Where to Stay in Bogotá (2026)

Top tips for Bogota

Image by German Rojas from Pixabay

The Quick Answer

• The best neighbourhoods for sightseeing: La Candelaria, Chapinero, Zona Rosa, El Chicó & Parque 93
• The most historic neighbourhoods: La Candelaria, Santa Bárbara

Table of Contents

 Bogotá is a big city, surrounded by Andean peaks; it feels both historic and urban. Home to around nine million people, there is plenty going on here, but there are still pockets of calm. Bogotá doesn’t have the safest reputation, but its act is being cleaned up, so visitor numbers are on the rise. Most of the historic sights are close to the centre, in and around La Candelaria. This is a great place to stay if you’re looking for grand squares, graceful churches, impressive architecture and monuments and famous museums. There are also plenty of parks and gardens, and places to eat and drink. La Candelaria is also a surprisingly affordable place to stay: it’s got lots of atmospheric hostels, as well as other accommodation.

A Visitor’s Guide to Bogotá’s Neighbourhoods

Via Googlemaps

The other neighbourhood our Gurus recommend for first-time visitors is Chapinero. It is considered safe and central, and has a friendly, lively atmosphere, and plenty of great places to stay, eat, drink, and go out in the evening. Zona Rosa is another good choice for entertainment and nightlife, as well as for luxurious shopping opportunities and high-end hotels.  Parque 93 and El Chicó are good neighbourhoods for families to consider: with plenty of green space and an affluent, residential feel. Santa Bárbara is similarly family-friendly, with some charming colonial architecture. Teusaquillo is a good choice if you’re planning a longer stay, or want to meet more locals.

La Candelaria

Image by Makalu from Pixabay

La Candelaria incorporates the historic centre of Bogotá; this is where the city was founded, in 1538. It houses Bogotá’s first church, now the cathedral, and the main square (today called the Plaza de Bolívar), plus the Casa de Nariño, which is the seat of the Presidency, the National Capitol, the Palace of Justice, and the  Archbishop's Palace. You can’t go in to all of these buildings, but you can admire them from the outside! La Candelaria also has a good range of museums and galleries including the Museum of Colonial Art, the Archaeological Museum, the Museum of Bogotá, the Military Museum, the Botero Contemporary Art Museum, the Gabriel García Márquez Cultural Center, and the Museum of Gold. This is a fantastic place to try some traditional food, and chicha, which is a fermented corn drink that you can buy in one of the many chicherias (small bars).

Chapinero

Image by Javier Rodríguez from Pixabay

Chapinero is a central neighbourhood known for its food, nightlife, gay scene, and distinctive architecture, which some find reminiscent of London and Paris in the 1930s. Chapinero is adjacent to La Candelaria, and many people enjoy the museums and historic sightseeing of one, and then stroll into the other to eat and drink. Chapinero is also a better place to shop; it is known for antiques and vintage shops, local art and crafts boutiques and fashions. Chapines are the thing to buy here: these wooden-soled shoes are the neighbourhood’s namesake. This is also a good neighbourhood for the theatre (Theatro Libre De Bogotá has a venue here), and for craft breweries and craft coffee roasters.  

Zona Rosa

By Flickr user Jimmy Baikovicius

Also sometimes called Zona T, because its pedestrianised area forms a “T” shape, Zona Rosa is Bogotá’s nightlife and shopping district, the place to come for a gourmet restaurant experience, a glamorous shopping trip, or a night out. It has the highest density of bars, cafes, restaurants and nightclubs in all of Colombia. Locals also refer to it as a centre of rumba, which means going out dancing generally. Day or night, people dress to impress when visiting the Zona Rosa; you can expect to see high-end fashion designers and cool local trends, both in the boutiques and shopping malls, and being worn on the Zona Rosa pedestrianised ‘catwalk’. The architecture matches the boutiques; this is an elegant neighbourhood, as well as a vibrant one, and is one of the most expensive neighbourhoods in all of South America. Zona Rosa is central and easy to get to and is also where you’ll find lots of Bogotá’s luxury hotels.  

El Chicó & Parque 93

By Flickr user Rosalba Tarazona

El Chicó is an especially affluent part of Chapinero, and Parque 93 is a part of that again (the restaurant and entertainment district, with a huge park). The whole neighbourhood has incredible mountain views, but they’re especially good from the park. Parque 93 has become somewhat of a celebrity hang-out; it’s just north of the Zona Rosa, so close to some of Bogotá’s best restaurants and shops, and it's often dotted with art installations or being used for a festival, so it’s popular with trendy locals, as well as international celebrities. One of El Chicó’s main sights is the Museu el Chicó, a small and unique museum, converted from a colonial hacienda, which represents an opportunity to go back in time to when it was privately owned.

Teusaquillo

By Flickr user Pedro Szekely

Between the airport and La Candelaria, Teusaquillo is a large, fairly central neighbourhood, with everything from skyscrapers to parks, including the huge Parque Nacional Enrique Olaya Herrera, and the Simón Bolívar Park. It has lovely residential pockets with some of the most elegant historic buildings in the city. Teusaquillo also has the highest concentration of bookshops in Bogotá! This is the neighbourhood of the National University of Colombia, one of the largest in South America, so there’s a large student population, and some great value accommodation, especially if you’re looking for somewhere to base yourself for a longer stay. Teusaquillo has huge shopping malls and large international hotels. Major local sights include Maloka, the science discovery museum, the botanical gardens, and the natural history and geology museums, as well as some large sports arenas and stadiums…

Santa Bárbara

By Flickr user David Múnera

Santa Bárbara is a much calmer neighbourhood than those of central Bogotá, and is probably best known for its beautiful colonial architecture, set on tree-lined streets. It is also great for food and drink, and specialist shopping with a number of fine dining restaurants and two of Bogotá’s largest shopping centres: the Hacienda Santa Bárbara, and the Unicentro Mall.  Local landmarks include the Iglesia Santa Bárbara de Usaquén (a beautiful church) and the Parque Santa Bárbara. Santa Bárbara has good transport links to central Bogotá.