Bogotá
Colombia's capital on a high Andean plateau, where colonial La Candelaria meets the restaurants that now lead Latin America.
- Arrival
- El Dorado · BOG
- To the city
- About 12 km west of the centre
- Private jets
- FBO at El Dorado, open around the clock
- Best time
- December to March
The city
Cool air and a serious table.
Bogotá spreads across a high plateau in the eastern Andes. The old city of La Candelaria climbs toward the hills, with Monserrate above it; to the north lie the brick streets of Quinta Camacho, the restaurants of Zona G and the shops of Zona T.
The city now cooks at the top of the region. In 2025 El Chato was named the best restaurant in Latin America, with three more Bogotá kitchens in the top fifty. The weather is spring-like all year, with afternoons of 16 to 18 °C; December to March are the driest months.
Arriving
A long runway at 2,550 metres.
El Dorado, about 12 km west of the centre, is Avianca's main hub and works around the clock. It sits at about 2,550 metres, and its charts carry an elevation caution, which matters for take-off weight and range.
- Panama City 1 h 20
- Punta Cana 2 h 30
- Cancún 3 h 20
- Toronto 6 h 00
- Lisbon 10 h 00 long-range jet
When to go
December to March.
Highs of 16 to 18 °C in every month. December to March are the driest, with 23 to 46 mm a month; April to June and October to November are the wettest, each with about 95 to 105 mm.
- 18° J 23
- 18° F 33
- 18° M 46
- 18° A 104
- 17° M 101
- 16° J 94
- 16° J 75
- 17° A 61
- 17° S 62
- 17° O 107
- 17° N 104
- 18° D 41
What to see and do
Days in and around Bogotá.
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Landmark
Museo del Oro
The Banco de la República's collection of pre-Hispanic goldwork, in the centre of the city.
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Landmark
La Candelaria
The colonial quarter, steep streets of low houses, churches and museums below the eastern hills.
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Landmark
Monserrate
A sanctuary on the peak above the city, reached by cable car or funicular, with the whole plateau below.
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Culture
Museo Botero
Fernando Botero gave this collection of 208 works in 2000, 123 of them his own and 85 by international artists, and entry is free.
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Culture
Museo Nacional de Colombia
Founded in 1823, the national museum fills the former Panóptico prison with more than 20,000 pieces of Colombian art and history.
Official site -
Opera & music
Teatro Colón
Pietro Cantini's 785-seat theatre opened in 1892 and, restored in 2014, stages opera, dance, music and drama in the old centre.
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Opera & music
Teatro Mayor Julio Mario Santo Domingo
Its yearly season mixes staged opera, symphonic concerts and choirs in a hall built in the north of the city.
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Nature
Jardín Botánico de Bogotá
Twenty hectares of Andean and páramo plants, 2,330 species in all, with the Tropicario glasshouses showing Colombia's climate zones.
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Food & wine
Plaza de Mercado de Paloquemao
Flowers, tropical fruit, herbs and produce from across Colombia fill this market on Calle 19, open from 4.30 in the morning on weekdays.
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Culture
Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá
Carved some 200 metres underground in a working salt mine, the present cathedral opened in 1995 with lit Stations of the Cross.
Where to stay
A 1946 mansion, red brick and an Art Deco house.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Four Seasons Hotel Casa Medina Bogotá A building of 1946 by the architect Santiago Medina Mejía, a hotel since 1988, with sixty-two rooms and suites.
- Four Seasons Hotel Bogotá Sixty-four rooms in red-brick buildings in the Zona Rosa, with natural fibres, warm wood and a spa.
- Hotel Casa Legado Thirteen rooms in an Art Deco house of the 1950s, with an open kitchen and a shared table.
Where to dine
The first table in Latin America.
No MICHELIN guide covers Colombia; tables ranked by Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants 2025, including the extended 51–100 list.
- El Chato Latin America's 50 Best, No. 1 Contemporary Colombian Bogotá
- Leo Latin America's 50 Best, No. 23 Bogotá
- Afluente Latin America's 50 Best, No. 34 Bogotá
- Humo Negro Latin America's 50 Best, No. 41 Bogotá
- Oda Latin America's 50 Best, No. 76 (51–100) Produce from urban gardens G Lounge, Bogotá
Elsewhere in Colombia
More reasons to come.
- Cartagena Balconies heavy with bougainvillea, inside the old ramparts.
- Rosario Islands Coral islands an hour by boat from Cartagena.
- Medellín The city of eternal spring, in a green valley of the Andes.
- Salento Coffee farms, and the tall wax palms of the Cocora valley.
- Santa Marta The oldest city in Colombia, with Tayrona national park next door.
Flying to Bogotá?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.