3 Perfect Days In Bogota | Best Budget Trip Of Colombia 2022

This post contains a detailed trip itinerary for a stay in Bogota of 3 days and 3 nights.  believe you will find this helpful in your planning. The point is to use this to fit your own travel needs.

As far as how much time to spend in Bogota goes, we found that three days fit our needs and this itinerary covers a good amount of ground for three days.

This trip to Colombia included the following cities which you can also find detailed itineraries for – Medellin, Cali, and Cartagena.

The Itinerary – 3 days, 3 nights: Bogota, Colombia

Day 1: ATL à Bogota

6:00am: Arrive at Hartsfield Jackson Intl Airport

• Try to be at the airport at least 1.5 hours ahead of time for an international flight, especially if it is direct.

7:40am: Flight departs from Atlanta to Bogota, layover in Miami

• From Atlanta, you can expect a layover in Miami or Ft. Lauderdale if you don’t have a direct flight
• I flew Spirit Airlines – I don’t recommend it for an international flight. If you are looking for the most economic package, I would recommend calling them to purchase any package/warranty they may sell to make sure you’re taken care of if any cancellations occur. (i.e. our return canceled and wasn’t rescheduled for another 3 days – no accommodation package was provided)
• Direct flights are available from Atlanta
• Flying in December can be 2-3x more the average price to get to Colombia. Don’t let that deter your plans – the opportunity cost of celebrating Christmas and NYE in Colombia is worth it.

2:30pm: Flight arrives to Bogota

3:00pm – 4:00pm: Uber to Lodge

We stayed at: Lloyds Apartasuites Parque 93

Carrera 11 No. 94 71, Chapinero, Bogotá, 110010, Colombia

Uber fare estimate: 47,000 pesos ~ $15 USD

Time: ~ 48 mins

• Booked via booking.com
• Comfortable two bedroom, two bathroom apartment. Perfect for four people.
• Cost: paid COP 939,597 ~$320USD for a 2 bedroom aparthotel. Includes tax. Quite affordable as that ends up costing each person about $26 a night!

5:00 pm- 6:00pm: Explore the neighborhood. Happy hour anyone? If you want to grab a beer, Bogota Beer company is a popular spot that is walking distance from Lloyd’s apartment suites.

8:30pm: Dinner Salto del Angel – five level restaurant

This restaurant is ~6 minutes walking distance from the apartment

• Beautiful restaurant, friendly staff, delicious food, and economical compared to U.S. Standards
• BTW – 8:30 dinner is relatively early #WelcometoLATAM

11:30pm: Head to Zona T (also known as Zona Rosa)

• This is a lively part of Bogota filled with restaurants and nightlife. A walk around the corner and you can end up at Floyd’s below.
• If you want to have a night out, I would recommend to have a late dinner at a restaurant in this zone and explore the area. You are on Latin time so think dinner around 9:30/10p.m.

12:00am: Drinks at Floyds

• Floyd’s is a speakeasy with a restaurant attached to it.
• In Colombia, you order by the bottle. Aguardiente is the Colombian choice of liquor- tastes similar to liquorish
• Showing up at midnight is actually relatively early. It’s up to you how you want to do it the day of a flight.

Day 2: Bogota

8:30am – 9:30am: Uber to Walking tour

UberX fare estimate: depends on traffic in the morning. ~20USD

Time ~50 mins with morning traffic from Lodge

• Lloyd’s Apart-hotel does not serve breakfast. At this point, unless you have exchanged money at the airport (don’t recommend –worst rates) or withdrawn from an ATM, you have to eat somewhere that accepts credit card. We had breakfast at the Starbucks to the left of our apart-hotel. The Starbucks in Bogota has Colombian options for breakfast and you can pay with card. Not as basic as you may have thought #wecultured
• I recommend getting to the walking tour 30 mins before it starts. Once you reach the square where it begins, you will be able to exchange money. There are several vendors around this square that offer exchange (cambio)

10:00am. – 1:00pm: Free Walking Tour begins at Museo de Oro

• One of the best walking tours I’ve taken! Great group of folks that meet to do this daily from all over the world. The tour guides are informative, kind, and passionate. Makes for a great experience.
• As this is a free walking tour, these folks work off tips. They are truly passionate about the history of the country and have a wealth of knowledge to share. They make a living out of tips so I encourage generous tipping as you find the tour worthwhile.

1:00pm – 3:00pm: Lunch at El Gato Gris

You can walk here from where the walking tour ends

• Of all my travels, this is one of my favorite restaurants in the WORLD
• It’s all about the ambiance here – Salvador Dali themed multilevel restaurant with beautiful live music, and a rooftop. Perfect for a nice long lunch.
• Nothing fancy, affordable, and gives you a taste of Colombia’s magical realism

3:15pm: – 4:15pm: Mueso Botero

Walking distance from lunch

• Fernando Botero is one of Colombia’s most renowned artists. He is known for his signature style known as “Boterismo”
• I would recommend a tour option for this museum as available. Botero incorporates a significant amount of symbolism in his paintings that’s not always apparent. Hiring a guide or purchasing a headset will enrich the experience
• Admission price: Free. Guide costs are separate from admission

4:15pm: Continue exploring the plaza and head back to Parque 93

• Give yourself some time to enjoy a coffee shop or some local shopping
• Get back by uber and rest up for a Colombian night out

10:00pm: Dinner at 80 Sillas

• Ceviche is a must
• Restaurant is in a great location – we went on a walk nearby after to an Irish bar
• Reminder – They dine late in Colombia

1:00am: Dancing at Hotel V Bar

• Bring your dancing shoes – meow! Eclectic music is played here from house, reggaeton, bachata, and hip hop.
• This place is quite exclusive, located on the top floor of an empty building
• Another bottle of aguardiente is to be ordered!

Day 3: Bogota

Today we will be spending time exploring the following sites outside of the city of Bogota: Monserrate, The Salt Cathedral, and Andres Carnes de Res (Chica location).

You will need to hire a driver. Do not rent and drive on your own unless you are experienced with driving in Colombia.

The best way to find a driver is by communicating with Uber drivers if they’d be willing to be hired for the day. Find the driver, settle on a rate and BLAM! Trip in motion. This approach proved to be helpful in Medellin as well. You will find the Colombians to be friendly and helpful.

You can also ask assistance at check-in at your hotel for a driver or communicate the need with the tour guides from the walking tour. Both options can be resourceful

Maybe at this point you’ve had the opportunity to meet folks and have them join you on this part of the journey. We ended up finding a family of five and an uber driver with a large van that fit ten people. You’ll find that when you travel, the stars just end up aligning. To give you an idea of how much a driver should cost for a day like this – we paid $120 for a van that fit 9 people.

Here is the day laid out best logistically  –

10:00am: Depart to Monteserrate and explore the mountain hillside 

• Incredible views of Bogota from the top of a mountain.
• Bring cash to take the cable car up to the top of the mountain
• Beware if your job makes you take a drug test – locals have this tea that they sell up there that’s made with cocaine leaves.

1:00pm: Lunch at a local Colombian joint our driver recommended called ‘El Cordero Dorado’:

• If you are adventurous with your palate, great place to try some unique items such as: Pig blood, ears, and intestines
• Overall, this is the place to eat for an authentic Colombian experience

4:00pm: Salt Cathedral

• This is an old underground salt mine turned cathedral.
• Bring cash for entrance fee
• We didn’t hire a guide at the Salt Cathedral and it makes sense to have one. Otherwise you’re just walking around aimlessly (like us – oops)

7:00pm: – Dinner at Andres Carne de Res in Chia

• This restaurant is the largest restaurant I have ever visited and the most popular restaurant in Colombia.  It is elaborately decorated creating a fun and creative ambiance. Enjoy mojitos the size of your head and the occasional live music
• There are two locations but YOU MUST go to the original location in Chia. No exaggeration – It will blow your mind
• Make sure to get up at some point and walk around the entire restaurant.

10:00pm: – Head home to take an early morning flight to Medellin

#TourdeColombiaContinues