Bogotá

Currency

Use a casa de cambio in Chapinero or Usaquén, or a bank. Prices carry a lot of zeros — count notes before walking away. Cards are widely accepted in the north of the city, less so in the centre.

ATMs & cards

Bancolombia, Davivienda and BBVA inside branches or malls, in daylight. Street machines after dark are where forced withdrawals happen. Decline conversion.

Use machines inside a branch or a mall, in daylight. Night-time street withdrawals are where the robberies happen.

Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.

Safety

Better than its reputation and still a city where the area matters a great deal. Chapinero, Usaquén and Zona G are comfortable; La Candelaria is fine by day and not after dark; the south and west are not for wandering. Use apps rather than street taxis. No dar papaya — keep phones out of sight. Scopolamine robberies through dating apps are a real and documented risk.

Our own assessment, not a sourced index.

Entry & visa

Health & emergencies

Required to enter

No vaccinations are required for entry from Europe or North America.

Worth having

• Hepatitis A
• Typhoid
• Tetanus up to date
• Yellow fever if you are going to the Amazon, the Pacific coast or Tayrona — some parks now ask for the certificate
• Rabies for rural or long stays

Getting treated

Private hospitals in Cartagena, Bogotá and Medellín are good and inexpensive by European standards, which is why medical tourism is a real industry here. They expect payment or an insurance guarantee before treating. Public facilities are stretched.

Do not drink the tap water outside Bogotá and Medellín. Dengue is present on the Caribbean coast year-round. Yellow fever vaccination needs 10 days to take effect, so it is not a last-minute item.

Orientation, not medical advice. Entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history and where you have been — check with a travel clinic or your national health service four to six weeks before you go.

Food tip

Ajiaco, the chicken and potato soup, is the city dish and suits the climate. Fruit here is exceptional — try feijoa, lulo and curuba. The coffee scene in Chapinero is excellent and takes itself seriously.

Getting around

• TransMilenio — the bus rapid transit spine; fast, very crowded, and where pickpocketing happens
• Uber, DiDi and inDrive — cheap and safer than street taxis, which is what most visitors use
• Ciclovía — 120 km of roads closed to cars every Sunday morning, and genuinely a reason to be here on a Sunday
• Monserrate funicular — up to the shrine above the city
• Airport: El Dorado (BOG), 30-60 min depending on traffic

Must-see

Things to do

• Go up Monserrate early for the view before the cloud closes in
• Spend two hours in the Gold Museum, which is world class
• Take a graffiti tour of La Candelaria
• Ride the Ciclovía on a Sunday morning
• Day trip to the salt cathedral at Zipaquirá

Nearby day trips

Say a few words

Spanish (Latin American)

• HelloHolaOH-la
• PleasePor favorpor fa-VOR
• Thank youGraciasGRA-syas
• Yes / NoSí / Nosee / no
• Excuse meDisculpedees-KOOL-peh
• How much is it?¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-to KWES-ta
• The bill, pleaseLa cuenta, por favorla KWEN-ta
• Cheers!¡Salud!sa-LOOD

The c and z are said as an s here, not the Spanish "th" — gracias is GRA-syas.

Religion

Catholic

Around 70% Catholic. Semana Santa is a major holiday and Popayán’s processions are UNESCO-listed.

Do's and don'ts

Do

• Greet everyone on entering a small shop or a lift — buenos días to the room, not to one person
• Use usted with people you have just met; it is the respectful default in much of the country
• Accept a tinto, the small black coffee, when offered — it is how conversations start
• Dance when invited, badly if necessary; refusing outright is the odd choice here

Don't

• Do not make cocaine jokes or references to Escobar. It is the single fastest way to insult someone, and Colombians are tired of it
• Do not discuss the armed conflict lightly with people you have just met
• Do not photograph people, especially the palenqueras in Cartagena, without asking and expecting to pay
• Do not flash phones or jewellery in the street — no dar papaya, do not give an opportunity, is a national principle