Bogotá, officially Bogotá D.C, is the capital of Colombia. One of the world's mega-cities, Bogotá is a global center for finance, politics, culture, shopping, media, and entertainment. The city is a vibrant metropolis with thousands of things to do, see, and discover, including world-class museums and restaurants, glittering skyscrapers and vast financial centers, 500-year-old mansions, palaces, and historic churches. There are over 75 performing arts venues spread throughout the city, including the renowned Teatro Colon.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
With a population of 15 million people, Bogota DC sits approximately 2,640 m (8,660 feet) above sea level in the Colombian Andes region. Its climate is cool year-round. Orientation is relatively easy, as the mountains located in the eastern parts of the city, are generally visible from most parts of the city. Aside from being one of Latin America's great capital cities, Bogota is also one of the most modern, multicultural, and cosmopolitan cities on Earth. To understand the sheer size of this vast metropolis, consider that Mexico City and New York City are the only North American cities larger than the capital district.
InDrive, Uber, Cabify and Didi cover the city. As of November 2015, Uber rides can take a while to reach you, particularly if you are in the La Candelaria area. You can also use Uber app to hail a taxi. Note that while rideshare apps are commonly used, they are officially illegal in Colombia, so drivers can be hesitant to drive to places where they may be hassled by police (e.g. bus stations). Drivers may ask you to sit in front so that you appear to be a "friend" of the driver instead of taking a passenger for profit through a ride-hailing app. While ubiquitous and affordable – the local yellow taxis are arguably the most visible representative to the world of Bogotá's worst side.
Many landmark events in the history of Colombian and South American independence took place in La Candelaria, the historic mid-16th-century colonial neighborhood that hosts the national government, including the near killing and escape of Simon Bolivar, the execution of revolutionary heroine Policarpa Salavarrieta, known as 'La Pola,' and the Grito de Libertad, known as the beginning of the region's revolution. The district is teeming with history, and there are a lot of interesting museums (arguably the best being the Gold Museum and the Botero Museum) and old churches. Some of its lovely streets are pedestrian-only.
On some Friday nights, parts of Avenida Septima are closed in the Centro and you can see all sorts of street performers, live music, magic shows, buy crafts and street food. If you don't mind crowds it's worth a visit. Check out the Iberoamerican Theater Festival, the biggest theater festival in the world (occurs every two years during Easter Week). Catch a football (soccer) game at El Campin Stadium. Easily accessible by Transmillenio and with a capacity of 48,000 spectators, it hosts games for the Colombian international squad as well as for professional league home teams Millionarios and Santa Fe.
Bogotá's varied gastronomy includes Michelin-starred restaurants serving traditional and innovative Colombian dishes and other cuisines from all corners of the globe. Arepas: Corn flour based pancakes, sometimes made with cheese or slightly salted. Empanadas: The closest comparison would be pastries. These are popular all over South America, so generally each country/region has their own recipe. The filling usually consists of meat, potato, vegetables and rice wrapped in a corn flour crust. Tamal: Usually eaten for breakfast. A mixture of meat, chicken, potato, vegetables and yellow corn wrapped in plantain leaves and then boiled.
Nightlife in Bogotá is very diverse, and you can almost certainly find whatever experience it is you are looking for. There are English pubs, Latin dance halls, electronic music clubs, quiet storefront bars, wacky themed clubs, salsa clubs, a huge indie-rock scene (if Cali is salsa, Bogotá is rock n' roll), megaclubs, cocktail lounges, etc. The cosmopolitan side of Bogotá nightlife is overwhelmingly to be found in Zona Rosa and Bogotá/Parque 93. It's a little more spread out and sparse, but you'll find similar places in Chapinero Central, Usaquén, and even Santa Fé and La Candelaria. Chapinero Central and La Candelaria tend to be more bohemian/hipster/artsy/young.
Bogotá is not at all as dangerous as it once was and as it may occasionally have been portrayed in certain movies. Its once high murder rate has dropped to exceedingly low levels. Bombings and kidnappings are a thing of the past, and should not be a concern to visitors at all. The principal safety concerns for travelers are pickpockets and the occasional taxi crime. Occasional pickpocketing is still present in the city. Mugging rates have gone down by tremendous levels, due to recent governments' new policies, but while they are not frequent they still occur occasionally.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
In Jul, Bogota typically sees ~18°C daytime highs and 21 rainy days.
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