Bogotá is safe enough to visit or live in if you base yourself in the north of the city and never take a taxi off the street. At Colombia Desk, we plan moves and group trips in Bogotá, and every stay we plan runs on a northern base and app-only rides.
The city recorded 13.9 homicides per 100,000 people in 2025, with homicides down 3.4%, according to the Alcaldía de Bogotá’s year-end report. For a foreigner, the risks are narrower. They are robberies in taxis picked up in nightlife areas, armed street robbery in the historic center, and fake police officers asking to see your cash.
Is Bogotá Safe for Americans and Other Foreigners?
Bogotá is safe for Americans who stay in the northern neighborhoods, book every ride through an app, and keep valuables out of sight. The US State Department rates Colombia as a whole at Level 3, “Reconsider travel”, in an advisory issued March 31, 2026. It cites crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping and natural disasters, and says armed break-ins happen in some regions, including at hotels.
Bogotá is outside the advisory’s Level 4 “Do Not Travel” areas. Those are Arauca, Cauca outside Popayán, Valle del Cauca outside Cali, Norte de Santander and a 10 km strip along the Venezuelan border.
Two points from the advisory carry straight into your plans. If you are targeted by criminals, do not resist. US government employees in Colombia are also barred from hailing taxis on the street or using any public transport. Copy the street-taxi part of that rule, since taxi robbery is the best-known risk for visitors to Bogotá.
What Is the Crime Rate in Bogotá?
Bogotá’s homicide rate was 13.9 per 100,000 people in 2025, with homicides down 3.4%, according to the Alcaldía’s year-end report covered by Blu Radio. That count runs to December 12, 2025, so the final full-year figure may differ slightly.
| City | Homicides per 100,000 | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Bogotá | 13.9 | 2025, to Dec 12 |
| Medellín | 13.9 (Medellín Cómo Vamos) | 2025 |
The two cities ended 2025 at the same published rate, though Medellín’s figure comes from a civic monitor and Bogotá’s from the city government. Bogotá has about 8 million people (DANE 2025 projection), so one citywide rate averages very different neighborhoods. The four crimes that reach visitors tell you more about your own risk.
The Risks That Hit Foreigners in Bogotá
Four crimes run through the Alcaldía de Bogotá and UK Foreign Office warnings to visitors. Each one has a clear defense.
The “Paseo Millonario” Taxi Robbery
A “paseo millonario” is a taxi robbery that starts with a pickup in a busy area. The criminals then intimidate the rider into handing over cards and bank passwords. The Alcaldía de Bogotá says police treat it as extortive kidnapping. By May 2026 police had broken up 3 gangs and arrested 7 people that year.
The Alcaldía’s own advice fits on a card:
- Order taxis only through authorized apps, never off the street.
- Check that the driver matches the ID and that the plate matches inside and out.
- Share your live location with someone during the ride.
- Stay awake for the whole trip.
In July 2026 a foreign content creator told Publimetro he was drugged and robbed after taking a taxi near the Zona T. No toxicology result was published, so the drugging is an allegation. Order through an app even for a short ride home after a night out.
Drugging
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) warns that criminals drug victims through drinks, food, cigarettes, aerosols and paper flyers, sometimes with scopolamine. It says dating apps are used to target lone foreign travelers. Meet new people in busy places you chose, keep your drink in your hand, and go home in a car you ordered yourself.
Street Robbery in La Candelaria and Elsewhere
The FCDO notes armed robberies of British nationals in La Candelaria, the colonial center, and calls pickpocketing and mugging a problem in Bogotá. Thieves look for a phone held out on the sidewalk or a camera on a strap. Use your phone inside a shop or café, and carry a copy of your passport instead of the original.
Fake Police
Criminals posing as police officers stop foreigners in Bogotá and ask to inspect wallets, cards or cash, the FCDO says. A real officer has no reason to take your money. Ask to be escorted to the nearest CAI (Comando de Atención Inmediata), the neighborhood police post, which the FCDO recommends.
Safe Areas in Bogotá and Areas to Visit by Day
Most foreign visitors stay in the northern localidades of Chapinero and Usaquén, and both are sound bases. They hold the hotels, the restaurants and the steady app-taxi traffic that makes moving at night simple.
| Area | Best for | Safety notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chapinero Alto, Quinta Camacho, Zona G | Restaurants, first visits | Busy streets, many porters. Order cars from inside venues at night |
| Zona Rosa, Zona T, Parque de la 93 | Nightlife, hotels | Taxi pickups after dark are the main risk. Use apps only |
| Usaquén | Families, quiet stays | Calmer streets. Sunday flea market brings crowds, so keep phones in front pockets |
| La Candelaria | Museums, history | Armed robberies of tourists reported. Visit by day, sleep elsewhere |
Our where to stay in Bogotá guide compares these areas by budget and trip type. For a daytime plan, the Museo del Oro, run by the Banco de la República, is free on Sundays and closed Mondays. Time a Candelaria visit for a Sunday morning, when the museum is free.
Getting Around Bogotá Safely
App cars are the safest default in Bogotá because every trip is logged. Official taxi fares from February 12, 2026 start at a COP 8,000 (Colombian pesos) minimum, according to RCN Radio. Add COP 3,800 from 8 pm to 5 am and on Sundays and holidays, and COP 8,000 for El Dorado airport. Knowing those numbers lets you spot a driver who quotes a fare far above the meter.
Apps such as Uber, DiDi and inDrive are widely used but not formally regulated in Colombia. They still log the driver, the plate and the route, and that record protects you. TransMilenio costs COP 3,550 a trip and is fine by day without bags, though crowded buses invite pickpockets.
The city’s first metro line will not help visitors for a while. Line 1 was 83.73% built at the end of September 2026, and commercial service is scheduled for March 2028, according to the Alcaldía’s progress report.
Bogotá’s Altitude of 2,600 m Is a Health Risk
Bogotá sits at about 2,600 m (8,600 ft), high enough to make some visitors ill for the first day or two. The CDC says the risk of altitude illness starts at sleeping altitudes of 2,450 m (8,000 ft). It adds that children are as susceptible as adults.
Skip heavy drinking and hard exercise for the first 48 hours, as the CDC advises. Fewer drinks also means fewer chances for someone to spike one. Leave the climb to Monserrate, at 3,152 m, for day two or three.
Living in Bogotá Long Term
Residents in Bogotá face the same risks as visitors, plus the habits that come with a fixed address. A building with a 24-hour porter screens visitors and deliveries before they reach your floor. Vary the times you use ATMs, and use machines inside malls or bank branches.
When you move, our relocation concierge shortlists porter buildings in Chapinero Alto, Chicó and Usaquén and books the viewings. You sign a lease on a building you have walked through. For costs, see living in Bogotá and our Medellín vs Bogotá comparison.
Who Should Rethink a Bogotá Trip
Bogotá is a poor fit if you have heart or lung problems that altitude makes worse and have not cleared the trip with a doctor. It is also a poor fit for a trip built around late nights in the Zona T with rides home hailed on the street. Change either plan before you go, or pick a lower city such as Medellín, at about 1,500 m.
Our view would change if the 2025 fall in homicides reversed through 2026, or if the State Department moved Bogotá into a Level 4 area. Either would push us to recommend a different base.
What to Do If Something Goes Wrong
Colombia’s emergency number is 123 for police, fire and ambulance, free and 24 hours a day.
- Get to a safe, busy place first.
- Call 123. If you think you were drugged, ask for a hospital and keep any glass or packaging.
- Freeze your cards through your bank’s app and change banking and email passwords.
- File a police report, and contact your embassy if your passport was taken.
Before you fly, save 123 in your phone and install a ride app. Then read the State Department’s Colombia advisory that week, so you know Bogotá is safe for the trip you have planned.