I highly suggest Bogota bicycle tours if you only take one guided tour of Bogota. When visiting a new city, I try to do as many tours as possible to get a genuine feel for the city and maximize my time. Everyone recommended Bogota bike tours, so I finally gave in. Honestly, it was my favorite of all the city tour Bogota experiences.
Quick Tip: Book accommodation, tours, and transport ahead of time online to save money and stress.
Best Bogota Tours: Click here to check out the top Bogota tours
Best Bogota Accommodation: Click here to check out the best accommodation in Bogota
Best Bogota Transport: Click here to book a bus, ferry, or train in Bogota
Why Take a Bike City Tour Bogota
Group tours aren’t for everyone, and I don’t always feel the need to do one. However, a tour is a must when you visit a city as huge as Bogota and have limited time. Due to Bogota’s size, it’s hard to find a walking tour outside of La Candelaria. You can only cover so much ground on foot!
Due to the traffic, Bogota is not ideal for bus tours. Bogota bike tours are an excellent option for seeing more than the walking tours offer and experiencing local hidden gems.
Need Transportation in Colombia?
I highly recommend booking Colombia transportation with GottoGo. You can search for buses, shuttles, ferries, and flights on their website—I love their customer service. I know them personally from my time living in Guatemala, and they genuinely care for their customers. If a delay occurs and you miss your bus, call them for help.
If you book through GottoGo, you will pay more than at the bus station, but it’s worth it for the ease and security. Click here to search for transportation in Colombia.
What to Know About Bike Tours Bogota
Getting Your Bike
The city tour Bogota offers leaves twice daily at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. I recommend morning Bogota bicycle tours, as the weather is generally better. This tour departs from their bike shop in La Candelaria. I arrived just after 10:00 a.m. to get sized for my bike.
This didn’t take long at all, so I popped next door into a delicious coffee shop and ordered a Tinto!
Once everyone got their bikes, we headed out for the health and safety brief and had our bikes checked for any problems.
Bogota Bike Tour Highlights
Parque de Los Periodistas
The first tour stop is just down the road from the bike shop. This allows checking in with everyone and ensuring all bikes are working correctly.
Bogota City Market
After cycling through downtown and up 7th Street (Bogota’s main walking area), we left our bikes and walked through the market to sample fresh produce.
Tajo
At this point, it began to rain a little. To pass the time, our guide took us across the road from the market for beer and a game of Tajo! I was so excited about this, as I learned about Tajo from my Colombian friends. However, I had no idea where to find opportunities to play in Bogota. It was entertaining and something you must experience in Colombia.
Quick Tip: View my full Colombia packing guide here including a downloadable checklist. And check out my Colombia Essentials shopping list here.
Graffiti
A famous highlight of these Bogota bicycle tours is the graffiti art throughout the city. Having done the graffiti tour (which is excellent, by the way), I had already seen a lot of cool street art. Being on a bike allowed us to go further and see more than the graffiti tour allows. Our guide was knowledgeable about local graffiti, being an artist himself. I enjoyed this part of the tour and think it is one of the main selling points.
Coffee
I am a huge coffee lover, so this was an exciting aspect of the Bogota bike tour. We went to a great coffee shop in a neighborhood I would never have found alone. They roast the beans on-site, so we saw the roasting process and enjoyed a quality cup of coffee.
Bogota bike tours allow you to orient yourself while exploring the city. You‘ll visit famous landmarks like the National Museum, which would be hard to find alone. Since these places are outside the normal walking tour area, I consider this one of the tour’s top selling points.
Bogota Bicycle Tours: FAQs
Do you need to be fit to do the bike city tour Bogota?
If you aren’t in the best shape and haven’t been on a bike in the last decade, don’t worry! As you may know, Bogota is pretty high in elevation, so breathing while exercising can be difficult before you acclimatize. Even so, this tour doesn’t move too fast. It is 90% flat, with only two points when you have to go up a bit on an incline.
On my tour, there was a 65-year-old man who hadn’t been on a bike in 50 years and had arrived from the UK the night before. Your fitness and biking experience levels won’t be a problem.
Are Bogota bike tours worth it?
Yes, absolutely! I highly recommend taking a Bogota bike tour, especially if you only have a day or two in the city. This tour covers more distance and exciting things than other tours, and it is a great way to make the most of your time. I also think it is a bargain price for what you get.
Did You Get Travel Insurance Yet?
The Insurance companies I recommend are Hey Mondo and Safety Wing
Hey Mondo is great if you are looking for a great value flexible policy. They offer single-trip cover, annual multi-trip cover, and long-term travel cover. Safety Wing is great value, with monthly coverage starting at $45.08. It’s super easy to use, and it just renews each month. I currently use them as they offer me free cover for my son as part of my policy.
Read my full travel insurance post here, where I go into detail about all companies.
Where to Stay in Bogota
If you are staying longer than 24 hours, I recommend Chapenero over La Candelaria. Hotels I recommend include:
Hotel Morrison
Selina Chapinaro
Hotel Living 55
93 Luxury Suites & Residences
If you are only in town for one night, I suggest these La Candelaria accommodations:
Selina La Candelaria
Casa Artistica
Arche Noah Boutique Hostel
For a convenient airport hotel, check out the Radisson AR Bogota Airport.
Bogota Travel Guide Planning
🧳 Any recommendations on what I should pack for Bogota?
Yes! I have created a whole packing guide to Bogota which you can read here and you can also check out my packing list for Bogota on Amazon here.
🚗 Where can I book bus or private transportation while I’m in Bogota?
I strongly recommend using GottoGo. You can book almost all transport in the major tourist destinations through them online. They don’t just cover buses they also cover shuttles, ferries, and private drivers.
🎫 Where can I buy tickets for museums, attractions, and tours in Bogota?
I recommend either Viator or GetYour Guide. They have a lot of options!
👩⚕️ What is the best insurance to have while traveling?
I recommend using Heymondo for a great value policy. The app also offers you 24/7 Dr Chat. For Digital Nomads check out SafetyWing digital nomad insurance.
I have also written a blog post covering all my recommended travel insurance here
✈️ Any flight recommendations?
WayAWay offers you cheap flights with cashback. You can use this code CLAIRE22 to get 10% off. Otherwise Skyscanner or Expedia are my go-to flight searching platforms.
📱What do you use for internet connection while traveling?
I’m a big fan of personal WiFi devices and they have saved my ass so many times when traveling. I wrote a full review of the top travel WiFi devices you can read here. I personally use GlocalMe as I can either pop in a physical sim card or use their local carrier.
With regards to my phone connection, I use e-sims while traveling, so rather than having to swap out my regular sim card I can download the app and buy a virtual sim card. I recommend using eitherAirhub or Alosim. Both have great coverage of multiple countries and are very easy to use.
🛏️ What is the best platform to use for booking accommodation?
The 3 best platforms that I normally use are Booking.com, Hotels.com, and Expedia They offer great deals and multiple options. I always check all three to be sure of the best deals.
🛅 Do you have any luggage recommendations for traveling?
I do have a complete list of the best packing and luggage products that I recommend, you can check the list here. I’m currently traveling with this suitcase and this backpack.
Bogota Bicycle Tours: Final Thoughts
A Bogota bike tour is one of the best ways to experience this vibrant city. You’ll experience the local cuisine, art, and history on a bike while touring Bogota. Bogota bike tours offer a fantastic opportunity to maximize your time in Colombia.
This post was proofread by Grammarly.