Bogotá

Currency budget Colombia

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 all of Colombia

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 Colombia visa rules

Health & emergencies all of Colombia

Required to enter

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

Orientation, not medical advice — entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history. Check with a travel clinic 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.

Nightlife

Zona Rosa for the polished version and La Candelaria for chicha and student bars, 2,600m up, where the altitude does the work of a second drink.

• Zona T — the polished night, in Zona Rosa
• La Candelaria — the cheap student bars and the chicherías
• Chapinero — the alternative and gay scene

Closing: 03:00.

A beer in a bar: COP 5,000–14,000

The altitude genuinely doubles the effect of alcohol on the first night — pace it.

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

Internet speedall of Colombia

Getting online: Airalo or Holafly — a data eSIM for Colombia, installed before you fly and working the moment you land.

Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index · measured June 2026

Must-see

Nearby day trips

Say a few words

Spanish (Latin American)

• HelloHolaOH-la
• PleasePor favorpor fa-VOR
• Thank youGraciasGRA-syas
• Yes / NoSí / Nosee / no

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