4 Days in Bogotá: First-Timer Plan
Four days is enough to see Bogotá’s core, take the mountain, and get out of the city for a day. This plan keeps arrival day light for the altitude and saves the day trip for once you’ve settled in.
Day 1
Arrive at El Dorado International Airport and book your transfer through an app or have your hotel arrange a pickup rather than hailing a taxi outside. Once settled, keep the pace easy: walk La Candelaria’s core, Plaza de Bolívar, the Cathedral Primada, and the Capitolio Nacional, then continue to Chorro de Quevedo, the plaza marking the city’s 1538 founding. Visit the Museo del Oro in the afternoon (around 5,000 COP, free Sundays) for the Muisca Raft. Dinner at La Puerta Falsa, open since 1816, for ajiaco and chocolate santafereño (around $8-12 per person).
Day 1 tip: drink more water than feels necessary tonight. Bogotá sits at roughly 2,640 meters, and altitude sickness hits hardest in the first 24 hours.
Day 2
Head up Monserrate by cable car or funicular (round trip around $10-12) for views from about 3,152 meters, ideally before midday cloud cover rolls in. In the afternoon, visit the free Museo Botero (closed Tuesdays). Spend the evening in La Macarena for its galleries and small restaurants, or in Usaquén if your visit lands on a Sunday, for the flea market. Dinner at Andrés D.C. for a livelier Colombian meal (budget $25-35 per person with drinks).
Day 2 tip: book a graffiti tour if you have an hour free, La Candelaria’s street art has been tolerated by the city since a 2011 policy shift, and tours run tip-based for $15-20.
Day 3
Take a day trip to the Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral, about 1-1.5 hours north (entry around $17, plus transport). Go early for the best light underground and fewer crowds. Buses run from Bogotá’s main terminals, or book a driver for the day if you’d rather skip the transfer. Back in the city by evening, eat in Chapinero, home to one of South America’s best LGBTQ+ scenes, a genuine plus given Colombia legalized same-sex marriage in 2016 (budget $15-25 per person).
Day 3 tip: pack a light rain shell regardless of the forecast, weather at Zipaquirá’s altitude changes fast even on a clear morning.
Day 4
Spend the morning at Paloquemao Market for Colombia’s exotic fruit lineup, lulo, feijoa, guanábana, granadilla, mangostino, and uchuva, plus flowers and fresh food stalls (a few dollars per bag). If it’s a Sunday, swap this for Ciclovía, when roughly 120 km of streets close to cars from 7am to 2pm. Pack up, check out, and book your airport transfer through an app well ahead of your flight.
Day 4 tip: Bogotá’s tap water is safe to drink, so refill a bottle before you head to the airport rather than buying one at the gate.
Read more: our Bogotá travel tips cover money, safety, and altitude in more depth than fits here.