One Week in Bogotá

One week in Bogotá was the start of my journey to South America because of a cheap plane ticket.

Spending 3 or 4 days in Colombia is simply not enough. Even one week in Colombia is just not enough in my opinion. You don’t realize how big the country is until you are there. It is the fourth largest country in the whole continent.

“Colombia, the only risk is wanting to stay“

Once you travel to Colombia and see the beauty it has to offer and learn the history, you won’t want to leave.

The country is filled with stunning views, pleasant people, and music that will make you want to dance all night. The crystal clear waters and kind locals make it hard to leave.

Along the Caribbean coast, you have Cartagena and the Rosario Islands, Santa Marta, Barranquilla, and loads more.

Close to the Pacific coast, you have Cali, Buenaventura, and a few islands.

There are national parks, walking tours, cable cars, and countless coffee plantations throughout the country. You can take day trips or explore local towns and get to know the beautiful country.

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Looking back on my trip to Colombia, if I could make a new Colombia itinerary, I would spend 2 days in Bogotá, 5 days in Medellin, 4 days in Cartagena, and 2 in Minca, and 2 in Salento which is around 2 weeks in Colombia.

What my itinerary for Colombia actually was: one week in Bogotá, one week in Medellin, one week in Cartagena, 2 days in Minca, 1 day in Santa Marta, 2 days in Manizales, and 2 days in Salento.

One week in Bogotá is definitely more than enough, in my opinion. I had read mixed opinions about it and now can confirm that you don’t need too much time in the capital.

Colombia was my first country in South America and I am fortunate for that.

Bogotá’s airport, El Dorado International Airport Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento (BOG) is around 11 km (7 mi) from the city center. It will take about 20 minutes by car or taxi to get there from the airport.

Since Colombia was my first country on the continent, I have to admit, I splurged. But there are many affordable options that I wish I had done instead. Selina and Viajero hostels are all around the country and they are nice and cheap.

I stayed at the Four Points by Sheraton in Chapinero for the full week in Bogotá. For the full week at the hotel, it was around USD 400. The price includes a complimentary breakfast. I also get points with my Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card.

From the airport to the Four Points by Sheraton, it is COP 50,000 (USD 13) including the tip. Considering it is 20 minutes away, that is not a bad price.

What I Learned After Spending One Week in Bogota

• There are tons of BBCs (Bogotá Beer Company).
• People are so nice and taxi drivers will love talking to you- it’s great to practice your Spanish!!
• Fresh fruit cups can cost as little as COP 3,000 (USD 1).
• The weather is unpredictable. One minute it will be raining, the next it’ll be cloudy and humid.
• Many people from the US go to Colombia to get dental work done since it is literally half the price, or cheaper than in the US.
• On Sundays, Bogotá shuts down some of the main roads for people to bike ride. It’s called Ciclovia.
• Coca tea will be your lifesaver.

If someone says “let’s meet at BBC,” make sure you ask for the exact address to make your life easier. I was walking around Bogotá for quite a bit trying to find this one BBC but I came across 2 or 3 others LOL. There must be over 20 BBCs and it will get confusing.

If you need dental work, I highly recommend checking out prices in Colombia. I found AMC Odontología through a Facebook group.

Overall, it was a great experience. I got a cleaning and a new mouthguard for USD 200 which is pretty impressive. In the US, you can get a cleaning for that price alone, and a mouthguard where I am from can be USD 400-800.

The dentist that I went to has a Facebook and Instagram as well. She also helped me with planning some of my future trips to Colombia.

Coca tea, also called mate de coca, is used to prevent altitude sickness. Bogotá is the third-highest capital in the world and in South America, after La Paz (Bolivia) and Quito (Ecuador).

So if you are coming from sea level, you may want to buy a pack of coca tea. It is a greenish-yellow color and has a taste that reminds me of green tea but has a bitterness to it.

**Coca tea is only legal in these countries:

• Argentina
• Bolivia
• Colombia
• Ecuador
• Peru

Places to Visit in Bogotá

La Candelaria

La Candelaria is an old and historic part of Bogotá. It holds some of the most popular attractions of Bogotá, including museums, architecture, and of course, graffiti.

Graffiti Tour

If you get a chance, take the Graffiti Tour of Bogotá. The tour can take up to 2.5 hours. It’s free but tipping is highly encouraged to support the artists and the guides.

Some of the artists travel from all over the world. Each piece of art has its own story and theme.

The tour guides are extremely knowledgeable about the artwork around the city. You can learn loads of information about the capital and the country while on the tour.

You can book a tour ahead of time or just go to where they meet: Parque de Los Periodistas Gabriel García Márquez. You will start and end at the park.

El Museo del Oro

El Museo del Oro is Bogotá’s most famous museum. It is in La Candelaria and contains more than 55,000 pieces of gold and other materials with three floors of exhibits. They have the descriptions in both English and Spanish.

Taking a taxi from Monserrate to El Museo del Oro costs COP 8,000 (USD 2).

The ticket to get into the museum is only COP 4,000 (USD 1) unless you decide to go on a Sunday when admission is free.

You can easily spend 1-2 hours inside and you can take a tour if desired. They offer private tours in other languages.

Plaza Bolívar

Plaza Bolívar is in the center of La Candelaria. You will find many places named after Simón Bolívar in Colombia and throughout South America. He was a powerful leader and helped the nations become independent from Spain.

Around Plaza Bolívar, you will see the Capitol building, the Palace of Justice, and more important offices and buildings of Bogotá. You will see many people wandering around the plaza and many pigeons at your feet.

Monserrate

Monserrate is a huge mountain that sits 3,152 meters (10,300 feet) above sea level.

The ticket for the funicular is COP 22,000 (USD 5.50) to ride it there and back.

The teleférico (cable car) doesn’t open until 12 pm but that is another option to take to the top.

You can spend a few hours at the top enjoying the scenery and snapping photos. There’s a church, small stores, restaurants, bird watching, and breathtaking views of the city.

If you are feeling a little under the weather and can’t catch your breath, I recommend coca tea. It helps you adjust to the elevation. You can buy a cup and grab a box of tea for COP 14,000 (USD 4).

The coca tea helped me immensely in Bogotá and also in other parts of Colombia.

El Chiflón and La Chorrera Waterfalls

El Chiflón and La Chorrera are great waterfalls to hike if you enjoy hiking.

You can book a tour with Viator and it will be well worth it. Hiking the waterfalls can be difficult so make sure you look into it before committing, unlike me.

I recommend taking a day tour unless you have your own car. Driving to the waterfalls can take an hour to an hour and a half.

Keep in mind that the dry season in Colombia is from December to January and July to August. The cloudy season is from April to May and October to November. It’s sunny in the morning and cloudy/rainy in the afternoon.

Mercado de Las Pulgas en Usaquén

Mercado de Las Pulgas en Usaquén (Usaquén Flea Market) and walked around for a while. They sold everything and anything. I ended up getting a mask and sunglasses holder for COP 50,000 (USD 13).

You can spend an hour or less walking through this market. Some of the vendors accept cards but only if you have a Colombian bank account.

Antus is a type of whiskey. It reminds me of mocha chip ice cream. It is creamy and filled with flavor.

I just don’t recommend putting it in the fridge, like I did cause it will get all chunky.

Parque 93

Parque 93 is a cute neighborhood in Bogotá. It has a few other names that it can go by such as Parque de la 93 and 93 Park. The park is located in El Chicó. It has nightclubs and restaurants, and you can also shop at some of the stores.

Where to Eat in Bogotá

Since the capital is huge, there are really hundreds of places to eat in Bogotá. Since I already decided to spend a ton of money on my accommodation for my week in Bogotá, I tried to find cheap places to eat.

Of course, you have to eat Colombian food during your time in Bogotá. These are just some other restaurants to try while you’re exploring the city.

PitaWok is on Carerra 4 and it’s right down the street from Parque de Los Periodistas Gabriel García Márquez so if you’re feeling hungry after your Graffiti tour, this is a good place to head to.

Their food was delicious and I spent COP 8,100 (USD 2) on hummus, falafel, and pita bread.

Mesa Salvaje in Chapinero, Bogotá has many options for vegetarians and vegans. Their falafel burger is savory.

El Irish is your typical Irish pub. Their fish and chips are tasty as well.

Museo del Tequila is a Mexican restaurant located between Chapinero and Chico. Museo del Tequila is only a 16-minute walk from the Four Points hotel. So hey, if you stay in this area and appreciate Mexican food, check it out.

Tostao will be everywhere in Bogotá. They have delicious bread, stuffed with cheese or another filling.

I tried a pan de queso, which are little round pieces of bread with cheese inside, and then I got a piece of bread with spinach and cheese inside.