When you think about travel Latin America definitely offers fantastic destinations and Bogotá is one of them.
With a size slightly larger than New York City or Rome, Bogotá is one of the major cities of the world, with an incredible array of touristic and cultural attractions for every taste.
But do you know how to navigate it?
Bogota travel basics
Here’s a brief table of contents for this two-part series. In this article I’ll cover where Bogotá is located, general layout of the city, airport information, money and currency, visas and immigration and language.
In the next article I’ll cover weather, time, electrical outlets and plugs, how to make phone calls, tourist cards and discounts, public transportation, day trips and safety issues.
Where is Bogotá?
Bogotá is the capital city of Colombia, the country located at the north-west corner of South America.
With more than 9 million people, it is one of the largest metropolitan areas of the world and it is placed roughly at the center of the country.
And… no. Sorry, no beach nearby. To go to the beach in Colombia, you need to either drive for 10 to 12 hours, or take a flight to the coast from Bogotá.
City layout
Bogotá is long and lean. It runs long from north to south and narrower from east to west.
You can get easily oriented, because the mountains are on the east side of the city. So if you get lost, look to see where the mountains are.
Downtown is not really in the middle, it is on the east of the city. The best areas are located to the north roughly speaking.
Airport information
Bogotá has only one airport: Aeropuerto Internacional El Dorado. It is fairly small, compared to most international airports.
For now, the easiest way to reach the airport is by taxi. Though the fares are the most expensive in town, they are really not that steep compared to other cities of the world.
A taxi ride to or from the airport in Bogotá will cost you from $15 to $35 US dollars.
In any case, make sure you exit the airport door and turn right to find the taxi booth. Do not take taxi that has not been assigned to you at the booth.
The guy in the booth will ask you where you’re going and give you a receipt with a set fare according to how far the ride is. The taxi driver has to respect the preset fare.
There are some public transportation buses called “busetas” that can take you up until about eight blocks from the actual terminal.
But a private company called Opain provides access from the bus stop to the terminals. When going out of the airport, find the Opain bus that will take you to the bus stop.
The airport is undergoing a huge renovation, so this information will change in the future.
Transmilenio, the big bus public system is supposed to reach the terminal in the near future, making it easier for travelers to get to and from El Dorado.
Money
The currency in Colombia is the Colombian Peso. It is highly advisable that you exchange pesos at the earliest possible because you can ensure the best rates.
Most places won’t take dollars or if they do, they will give you a crappy exchange rate.
The best place in Bogotá to exchange dollar is a beautiful mall on the north-east side called Hacienda Santa Bárbara.
There are several currency exchange houses on the third floor, so you can shop for the best rate. Plus, all of them are trustworthy and will give you an invoice of your transaction.
The exchange rate to date is $1785 pesos for every $1 dollar. The easiest way to keep track is to estimate around $2000 pesos per dollar.
Bills come in $50.000 (Around $25), $20.000 (Around $10), $10.000, $5.000, $2.000 and $1.000 pesos, though recently the government announced the issuance of $1.000 coins to replace the bills.
Coins are $1.000, $500, $200, $100 and $50 pesos (Around 30 cents).
ATMs are in every corner, but for safety I highly recommend finding one that is inside a closed building like a mall or a supermarket.
Visas
If you’re a US citizen, you are allowed to enter Colombia with your passport for a period of 60 days without a visa.
Check with your consulate or embassy if you need to stay longer or if you come from a different country.
Language
In Colombia people speak Spanish and few people speak English. If you’re in touristic location like museums, chances are there are English speaking guides.
But other than that, you do need to brush up on your high school Spanish.
Having said that, most people in Colombia are very accommodating and friendly and they will try to understand you.
Worst case scenario, get out a notebook and draw. It’s still western civilization after all.
That’s it for part 1, please come back next time to see the second article, after which you will have enough information to feel at home in Bogotá!
What image do you have of Bogotá in your head? Are you curious about visiting?
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Resources: Colombia official tourism website
Very good site and information. I was in Bogota and the Northern Department for 13 days in 2006. Don’t climb up to Monserrat unless it’s a Sunday when it is busy. Lots of thieves on the trail otherwise. Thanks again.