Bogotá · Things to do

The Banco de la República's pre-Hispanic goldwork collection over three floors, ending in the darkened Offering Room. Open Tuesday to Saturday 9am–5pm and Sunday 10am–5pm, closed Mondays; entry is 4,000 COP, free for under-12s and over-60s, and you need to reserve a slot.

The pilgrimage church on the ridge above the old town, reached by funicular or cable car from Carrera 2 Este No. 21-48. Open daily 6:30am to 10pm; go early for a clear view of the sabana or after dark for the city lights, and buy tickets in advance at tiquetes.monserrate.co.

Fernando Botero's donated collection sits free of charge in a colonial house in the old centre, open Monday to Saturday 9am–7pm and Sunday 10am–5pm but closed Tuesdays. Treat it as the anchor for a morning wandering La Candelaria's painted streets and university cafes.

Every Sunday and public holiday from 7am to 2pm the city closes 127.69 km of road to cars and gives it to cyclists, runners and skaters. It is free, it is genuinely used by everyone rather than by tourists, and rental bikes are easy to find along the main corridors.

A church cut into a working salt mine at Carrera 6 with Calle 1 in Zipaquirá, north of the city and an easy half-day by bus. Open daily 9am to 4:40pm; the standard ticket covers the Ruta del Minero tunnels and the main naves, and it is cold underground whatever the weather above.