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Basics on Bogotá, which was once considered off limits because of years of violence. With both modern and historic areas to appeal to many tastes, it’s slowly being reborn and is worth a couple days of exploration.
El Dorado International Airport
Flying into Bogotá will take you to the very modern El Dorado International Airport. It’s very clean and full of shops and restaurants. It’s definitely the best airport I’ve flown into in Latin America.
There’s a nice food court near the check-in area for domestic flights. Another food court is situated just above domestic check-in, and there are even more food courts in the domestic and international terminals.
Restaurants in the international terminal include Cumbia House by Carlos Vives, Guy’s Burger Joint by Guy Fieri, and The Marketplace by Wolfgang Puck. Every meal I’ve had there is delicious. Just be aware restaurants in the international terminal charge extortionate prices.
Taxis from the Airport
You will be approached by several private drivers looking to give you a ride, and they will charge more than a normal yellow taxi. If you don’t want to pay a premium, don’t let them pressure you into it. They will try their hardest to tell you they’re cheaper than a taxi. If you don’t have pre-arranged transportation or are taking a hotel shuttle, your best bet is to wait in the taxi queue.
Bogotá Bus Terminal
I didn’t use the main bus terminal but I did use Portal del Norte to get to a few towns north of Bogotá, such as Chia, Zipaquirá, Guatavita, and more. Also, Calle 72 and Carrera 13 has buses to a few towns like La Calera and Guasca.
Changing Money in Bogotá
If you’re looking to change money, I got the best rates at the airport. There’s a currency exchange just after walking out to the international arrivals area. I got burned the first time I went through, so don’t exchange money until AFTER you reach the greeting area. Rates seem to be much better. The exchanges I found in La Candelaria didn’t post any rates so I didn’t trust them.
Getting Around Bogotá
Bogotá is a huge city with heavy traffic. Getting around can be overwhelming, but it’s very easy and relatively cheap by taxi. Sitting in a taxi for 45 minutes won’t cost as much as you expect from one part of the city to the other. Small sections of the city like La Candelaria are easily walkable.
The TransMilenio is Bogotá’s bus system running in a dedicated lane. It’s fast, cheap, and convenient but also can be quite confusing for visitors. It seemed like there were hundreds of different bus lines in use spreading out all over the city. The best thing to do is just ask an attendant on duty which bus to take to your destination.
To use the public transportation system, you can buy a TuLlave card. A basic TuLlave card costs an initial COP$7,000 (as of May 2023). It’s COP$2,750 per ride on a regular city bus and COP$2,950 per ride on the TransMilenio or TransMiCable (as of May 2023).
Basics About Safety in Bogotá
Bogotá’s reputation for crime scares a lot of people away, but I never felt threatened during the day. You have to be a lot more careful after dark and take a taxi if you wander too far away from your hotel.
There are usually a lot of junkies gathered in the plazas at night. They’re harmless for the most part, even helpful at times, but anyone should still take caution even with police presence. It also seems like the whole city shuts down after 9pm, unless you’re in the more upscale parts of the city to the north.
