first in Colombia to speak of social policy, wishing in particular to democratize culture, nationalize education and improve workers’ working conditions.”

    It’s easy to see how a series of tragic events would lead to an uprising in rural and urban Colombia.

    The history of Colombia while discovering Candelaria in a different way

    Following the Carrera Septima, you arrive at the famous Plaza Bolivar, and get to the heart of the conflict’s history: who the protagonists are, how guerrilla warfare began, why paramilitary groups were created, what role the Colombian army played… and who the real victims of the conflict were.

    It’s with a much clearer vision of the history of Colombia that Camila or Maria Paula take you to different points of the Candelaria (Museo Botero, Coca Ambassy, Concordia Market, etc.), You’ll also learn how drug trafficking is exacerbating the problem and becoming the fuel of war. The visit ends with some pictures of the “El Testigo” exhibition. Here you can put faces to the 9 million people affected by the Colombian conflict.

    Rising Peace Tour

    The best City tour with a local guide in Bogota

    This visit generates a space for reflection: how has the country changed so much in 20 years, where does peace come from, where is Colombia going?

    This is what it’s all about: humanizing the conflict while making us understand its complexity, far from the very binary visions of this kind of event! This tour gives us an understanding of the complexity of Colombian history, and we dive right in thanks to Camila and Maria Paula, our passionate and fascinating guides!

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    A must-do at the start of your trip!

    All in all, this is a tour we really recommend you take at the very beginning of your stay in Colombia! It’s the perfect introduction to a trip, allowing you to soak up the history, break the myths and tell the real story of Colombia today. It’s an experience that will enable you to see Colombia in a different light later on in your trip.

    “Building Peace”, a guided tour in english that keeps its promises

    Camila, has a degree in social sciences, speaks excellent english and conveys her passion for Colombia and its history every step of the way. The tour gives rise to fascinating exchanges on the country’s history and current issues.

    The amount of information given along the way is impressive. It’s a very well-documented tour, based on facts and figures. Colombia’s history is very complex, and even if you can’t cover everything in 3 hours, the tour makes it easy to understand this complexity and to gain an insight into the history of the conflict.

    You’ll learn who the protagonists were, the key moments in contemporary history, and a great deal about the events that left their mark on the hearts of Colombians. You’re bound to have a different view of Colombia for the rest of your trip!

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    Visit Bogota and learn the history of Colombia

    Contact Camila by WhatsApp

    Responsible tourism agency

    The best city tour in Bogota

    The best City Tour in Bogota to understand the history of Colombia

    The guided tour agency is expertly run by our friend Camila, a Bogotan with a degree in social sciences.

    As far as we know, it ‘s the best Bogota City Tour to understand Colombia’s contemporary history, both through the “Rising Peace” tour and the Graffiti Tour.

    Camila offers various guided tours in english in Bogotá:

    • The “Building Peace” tour of Candelaria, to learn about the history of Colombia.
    • The Graffiti Tour to discover the history of street art in Bogotá and the events linked to its evolution.
    • The “Classic” and the “Complet” tour of Candelaria, to discover the highlights of the famous historical center and learn about the history of Bogota.

    Support responsible tourism

    If responsible tourism is tourism whose aim is to create a virtuous circle, to make a positive impact, then the guided tours offered by Camila and her team are absolutely part of a responsible tourism approach.

    The agency helps to educate travelers and inform them about the realities of the country, both of which are essential for a country like Colombia.

    If we leave aside the unhealthy tourists who go to Colombia for “the thrill” with an image distorted by the clichés conveyed by series such as “Narcos” (those are lost forever), the fact remains that most travellers go mainly to discover Colombia’s beautiful landscapes and fabulous heritage. But we know that very few of you have any real knowledge of Colombian history.

    These guided tours of Bogotá in english provide a historical background that helps you to better understand the country, and to get even more out of your trip to Colombia! That’s why we recommend these tours at the beginning of your trip in Colombia !

    Get in touch with a local guide

    Best City Tour of Bogota

    Responsible tourism

    Camila offers city tours to discover the history of Colombia, understand the country’s social and political struggles, and gain a better understanding of the country you’re visiting. A more aware traveler is a responsible traveler! The “Rising Peace” tour will giving you an understanding of the armed conflict in Colombia through a walk through Bogota’s historic district.

    Contact Camila by WhatsApp
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    To contact Camila and Maria Paula, our local partners in Bogota, you can use the form below. You won’t pay more, but it will let her know you’re from us.

    IMPORTANT: If you don’t hear from our partner within 72 hours, please check your SPAMS first before contacting us.

    Whatsapp is the most popular communication medium in Colombia. Don’t hesitate to download the application for free communication with Colombians.
    Book minimum 24 hours in advance

    Practical information to visit Bogota

    For all practical information on Bogota, please visit our general post and our dedicated posts:

    Photographs on this page: © — My Trip to Colombia. All rights reserved.

    A French-Colombian couple based in Colombia since 2023, Angélica Troya and Samuel Bourille have been traveling the country since 2013 and share their stories and experiences on their blog My Trip to Colombia, blending an insider's perspective with a traveler's eye to show readers a different side of Colombia.

    They're the authors of the Guide Évasion Colombie (Hachette, 2024) and the Guide Simplissime Colombie (Hachette, 2026), and their blog is recommended by the Guide Vert Michelin, Petit Futé, and Guide Tao Monde.

    My Trip to Colombia has become a trusted resource for travelers planning a trip to Colombia, with more than 400 articles published, a network of 40+ local partner agencies, and a community of over 60,000 monthly readers across three sites: monvoyageencolombie.com in French, miviajeporcolombia.com in Spanish, and mytriptocolombia.com in English.

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