Bogotá · Colombia
January
First dry season — clear skies, cool mountain temperatures, and the city at a comfortable pace.
Best match
#6 of 12 months
There are better months for Bogotá — see the full ranking below.
See when to go instead →Climate
High
19°C
Low
7°C
Rain
42mm
Sun
5.8hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How January scores in Bogotá
Weather
Excellent
Value
Very good
Crowds
Very good
Events
Above average
Atmosphere
Very good
What you gain in January
- ↑January is one of Bogotá's two dry seasons (the other being June–August). At 2,600m, the altitude means temperatures never exceed 20°C even in the warmest conditions — a permanent spring that allows all-day outdoor activity without the heat that limits other South American cities. The Gold Museum (Museo del Oro), with its 55,000 pre-Columbian gold pieces, and the Botero Museum (free entry) in the Candelaria neighbourhood are exceptional in the dry-season light streaming through their windows.
- ↑The Ciclovía — Bogotá's famous weekly event in which 120km of the city's main arteries close to vehicles and open to cyclists, runners, and pedestrians — operates year-round every Sunday from 7am to 2pm. In January's dry-season sunshine it is one of the great urban experiences in South America: 2 million participants per Sunday, food stalls, musicians, and entire families on bicycles across the city.
- ↑January is relatively cheap — international tourism to Bogotá peaks in the dry seasons but the city remains affordable compared to any European or North American equivalent. The food scene — including Leo (Leonor Espinosa's flagship, ranked among the World's 50 Best), Criterion (French-Colombian), and the neighbourhood restaurants of La Macarena — is accessible with reasonable advance booking.
What you sacrifice
- ↓January's 42mm of rainfall, while low compared to the wet season, still means occasional afternoon showers — Bogotá's high altitude and mountain geography mean brief showers can develop at any time of year. The dry season is relatively (not absolutely) dry.
- ↓The altitude (2,600m) affects visitors differently: some experience soroche (altitude sickness) within the first 24–48 hours, with symptoms including headache, shortness of breath, and fatigue. The standard advice — drink coca tea, rest, avoid alcohol for the first day — works for most visitors, but those with heart or respiratory conditions should consult a doctor before visiting.
How January compares to June (best month)
| Factor | January | June ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 8 | 8 |
| Value | 7 | 7 |
| Crowds | 7 | 7 |
January in other destinations
Lisbon (13.6°C)Barcelona (13.2°C)Tokyo (9.8°C)Bali (30.2°C)Santorini (13.4°C)Paris (7°C)New York (3.3°C)Marrakech (17.3°C)Amsterdam (5.6°C)Maldives (30.1°C)Rome (11.6°C)Bangkok (31.1°C)Istanbul (8.7°C)Vienna (3.2°C)Seoul (1.1°C)Dubrovnik (11.1°C)Rio de Janeiro (30.9°C)Kyoto (9.2°C)Phuket (31.5°C)Cape Town (26.1°C)Prague (2°C)Amalfi Coast (12°C)Mexico City (21°C)Medellín (28°C)Fiji (31°C)London (8°C)Sydney (26°C)Iceland (2°C)Tulum (28°C)Dubai (24°C)Singapore (30°C)Hoi An (24°C)Chiang Mai (29°C)Miami (24.1°C)Florence (9.2°C)Queenstown (22°C)Madrid (9.4°C)Porto (14°C)Edinburgh (7°C)Copenhagen (4°C)Budapest (4°C)Kraków (2°C)Tbilisi (6°C)Palawan (29°C)Hanoi (18°C)Osaka (9°C)Goa (32°C)Cusco (19°C)Buenos Aires (30°C)Mykonos (13°C)Zanzibar (32°C)Sri Lanka (31°C)Costa Rica (25°C)Cancun (28°C)Krabi (32°C)Athens (13°C)Seville (15°C)Cartagena (31°C)Siem Reap (29°C)Havana (26°C)Split (10°C)Taipei (19°C)Kuala Lumpur (32°C)Valletta (15°C)Ho Chi Minh City (33°C)Hawaii (27°C)Cappadocia (4°C)Dominican Republic (28°C)Jamaica (30°C)Tanzania (28°C)Seychelles (30°C)Nepal (18°C)Jordan (12°C)Azores (17°C)Bora Bora (30°C)Los Angeles (19.8°C)Cairo (19.1°C)Kenya (26.8°C)Jaipur (22.2°C)Las Vegas (13.9°C)San Francisco (13.2°C)Madeira (19.5°C)Vancouver (6.9°C)Muscat (26.4°C)Lima (26.2°C)Cinque Terre (11°C)Kotor (10°C)Tel Aviv (18°C)Santiago (30°C)Bruges (5.8°C)Penang (31.5°C)Lombok (30.8°C)Cape Verde (26.2°C)Fez (13.8°C)Kerala (31°C)Kigali (26°C)Hong Kong (18°C)Oslo (-1°C)Auckland (24°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Bogotá, not across destinations. Methodology →