Visiting a new city is an exciting opportunity to learn and taste new cultures. Walking around historical places and eating traditional food can be a fun adventure, but finding the right spots is not always easy, especially after the closures that came with the pandemic. So, how to get the best of local experiences without paying for a private tour?
Luckily for many travelers, the free tours based on tips also exist all over Colombia. Whether you want to walk or ride a bike, the free tours offer many options that adjust to all interests and needs. For example, in Bogota, the best free tours bring together many experiences for travelers that want to enjoy a bit of everything: culture, food, and history.
So, to offer unforgettable tours, in Gran Colombia we have designed 3-hour experiences that cover a lot of ground without leaving the fun behind. Let’s get started with the best free tours of Bogota.
Free Walking Tour
Our classic tour, and the one that started it all. The free walking tour takes place in La Candelaria and covers the most important historical places of Bogota. Without going too far, we start the tour in the heart of the colonial center, in the Chorro de Quevedo, where some people believe the foundation of Bogota took place.
Afterward, we enjoy a quick fruit tasting in a renewed popular market and check some graffities on the way. We care deeply about the local shops and how they impact our culture, which is why we make the effort to visit as many places as possible. Plus, after the tour you can return to the same places and try real traditional food.
The tour continues to a pedestrian avenue that leads to the Plaza de Bolívar. In a ten minutes walk we make sure to highlight the iconic moments of the Colombian history through a narrative that allows you to understand the context of the present situation. Then we return to the heart of La Candelaria to close the tour with a delicious 100% Colombian coffee.
This walking tour includes everything you need to know in three hours, so if you’re short of time, this is the right option!
Free Biking Tour
We know that walking around the historical center is marvelous, but Bogota is a huge city with many unexplored places. So, to cover more ground and offer you unique experiences, we have designed the only biking tour that is free, based on tips. We’ll provide the bikes, the helmets, and the greatest tour guides, you’ll only need the best energy to explore the city!
We start in the historical center, in the same spot where the walking tour begins, but the route takes your farther away through the pedestrian street that connects the center of Bogota with the north. Along the way you’ll see how the architecture changes and the city evolves from historical to business, to trendy. Also, we’ll enjoy the exclusive bike roads that have positioned Bogota as one of the best cycling cities in South America. These roads will lead to the Parkway Boulevard, part of La Soledad’s neighborhood, a natural path full of trees and hip-happening shops.
The free biking tour also includes a taste of traditional snacks, and drinks in local places. Then we go back to La Candelaria, where you can enjoy another free tour.
Free Graffiti Tour
Bogota has a complicated history with graffiti and graffiti artists, which has finally led to positive outcomes that support this growing culture. In fact, the perception around graffiti is changing and more people now value it as art, which makes Bogota’s graffiti truly a sight to behold. Vibrant and exciting, Bogota’s street art scene can’t be missed.
Walking around the historical center, the Graffiti tour brings together history and modern culture. With many, many artists to observe, the graffities talk about indigenous traditions, natural landscapes that need protection, the resistance of rural cultures, and the influence of international artist on the local walls.
By the end of the tour, we’ll enjoy a snack in a shop full of art, while listening to the local insights of the guide, who has seen many works of art come and go, given the brief, and ever-changing nature of the graffities.
Free Monserrate Walking Tour
If you have looked for things to do in Bogota, visiting Monserrate is on the top of the list. The imposing mountain that serves as a natural border of the city, has become a touristic icon. Nonetheless, there’s more to just enjoying the breathtaking sights on top of the mountain. Did you know you can spot more than 10 types of hummingbirds among the trees and vegetation?
In order to enrich your experience when visiting Monserrate, we have created the official free walking tour on top of the mountain. We’ll walk along the Stations of the Cross Path (Via Crucis) while you learn more about our characteristic flora and fauna. Then, we’ll toss a coin in a wishing well, so be sure to think of something you’d like to ask for. These activities are part of the superstitions, sayings and interesting though most of the times unknown facts about the hill.
Then we’ll walk inside the Basilica of the Fallen Lord of Monserrate to understand the importance of Catholicism for Colombians’ identity. To finish the tour, we’ll visit a traditional restaurant to taste a local snack.
You can choose one free tour, or all, it depends on how much time you have, but no matter which one you choose, you can be sure that you’ll live true local experiences, and we’ll always try to mix history with tradition and Colombian flavors!
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