# The Best Things to Do in Bogotá, Colombia > Discover what to do in Bogotá, Colombia's capital that sits 2,600 metres closer to the stars: culture, cuisine, tours and views from up high. - URL: https://langandtrip.com.ua/en/article/naykrashche-shcho-mozhna-zrobyty-v-bohoti/ - Language: en - Published: 2023-09-30 - Categories: Culture, Leisure, Tours, Colombia, Food & Drinks, Relaxation --- One of the highest capital cities in the world, Bogotá is, as the saying goes, "2,600 metres closer to the stars." At that altitude (8,530 feet) you're far more likely to be wrapped in clouds than gazing up at a starry night sky, but when it comes to coffee and culture, this sprawling city won't let you down. Here are some of the best ways to get to know it: ## Botero and Beyond ![](/storage/image/prev/Columbia-1-B-gallery-FB-1024x576.jpg) Bogotá isn't famous for its art scene, but it really should be. The city is packed with galleries, more than 100 of them, and admission to many is either free or wonderfully cheap. Every October, Bogotá hosts its International Art Fair, a four-day celebration of artists showing off their contemporary work across all kinds of formats and media. The Museo de Arte de la Universidad Nacional is one of the best-known galleries, 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 projects in a space that started life as the museum's car park. Galería MÜ was one of the first galleries in the country devoted purely to fine art photography. It specialises in showcasing the work of Colombian artists and also runs workshops on the history of photography. Museo Botero pays tribute to Colombia's most celebrated artist, Fernando Botero, with his signature plump women and full-bodied fruit. The gallery sits inside a beautiful colonial mansion whose rooms wrap around a central courtyard. It holds 208 works from Botero's art collection: 123 of them created by the artist himself, and 85 from his private collection of famous world artists, including Picasso, Monet and Chagall. ## Read the Walls ![](/storage/image/prev/Columbia-2-Grafity-1024x552.jpg) OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERABogotá has a street art culture all its own, 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 collection of murals that get people talking. The Bogotá Graffiti Tour runs two free tours a day. Graffiti art offers a window into a complicated city, and the tour is a great way to understand the social and political commentary this art form sets out to convey. ## Cultural Deep Dives ![](/storage/image/prev/Columbia-3-ity-1024x583.jpg) Latin American history shines in Bogotá's finest museums. Beyond the famous Gold Museum (Museo del Oro), home to more than 55,000 gold pieces, many of them sacred Amazonian ornaments, the city offers plenty of other places where you could easily spend 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 intricate golden floral motifs and religious statues. The National Museum of Colombia is housed in a former prison designed by the English architect Thomas Reed in 1874. It covers ethnology, art and archaeology dating as far back as 10,000 BC, across 17 exhibition halls. The Colonial Museum (Museo Colonial) is another must-see, set in a historic building erected in 1610 as a former Jesuit school. The museum displays a wide variety of paintings, sculptures, antique furniture and decorative arts. ## A Cup of Coffee No guide to Bogotá would be complete without a mention of coffee. Although the city isn't part of the "Coffee Triangle," the region famed for its coffee production, plenty of cafés have popped up here in recent years, since the country doesn't export all of its finest beans. Historically, Colombians drank pasilla, the leftovers of the coffee industry, brewed into a punishingly strong tinto. Thankfully, things have changed since then, and while you'll still see locals enjoying a cup of tinto from street vendors, good coffee is not to be missed. Lucia Londoño Tostadores and Varietale offer excellent coffee tasting tours without ever leaving the city. Visitors learn how coffee is grown, harvested, roasted and brewed, moving one step closer to becoming true coffee connoisseurs. And for those who'd rather skip straight to the drinking, you'll be spoilt for choice. Café Arte y Pasión on Plaza de Bolívar is a charming old coffee house with vintage décor. Amor Perfecto in Chapinero is one of the country's first specialty cafés, well 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 produce a sweeter cup. Azahar in Parque de la 93 is a stylish spot that uses coffee sourced directly from farmers, with fully transparent pricing. ## A Market for Original Souvenirs Usaquén is a neighbourhood well worth the trip north, at once charmingly old-fashioned and trendy, with a lively dining scene. But the best thing to do here is the Sunday flea market, which runs roughly from 10am to 6pm (give or take, because this is Colombia). At the Usaquén market you'll find endless local crafts, including ceramics, soaps, jewellery, shoes, gourmet treats and other handmade goods. ## Climb for the View, and Look for the Wildlife On a clear day you can head up Monserrate for a sweeping, bird's-eye view of the city. You can take the funicular, ride the cable car, or tackle the many steps on foot. At the top there's a church and a couple of overpriced restaurants, but the real attraction is the panorama of the city. Another wonderful outdoor activity is a visit to the Bogotá Botanical Garden, an oasis of calm in the middle of a chaotic city. Colombia is one of the most biodiverse countries on the planet, and the garden showcases an impressive selection of flora from numerous ecosystems, with a particular focus on Andean and páramo species. ## A Taste of Colombia One of the best things about Bogotá is its growing food scene, along with the fact that visitors spending dollars enjoy a fantastic exchange rate, which means you can dine on Michelin-starred dishes without breaking the bank. Leonor Espinosa is one of the country's most beloved chefs, and for good reason. She sources fresh produce from local farmers and is passionate about weaving cultural traditions into her menu. LEO, her eponymous restaurant, offers a 13-course tasting menu. At Matiz, meanwhile, every dish is like edible art, made with a diverse range of ingredients from both land and sea. For a more traditional, homely experience, head to La Puerta Falsa (The False Door) in La Candelaria, where you can enjoy a bowl of warming ajiaco soup, made with three kinds of potato and chicken, served with avocado and rice, and finish with a hot chocolate that you dip almojábana bread into, of course. One absolute must, though, is Andrés Carne de Res, located in Chía, about an hour's drive from Bogotá depending on where you're staying. But most people who come to this legendary spot aren't there for the food, they're there for the party. Far better suited to non-pandemic times, this giant restaurant seats 2,000 people, and they still have to turn guests away. The menu runs to 40 pages, diners leave their tables halfway through the main course to dance salsa (there are five dance floors), and, for some reason, there's a 25-foot climbing wall. Alongside a DJ, several live bands perform here, and the car park has a few hammocks for anyone too worn out to make the journey back into the city.