Airport hub guide

Bogota El Dorado (BOG): The Complete Layover Guide

Two terminals with no airside link, a main terminal that stays open all night, and more 24 hour lounges than most hubs twice its size. Here is how to run a layover at El Dorado, 2,640 metres above sea level.

Layover verdict Good for 4 to 8 hour layovers. Terminal 1 is modern, the wifi is free, and several lounges never close. Overnights are survivable rather than pleasant, and connections through Terminal 2 eat time.

Best lounge play The El Dorado Lounge in the T1 international concourse runs 24 hours, takes Priority Pass, and has showers plus a small gold museum exhibit. It is the strongest independent lounge in South America that you can walk into with a card.

The one thing to know Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 (the old Puente Aereo) are not connected airside. Switching terminals means a landside shuttle bus and a fresh security screening, so treat any T2 connection as a 2 hour job minimum.

Last reviewed 13 April 2026

Quick facts

El Dorado at a glance

Aerial view of El Dorado International Airport Bogota — Photo: Pablo Andres Ortega Chavez, GFDL 1.2

Terminals	2 (T1 main terminal; T2 Puente Aereo for regional domestic flights)
Airside transit between terminals	No. Free landside shuttle about every 15 to 20 minutes, roughly a 10 minute ride, then security again
Free wifi	Yes, on the Eldorado Free WiFi network; registration with email or phone required
Sleep friendliness	Fair. T1 open 24 hours; paid sleep pods airside (Wait N Rest) and landside (Sleep Oasis), no free rest zones
Lounge count	8 or more across T1 and T2; 5 take Priority Pass
Nearest in terminal hotel	None inside the terminals; Holiday Inn and Aloft sit minutes away with shuttles

Orientation

How El Dorado is laid out

El Dorado is simpler than it looks. Nearly everything happens in Terminal 1, and the only complication sits about a kilometre away under the name Puente Aereo.

Terminal 1 handles all international flights and the bulk of domestic ones, Avianca and LATAM included. Airside it splits in two: a domestic concourse and an international concourse that begins after passport control, and the two sterile areas do not mix. Terminal 2, the renovated Puente Aereo, serves regional domestic carriers such as Satena and EasyFly, with JetSMART adding domestic flights there in recent years. If your itinerary touches a small Colombian city, check which terminal you are using before you relax.

There is no airside route between the terminals. A free shuttle bus links them landside, departing about every 15 to 20 minutes from marked stops outside arrivals, with a ride of roughly 10 minutes. Add the wait, the ride and a new security screening and a terminal change is comfortably an hour, more when Bogota traffic leaks onto the airport roads.

Wifi is free and unlimited on the Eldorado Free WiFi network in both terminals; you register with an email address or phone number and you are in. Power outlets exist but are not generous, so claim one early.

Now the altitude. Bogota sits at 2,640 metres, and you will feel it. The walk from a far gate with a heavy carry on leaves most arrivals breathing hard, headaches on day one are common, and alcohol hits faster. Drink water, walk slowly, and do not schedule a sprint connection on your first hour in the Andes.

Heading into the city, the airport sits about 15 kilometres west of the centre along Calle 26. An official taxi from the ranks takes 30 to 45 minutes to La Candelaria off peak and costs roughly 60,000 to 80,000 COP. Zona Rosa lies further north and the evening crawl can stretch any of these times badly; Bogota rush hour is genuinely miserable and can double a journey. The cheap route is a feeder bus to the TransMilenio network, which needs a Tullave card (about 5,000 COP for the card plus a fare of around 3,000 COP) and takes 40 to 60 minutes downtown. It works, but it is no fun with luggage and not recommended after dark with bags.

Terminal by terminal

What each terminal gives you

Terminal 1, international concourse

Past passport control you hit the best lounge corridor in northern South America. The El Dorado Lounge in front of gate A8 runs 24 hours, takes Priority Pass with a 6 hour stay limit, and was named Priority Pass Lounge of the Year for Latin America and the Caribbean in 2019; it has showers, day beds and a small exhibit of gold artefact reproductions. The LATAM Sala VIP sits near gate A1 on the third floor, the Copa Club occupies the mezzanine near gate A7, and Avianca runs its flagship international lounge after passport control on the third floor (it is part of the Amex Global Lounge Collection; exact current hours to be confirmed). Near gate A13, Wait N Rest sells soundproof sleep pods by the hour and gives Priority Pass holders a 2 hour block.

Terminal 1, domestic concourse

Quieter on amenities but easier to sleep in. The Lounge Bogota sits in Concourse D after security and takes Priority Pass; a day pass has been sold at around 38 USD. The domestic gate areas hold most of the armrest free benches in the airport, which matters at 2 am. Food is a standard mix of Colombian chains and coffee, with Juan Valdez outlets doing the heavy lifting; almost nothing serves food overnight, so eat before midnight.

Terminal 2, the Puente Aereo

The old Avianca shuttle terminal, now a renovated regional building for Satena, EasyFly and JetSMART domestic flights. It is small, functional and fine for an hour. The Harmony Lounge here takes Priority Pass with posted hours of 05:30 to 21:20. The airside area is reported to close overnight after the last departure and reopen around 4 am (to be confirmed), so do not plan a T2 overnight; take the shuttle to T1 instead.

Sleeping and connections

Terminal 1 stays open around the clock and staff tolerate overnight passengers, but there are no free rest zones. The honest options are a Wait N Rest pod airside, the Sleep Oasis facility landside (also on Priority Pass, open 24 hours), or a bench. No hotel sits inside the terminals; the Holiday Inn Bogota Airport runs a free shuttle and is about 10 minutes away, and the Aloft Bogota Airport is similarly close. On connections: within T1 on one ticket, 90 minutes domestic to domestic is comfortable. International to domestic means immigration, customs and a fresh security check, so 2 hours is the bare floor and 2.5 is kinder. Anything involving Terminal 2 or separate tickets deserves 3 hours, and transit procedures for international to international itineraries vary by carrier, so confirm whether you stay airside before you book tight.

Your layover, planned

The BOG guides

Bogota layover guide, hour by hour

What 4, 6 and 10 hours actually buy you at El Dorado, and whether a taxi run to La Candelaria is realistic. With discipline and daylight, it can be.

Every BOG lounge and how to get in

The full lounge table for T1 and T2: Avianca, LATAM, Copa, the El Dorado Lounge and the rest, with access methods, day pass prices and hours.

Sleeping at Bogota El Dorado

The honest sleep map: where the armrest free benches are, what the Wait N Rest pods and Sleep Oasis cost in practice, and what closes overnight.

Check lounge access for BOG

Eight or more lounges operate across El Dorado and five take Priority Pass, including one that never closes. Compare current access options, prices and hours before you fly.

Check lounge access

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FAQ

El Dorado layover questions

Can I sleep overnight at Bogota El Dorado airport?

Yes. Terminal 1 stays open 24 hours and security tolerates overnight passengers, but there are no free rest zones. The realistic options are a Wait N Rest sleep pod airside, the Sleep Oasis facility landside, or an armrest free bench in the domestic gate areas. Most food outlets close overnight.

Is wifi free at El Dorado airport?

Yes. Connect to the Eldorado Free WiFi network in both terminals; registration with an email address or phone number is required, and there is no time limit.

How do I transfer between Terminal 1 and the Puente Aereo?

There is no airside link. Take the free shuttle bus that runs between the terminals about every 15 to 20 minutes from stops outside arrivals; the ride takes around 10 minutes and you clear security again at the other end. Budget at least an hour for the full move.

How do I get from BOG to La Candelaria?

An official taxi from the airport ranks takes 30 to 45 minutes off peak and costs roughly 60,000 to 80,000 COP. The cheap route is a feeder bus to the TransMilenio network with a Tullave card, around 40 to 60 minutes downtown, though it is awkward with luggage.

Is 2 hours enough to connect at BOG?

Within Terminal 1 on one ticket, usually yes. International to domestic means immigration, customs and a new security check, so treat 2 hours as the bare floor. Anything involving Terminal 2 or separate tickets needs 3 hours or more.

Can I leave the airport during a layover at BOG?

If you meet Colombian entry requirements, yes; many nationalities enter visa free for short tourist stays. La Candelaria is a 30 to 45 minute taxi off peak. Entry rules and any pre arrival forms depend on your nationality; verify before travel.

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