Layover guide · BOG · Last reviewed 27 June 2026
Layover in Bogota El Dorado BOG: what to do hour by hour
A modern main terminal that never closes, more 24 hour lounges than most hubs its size, and a city 15 kilometres west that traffic can put much further away. El Dorado is an easy layover by day, as long as you respect the altitude and the terminal split.
- Layover verdict
- Comfortable for 4 to 8 hours. Terminal 1 is bright, the wifi is free, and the international lounge corridor is one of the best in South America, with the El Dorado Lounge open around the clock. Overnights are survivable rather than restful, and anything routing through Terminal 2 burns an hour you did not budget for.
- Best move
- Stay in Terminal 1 and use the international lounge corridor near gate A8 for food, a shower and a quiet seat. With 6 hours or more, off peak, a run into the city is realistic, but build the buffer around Bogota traffic rather than the distance.
- The one thing to know
- Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, the old Puente Aereo, are not connected airside. A terminal change means a landside shuttle and a fresh security screening, so treat any T2 connection as a 2 hour job at minimum. Verify before travel.
First, orient yourself
The 10 minute version of El Dorado
Nearly everything at El Dorado happens in Terminal 1. International flights and most domestic flights, Avianca and LATAM included, run from this one modern building. Airside it splits into a domestic concourse and an international concourse that starts after passport control, and the two sterile zones do not mix, so the lounge or gate you want has to be in the area you are already in.
The complication sits about a kilometre away. Terminal 2, the renovated Puente Aereo, handles regional domestic carriers such as Satena, EasyFly and JetSMART. There is no airside route to it. A free shuttle links the terminals landside, leaving roughly every 15 to 20 minutes from stops outside arrivals, with a ride of about 10 minutes, and you clear security again at the other end. Add the wait, the ride and the rescreen and a terminal change is comfortably an hour, more when Bogota traffic leaks onto the airport roads.
Free wifi runs on the Eldorado Free WiFi network in both terminals, with registration by email or phone and no time limit. Power outlets exist but are not generous, so claim one early. The terminal stays open 24 hours, which makes a long wait workable, though most food outlets shut before midnight.
Then there is the altitude. Bogota sits at 2,640 metres, and you will feel it. A long walk with a heavy carry on leaves most arrivals breathing hard, headaches on the first day are common, and alcohol hits faster. Drink water, walk slowly, and do not book a sprint connection for your first hour in the Andes.
Hour by hour
What your layover actually buys you
3 hours
Connect cleanly and use the lounge corridor
Three hours is comfortable for a connection that stays inside Terminal 1 on one ticket. Domestic to domestic, 90 minutes is workable when your inbound is on time, so a 3 hour window leaves real slack. Spend it in the international lounge corridor past passport control, where the El Dorado Lounge, the Copa Club and the LATAM Sala VIP sit within a short walk of each other near gates A1 to A8.
Coming off an international arrival into a domestic departure, treat 3 hours as sensible rather than generous. You clear immigration and customs, drop bags and pass security again, and that stack is the part that ruins tight connections.
5 hours
A lounge, a shower and a real meal
Five hours is the sweet spot to stay airside and reset. In the international concourse the El Dorado Lounge in front of gate A8 runs 24 hours, takes Priority Pass with a stay limit, and has showers and day beds, plus a small exhibit of gold artefact reproductions. It was named Priority Pass Lounge of the Year for Latin America and the Caribbean in 2019, and it earns the reputation.
Flying domestic, the lounge picture is thinner but real. The Lounge Bogota sits in the domestic Concourse D after security, takes Priority Pass and stays open around the clock. Whichever side you are on, eat before midnight, because the overnight food choices shrink to almost nothing.
8 hours
The city is realistic, with a traffic caveat
El Dorado sits about 15 kilometres west of the centre along Calle 26, so the distance is not the problem. The problem is Bogota traffic. An official taxi from the ranks reaches La Candelaria in 30 to 45 minutes off peak for roughly 60,000 to 80,000 COP, but the evening crawl can double that, and Zona Rosa further north is worse. With 8 hours and your documents in order, a short visit works. With 5 or 6 in rush hour, you may spend the trip in the car.
Leaving means clearing Colombian immigration, then checking in and screening again to return. Many nationalities enter visa free for short tourist stays, but rules and any pre arrival forms depend on your passport, so verify before travel.
Overnight
Plan a pod or a bed, not a bench
Terminal 1 stays open all night and staff tolerate overnight passengers, but there are no free rest zones and most outlets close. The honest options are a Wait N Rest soundproof sleep pod airside near gate A13, which gives Priority Pass holders a block of time, or the Sleep Oasis facility landside, also on Priority Pass and open 24 hours. A bench in the quieter domestic gate areas is the fallback.
No hotel sits inside the terminals. The Holiday Inn Bogota Airport and the Aloft Bogota Airport are both minutes away with shuttles if you want a real bed. Do not plan a Terminal 2 overnight, since its airside is reported to close after the last departure and reopen around 4am, to be confirmed.
City escape
Leaving the airport: the honest math
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is leaving realistic | From about 6 hours off peak; the distance is short but Bogota traffic is the variable |
| Document to leave | Clear Colombian immigration; many nationalities enter visa free for short stays. Verify before travel |
| Taxi | Official rank taxi to La Candelaria, 30 to 45 minutes off peak, roughly 60,000 to 80,000 COP |
| Cheap route | Feeder bus to the TransMilenio network with a Tullave card, about 40 to 60 minutes, awkward with luggage |
| Rush hour | Genuinely miserable; the evening crawl can double any of these times |
| Be back at the airport | 3 hours before an international departure, more if you are flying out of Terminal 2 |
The return is where the buffer disappears. Coming back you clear into the airport, check in again if you collected bags, and rescreen, and an international departure stacks immigration on top. None of it is slow by big airport standards, but Bogota traffic can add an unpredictable half hour at the worst possible moment. With under 6 hours, the terminal itself, a lounge and a shower, is the better use of the time.
Check lounge access for BOG
Eight or more lounges operate across El Dorado and several take Priority Pass, including one that never closes. See the full door list with locations, hours and access methods.
Check lounge accessSome links may earn us a commission at no cost to you.
FAQ
Bogota layover questions
How long do I need to connect at BOG?
Within Terminal 1 on one ticket, domestic to domestic, 90 minutes is comfortable when your inbound is on time. International to domestic means immigration, customs and a fresh security check, so treat 2 hours as the floor and 2.5 as kinder. Anything involving Terminal 2 or separate tickets needs 3 hours or more. Verify before travel.
Are Terminal 1 and the Puente Aereo connected airside?
No. Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, the old Puente Aereo, have no airside link. A free shuttle runs between them landside 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.
Does the altitude at Bogota airport affect a layover?
It can. El Dorado sits at 2,640 metres, so a long walk with luggage leaves many arrivals short of breath, first day headaches are common, and alcohol hits faster. Drink water, move slowly, and avoid a tight sprint connection on your first hour at altitude.
Can I sleep at Bogota El Dorado overnight?
Yes, though there are no free rest zones. Terminal 1 stays open 24 hours, and the realistic options are a Wait N Rest sleep pod airside near gate A13, the Sleep Oasis facility landside, or a bench in the quieter domestic gate areas. Most food outlets close before midnight.
Is it worth leaving the airport to see Bogota on a layover?
With roughly 6 hours or more off peak, yes. La Candelaria is a 30 to 45 minute taxi for around 60,000 to 80,000 COP, but Bogota rush hour can double the journey. Leaving means clearing Colombian immigration, and many nationalities enter visa free for short stays, so verify before travel and keep a wide buffer for the return.
Is the 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. Power outlets exist but are limited, so find one early.
Keep planning
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