Bogotá Bike Tour: Routes, the Ciclovía and Which Operator to Pick
A Bogotá bike tour is a 3.5- to 5-hour guided ride, usually from La Candelaria through downtown, Teusaquillo and the Parkway, with fruit and coffee stops. Group tours cost about COP 65,000 (October 2026), and tip-based ones exist. On Sundays and holidays, the Ciclovía opens 141 km of car-free streets from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
| Altitude | About 2,600 m (Bogotá mayor's office) |
|---|---|
| Typical city tour | 3.5 to 5 hours, about 10 to 13 km, starting in La Candelaria |
| Group tour price | COP 65,000 at Bogotá Bike Tours; tip-based tours also exist (checked October 2026) |
| Ciclovía | Sundays and holidays, 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., 141.46 km (IDRD, checked October 2026) |
| Bike lanes | More than 677 km of ciclorrutas (Bogotá mayor's office, September 2025) |
| Bike rental | From COP 15,000 per hour in La Candelaria (checked October 2026) |
| Drier months | January, February, July and August (IDEAM data via Bogotá mayor's office) |
Bogotá is a big, high, busy city, and a bike is one of the best ways to see a lot of it in a morning. Between 2022 and 2023 we ran our own Bogotá bike tour. We no longer operate it, but this guide uses what we learned, plus what the operators running tours today publish, so you can pick the right ride.
What you see on a Bogotá bike tour
Our tour met at 9:00 a.m. at the Gold Museum (Museo del Oro, Carrera 6 # 15-88), in the center. It was a 10 km ride in small groups of up to six, with an English-speaking guide, a mountain bike and a helmet. We rode through La Candelaria, past the Chorro de Quevedo square, Plaza de Bolívar and Plaza San Victorino, then north to the National Museum and the bullring, where we stopped for a salpicón, a Colombian fruit cocktail. We passed the museums without going in. The idea was to show travelers the city in one morning so they could come back later to the places they liked.
The tours running today follow a similar logic, with a few more stops. According to their published itineraries:
- La Candelaria and downtown: the colonial center, its squares and its street art.
- Teusaquillo and the Parkway: a leafy residential district with a long, tree-lined boulevard.
- Parque de la Independencia and the National Park: the green strip along Carrera 7.
- The Central Cemetery and the street art along Calle 26.
- Food and drink stops: a traditional market to taste tropical fruit, a coffee roaster and, on some tours, a game of tejo, the Colombian sport of throwing a metal puck at gunpowder targets.
Most tours stay in the center and Teusaquillo. If you want to ride north through Chapinero, the easiest way is on a Sunday, on the Ciclovía.
The Sunday Ciclovía
Every Sunday and public holiday from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Bogotá closes 141.46 km of streets to cars and hands them to cyclists, runners, walkers and skaters. The IDRD, the city’s recreation and sports institute that runs it, says it has 50 years of history and draws more than 1.5 million users each week (checked October 2026). It’s free, and you don’t need to sign up.
The most useful corridor for visitors is Carrera 7, which runs north from Calle 26 through Chapinero. One change to know about: since June 7, 2026, the stretch between Calles 92 and 116 detours west along Calle 92 and north on Carrera 15 because of construction on the new Carrera 7 corridor. Ciclovía staff on site point the way. From the northern end of the route, around Calle 116, it’s a short ride east to Usaquén and its Sunday flea market.
A few tips:
- Go early. The Ciclovía ends at 2:00 p.m., and the morning is when you have the most of it.
- Ride slowly and expect kids, dogs and joggers to cut in front of you.
- Finish by 2:00 p.m. When the cones come down, cars come back.
- If you’re renting, Bogotravel Tours runs a Sunday and holiday rental point in front of the Hilton at Carrera 7 # 72-41, at COP 18,000 per hour (checked October 2026).
Bogotá bike tour operators compared
These are the operators that come up when travelers search for a bike tour in Bogotá. Prices and times are as published on their own websites, checked in October 2026.
| Operator | Format | Price | Start times | Meeting point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bogotá Bike Tours | Group tour, no reservation needed, 4 to 5 hours | COP 65,000 | Daily, 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. | Carrera 3 # 12-42, La Candelaria |
| Baja Bikes | Same-style tour booked online, 4 to 5 hours, about 13 km | COP 65,000 | Set when you book | Carrera 3 # 12-42, La Candelaria |
| Bogotravel Tours | Group tour, about 4 hours | USD 40 | 10:00 or 10:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. (its page lists both) | Carrera 1A # 12D-11, La Candelaria |
| Gran Colombia Tours | Tip-based “free” tour, 3.5 hours | Tips | Daily, 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. | Chorro de Quevedo (Carrera 2 with Calle 12B) |
A few things the table doesn’t show:
- Bogotá Bike Tours is the best known, and the operator Google features first for this search. Its booking page says COP 65,000, but its FAQ still says COP 60,000, so confirm when you arrive. Fruit tasting is included; coffee is on you. Its private tour runs from COP 160,000 for one person to COP 75,000 per person for groups of ten or more.
- Baja Bikes is a bike tour company with tours in several European cities. Its Bogotá tour lists the same meeting address as Bogotá Bike Tours, so you’re most likely booking the same ride through a different website. Online booking is required, and it offers free rescheduling or cancellation if it rains.
- Gran Colombia Tours has no fixed price, but you’re expected to tip. It’s a good fit if you’re on a tight budget.
- Marketplaces like Viator, GetYourGuide, Klook or Pelago resell local tours. Before booking, check who actually operates the tour and where it meets.
Renting a bike vs. a guided tour
Take a guided tour if it’s your first time in Bogotá, you’re not used to riding in heavy traffic, or you want the history along with the ride. Bogotá Bike Tours is clear that most of its route uses bike lanes, but riders need to be comfortable cycling alongside cars.
Rent a bike if you’ve ridden in big cities before and want your own pace, especially on a Sunday. Bogotá Bike Tours rents for COP 15,000 per hour and asks you to leave an ID document. Bogotravel Tours charges COP 50,000 for four hours or COP 100,000 for the day in La Candelaria (checked October 2026).
This isn’t for you if you haven’t been on a bike in years, or if you arrived in Bogotá yesterday. Give the altitude a couple of days first.
Altitude and physical effort
Bogotá sits at about 2,600 m, according to the mayor’s office. The city’s own health advice for visitors is to rest during the first days, avoid hard physical effort and drink plenty of water. The CDC goes further: mild exercise only during the first 48 hours at altitude, and no alcohol during that time.
City tours ride at a relaxed pace, but Bogotá isn’t flat. La Candelaria climbs toward the eastern hills, and Baja Bikes notes that its route has some hills. Expect to get out of breath on the climbs. Gears help; walking the bike up a steep block is fine.
If you want a real climb, the road to Patios, above Bogotá on the way to La Calera, is one of the most popular ascents for the city’s cyclists, according to Bogotá Bike Tours. We ran a 4- to 5-hour mountain ride there for small groups. Today Bogotá Bike Tours offers it as a 26 km ride from 2,600 m to 3,200 m, with an average grade of 7%, for COP 215,000 (checked October 2026). It’s a workout, not a sightseeing tour.
Safety on two wheels
The UK Foreign Office warns that pickpocketing, mugging and armed robbery are a problem in Bogotá, and says British nationals have been robbed at gunpoint in La Candelaria. It advises not displaying phones and cameras. On a bike, that means:
- Keep your phone in a zipped pocket, not in a handlebar mount, when riding through the center.
- Ride in daylight and return a rented bike before dark.
- Wear the helmet. Tour operators provide one.
- If you rent, ask for a lock and don’t leave the bike out of sight.
- Book a taxi through an app to get to the meeting point. The Foreign Office advises against hailing taxis on the street.
For weather, Bogotá averages 13.1 °C, with daytime highs of 18 to 20 °C. The drier months are January, February, July and August (IDEAM data, via the mayor’s office). Bring a rain jacket in any month, plus sunscreen, which the city’s health advice for visitors recommends using daily.
Want to ride with a local guide?
We don’t run this tour anymore, but we still know local guides who do. If you’d like a private guide for the city, the Ciclovía or a climb like Patios, tell us your dates and level on our plan your trip page and we’ll connect you with a local guide. For more outdoor plans near the city, see our adventure guides.
Sources
- Bogotá Bike Tours: home, daily tour, private tour, rentals, Patios ride and FAQ (checked October 5, 2026)
- Baja Bikes: Bogota Bike Tour (checked October 5, 2026)
- Bogotravel Tours: Bogota Bike Tours and Bike Rentals (checked October 5, 2026)
- Gran Colombia Tours: Bike Tour in La Candelaria (checked October 5, 2026)
- IDRD: Ciclovía de Bogotá (checked October 5, 2026)
- IDRD: Ciclovía detour along Carrera 15 (June 2026; checked October 5, 2026)
- Bogotá.gov.co: Semana de la Bicicleta 2025: bike lane km and daily trips (September 2025; checked October 5, 2026)
- Bogotá.gov.co: Recomendaciones de salud para viajar a Bogotá (April 2024; checked October 5, 2026)
- CDC Yellow Book 2026: High-Altitude Travel and Altitude Illness (checked October 5, 2026)
- Bogotá.gov.co: Cómo es el clima en Bogotá (IDEAM data; checked October 5, 2026)
- UK Foreign Office: Colombia safety and security (checked October 5, 2026)
Questions travelers ask
- Is Bogotá bike friendly?
- In many ways, yes. The city has over 677 km of bike lanes and more than 886,000 bike trips a day, according to the mayor's office (September 2025). Traffic is still heavy, so if you're not used to riding in a big city, start with a guided tour or the Sunday Ciclovía.
- What are the Ciclovía hours in Bogotá?
- Sundays and public holidays, from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., on 141.46 km of streets closed to cars, according to the IDRD (checked October 2026). It's free and open to anyone on a bike, on foot or on skates.
- How much does a Bogotá bike tour cost?
- Bogotá Bike Tours charges COP 65,000 for its daily group tour, Bogotravel Tours lists USD 40 per person, and Gran Colombia Tours runs a tip-based tour (all checked October 2026). Private tours cost more per person.
- Is the altitude a problem for cycling in Bogotá?
- It can be on your first days. Bogotá sits at about 2,600 m, and the CDC recommends only mild exercise for the first 48 hours at altitude. Book the tour for your third day or later and drink plenty of water.
- Can I rent a bike and ride on my own?
- Yes. Bogotá Bike Tours rents bikes for COP 15,000 per hour and asks you to leave an ID document, and Bogotravel Tours rents for COP 50,000 for four hours (checked October 2026). Sunday, on the Ciclovía, is the easiest day to ride alone.
- Can you connect me with a local bike guide?
- Yes. We no longer run the tour ourselves, but we can put you in touch with a local guide. Tell us your dates on our plan your trip page.