Bogotá

By air

El Dorado International Airport (BOG)

BOG to your hotel: one booked car or an official airport taxi, 40–90 minutes depending on traffic — the risk is not the ride but a hotel door with no night staff.

Typical fares

El Dorado → La Candelaria, app car

COP 35,000–55,000, 30–50 min depending on traffic

App car across the centre

COP 12,000–22,000

Passes

No pass. Cars between the centre and Zona T cost a few dollars; agree the app fare or use the meter.

Late at night

No metro; buses stop running for tourists' purposes at night: use an app or hotel-booked car after dark.

Andrés D.C.

The Zona T outpost of Colombia's best-known rumba-and-grill restaurant: loud, decorated, dancing between courses — book ahead for dinner and pace yourself on the menu, it is huge.

La Puerta Falsa

A small, old-style eatery near Plaza de Bolívar for tamales and ajiaco: go mid-morning or mid-afternoon to avoid the lunch queue.

Leo

Chef Leonor Espinosa's tasting-menu restaurant built on Colombian biodiversity and Amazon, Caribbean and Andean ingredients: book well ahead, this is a splurge, not a walk-in.

Obleas cart, Parque de Santander

A street-cart wafer-and-arequipe snack outside Museo del Oro: a two-minute stop between museums, cash only, pick your toppings.

Quinua y Amaranto

A vegetarian-leaning set-lunch (menu del día) spot in La Candelaria: cheap, filling, walk-in; go at the usual lunch window and expect a short queue.

La Candelaria

First-timers with museum plans: everything is close, but pick a hotel with a 24-hour desk and a door a car can reach — and plan evenings by car.

Zona T and Chapinero

Bigger hotels with lifts, a door the car can reach and dinner on your doorstep; the museum centre is a 45-minute ride, so this suits food-first trips.

Etiquette

• Greetings: A handshake for first meetings; a single cheek kiss (right cheek) between women, or a woman and a man, once you know someone.
• Dress: Bogotá dresses a notch smarter and warmer than a beach city — bring layers, not shorts and flip-flops.
• Tipping: A 10% service charge on restaurant bills is voluntary; you can ask for it removed if service was poor.
• Time: "Hora colombiana" runs a little later than the clock for social plans; business and tour meeting times are taken literally.
• Photos: Ask before photographing people directly, especially street vendors and performers; a small tip is appreciated if you do.
• Altitude and alcohol: Locals expect visitors to go easy on alcohol the first night; declining a drink on arrival is normal, not rude.

Red lines

• Plaza de Bolívar can host protests: leave if a march forms.
• Ask before photographing people; some will want a tip.
• Monserrate: go by the cable car or funicular, not on foot, unless your hotel or a local guide confirms the trail is open and busy.

Scams and watch-outs

• Fake or unlicensed taxis quoting an inflated fare: use an app (inDriver, Cabify, Uber operates in a legal grey area) or a radio taxi booked by the hotel, and confirm the fare or meter before moving.
• Scopolamine ("burundanga") drink and cigarette spiking is a real, documented risk in Colombia: never accept food, drink or a cigarette from a stranger, and watch your own drink being made.
• Emerald sellers near Avenida Jiménez offering "wholesale" stones to tourists: prices and stone quality cannot be checked on the street; buy from a licensed jeweller if at all.
• "Helpful" strangers who point out a stain on your jacket then offer to clean it are a distraction team for pickpocketing: keep walking.
• Fake plainclothes "police" asking to see your wallet or passport: real officers do not need to hold your cash. Ask for ID, and offer to walk to a police station instead.
• Phone snatching from open hands or café tables: keep phones in a pocket or bag on the street, not out on a table facing the road.