Exploring Colombia: Hiking Mount Monserrate in Bogotá
Watch Monserrate mini vlog here!
COLOMBIA!!!
I literally have nothing but good things to say about this country. The news and media might portray a negative image about Colombia, but it has easily become my favorite country in Central America by far. The people are amazing, and the culture is SO vibrant.
Bogotá was the first city I stayed in when arriving in Colombia, and hiking up to Monserrate was THE BEST experience and it’s definitely a MUST to see if you visit Colombia!
Monserrate is an iconic mountain top that is 10,000 feet in the air, majestically floating over the city of Bogotá. It’s famous for the church at the top, but there’s actually so much more to see up there. AND you can see the church from virtually any point in the city. Crazy, I know.
How To Get There
Getting there: Hiking, cable car, or funicular (rail train)
Price: free to hike OR buy a ticket to take the cable car or train
Difficulty: Easy-moderate
The access to the entrance of Monserrate is super easy to get to, because it’s located right in the city of Bogotá.
You can either hike up, or take the cable car/rail train up to the top of the hill. I recommend hiking up if you’re able to!
To hike up, it is about 1.8 miles up and took around 1 hour 20 minutes one way. It’s a pathed path the whole way up so it’s not a strenuous hike, but it’s definitely uphill the entire way.
It’s also more of an urban hike, so don’t expect anything super remote or adventurous. But a hike nonetheless! There are also a ton of vendors on the way up, so you can grab a water or a snack at different points on the hike.
If you choose to take the cable car or funicular, it’s about a 5-10-minute ride up. There is usually a wait, depending on what time you arrive + leave! You can buy tickets at the ticket booth at the bottom of the hill.
When To Go
Hours: Mon-Sat 6:30 am - 11:30 pm, Sun 5:30 am - 6:30 pm
Like most places, it’s best to go during a weekday and early in the morning (or as soon as it opens!) This helps avoid crowds and give you the best experience overall! You’ll also get the best views from the top when it’s a clear + sunny day.
TIP:
Avoid going on a Sunday unless you want to do the church service. It might be common sense, but we made the mistake by going on a Sunday afternoon, and it was PACKED both on the hike and at the top of the mountain.
What To Do + See
Not only do you get the best view of Bogotá from the top of Monserrate, there’s actually so much to do and see! Restaurants, churches, sight-seeing, you name it.
One of my fave parts was being able to eat at the restaurants at the top of a mountain 😍 Restaurante Santa Clara — an authentic Colombian restaurant at the top was *chef’s kiss 🤌😙 You can watch my mini vlog on the experience here! Highly recommend trying the empanadas + the tomato soup! (sopa de tomate)
There is also a ton of sight-seeing at the top as well. Once you get up to the church, if you continue walking past it, you’ll walk through a massive market, and then the space will open up to a 360 view of the mountain range and city (featured in the first picture on this blog). It’s STUNNING and you won’t want to miss it!!
Once you’ve taken in the sights and enjoyed the experience; you can either walk back down or take the cable car! To get the most out of the experience, I recommend taking the cable car or funicular back down the hill if you already hiked up. It’s a fast way to get down but you also get to experience more amazing views of Bogotá.
You’re able to buy tickets for both at the top, and there is usually a small wait to get onto the cable car and funicular. It’s a both a fun experience + cheap experience!
I hope you found this helpful and intriguing!! I can’t wait to hear about your experiences. Happy travels!
xox, Tris
Pin it to save for later!
