Things to do in Bogotá – 4 Top Museums

After 15 years we finally decided to re-visit Bogotá that we had great memories of. We were there in 2010 during our around the world trip but only for a very short time. So in the beginning of January 2025 we started our travels: Bogotá (4 days) – Buenos Aires (4 days) – São Paulo (4 days) – Santa Marta (8 days) – Bogotá (4 days).

Coming from the winter season in Europe it was immediately wonderful to arrive to a summer climate. Though Bogotá is located on a high savanna plateau in the Andes on a height of 2600 meters. Christian felt it directly and suffered from a light altitude sickness for the first 36 hours: headache, short breath and dehydration.

The weather was around 20 degrees celsius everyday and you needed a light jacket once in a while. It invited to walk in the city a lot and we connected our many walks with different museum visits.

In the following you can read about our four favorite museums.

1. Botero Museum (Modern Art Museum)

This is a small, but wonderful art museum about the famous painter and sculptor Fernando Botero (1932-2023). Botero was a figurative artist and became the most recognized Latin American artist in his lifetime. His distinctive style (“Boterismo”) features individuals and figures in bold, exaggerated proportions. This could convey political commentary or humor, depending on the artwork. In 2000 he donated more than 200 pieces of his private art collection to the museum. Many of them were from international artists such as Picasso, Dalí or Max Ernst.

We had seen his art work for the first time in Santiago de Chile during our all around the world trip in 2010 where we enjoyed his style very much. Thus we were delighted to visit the museum. And even more when seeing his famous cat that is displayed in the Raval neighborhood of Barcelona, our chosen home.

The museum is located in a dedicated block that houses several others, such as the old mint in the middle of the picturesque old town of Bogotá, La Candelaria. The entrance is free of charge. We combined the visit with a wonderful lunch in a quiet street and do recommend the restaurant “De Una Travel” in Calle 10.

2. Bogotá’s Gold Museum (Museo del Oro)

We visited the Gold Museum in 2010 and the impressions of the ornate gold artifacts of the pre-Colombian cultures stuck in our minds ever since. Especially the Muisca who inhabited the region of today’s Bogotá left an incredible legacy. The so called “Muisca Raft” was a small votive offering made from an alloy of gold, silver, and copper. The museum has a collection of 55.000 pieces of which 6.000 are on display.

It is a stunning site and a must-do museum in Bogotá. There is a small entrance fee.

3. Casa Museo Quinta de Bolívar (History Museum)

This museum is an absolute must for lovers of Latin American history. The Quinta de Bolívar is a colonial house that belonged to Simon Bolivar, the so called liberator of South America. He won the struggle of independence from Spain of what we call today Colombia, Venezuela, Panamá, Ecuador and Northern Peru. The estate today is dedicated to Bolivar’s life and legacy. The gardens are very beautiful and houses some of the oldest trees in Bogotá with more than 200 years of age.

We did a guided tour in Spanish that was extremely informative. Usually there is an entrance fee but some days are free of charge.

4. Museo “El Chicó”

A wonderful small museum, a real hidden gem, located in an off the beaten path neighborhood of Bogotá. The museum is located inside a park. The building is a great example of a colonial style hacienda. In 1921 Mercedes Sierra de Pérez inherited the El Chicó hacienda from her father Pepe. Following her father’s philanthropic model, she donated the estate to The Bogotá Improvement and Ornament Society along with a sum of money that would allow it to be used as a museum since 1953.

The society (La Sociedad de Majors y Ornato de Bogotá) is the oldest civic entity in the country and was created in 1917 with its mission to improve the urban environment of Bogotá.

The museum houses a small art collection of Mercedes Sierra. There is a small entrance fee. The park in which El Chicó is located is very pleasant. Many locals use it as picknick spot. Close by you will find many café and restaurant options: head towards the Parque de la 93.