Looking for the best things to do with two days in Bogotá, Colombia?
Bogotá is a city rich in culture, art, and beautiful architecture. We did not see nearly as much as we hoped in our two days in Bogotá. But what we experienced makes Bogotá one of our favorite cities in South America.
If you are traveling to Colombia and only have a few days in its capital, let us help you make the best of your 48 hours.
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Getting Around Bogotá Using Public Transit
If you know us you know that traveling by public transit is one of our major budget strategies. However, in full disclosure: Bogotá challenged us with its public transit system, and for the most part, we feel like we have travel by public transit down.
Bogotá has an integrated bus system with a (relatively) convenient debit card system. But we found it difficult to navigate on multiple fronts.
The Tu LLave card – a reloadable debit card that operates as your ticket – is supposed to be reloadable through an app but we were unable to get it to work.
Reloading machines at stations is easy but because we were in Bogotá near the end of Holy Week (Semana Santa) many stations near where we were staying in La Candelaria (the historic, colonial center) were closed to allow more foot traffic.
Taxis are plentiful and not outrageously expensive and Uber is also available.
Bogotá is a very bikeable city, although it is massive in size. La Candelaria, where we stayed, is hilly and many of the streets are narrow.
But the major thoroughfares connecting Bogotá have excellent, dedicated bike lanes and bikeways.
Places abound to rent bikes throughout the city. Every Sunday, the city closes 75 miles of roadways in the center to automobile use – cycles, skaters, and pedestrians take over from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Rest your head in La Candelaria
Reading other travel blogs led us to understand there are many great neighborhoods throughout Bogotá. We opted to stay in La Candelaria. The heart of the city center is Plaza Simon Bolivar.
Day One: La Candeleria and Montserrat
La Candelaria is home to the colonial-era Cathedral, the neoclassical-era Capitol building, the Gold Museum, the Botero Museum. We think it is the very best neighborhood to stay at during your 2-day Bogotá itinerary.
We are experts in teen travel and travel with teens means booking accommodations with a little more space and privacy. Bogotá is fairly inexpensive and it is possible to get a stunning 3-bedroom apartment for your entire family in La Candelaria for less than $200 per night.
However, if you traveling as a couple, Hotel Casa de la Vega is perfect in the heart of La Candelaria. Or if you are a solo traveler looking for a great hostel to meet like-minded travelers the Cranky Croc is your place.
La Candelaria has ample places to stroll, eat, drink, and shop. Street vendors offering jewelry, art, and crafts line the streets leading to and from the Plaza Bolivar, a seemingly constantly bustling center for locals and visitors alike.
We recommend you stay in La Candelaria and spend one day in Bogotá entirely in this neighborhood.
In the morning you will climb Monserrate, have lunch at Pola Del Pub, and then in the afternoon check out the art scene both indoors at the Botero Museum and the street art scene which is thriving in the city.
Morning: Climb Cerro Monserrate
La Candelaria is also the neighborhood to access Cerro Monserrate and climbing Monserrate is #1 on the things to do in Bogotá.
At 10,000 feet, Monserrate towers over Bogotá. At the top is a church, the Basilica del Senor de Monserrate. We recommend that you start your day in Bogotá climbing.
Once you reach the top of Monserrate, the city unfolds below you like a patchwork quilt, and the Andes provide a stunning backdrop. Don’t forget your camera; this is a moment you’ll want to capture!
You can get to the top 3 ways: hike it, ride the funicular, or ride the cable car.
Most of the time, you do not need advance tickets, but you do during Holy Week as Monserrate is a pilgrimage site. Thousands of Colombians climb or ride to the top of Monserrate during Holy Week to pay homage.
Since it was Holy Week when we were there, we opted to hike it as tickets for both the funicular and the cable car were sold out.
The hike is about 1.5 miles, and while it seems super manageable, it is very steep. So if you are in for a hike, start early, take lots of water, and go slow. The hike can take anywhere from 1-4 hours.
After your hike, stop by Pola Del Pub for a Colombian take on the Irish Pub. Pola Del Pub is a microbrewery and has delicious beers and ciders.
Afternoon: Dive into Bogotá’s Art Scene
For a dose of art and culture, make your way to Museo Botero.
It’s home to an impressive collection of works by Fernando Botero, a Colombian artist known for his distinctive style featuring plump figures. The museum is a visual feast that offers a unique perspective on Colombian art.
Late Afternoon: Street Art in Bogotá’s Graffiti District
As the afternoon sun begins to wane, check out the Bogotá graffiti scene. The street art here tells stories of social and political issues, showcasing the city’s creative spirit.
Take your time wandering through the streets, camera in hand, and let the colors and messages speak to you.
Navigating the Artistic Maze:
- Start your journey at the heart of La Candelaria
- Wander through Carrera 2 and Calle 11 for a taste of local and international talent
- Explore the corners of La Plaza de la Concordia for a glimpse of history with a modern twist
- Don’t rush; let the murals guide your path
The juxtaposition of colonial architecture and vivid street art creates a unique atmosphere. It’s a celebration of Bogotá’s rich history and a nod to its progressive, artistic present.
Evening: Street Food and Architecture
Spend the evening in Bolivar Square, the heart of old town Bogotá’
Vendors line the square, offering a variety of Colombian delights. From arepas to empanadas, the choices are as diverse as the art surrounding you.
While enjoying your street food, take in the grandeur of Bolivar Square. Marvel at the historical architecture, including the stunning Metropolitan Cathedral and the captivating Capitol building.
Day 2: Must-Do Day Trip-The Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral
Pretty much any list of “Things to do in Bogotᨠwill include visiting the Salt Cathedral in Zipaquira. We have put it on our list of the best things to do in Colombia with teens.
The Cathedral is about a one-hour drive (depending on traffic) from Bogotá. With good reason: it’s an engineering and artistic masterpiece well worth the effort and cost to experience it.
We will break down here a few options for experiencing this unique attraction.
Getting There
Option 1: Bus
To get to Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral from Bogotá, you can take a bus from the Transmilenio North station (Portal Norte) to Zipaquirá. You can take this tour without a guide using public transit.
Option 2: Tourist Train (Turistren)
The tourist train to Zipaquirá departs from the Sabana Station in Bogotá. It costs roughly 70,000 COP for adults, which is the equivalent of around $18 USD. The cost for seniors and children 3-12 is 62,000 COP or around $17 USS. Kids under 3 are free.
Be sure to visit the website to get the schedule which has limited departures on this scenic steam train option.
Option 3: Private Tour
Full disclosure, this is rarely an option we seriously entertain or promote. We pride ourselves on our ¨Do It Yourself¨ approach. If you read our blog regularly, you know we always opt for public transit first.
However, as acknowledged at the outset, we struggled with the TransMilenio bus system in Bogotá. Plus one of the three was sidelined with food poisoning, making a private tour for two a more affordable ¨splurge¨.
A wide array of group and private tours are available on Viator and TripAdvisor. We booked ¨Zipaquira Salt Cathedral: An Architectural Wonder¨ through Viator.
Our tour guide, Jhon, was knowledgeable, friendly, and flexible, customizing our experience to our interests and timetable.
Jhon and our driver, Caesar, dropped us off at the Salt Cathedral after helping us check in and collect our audioguides; we later sent Jhon a WhatsApp message to get picked up after we finished the tour of the Salt Cathedral itself.
We then went into town where we had lunch and then, with Jhon as our personal guide, strolled the quaint colonial streets of Zipaquira village.
We paid $100 a person for this which included pick up and drop off from our acommodations and entry tickets for the Salt Cathedral.
So, uh, what exactly is a Salt Cathedral?
Hollowed out of the middle of a mountain the magnificent Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira is one of the most popular tourist and pilgrimage sites in Colombia, where as many as 3,000 Catholic faithful gather each Sunday for religious services in a former salt mine.
At the end of the sloping ramp, after having your ticket checked (and, in our experience, a friendly reminder to put our masks on – ah, travel in the time of COVID), we passed through a turnstile and began to descend into darkness.
Experiencing the Salt Cathedral
Every few feet, thick metal beams, covered with a heavy layer of red protective paint, ran up from the floor and overhead and then down to the floor on the other side of the wide passageway like giant red horseshoes.
Overhead LED lights in a subsequent part of the tunnel change every few seconds displaying, over time, all of the flags of every country in the world.
The passageway slopes down past a series of room-size chambers where miners had dug out salt rock on either side of the tunnel. As you progress, you walk your way through and past the fourteen stations of the cross.
For three years, 127 artists and craftspeople from in and around Bogotá labored to create these inspiring chapels. Each chamber represents a key event that occurred on the Via Dolorosa, the path Jesus took to his crucifixion.
The Central Nave
The stations of the cross lead downwards to the vast central nave of the Catedral de Sal. You approach it passing through the cupola or dome of the cathedral, a chamber, more than 250 feet deep and 30 feet wide, soaring more than 70 feet overhead.
The rough walls are partially bathed in purplish-blue light. The centerpiece, at the front of the nave, is a glowing, 50-foot-tall cross that seems to float in space before the dark rock wall. But it’s no salt-mine miracle.
The cross is chiseled into the wall. Concealed lighting illuminates it on all sides.
Throughout there are statues, some made from salt, others marble and stone, and along every passageway, glimmering crystal chandeliers.
The Salt
The salt that forms the walls here — and is actively being mined on other layers is 135 million years old, the remains of the vast Tethys Ocean that geologists explain once covered this area.
The indigenous Muisca people first discovered these salt deposits more than six centuries ago. Spanish conquistadors searching for El Dorado in the 16th century stumbled across the salt mountain. Not the city of gold they sought, salt was a tremendously valuable commodity.
Salt from these mines much later financed the military campaigns of the liberators Simón Bolívar and Antonio Nariño, who brought independence to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. Today, the salt mountain finances roads and parks.
The History of the Cathedral
The story of the Salt Cathedral begins in the 1930s. Miners carved out a makeshift chapel in the mine tunnel. There, they prayed for their safety each day before starting work.
From that humble beginning arose the first cathedral, consecrated in 1954 as a shrine to the patron saint of local miners, the Virgin of the Rosary of Guasa. Sharing space with a working salt mine led to near disaster.
Years of blasting, jackhammering, and drilling weakened the cathedral walls, forcing authorities to close it in 1992 before the whole thing came crashing down.
A new cathedral costing over a million dollars (US) in private and public funds and situated in a deeper level of the mine that had already been exhausted opened for services and for visitors in 1995.
This is the cathedral visitors see today.
And the site — several hundred feet further below the sanctuary complex — is still a working salt mine.
Visiting the Salt Cathedral is close to a full-day experience but worth it for an amazing, unique architectural and cultural experience.
Conclusion: Two Days In Bogotá
While Bogotá and its surroundings are worth much more than two days, if you are short on time, we know that La Candeleria, Cerro Monserrate, and the Salt Cathedral will give you a beautiful taste of this capital city.
Heading from Bogotá to Cartagena and need a travel guide.
Don’t miss our walking tour of Getsemani. Formerly a working-class district, Getsemaní has transformed into a lively cultural hub, boasting lively street art, trendy cafes, and amazing street art.
You can also read our honest reviews of two tours: the popular 5-island tours and a sunset cruise aboard a pirate ship (yes, you read that correctly, pirate ship).
