One of the highest capitals in the world, Bogota bills itself as a place "2,600 metres closer to the stars".
While that altitude (8,530 feet) means you're more likely to be wrapped in cloud than gazing at a starry sky, when it comes to coffee and culture the capital certainly doesn't disappoint.
Here are a few of the best ways to get to know the city:
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Botero and Beyond
Bogota isn't known for its art scene, but it really should be. The city is packed with a huge range of art galleries, more than 100 of them, many free or cheap to visit. Every October it hosts the Bogota International Art Fair, a four-day event where artists showcase their contemporary work across all kinds of formats and genres.
The Art Museum of the National University is one of the most respected galleries around, bringing together some of the most experimental and ambitious projects in the city. El Parqueadero, on the ground floor of the Bank of the Republic's Art Museum, offers a blank canvas for artistic installations in a space that was originally the museum's car park.
Galeria MU is one of the first galleries in the country dedicated purely to fine-art photography, and it focuses on spotlighting Colombian artists while also running workshops on the history of photography.
The Botero Museum pays tribute to Colombia's most famous artist, Fernando Botero, with his signature voluptuous women and plump fruit. Set in a beautiful colonial mansion whose rooms wrap around a central courtyard, the gallery is free to visit. It holds 208 works from Botero's art collection, 123 of them his own pieces and 85 from his private collection of celebrated international artists, including Picasso, Monet and Chagall.
Reading the Walls
Bogota has a street-art culture all its own, one that's as much a part of the city as the walls themselves. Local artists are allowed to take over sections of the city's buildings, and the result is a colourful, captivating and conversation-starting collection of murals.
The aptly named Bogota Graffiti Tour runs two free tours a day. Graffiti art offers an insightful window into a complex city, and the tour is a fantastic way to understand the social and political commentary this art form is trying to convey.
Cultural Deep Dives
Latin American history shines in some of Bogota's finest museums. Beyond the well-known Gold Museum, which houses more than 55,000 gold objects, many of them sacred Amazonian ornaments, the city has plenty of other spots where you can happily lose a whole day.
Santa Clara is a former church turned museum, and a stunning colonial-era building constructed between 1629 and 1647. Entry costs less than a dollar, and inside you'll find paintings by some of Colombia's most revered baroque artists, along with delicate golden floral motifs and religious statues.
The National Museum of Colombia sits inside a former prison designed by English architect Thomas Reed in 1874. It presents ethnology, art and archaeology dating back to 10,000 BC across 17 exhibition halls.
The Colonial Museum is another must-visit, housed in a building that is itself a piece of history: built in 1610 as a former Jesuit school, it fairly radiates the past. The museum holds a wide range of paintings, sculptures, antique furniture and decorative arts.
A Cup of Coffee
No guide to Bogota would be complete without mentioning coffee. Although the city isn't in the coffee triangle, the region famous for its coffee production, a wave of cafes has sprung up in recent years, now that the country no longer exports all of its best beans.
Historically, Colombians drank pasilla, the leftovers of the coffee industry, brewed into a painfully strong tinto. Thankfully things have changed since then, and while you'll still see locals enjoying a cup of tinto from a street vendor, the good stuff is not to be missed.
Lucia Londono Tostadores and Varietale offer excellent coffee-tasting tours without ever leaving the city. Visitors learn how coffee is grown, harvested, roasted and brewed, edging a step closer to becoming true coffee connoisseurs.
And those who'd rather skip straight to the cup are spoiled for choice.
Arte y Pasion Cafe on Plaza Bolivar is a charming old coffee house with vintage decor. Amor Perfecto in Chapinero is one of the country's first specialty cafes, worth a visit for its award-winning coffee and unusual methods, such as the honey process, where the coffee is left to dry in its own pulp to create a sweeter drink.
Azahar in Parque de la 93 is a chic spot that uses coffee sourced directly from farmers, and they're completely transparent about their prices, too.
A Market for Special Souvenirs
Well worth the trip north, Usaquen is a neighbourhood that somehow manages to be both charmingly old-fashioned and trendy, with a buzzing food scene.
But the best thing to do is the Sunday flea market, which runs roughly from 10am to 6pm (give or take, this is Colombia, after all). Usaquen's market offers endless local crafts, including ceramics, soap, jewellery, shoes, delicacies and other handmade goods.
Climbing for the View, Seeking Out Species
A trip up Monserrate on a clear day lifts visitors a little higher still for a panoramic bird's-eye view of the sprawling city. The funicular offers a stomach-lurching, wobbly ride, or there are plenty of steps to climb. At the top you'll find a church and a couple of overpriced restaurants, but the real attraction here is the city skyline.
Another wonderful outdoor activity is a visit to the Bogota Botanical Garden, an oasis of calm amid the chaotic city. Colombia is one of the most biodiverse countries on the planet, and the gardens feature an impressive collection of flora from many ecosystems, with a special focus on Andean and paramo species.
The Flavours of Colombia
One of the best things about Bogota is its thriving food scene, and the fact that dollar-spending visitors enjoy a great exchange rate, which means you can eat Michelin-standard food without breaking the bank.
Leonor Espinosa is one of the country's most beloved chefs, and with good reason. She sources fresh produce from local farmers and is passionate about weaving cultural traditions into her menus. LEO, the restaurant that bears her name, offers a 13-course tasting menu.
At Mesa, meanwhile, every dish is like edible art, and the menu ranges far and wide across land and sea in its search for ingredients.
A more traditional, home-style experience can be found at La Puerta Falsa (The False Door) in La Candelaria, where visitors can spoon up a bowl of warming ajiaco soup, made with three kinds of potato and chicken and served with avocado and rice, then finish with a hot chocolate, dunking a piece of almojabana bread into it, of course.
The one truly unmissable spot, though, is Andres Carne de Res, located in Chia, about an hour's drive from Bogota depending on where you're staying. But most people who flock to this notorious institution aren't coming for the food, they're coming for the party.
Far better suited to non-pandemic times, the giant restaurant seats 2,000 people, and it still has to turn people away at the door. The menu runs to 40 pages, diners abandon their tables halfway through their main course to dance salsa (there are five dance floors), and there's also, for some reason, a 25-foot climbing wall.
Alongside the DJ on hand there are several live bands, plus a few hammocks in the car park for anyone too worn out to make the journey back to the city.
