Bogotá: The Don'ts of Visiting Bogota, Colombia

Are you heading to Bogotá, Colombia and not sure what to expect? Well here we go through the do's and don'ts of visiting Bogotá! Whether you are debating the safety of Bogota (don't worry, it is not the 1980s anymore) or debating on the food to eat (Ajiaco is the local soup you need to try) to figuring out which seats to not sit in on the Transmilenio (don't sit in the blue ones) we have honest travel advice for your Colombian vacation in Bogota.
Filmed in Bogota, Colombia

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Copyright Mark Wolters 2024

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[johannagarzon]

As a Bogotana my advices are:
- Don't forget that on Sunday mornings we have the Ciclovía and many roads are open only to bikes and joggers, so plan ahead.
- Uber works very well and you can take taxis or regular cars from the app.
- Don't forget to visit the surrounding little villages. The landscape is breathtaking.
- If you're in town in the same day of a soccer game or a concert, be aware of the traffic jams and plan accordingly
- If you have problems with salt or sugar, don't forget to tell the waiter in advance. Many restaurants put those by default.
- If you want to wonder by yourself, please do it in the daylight and don't use your cellphone in open areas without checking your surroundings.
Bogotá is an incredible city but is a capital and has its own rules. Enjoy your visit. We bogotanos are wonderful people.

[josephpanzarella]

I love Bogota! I've been there four times, most recently in April, 2024.

One of the reasons is one you mentioned. Cartagena is overtouristed. Medellin is beautiful, but it has become absurdly popular with digital nomads. It's hard to go out for breakfast without being seated next to someone who is doing business on their cell phone, in English.

But Bogota is the real Colombia. It's big, somewhat disorganized, and filled with Colombians, not foreigners.

One thing you forgot to mention. People in other parts of Colombia refer to their capital as "la nevera"--the refrigerator. That's because, no matter what month of the year, Bogota almost never goes above 20C (68F). It's really not that cold (at night it can go down to maybe 6-7C--around 45F) but if you're coming from the Caribbean coast or Cali, it's a very noticeable difference in climate.

One warning. When I was last there (two months ago) they were experiencing problems with water shortages. In the building where my Airbnb was, the water was shut off for one day. They were turning off the water supply by neighborhoods for 24 hrs. The mayor of Bogota was advising couples to shower together!

I'm going to plug a great, inexpensive restaurant for very typical Colombian food in the heart of the wonderful, bustling, Chapinero Alto neighborhood. I've eaten there numerous times.

Las Cazuelas de la Abuela, which has two restaurants a block apart from each other, and is only open for lunch. You'll find many dishes you haven't tried before, at very affordable prices. It fills up with locals. Hardly a foreigner in sight. Always a good sign.

[AsepTravels]

One thing that surprised me about Bogota was how relatively early restaurants close compared to places like Argentina/Brazil. Then I realized they’re a city of morning birds, there was already so many people out and about even before 6am!

[andreacalderon]

I’m Colombian and from bogota living in the states And this is hands down the best Instructional video I’ve seen yet to show foreigners the Dos and donts of bogota.
Thank you!!
Also, thank you for your Pablo Escobar note… we are TIRED from those comments from foreigners, it’s not even funny anymore. We offer great things in Colombia other than drugs.
Coffee, textiles, emeralds, gold, food, birds, beaches etc

[jfbaquero]

In Bogota, there is a amazing public library system worth visiting, the best of all being Virgilio Barco library not far away from downtown, it is beautiful, it's just beside the city largest park called Simon Bolivar Park and very near the Botanical garden. This is a excellent visit to experience the vibe of the city. The Maloka interactive Museum of Science is also nearby and a great place to go with kids. There are always tons of cultural events going on throughout the year, many of them free.

[viviansalcedo]

Thank you for your input. Being from Col. (Bogotá) specifically, it's more like a general warning to be aware of your surroundings more than feeling in danger. It's a wonderful country with lots of thing to discover and enjoy. I always watch your videos prior to planning trips around the world because I appreciate your unbiased insight. Keep'em coming!

[theempireofthepeople]

I'm Bogotan and the only nitpick I have with the video is that you make the south of the city sound horrible, it really isn't (trust me, I live there), it definitely is the "poorer" part of the city but if you want to see it for some reason you definitely can without too much worries. Just, as you always should, be aware of your surroundings and if you feel something is off, maybe you should leave that specific area 😅

Also, if you have any questions regarding this just ask, if YouTube notifies me I'll be happy to help 😊

[juanestebanmoralesquevedo]

Hello, I hope you're doing great. I just wanted to mention that “buenos días" is like saying good morning, it isn't like bonjour in french. To say good afternoon we say “buenas tardes" and to say good evening or good night we say “buenas noches". Hope it was useful to somebody.

[Phooeysphotos]

When I visited Colombia it was to meet my girlfriends family.. we met here in the states, and she gave me a long list of things to do and not do.
Don't forget your manners,
no elbows on the table, keep your hands where they can be seen
no hats inside especially while eating,
keep your hands out of your pockets while talking.
look at someone when you say salud and clink glasses, when visiting someone's house, bring a small gift.
it is considered impolite to ever turn down any invitation to go out or go to someone's house, it's actually better to not show up.. lol really .
gifts are not opened in front of the person giving it.

The Beso Beso is common a kiss on the cheek. but don't lean in unless they are (can be awkward)

Learn Spanish.. like in France, you should know some French, in Colombia, if most of the speakers speak spanish, that is the language that will be spoken.

oh and one more Don't expect anyone to ever be on time for anything.. ever

[C_bass_]

Welcome to Bogotá! Bogotá is the most tourist city in Colombia right now and the favorite among tourists, which is why it was chosen as the sixth best tourist destination in the world (voted by millions of tourists) in the most important tourism awards in the world (TripAdvisor 2024). Like every big city there are places that are not cool (places I have never visited and I'm from Bogotá haha). In Bogotá there are too many things to do and enjoy, so much so that you wouldn't be able to see them all even in half a month. My recommendation is that you take a lot of time to visit Bogotá. And also enjoy other cities in Colombia. If you want to know about fascinating places that you will only see in Bogotá, just ask me!

[sydysydy]

Don't forget to explore the nice upscale parts of Bogota. Wander from Chapinero up to Chico, then up to Usaquen. It gets nicer and nicer as you go. I wouldn't think too much about la Candelaria, a couple hours is enough.

[DaFrancc]

One more piece of advice if you plan on renting a car. In most cities in Colombia there is a system called Pico y Placa. It's meant to curb traffic by limiting which cars can drive on certain days of the week. In Bogotá it's dependent on the last number of your license plate. Make sure to look up what hours you can drive, which days you can drive, etc. because the cops will pull you over for not following pico y placa. It's different everywhere so make sure to look online or ask a local how pico y placa works.

[auraramirez]

As bogotana I completely agree with this video, specially the last thing on the list (thank you), and I will give you a "DO" !! If you want to avoid the rain, try to come in december or january, maybe february as well. This time of the year is beautiful in Bogotá! Blue skies and nice weather (around 20°C during the day, max 25°C but that would be unusual), and the city is a little less busy with easier traffic because a lot of bogotanos are usually out of town for the holidays. Best time of the year in this city in my opinion :) Welcome to Bogotá! Enjoy and be safe!

[todopegado]

I am from Bogota 🇨🇴 living in 🇨🇦 for 7 years I can say this with confidence my city is way more modern and safer than most north american cities. Thank you for your content.

[zeydyellis]

❤❤❤ I'm so happy you enjoyed my home town. It's a beautiful place to visit, despite the crazy traffic and the rainy weather.

[jfbaquero]

For those who are love art, the Museum of Modern Art of Bogota MAMBO is great just a few blocks from Museo del Oro. Barrio la Macarena neighborhood in downtown is an amazing place for restaurants, art galleries or just for plain walking, to the north of the Macarena is Plaza de Mercado La Perseverancia which is a local market with good local food, popular with the locals and tourist alike. Best market to visit is Paloquemao.The Concordia Market in the Candelaria Neighborhood is very nice and the food is better and cheaper than in Perseverancia market. Best views of the city are not from Monserrate but for the Mirador (sight spot) on the way up to the Calera town, the road goes up the mountain about 80 street.

[dyegorodriguez]

I live in Bogota, why did I watch the entire video?

Anyway, I enjoyed it all and agree with everything.

As a side note, I was worried about the camera you were using. My advice to anyone visiting the city is do not take your belongings out in the street. Most places are dangerous

[clauuuuuuuuuuuuuu]

wednesday i go for the first time to colombia!!!🎉

[sfafew]

Don'ts, some additions
- do not walk alone on quiet areas at dark, even in pairs etc. I do not recommend
- it someone is approaching you, many times there is scam or something even nastier going on. Refuse politely, no eye contact and keep walking. They may pretend to be tourist, fake polices appear from nowhere etc.
- in case of mugging, do not resist, they have always knife and the are ready to use it too.
- taxis can be a risk for a tourist, look for the most recent information what to do on web.

There are also some positives, most people are very friendly in Colombia, larger mall/restaurant areas with a few people relatively safe also in the evening. But bad stuff is happening, especially if you are naive and used to travel mainly on safer destinations. I have been visiting Bogota for several business trips, totalling several months on site, have been visiting expats etc. I do not like experienced travelers bragging visited sites and ignoring the negative facts, just because they have avoided problems at that certain time, with much more experience of traveling than some less experienced ones here.

[ziggy]

I traveled there on Feb 6 to 12! I went to the Monserrate on foot. It took me 3 hrs 24 minutes to climb up and 1 hr 34 to go down. It not suitable for pregnants or people with diabetes, high pressure and fatigue. Also went to the following museums: Gold, Simón Bolívar, Botero, Folk Clothing and the Museum of the Man. Not remember where I ate but enjoyed bandeja paisa, ajiaco and arepas. For last the churches like De las Corrientes that was a military post.