Things to do in Bogotá

Neighborhood · Historic centre, at the foot of the mountains

The colonial core — painted balconied houses, the Plaza de Bolívar, the Botero and Gold museums, and a student population that keeps it alive.

Local tip: Go by day and on foot, and stick to the lit, busy streets after dark. The Museo del Oro is the one museum in Colombia you should not skip, and it is free on Sundays.

Landmark · Cerros Orientales, above La Candelaria

The white church on the ridge at 3,152 m, reached by funicular, cable car or a punishing pilgrim stairway, with the whole savanna laid out below.

Local tip: Do not attempt the walking path in your first week — it climbs 500 m and the altitude will punish you. The funicular runs early; go before 9am for clear air, since cloud usually rolls in by midday.

Culture · Usaquén, north Bogotá

A colonial village swallowed by the city, whose Sunday market fills the plaza and side streets with crafts, food stalls and live music.

Local tip: Pair it with brunch on the Hacienda Santa Bárbara side and arrive before 11am — by mid-afternoon it is shoulder to shoulder and the pickpocketing goes up with the crowd.

Nature · Citywide, Sundays and public holidays

Over 100 km of main roads closed to cars from 7am to 2pm every Sunday, taken over by a million and a half cyclists, runners, skaters and dog-walkers.

Local tip: The Carrera 7 stretch through Chapinero is the classic. Rent a bike near Parque de la 93; the recreovía aerobics stages along the route are free and gloriously unselfconscious.

Food · Chapinero Alto

Bogotá's serious eating district — tasting menus, Andean produce cooking and specialty coffee, in a grid of red-brick English-style houses.

Local tip: Book the well-known kitchens a week ahead. Quinta Camacho next door is where the same chefs eat: cheaper, smaller rooms, no reservation needed on a weeknight.

Nature · Cerros Orientales, above Chapinero

A cloud-forest stream trail climbing straight out of the city into the eastern hills — hummingbirds, moss and the sound of Bogotá receding beneath you.

Local tip: Bogotanos hike this before work. Access is early-morning only and the hours change, so check the district environment authority's current schedule before you set off — and give the altitude a fortnight before you try it.