Bogotá has no real summer or winter, just wetter and drier stretches, with daytime highs around 19°C (66°F) and chilly nights year-round. The drier, sunnier months are roughly December to March and July to August, which are also peak. The wetter windows (April-May and October-November) still see plenty of clear mornings, so rain rarely ruins a trip if you carry a light jacket. Time a visit for the Rock al Parque festival (usually late June/July, one of Latin America's biggest free music events) or the Ibero-American Theatre Festival held in even-numbered years; December brings dazzling Christmas light displays.

You'll arrive at El Dorado International Airport (BOG), about 15 km west of the center; take an authorized airport taxi, a booked Uber/DiDi, or the official yellow taxi line rather than unmarked cars, budgeting roughly 25,000-45,000 COP to the northern neighborhoods. In the city, the TransMilenio bus rapid-transit system is cheap and extensive but crowded, so many visitors rely on ride-hailing apps (Uber, DiDi, Cabify), which are inexpensive and safer than hailing on the street. Walk within a neighborhood, but avoid flagging random taxis and don't walk with valuables after dark; the long-awaited first metro line is under construction and not yet running.