Bogotá with Kids: Gold Museums, Gondola Rides, and Street Arepas

Plaza de Bolívar and the surrounding colonial blocks

Walk the main square of the historic center, where the cathedral, the Capitol, and the Palace of Justice face each other across wide cobblestones that kids can run across freely. Street performers and

Museo del Oro (Gold Museum)

Start your trip at one of the most visited museums in South America, where over 55,000 pre-Hispanic gold pieces fill three floors of beautifully designed galleries. Kids are especially wowed by the da

Café de la Candelaria

This cozy café tucked into a colonial house on Calle 11 serves arepas, hot chocolate with cheese, and fresh fruit juices at very reasonable prices. It is a calm spot to sit down after the museum befor

Parque de la Independencia

A large urban park just steps from the market where families spread out on the grass, rent pedal cars, and watch street musicians perform near the iconic Planetarium dome. It is a great late-afternoon

Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogotá (MAMBO)

MAMBO hosts rotating exhibitions of Colombian and Latin American modern art in a compact building that does not overwhelm kids with its scale. The sculpture garden out front gives children space to mo

Mercado de La Macarena

This open-air weekend market along Carrera 5 is lined with stalls selling empanadas, tropical fruits, artisan cheeses, and freshly squeezed lulo juice. Arrive hungry and let the kids point to whatever

Cerro de Monserrate hiking trail (descent)

If your kids ages eight and up are up for it, walk the stone-paved pilgrim trail back down through eucalyptus forest instead of taking the cable car, a roughly 45-minute descent with good footing. You

Teleférico de Monserrate

Ride the cable car up to the 3,152-meter summit of Monserrate for sweeping views across the entire city, a trip that takes about four minutes and genuinely thrills kids of all ages. Go early on a week

Restaurante Casa Santa Clara at Monserrate summit

At the top, this colonial-style restaurant inside a former convent serves traditional Colombian dishes including ajiaco and bandeja paisa in a setting that feels genuinely historic. The portions are g

Heladería Mimo's on Calle 53

Stop at this beloved local ice cream chain for scoops of tropical Colombian flavors like maracuyá, guanábana, and mora before heading back for the evening. It has been a Bogotá family institution for

Maloka Museo Interactivo

Bogotá's flagship interactive science museum has over 500 hands-on exhibits covering physics, biology, and technology spread across a massive dome-shaped building, and it is designed entirely around c

Jardín Botánico de Bogotá José Celestino Mutis

A short taxi ride from Maloka, this 20-hectare botanical garden contains a butterfly house, a Andean forest trail, and a highland wetland that kids can walk beside on wooden boardwalks. Entry is inexp

Andrés Carne de Res DC (Usaquén branch)

The Usaquén location of this legendary Colombian restaurant is a colorful, theatrical space decorated floor-to-ceiling with folk art, masks, and hanging lanterns that children find completely mesmeriz

Ciclovía Sunday Ride

Every Sunday, Bogotá closes over 120 kilometers of major roads to cars and opens them to cyclists, skaters, and joggers in one of the largest urban cycling events in the world. Rent bikes from one of

Usaquén Sunday Flea Market

The cobblestone streets of the Usaquén neighborhood host a sprawling artisan and antiques market every Sunday morning with hundreds of stalls selling handmade jewelry, leather goods, ceramics, and Col

Parque Ecoturístico Los Arrayanes picnic stop

On the way back, this small ecotourism park near Choachí has covered picnic shelters, a trout stream, and a small zip line circuit that younger children can enjoy without technical gear. Staff sell fr

Crepes and Waffles on Calle 85

After a full day outdoors, this beloved Colombian chain restaurant in the Zona Rosa area serves sweet and savory crepes, waffles, and enormous ice cream sundaes in a relaxed setting that never fails t

Cascada La Chorrera hike

About 45 minutes from Bogotá by car, this trail through cloud forest leads to the tallest waterfall in Colombia at 590 meters, and the two-hour round-trip walk is suitable for kids ages seven and up w

Casa Cacao chocolate workshop

This artisan chocolate shop in the Zona Rosa area offers short tasting and bean-to-bar explanation sessions where kids learn how Colombian cacao becomes finished chocolate. Children leave with a small

Galería Artesanías de Colombia on Carrera 13

This government-supported artisan gallery stocks high-quality handicrafts from indigenous and rural communities across the country, from Wayuu mochilas and Muisca pottery to hand-woven ruanas. It is t

Parque El Virrey afternoon walk

End your trip with a slow walk through this long linear park that stretches through the El Chicó neighborhood, where families jog, dogs play, and food cart vendors sell churros and obleas with arequip