3-day Weekend in Bogota

Last June, the W Bogota invited me and my guest for a long weekend stay to explore the city. We found ourselves immersed in an interesting community in a sophisticated, cosmopolitan hotel and enjoyed a busy and delicious visit. 

Right from the start,  the 5-star W Bogota shows off its Colombian heritage with gilded details from the legend of El Dorado. Shimmering butterflies fly in front of a golden-tiled waterfall as you enter the lobby, and the gold and water themes continue throughout. 

The W Lounge, at the center of it all, offers masterful mixology and an engaging circular bar. Of course, there’s an excellent Away spa, a massive 24-hour FIT gym, and a purple-lit hydrotherapy pool to soak or swim in. The big 168 high-design guest rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows, and all the contemporary luxe touches that W is known for. We didn’t have quite enough privacy or sink space in our queen room, but we loved the El Dorado-themed décor and convenient outlets and charging pad. 

Friday: Bar Food at “Home”

We dove into our first night with fantastic bar food at The Beer at the W. Local beers, freshly made cocktails and tasty dishes like crispy arepas with hogao, an amazing tomato-y Creole sauce, and chicharrones, a ubiquitous Colombian treat of fried pork belly, served with little new potatoes, made us feel welcome and a bit sleepy.

Saturday: Historic City Tour

After a stop at Jairo for the breakfast buffet, we headed out early for a tour of La Candelaria, the historic heart of Bogotá since 1538.  We wandered with our guide, learning about the centuries of architecture, urban planning, religious icons, and of course, local cuisine. We strolled down Carrera 7, stopping to check out the informal Jorge Eliécer Gaitán Memorial, and to grab a local snack from the huge selection of arepas, pasteles, and empanadas on offer at Café de la Séptima. 

We found loads of museums to choose from nearby, including the Museo de Oro, with its incredible collection of  the Pre-Hispanic gold artifacts, and illuminating  illustration of  the legend of El Dorado. Plan to stop at the free Museo Botero, which houses a surprisingly rich collection of art made by the famous Colombian sculptor’s friends and colleagues. 

We passed dozens of street vendors and vibrant murals before stopping at Casa Galeria for our first ever experience tasting chicha, the traditional indigenous beverage fermented from corn, pineapple rinds, and raw sugar. I finished my whole glass of the thick, tart, slightly sweet drink, but did not ask for seconds. 

Our final stop was at the Mercado de la Concordia (aka District Market Square)  for a fruit tasting of at least 12 types of native fruit, many of which we had never seen before. We loved the experience, although next time I’d detour to the Mercado Paloquemao, which I imagine is bigger and slightly less touristy. 

Midday Gastronomy

We had a late lunch back at the W at Jairo, their third-floor gastronomic gem that overlooks the streets below where we also ate breakfast each day. The farm-sourced ingredients are handled with great skill and technique by the kitchen, matched by the relaxed hospitality and care from the front-of-house staff. The morning buffet was plentiful and satisfying, with a rainbow of local fruits and plenty of traditional items to choose from. Lunch felt elegant and contemporary in the sunny space–we loved it! 

Later we got to experience an arepa-making class, where our knowledgeable chef taught us about the many types of arepas found throughout Colombia, while we made and ate several successfully.

Sweeping Mountain Views

In the afternoon, we visited Monserrate, a family destination that highlights the unique geography of Bogotá. We chose to take the funicular up to the top (you can also take a cable car) and were rewarded with grounding green views of the Andean forest along the way. Tour the airy neo-colonial church at the summit and join the dozens of families expressing their devotion, getting some fresh air and taking in views of the city far below from multiple vantage points. We took the funicular back down so we’d have time to catch the World Cup match back at the hotel, but next time I’ll take the cobblestone trail to the bottom. 

Sunday: Mercado de Pulgas 

The W chain chose the Usaquén neighborhood when they created the W Bogota in 2014, an upscale area on the north side of Bogotá, with many chic residences and embassies nearby. I took an early morning walk through the hilly community before we met our guide and loved seeing the neighborhood waking up for the day. 

Lucky for us, later on the Sunday flea market was in full swing, and we toured the neighborhood with our W insider to get the ins and outs. Vendors sold everything from spices to vintage clothing to local handicrafts to kitschy souvenirs. Locals were lined up to eat brunch at many different hot spots, and we saw so many international restaurants. Dropped in for a cocktail at Pedro Mandinga Rum Bar, a small chain based in Panama, a fun choice for a pitstop that was also packed with locals. 

Upscale eats in Chapinero

On our last night in town, we took a recommendation from a trusted foodie friend back home and visited Ruda Bar, the newish spot (opened October 2025) overseen by Chef Álvaro Clavijo of El Chato and Selma, two of Bogotá’s most lauded restaurants. The W concierge secured us a reservation, and we took a quick (and inexpensive!) rideshare south to Chapinero, found the green door, travelled down a long hallway, and sat at the bar so we could interact with the awesome bartender. We ate crab ceviche, mini fried empanadas stuffed with fish, and pinchos de morrillo, the most tender beef skewered and dressed with an herby gremolata, and finished with a sesame flan that was out of this world. The cocktails, too, were otherworldly, interactive, and fun. Ruda was the perfect cap to our urban weekend–sophisticated, cool and peppered with local flavors and Colombian ingredients that have stayed in our memories.

I highly recommend a visit to the Colombian capital. We ate well and were able to scratch the surface of a historic and fascinating part of the world, while staying at a world-class property in a unique community. Add this destination to your next South American adventure.