Bogota – Top Sites to Visit

Considering its size, the city of Bogotá offers many convenient and efficient ways to traverse the city and see the many exciting attractions on offer. This includes Latin America’s largest network of bicycle routes. Visitors will find that many of Bogotá’s landmarks for tourists are concentrated into specific areas, making it easy to navigate and enjoy a wide variety of tourist activities. Many of the city’s most interesting sites are of historical and cultural significance, with the largest concentration of these sites located in La Candelaria, the historical district of Bogotá.

La Candelaria

Visitors to Colombia will enjoy the fact that many of the city’s most interesting cultural and historical landmarks can be found in the district of La Candelaria. The site of many important events related to Colombia’s independence, the area is filled with museums and churches. It is also the oldest neighborhood in the city of Bogotá. Many museums do not charge an admission fee. The area contains some of Colombia’s quintessential housing architecture, with many of the structures in this district hundreds of years old.

Address: Candelaria, Bogota, Colombia
Phone: N/A
Operating Hours:
– Open 24 hours
Admission Cost:
– FREE
Website

Casa de Moneda

This building was originally founded in 1621 as the mint of Colombia. Located in La Candelaria, it was declared a national monument in 1975. The mint originally crafted coins by hand but was enlarged in the 1700s to integrate the use of machine-minted coins. Casa de Moneda has since been transformed into a museum Visitors can enjoy viewing much of the original architecture of the building as well as various exhibitions including both temporary and permanent that showcase the history of Colombia’s currency production.

Address: Calle 11 #4-93, La Candelaria Bogotá, D. C.
Phone: +601 343 1111
Operating Hours:
– Monday 9:00am – 7:00pm
– Tuesday closed
– Wednesday 9:00am – 7:00pm
– Thursday 9:00am – 7:00pm
– Friday 9:00am – 7:00pm
– Saturday 9:00am – 7:00pm
– Sunday 10:00am – 5:00pm
Admission Cost:
– FREE
Website

José Celestino Mutis Botanical Garden

Featuring the largest botanical gardens in Colombia, the  José Celestino Mutis Botanical Garden was founded in 1955 and is globally renowned. It is complete with an artificial waterfall and various labs that are used for studying plants and flowers. The park covers a total of 19.5 acres and includes more than 19,000 live plants and 2,346 taxa of cultivated plants. Collections include various themed gardens, greenhouses, an area dedicated to medicinal plants, aquatic plants, cacti, Andean woodland plants, and an arboretum. Visitors will also find a wide array of Amazon flowers as well as an orchid collection.

Address: Jardín Botánico de Bogotá ‘José Celestino Mutis’, Av. Calle 57 No. 61-13 Bogotá D.C. Colombia
Phone: 320-4497101
Operating Hours:
– Monday closed
– Tuesday 8:00am – 5:00pm
– Wednesday 8:00am – 5:00pm
– Thursday 8:00am – 5:00pm
– Friday 8:00am – 5:00pm
– Saturday 9:00am – 5:00pm
– Sunday 9:00am – 5:00pm
– Holidays 9:00am – 5:00pm
Admission Cost:
– General admission for over 5-year-old: COP $5,000
– Tropicario ticket for nationals: COP $5,000
– Tropicario ticket for foreigners: COP $10,000
– Free admission for children under 5 years old and adults over 62 years old.
Website

Monserrate

Stretching more than 3,100 meters high in the city center of Bogotá, Monserrate is a sacred mountain that includes a church and shrine to El Señor Caído. Visitors can access the mountain via a cable car or by climbing. One of the city’s top tourist attractions, visitors can try a traditional pilgrimage to the summit via a 2.4-kilometer trail which can take between 1 – 3 hours. Once at the summit, the entire city of Bogotá is visible, as is the hill of Guadalupe. Visitors opting for the cable car transportation option will pay a small fee, while hiking the trail is available at no charge.

Address: Carrera 2 Este No. 21-48 Paseo Bolívar
Phone: (57) (1) 7470189 – 2845700
Operating Hours:
– Monday 6:30am – 11:30pm
– Tuesday 6:30am – 11:30pm
– Wednesday 6:30am – 11:30pm
– Thursday 6:30am – 11:30pm
– Friday 6:30am – 11:30pm
– Saturday 6:30am – 11:30pm
– Sunday 5:30am – 6:30pm
– Holidays 6:30am – 5:30p.m.
Admission Cost:
– The entrance to the hill by the pedestrian trail is free.
Cable car ticket price:
– Monday to Saturday
– Round trip $23.500
– One way $14.000
– Senior citizen (Over 62 years old) $ 19.500
– Groups of adults (Groups over 20 people) $19.500
– Groups of children (Groups over 20 people) $14.000
– VIP $64.000
Sunday
– Round trip $14.000
– One way $8.000
– Senior citizen (Over 62 years old) $11.000
– VIP $64.000
Website

Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park

Located in the heart of Bogotá, the metropolitan park complex is often referred to as the ‘lung of the city’. Its large green spaces include a central park, golf course, sports center, botanical garden, aquatic complex, library, and more. Dating back to 1968 and open year-round, the park includes 400 hectares of land and is the most popular green space in the city. Jogging tracks wind through various historical monuments. Three separate children’s play areas are located at the park, as are more than 3,650 meters of recreational biking trails. It is famous for bird watching and is also home to various aquatic species.

Address: Av. Calle 53 y Av. Esmeralda #s/n, Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia
Phone: 660 0155
Operating Hours:
– Monday 6:00am – 6:00pm
– Tuesday 6:00am – 6:00pm
– Wednesday 6:00am – 6:00pm
– Thursday 6:00am – 6:00pm
– Friday 6:00am – 6:00pm
– Saturday 6:00am – 6:00pm
– Sunday 6:00am – 6:00pm
Admission Cost:
– FREE
Website

Teatro Colón

Formally referred to as Teatro de Cristóbal Colón, this theatre was built in neoclassical style in 1885 and opened in 1892. It was originally modeled after the larger Palais Garnier located in Paris, France. Declared a National Monument in 1975, the theatre has undergone multiple renovations including its most recent in 2009 and 2010. Occupying an area of 2,400 square meters, it has been ranked among the top wonders of Colombia The theater has also been the site of several historic events including the signing of a modified peace agreement that ended 50 years of domestic fighting in 2016. A total of 785 seats are split between multiple floors including a main gallery that holds up to 148 people.

Address: Calle 10 # 5 -32 Bogotá, Colombia
Phone: +57 (1) 381 6358
Operating Hours:
Monday 9:00am – 4:00pm
Tuesday 9:00am – 4:00pm
Wednesday 9:00am – 4:00pm
Thursday 9:00am – 4:00pm
Friday 9:00am – 4:00pm
Saturday 9:00am – 4:00pm
Sunday 9:00am – 4:00pm
Admission Cost:
FREE
Website