An Honest Review of the Original Bogotá Graffiti Tour

Bogotá, Colombia, isn’t the prettiest city I’ve ever seen. It’s not even the most attractive city I’ve been to in Colombia. (Cartagena is definitely more Instagram-ready but also way more touristy.) 

That’s as far as I go with knocks on Bogotá, as you really need to devote more time to this city to get it. A free walking tour for an understanding of the street art and graffiti that covers a good portion of the walls around Bogotá is a great place to start.

We picked the highly-rated Original Bogotá Graffiti Tour for our experience with no regrets.

Where can I see graffiti in Bogotá?

You can see graffiti in Bogotá pretty much anywhere you look. That includes tags on buildings to actual murals and graffiti artwork commissioned by the city or private entities. 

The easiest way to understand the meaning and history of Bogotá street art is through a graffiti tour.

Choosing a Bogotá Graffiti Tour

This one is a no-brainer: the Original Bogotá Graffiti Tour. There are quite a few competitors out there that aren’t as well-reviewed. Honestly, I can’t say much about them because I didn’t test them out myself.

This Bogotá walking tour is free. If you’re paying for a tour, you’re not on the same one. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t tip your guides.

Note: The only exception here is if you’d like private tours. Prices for those vary based on the number of people in your group, but they seemed quite reasonable when I took a look.

I’ve read lots of reviews of this tour that call it “optional,” but you need to consider how much time you spend with your knowledgeable guide. I suggest the equivalent of $10 per person, which is much less than what you’d pay for tours in the United States. 

Keep in mind that this is the best tour Bogotá has to offer, free or otherwise.

How long is the Bogotá graffiti tour?

The Original Bogotá Graffiti Tour is about two-and-a-half hours. It’s advertised as a two-hour tour, but you’ll likely spend some time on introductions and any question-and-answer sessions over the course of your tour.

READ MORE: Planning more time in Bogotá? Steal my guide to three full days in the city.

Do I need to book my Bogotá graffiti tour in advance?

You do not need to book your Bogotá graffiti in advance. You can simply show up during tour times, fill out your info once you’re there, and join the group. 

If you’re visiting on a weekend in high season, it isn’t a bad idea to fill out the online form to make sure there’s space for you on your preferred date. Public tours are all in English. 

Private tours are also an option, especially if you need a different language. Spanish, French, and German are all options. The larger your friend group, the cheaper the rate. They’ll even do a bike tour with you if you’re into that.

Yes, you should still tip your guide at the end of a private tour.

My Review of The Original Bogotá Graffiti Tour

Your free graffiti tour takes you through stops in La Candelaria, Bogotá’s city center, and likely where you’ll start most of your tourist activity anyway. I’ll admit I wasn’t impressed by the area until this tour, as it can look uninviting at first.

The meeting point for your street art tour is Journalists’ Park, named as such because it was frequented by journalists (and artists) in the 1960s.

Look for the statue of political leader Simon Bolívar and the blue umbrella and you should be on your way to the main event and a good time.

Our guide for the afternoon was Jose Ayala, a professional tour guide with the company who has an obvious passion for both street art and Bogotá. Arrive a few minutes early to sign in and listen to introductions. 

You’ll likely have a quick ice-breaker before starting to hear where everyone in the group is from. We were thankful and honestly a bit surprised that we were one of only three Americans on our group tour.

Now that I’ve probably triggered someone, let’s get into the actual tour.

Jose started by giving us a quick primer on graffiti, street art, tagging, and murals. You’ll see it all on this tour and learn about how it all coexists in relative harmony.

Graffiti is not technically legal in Bogotá, but it’s been decriminalized. That means that the most egregious tagger might get a fine but no more than that for adding their mark on a building.

Fun fact: Most of the large murals throughout the Bogotá area actually commissioned by the owners of those buildings as a way to get more eyes on their businesses. 

Our first stop on our Bogotá day tour was a political one. We learned about Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, a popular leader of the Liberal Party who was gunned down in 1948. 

Painted posters of the politician throughout the city suggest he’s a hero to a segment of the population that feels unseen by their government. 

The graffiti movement emerged in Bogotá in the 1980s, but it really exploded in the decades that followed as a political response.

We continued with political art with a stop in front of a large mural in memoriam of Dilan Cruz, a youth killed by Bogotá police during protest activity in the city in 2019. The tour stops at the corner where he was hit by a police projectile, so it’s extra poignant.

From here, we learned about the biggest known names on Bogotá’s graffiti scene, keeping in mind that quite a few remain anonymous. Those include Oscar González, or Guache.

Fun fact: I’ve seen quite a few bloggers refer to him as Gauche, but that’s a typo!

Guache is known for murals that depict indigenous people.

Carlos Trilleras is another familiar name in the city. His epic fantasy scenes are often commissioned as official works of Bogotá art.

We learned about several women on the graffiti scene, too, and the importance of animals in art in Bogotá. Jungle cats, hummingbirds, and creatures I couldn’t name for you are all a common theme in Bogotá’s street art.

One of my favorite spots along the tour was the alleyway next to the Hostal Casa Colibri. The budget hostel hired local artists to create a mural walk for tourists and guests at their accommodations. It was a quick detour, but one that was packed with color. 

From here, we walked to a skate park in what was once a very sketchy part of town. Change didn’t come to the park until artist Rodez and his two sons turned the space into a community park with their art.

We ended our tour walking down El Callejon De Las Brujas, or the Witches Alley, at the plazoleta Chorro de Quevedo. The fountain here marks the spot where Spanish explorer Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada first established Bogotá back in 1538.

This spot is also home to another beautiful mural from Guache.

Note: While the tour doesn’t end where it began, you’re perfectly situated in the historical center for whatever it is you’d like to do next. It was drinks and snacks for us at Madre, a local pizza shop.

More Bogotá Tour Options

If you loved your guided experience through Colombian street art enough that you want more while you’re in town, I have some options for you:

• Love Bogotá history? Take a free War and Peace tour with Beyond Colombia. They do more generalized Bogotá city tours, too, but this one is great if you want a deep dive into this country’s complicated politics and past.
• Interested in Bogotá road trips? Book a day trip to Lake Guatavita, the inspiration for the legend of El Dorado, or the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá. I’ll say each is worth your time, so it really depends on whether you want nature or a little religion.
• Feeling that FOMO already? See both of the above options on one long day trip from Bogotá with this combo tour. That’s what we did during our own time in Bogotá, and it’s certainly manageable.

READ MORE: I have a whole guide dedicated to the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá if that one interests you!

Interested in spending more time in the city itself? Check out the highly-rated tours below, including a food tour:

Where to Stay in Bogotá

I’m all about efficiency, but Bogotá is one of those cities where you don’t want to stay in the historic city center. Bogotá has come a long way regarding tourist safety, but the center remains a place you just don’t want to hang out in after dark.

We stayed in the Zona Rosa, or “Zona T,” neighborhood, at the GHL Hotel Hamilton. I’d highly recommend it for its proximity to all kinds of yummy eats and vibrant nightlife. It’s easy to find rides in the area, too, if you need a rideshare into the city center.

Our friends stay at the hotel next door, the NH Bogotá Boheme Royal. They said it was pretty solid, too, as an alternative to our preferred pick. (Ours was sold out by the time they booked.)

Use the map below for more options in that same part of the city:

This graffiti tour is made special by its tour guides.

These are people who live and breathe Bogotá street art, and many of them are amazing artists themselves. 

They also know and love the history of street art in Bogotá. For them, it isn’t just about pointing out the pretty pictures on crumbling walls around the city. It’s about teaching you about why those pictures are there, and what they represent.

For me, the tour defines essential Bogotá if you’re looking to prioritize your time in the city.

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