Skyscrapers of central Bogotá with Monserrate hill behind
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Bogotá in 3 days

  • 3 days
  • 4.2 km on foot
  • 17 stops
  • Audio guide

Three days let you know Bogotá beyond the centre. You keep the three walking routes and add the places that give the city its character: the viewpoint, the museums, the market and the garden. The pace is relaxed, with walking in the mornings and quiet afternoons, and leaves room to sit in a café without watching the clock or your phone.

Day 1Must-sees and viewpoints

Begin with «Bogotá's must-sees»: the Gold Museum, San Francisco, Plaza de Bolívar, the Teatro Colón and the Botero Museum, up to the Chorro de Quevedo. After an ajiaco santafereño, the afternoon is for the heights: the Quinta de Bolívar, on the way, and Monserrate. Go up in the afternoon light for the panorama, then come back down and rest without hurry.

  1. Morning

    Bogotá's must-sees: from the Gold Museum to La Candelaria

    Mixed · 1.8 km · 1 h 55 min

    1. Gold MuseumThe world's largest collection of pre-Hispanic goldwork began in 1939 with a single object: a Quimbaya poporo.
    2. Church of San FranciscoBogotá's oldest surviving church hides a gilded altarpiece of 1623 behind its austere front.
    3. Plaza de BolívarColombia's political heart: cathedral, Congress, City Hall and Supreme Court around a bronze Bolívar and thousands of pigeons.
    4. Colón TheatreAn Italian-style opera house opened in 1892 for the 400th anniversary of Columbus's voyage, where peace was signed in 2016.
    5. Botero MuseumFernando Botero gave Bogotá his private collection, with Monet, Renoir and Dalí and more than a hundred of his own works, on one condition.
    6. Chorro de Quevedo SquareThe little square where, by tradition, Bogotá began in 1538 is now La Candelaria's most bohemian corner.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Ajiaco santafereño at La Puerta Falsa. Calle 11 n.º 6-50, La Candelaria

  3. Afternoon

    Quinta de Bolívar

    A colonial house at the foot of the hills, given to Bolívar in 1820. It keeps period furniture and a very pleasant garden. A short visit that fits on the way to Monserrate.

    Directions

    Monserrate Hill

    Bogotá's viewpoint at over 3,100 metres, with a shrine at the top. You go up by cable car or funicular. Best on a clear day and on a weekday; bring a jacket, as it gets cold up there.

    Directions

Day 2History and museums

The morning is for «The Bogotá that made a nation», the shortest and most political route: Casa de Moneda, Casa del Florero, the Capitol, Casa de Nariño and San Agustín. Have a tamal for lunch in La Candelaria and move on to the cultural afternoon. First the library, next to the Casa de Moneda; then a taxi to the National Museum to go through the country's history at an easy pace.

  1. Morning

    The Bogotá that made a nation: from colony to republic

    History · 1.1 km · 1 h 30 min

    1. Casa de Moneda (the Mint)From 1621 the coins of the New Kingdom of Granada were struck here, and the building went on making Colombia's money until 1987.
    2. Casa del Florero (Independence Museum)A vase that was never lent: the staged quarrel that sparked independence on 20 July 1810.
    3. National Capitol78 years of building work, several architects and a dome that never came: Congress rose where the viceroys' palace once stood.
    4. Casa de NariñoThe presidential palace stands on the plot where Antonio Nariño was born, the man who risked his freedom to print the Rights of Man.
    5. Church of San AgustínA 17th-century church that served as barracks, battlefield and the last resting place of La Pola.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Tamal at La Puerta Falsa. Calle 11 n.º 6-50, La Candelaria

  3. Afternoon

    Luis Ángel Arango Library

    The Banco de la República library, next to the Casa de Moneda, with reading rooms and art exhibitions. A cool, quiet place to take a break from the route.

    Directions

    National Museum of Colombia

    The country's oldest museum, founded in 1823, housed in a former panopticon prison. It covers Colombian archaeology, history and art. Get there by taxi or a long walk from La Candelaria.

    Directions

Day 3Market, garden and mystery

Rise early for the Paloquemao market: fruit, flowers and food stalls where people really eat. Continue to the Botanical Garden and its tropical greenhouse. Have a chocolate santafereño with cheese for lunch and go back to the centre for dusk with «Bogotá of gold, gunpowder and secrets»: La Veracruz, Gaitán, the Palace of Justice and San Carlos. End with a tinto at Café Pasaje.

  1. Morning

    Paloquemao Market

    One of Bogotá's best-known markets, with flowers, exotic fruit, cheeses and home cooking. Go in the morning, when the atmosphere is best, and try whatever you don't recognise.

    Directions

    José Celestino Mutis Botanical Garden

    A garden dedicated to the botanist who led the Royal Botanical Expedition, with a tropical greenhouse and corners of Andean flora. It is the green, calm counterpoint to the city; get there by taxi or TransMilenio.

    Directions

  2. Lunch

    Try Chocolate santafereño at Pastelería Florida. Carrera 7 n.º 21-46

  3. Early evening

    Bogotá of gold, gunpowder and secrets

    Mysteries & legends · 1.3 km · 1 h 35 min

    1. Gold MuseumA chief covered in gold on a raft: the Muisca ceremony that the conquistadors turned into an impossible city.
    2. Church of La VeracruzThe brotherhood that accompanied the condemned buried some 80 patriots shot in 1816 here.
    3. Site of Gaitán's assassinationOn 9 April 1948, gunshots on this pavement unleashed the Bogotazo. Whether anyone else was behind them is still unknown.
    4. Palace of JusticeOn 6 and 7 November 1985, a guerrilla siege and the army's recapture left around a hundred dead. Some questions remain open.
    5. Primatial CathedralFour churches on the same ground, a roof that caved in on the eve of its opening and a founder who never found rest.
    6. Palacio de San CarlosOn the night of 25 September 1828, Bolívar escaped through a window of this house while the conspirators hunted for him inside.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  4. Dinner

    Try Tinto at Café Pasaje. Plazoleta del Rosario (carrera 6 con calle 14)

The map

Bogotá in 3 days, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed History Mysteries & legends Extra sight

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Bogotá in 3 days

  • Group the far-off visits: the market and the garden are outside the centre, so keep the third day for them.
  • Between districts, use a taxi booked on an app or TransMilenio: traffic is slow at rush hour, and walking only pays off inside La Candelaria.
  • Pack a light jacket and a rain shell: Bogotá goes from sun to drizzle in a short time, and Monserrate is cold.

Questions

Bogotá in 3 days: your questions

Is three days in Bogotá worth it?

Yes, if you want to go beyond the centre. Three days fit in the three routes, Monserrate, two museums, a market and the Botanical Garden without rushing. It is the most complete plan for understanding the city.

How far do you walk in total?

The routes add up to about 4.2 km (2.6 miles): 1.8 on day one, 1.1 on day two and 1.3 on day three, plus the walks between museums and the extras. With the breaks and the altitude, the pace stays comfortable.

Do you need transport between the places?

The three routes are on foot. For Monserrate, the National Museum, Paloquemao and the Botanical Garden, a taxi booked on an app or TransMilenio is best, because of the distances and the hills. Expect a few short rides each day.

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