Gold Museum
Museum with a huge collection of gold objects made by pre-Hispanic peoples, including masks, jewellery and the famous Muisca raft, shown in well-lit galleries.
Bogota
Monserrate hill, the Gold Museum and the La Candelaria quarter are what this high-altitude capital, the main arrival hub, is known for.
Attractive locations
Monserrate
Mountain above the old city, topped by a white church and reached by a cable car or funicular. The viewpoint gives wide views over the city and the savanna.
Plaza de Bolívar
The main square of the capital, with a statue of Simón Bolívar in the middle. The cathedral, the Capitol and the city hall face it, and pigeons gather around.
Primary Cathedral of Bogotá
Large neoclassical cathedral on Plaza de Bolívar, with chapels, paintings and the tomb of the city's founder. It is an active church.
Botero Museum
Free museum in a colonial mansion, showing the round, humorous paintings and sculptures of Fernando Botero as well as works by artists such as Picasso and Monet.
Colombian National Museum
The country's main museum, inside a former prison building. Its exhibits cover archaeology, history and art, from ancient peoples to modern times.
Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá
An underground church carved into a salt mine north of Bogotá, with tall caverns lit in coloured light and a large cross cut from the rock. It is a popular day trip from the capital.
Airports
El Dorado International Airport BOG
It is about 13 km in a straight line from Bogota.
Vanguardia Airport VVC
It is about 71 km in a straight line from Bogota.
Perales Airport IBE
It is about 118 km in a straight line from Bogota.
Scams and safe taxis
Taxi and scam advice for this country is on the Colombia page
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan19.1 °C44 mm
- Feb19.5 °C71 mm
- Mar19.5 °C132 mm
- Apr19.1 °C209 mm
- May18.8 °C207 mm
- Jun18.2 °C162 mm
- Jul18.2 °C134 mm
- Aug18.5 °C108 mm
- Sep18.9 °C103 mm
- Oct18.7 °C186 mm
- Nov18.4 °C165 mm
- Dec18.6 °C103 mm
Driest months: Jan, Feb, Sep, Dec. Wettest months: Apr, May, Oct.
Costs
Prices here are about 38% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Who can help
Emergency
123 for all emergencies.
local government
Tourism Police (Policía de Turismo), National Police of Colombia
Helps with: Specialised police group for tourism. Its listed duties include watching over tourist attractions, giving tourists information and guidance, and handling their complaints. The phone is the police administrative switchboard; emergencies: 123.
Who qualifies: Tourists and other visitors in Colombia. The police page also gives the national emergency number 123.
Phone: +57 6015159000
Address: Calle 14 Nro. 62-70, Zona Industrial, Puente Aranda
ngo
Cruz Roja Colombiana (Colombian Red Cross)
Helps with: Colombia's national Red Cross society, a private non-profit humanitarian body. Its work includes a blood bank, disaster risk reduction, health care and humanitarian projects.
Who qualifies: People in Colombia needing its humanitarian, health or disaster services; contact the national headquarters or a local branch.
Phone: 601 794 6566
Address: Av. Cra. 68 # 68 B -31, Bogotá
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Colombia
Helps with: The UN migration agency. In Colombia it works with the government on migration management and protecting people on the move, and on solutions for displacement.
Who qualifies: Migrants and displaced people in Colombia, and government partners. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +57 1 6397777
Address: Carrera 14 N° 93B-46, Bogotá
local government
Emergency number 123 (police and ambulance)
Helps with: Reaches the police and the ambulance service in Colombia. The number comes from UK government travel advice.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 123
local government
Fire emergency number 119
Helps with: Reaches the fire service in Colombia. The number comes from UK government travel advice.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 119