Bogotá: Travel Tips Worth Knowing
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Before you go: Bogotá in 2026. Bogotá is a welcoming city well away from the rural border areas that carry Colombia’s highest travel warnings, and it rewards ordinary big-city street smarts more than any special caution. Two specifics are worth knowing: only take taxis you book through an app (Uber is legal here) or that your hotel or restaurant calls for you, never one flagged down on the street, since that’s how “express kidnapping” scams start; and be alert to drink-spiking and dating-app setups in nightlife areas, so watch your own drink and meet new people in public. A strong earthquake hit the distant Chocó region in August 2026, felt in Bogotá but with no damage here. Conditions change, so check your own government’s current advisory before you fly.
Entry paperwork
Most visitors (US, UK, EU, Australia, Canada) get 90 days visa-free, extendable to 180. Register with the Check-Mig online form through Migración Colombia within 72 hours before you arrive, and again before you leave; it’s free and takes a few minutes. A passport valid at least 6 months is standard practice. Yellow-fever certification isn’t required for Bogotá itself, only if you’re continuing on to the Amazon or other jungle regions.
Altitude comes first
Bogotá sits at 2,640 meters, and mild-to-moderate soroche, headache or fatigue in the first 6-24 hours, is genuinely common. Take your first day or two easy, drink more water than feels necessary, and go easy on alcohol the first night. Monserrate adds another 460 meters on top of that, so save it for once you’ve adjusted rather than your arrival day.
Money and paying for things
The Colombian peso (COP) is volatile enough that any exchange rate printed here would be out of date fast, so check a live converter rather than a fixed number. Cards are widely accepted; use ATMs inside malls or banks during the day and cover the PIN. Tipping runs around 10%, often added to the bill as “servicio voluntario,” a voluntary service charge you can decline if you want to.
Water and climate
Bogotá’s tap water is genuinely safe to drink, a real point in the city’s favor that surprises a lot of visitors. The climate is “eternal autumn,” not spring, cool and often overcast or rainy year-round around 14-15°C, so layers and a rain shell matter more than a swimsuit.
Getting around
Book taxis and rides through an app or have your venue call one, never hail one off the street. The TransMilenio BRT is efficient but has a pickpocket reputation at rush hour. Bogotá’s Metro Line 1 is still under construction, targeted to open passenger service around 2027-28, so it isn’t part of your trip yet. If you’re in town on a Sunday or public holiday, join Ciclovía, about 120km of streets close to cars from 7am to 2pm, running since 1974.
Culture worth knowing
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Colombia since 2016, and Chapinero has one of South America’s best LGBTQ+ scenes. There’s no UNESCO World Heritage Site inside Bogotá itself, its real title is UNESCO World Book Capital 2007. And treat Muisca heritage, the Gold Museum’s raft, Laguna de Guatavita, as real Indigenous history rather than decorative legend.
For the fuller list of what to actually do with all this, see our things to do in Bogotá guide.