El Dorado International Airport (BOG), Bogotá: The Complete Guide
Two terminals. Terminal 1 handles all international flights.
Budget 30–60 minutes from landing to the arrivals hall on an international flight.
The most reliable way out is a pre-booked private transfer from $49 USD, with a bilingual host waiting inside the terminal with a Safe Transfers sign.
Without a booking, use the official Taxi counter in the arrivals hall — never an offer from someone who approaches you.
Ride-hailing apps work but pick up from a parking area, not the arrivals curb.
Verified September 2026 against the airport’s official site and Bogotá’s transport authorities by the Safe Transfers Colombia operations team, who dispatch drivers from El Dorado daily
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El Dorado International Airport (IATA: BOG, ICAO: SKBO) is Bogotá’s airport and the busiest in Latin America: 45.8 million passengers in 2024, and Skytrax’s Best Airport in South America in 2026 for the eighth time, the fifth year running. It sits on Avenida El Dorado (Calle 26) in the west of the city, about 14 km and 45 minutes from the center, at 2,548 meters above sea level — one of the highest major airports in the world, which is worth knowing if you tend to feel altitude.
This guide covers the whole airport, not just arrivals: the two terminals and how they connect, the map, what happens between touchdown and the curb, lounges, hotels, parking, every way into the city with the official fares, and what to know if you are departing or connecting. It is written by the Safe Transfers Colombia operations team, who dispatch drivers from El Dorado every day.
- Written by the Safe Transfers Colombia operations team in Bogotá. Terminal details, lounge information, and ground-transportation options verified September 2026 against the airport’s official site and Bogotá’s transport authorities.
01 Airport at a glance
02 From landing to the curb, step by step
03 Money, SIM cards, and other first moves
04 Airport lounge
05 Meet and greet: What a real one looks like
06 Arriving at night
07 Ground transportation, ranked
08 If you have a long layover
09 What our travelers say
10 Frequently asked questions
El Dorado at a glance
- Official name
- Aeropuerto Internacional El Dorado
- Codes
- BOG (IATA) · SKBO (ICAO)
- Location
- Avenida El Dorado (Calle 26) No. 103-09, Fontibón, western Bogotá — about 14 km from the city center
- Elevation
- 2,548 m / 8,360 ft above sea level
- Opened
- 1959
- Operator
- OPAIN S.A., under concession
- Terminals
- Terminal 1 (international and most domestic) and Terminal 2, known as Puente Aéreo (domestic only), linked by a free shuttle from 4:00 a.m. to midnight
- Runways
- Two parallel runways, 3,800 m each
- Passengers
- 45.8 million in 2024, first in Latin America and the Caribbean for passengers, cargo and aircraft movements; more than 46 million expected for 2025
- Awards
- Skytrax Best Airport in South America 2026 — eighth time, fifth consecutive year
- Wi-Fi
- Free throughout both terminals, after a short registration
- Call center
- +57 (601) 266 2000
New in this guide: Map of the doors Airlines Official transport table Getting into the city Departing Parking Hotels nearby Services Flight status Other airports in Colombia More questions
Airport at a Glance
Terminal 1
The terminal almost every visitor uses. It handles all international flights and most domestic ones. Arrivals are on the ground floor, departures on the floor above. The ground floor is addressed by numbered doors along the front of the building, and that numbering is how the airport itself gives directions: the TransMilenio stop is at Door 2, the SITP feeder bus at Door 4, the Tullave transit-card kiosk in front of Door 1, and the official taxi lane between Doors 8 and 10.
Terminal 2
Officially Terminal 2, universally called Puente Aéreo. A smaller, older terminal used by a handful of domestic-only carriers. If your domestic flight departs from here, check it before you set out: it is a separate building, with its own open-air car park directly across from the entrance.
A free shuttle bus connects the two terminals every day from 4:00 a.m. to midnight, with a ramp for passengers with reduced mobility. A connection between terminals is a short ride, not a re-entry into the airport.
One layout detail worth knowing before you land
Terminal 1's international arrivals hall funnels everyone through a single main exit, which is where drivers, families, and tour operators all wait. It gets crowded during peak arrival windows, so agree on a specific meeting point with whoever is collecting you instead of assuming you'll spot each other in the crowd. If you're being met by a driver, the standard practice is to stay just past the exit doors instead of walking outside, where the pickup zones split in several directions.
If you're picking someone up instead of flying yourself, Terminal 1 has a short-stay car park with direct access at a modest per-minute rate — the simplest option for meeting an arriving passenger in person. Terminal 2 has its own open-air lot directly across from the building.
Map: what is at each door of Terminal 1
The airport publishes an interactive plan of both terminals, gate by gate, on its official airport map.
Airlines
El Dorado is Avianca’s main hub and the home base of Wingo. LATAM Colombia, Copa, JetSmart and the major North American and European carriers all operate here, and the route map keeps growing: in 2025 the airport added eight domestic and twelve international routes, among them Dallas, Tampa, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Brasília, Aruba and Curaçao. The airport publishes the current airline list and their desk locations on its site.
From Landing to the Curb, Step by Step
International arrivals follow the same basic sequence everywhere, and El Dorado is no exception—it is simply worth knowing the details in advance.
Before you land: Check-Mig
Colombia asks international travelers to complete the free Check-Mig form from Migración Colombia before arrival and before departure. The airport recommends doing it before you fly. It takes a few minutes and saves a queue at immigration.
Immigration first
Travelers from most countries don't need a visa for tourism and can stay up to 90 days on arrival; if your country isn't on that list, you'll need a Visitor Visa (type V) arranged before you fly, plus a passport valid for at least six months. Domestic passengers skip this step entirely and go straight to baggage claim.
Then baggage claim
The signage is clear and each carousel has a screen showing which flight it's serving, so this part rarely causes confusion.
Then, customs
Colombia's tax and customs authority, DIAN, oversees this step. Most travelers walk straight through, but certain items — some foods and medicinal plants among them — are restricted or require a declaration (Form 530) before you fly if you're carrying them.
30–60 min
From touchdown to walking out of the arrivals hall on an international flight, realistically — more if several wide-body flights land close together. Domestic arrivals move noticeably faster since immigration isn't part of the process.
If you are connecting through Bogotá, follow the yellow connection signage from the moment you leave the aircraft, then check your bag tag: if it says BOG, you collect the bag at the carousel and check it in again for the next flight; if it shows your final destination, it is transferred through. Either way, a tight connection through Bogotá is the most common booking mistake we see — leave real time between flights.
Money, SIM Cards, and Other First Moves
A few small decisions in your first ten minutes at El Dorado make the rest of the day easier.
Cash
Airport currency exchange counters almost everywhere offer worse rates than what you'll find in the city, and El Dorado is no exception — treat any airport exchange as a small emergency float, not your main source of pesos. If you're withdrawing from an ATM instead, know that foreign cards don't work at every machine despite the Visa or Mastercard logo on the door, and withdrawal limits vary a lot by bank. Carrying a mix of a no-foreign-fee card and a little emergency cash from home covers most situations.
Connectivity
The airport offers free WiFi throughout the terminal, with a short registration step the first time you connect — enough to load a map, message whoever's expecting you, or confirm a pickup the moment you land. If you want a local SIM or eSIM for the rest of your trip, several kiosks in the arrivals area sell both. If you plan to use TransMilenio or a city bus, the Tullave card you need is sold at a kiosk in front of Door 1 on the ground floor of Terminal 1.
Luggage carts
Carts are available near the belts through the airport's official provider for a small refundable deposit. Unless you're traveling with heavy bags, most travelers find it's just as easy to carry luggage the short distance to the exit or a waiting driver.
Airport Lounges
El Dorado has a good lounge selection for a South American hub, most of it concentrated in Terminal 1's international departures area, not on the arrivals side — useful to know if you're connecting through instead of landing for good.
Avianca Sala VIP
Multiple locations across the international and domestic departures areas, the most common lounge Colombian frequent flyers use.
Copa Club Lounge
Landside in Terminal 1, a straightforward option if you haven't cleared security yet.
LATAM VIP lounge
Airside in international departures, and one of the few at El Dorado with shower facilities, worth knowing after a long overnight flight.
El Dorado Lounge
An independent, pay-on-entry lounge near the international departure gates, open to any passenger regardless of airline or class, usually through a day pass or a lounge-access program.
Access typically comes through business-class tickets, airline status, or a paid day pass — check current access rules and hours on the airport's own VIP lounges page before you fly, since hours and entry policies shift. If you just need somewhere quiet instead of a full lounge, the domestic arrivals area has armrest-free seating that works reasonably well for stretching out during a long wait. For a long overnight connection, paid sleep-pod style rest areas operate airside in Terminal 1 by the hour, a more comfortable option than the gate seating if you have several hours to fill between flights.
Meet and Greet: What a Real One Looks Like
What it looks like
“Meet and greet” gets used loosely, so it's worth being specific about what a legitimate meet and greet at Bogotá airport involves: a driver who already has your name, your flight number, and your destination before you land, and a host waiting inside the terminal near the arrivals exit holding a company sign, ready to help with bags and walk you straight to the vehicle. Good operators track your flight in real time, so a delay doesn't leave anyone standing around guessing, and coordination happens over WhatsApp, not a phone call you have to make from an unfamiliar number.
What it does not look like
Someone approaching you inside or outside the terminal offering a ride on the spot. No matter how official they seem, unsolicited offers at the terminal are never how a legitimate, pre-booked pickup works — your driver is already waiting at the agreed meeting point, not walking the arrivals hall looking for customers. Politely decline and keep walking toward your confirmed pickup point or the official taxi queue.
A useful habit, regardless of who you've booked with
Confirm the driver's name and vehicle details over WhatsApp before you land, not after. That way, when you walk out of baggage claim, you already know exactly who and what you're looking for, instead of scanning a crowd of drivers holding signs and hoping one of them matches.
Arriving at Night
Landing after dark at El Dorado isn't dangerous in itself, but a few things change when arriving at night versus a daytime arrival: the arrivals hall is quieter, official taxi staff and airport personnel thin out compared to peak daytime hours, and the walk to a parking area or pickup point is noticeably darker. None of that is a reason to worry — it's a reason to remove as many variables as possible before you land instead of improvising once you're standing outside at 1 a.m. with luggage.
The practical version: confirm your pickup details before you board your flight, keep your phone charged for the last leg of the trip, and if anything changes, message your driver or transport provider instead of deciding on the fly. We cover night-specific arrivals in more depth — including what changes for solo travelers and families — in our late-night arrivals guide.
Ground Transportation, Ranked
Every way to leave El Dorado has real trade-offs. Here's a plain comparison, ranked by how consistently each option delivers a smooth arrival.
Want the most consistent, hands-off arrival?
Book a private transfer.
Landed without a booking?
Use the official Taxi Imperial counter, not a random offer at the curb.
Already locked into a corporate travel policy?
Use whichever black-car vendor it specifies.
Want the most consistent, hands-off arrival?
Comfortable navigating on your own and want the cheapest option?
01
Private, pre-arranged transfer
A booked driver waiting inside the terminal solves the two things that cause airport stress: not knowing who's picking you up, and not having a backup plan if your flight changes. Comfort-class vehicles start from $49, with premium and chauffeur-level vehicles available for travelers who want more space or a higher-end feel. This is the option we build our own service around, and it's the most consistent choice for first-time visitors, families managing luggage and logistics, business travelers who need punctuality, and anyone whose employer's travel policy discourages informal pickups.
Flight number and arrival time
Passenger and luggage count
Destination address
A WhatsApp number
Any special requests (child seat, extra space, bilingual driver)
If you're traveling with young children, our airport transfers with car seats page covers exactly how that's arranged in advance.
02
Official airport taxi
Taxi Imperial runs the authorized taxi service at El Dorado. Staff at counters in the arrivals hall issue a printed, pre-calculated fare before you board, which removes the negotiation and meter-watching that causes friction with an unregulated street cab elsewhere in the city. It's a legitimate, reasonable option if you land without a transfer booked — just confirm the printed fare before you get in, and expect more variability in vehicle age and condition than a dedicated private transfer.
03
Corporate black-car services
Global corporate transportation providers operate in Bogotá for travelers whose company travel policy specifies a particular vendor or a black-car standard. They're a reasonable fit if that's already your situation, though for most leisure and independent business travelers, a Colombia-based private transfer service covers the same reliability at a more proportionate price.
04
International pre-booking platforms
A handful of international ride-booking platforms let you reserve a transfer in advance from outside Colombia, with flight tracking and English-language support built in. They're a workable middle ground — more predictable than improvising at the curb — though because these platforms dispatch whichever local driver is available, not a dedicated fleet, vehicle standards can vary more than with an operator that manages its own cars.
05
Local tour and transfer operators
Several Bogotá-based tour operators offer airport transfers as an add-on to tours or day trips. Convenient if you're already booking an experience through one, though transfers are usually a secondary offering, not their main focus.
06
Ride-hailing apps (Uber, Cabify, DiDi)
These work in Bogotá and plenty of travelers use them without issue inside the city. At the airport specifically, pickup usually happens from a designated parking area, not the curb, and wait times run a bit less predictably than elsewhere. We cover exactly what to expect — legality included — in our full guide to using Uber in Bogotá, and we compare the real costs side by side in our taxi vs. Uber vs. private transfer breakdown. For a first landing with luggage and jet lag, we'd treat it as a fine option for later in the trip, not the first ride out of the terminal.
What we'd avoid entirely
Anyone approaching you inside or outside the terminal offering a ride — no matter how official they look — isn't part of any authorized system. The safest response is the simplest one: keep walking toward your confirmed pickup or the official taxi counter.
The official options, exactly where they are
| Option | Where | Hours | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private transfer (pre-booked) | Driver inside the arrivals hall with your name | 24 hours | From $49 USD, fixed before you land |
| Official taxi (Taxi Imperial) | Terminal 1 ground floor, lane 1 between Doors 8 and 10; uniformed staff between Doors 7 and 10 | 24 hours | Set by the airport’s fare calculator; city rates under Decreto 042 de 2026 apply: banderazo $4.500 COP, minimum fare $8.000, $159 per 100 m, airport surcharge $8.000 ($8.600 on the excelencia operacional tariff) |
| TransMilenio K86 | Terminal 1 ground floor, Door 2, to Portal El Dorado | Mon–Fri 5:30–23:00 · Sat 6:00–23:00 · Sun and holidays 7:00–22:00 | $3.550 COP with a Tullave card; no cash |
| SITP feeder 16-14 | Terminal 1 ground floor, Door 4, to Portal El Dorado | Mon–Fri 4:30–0:20 · Sat 5:00–0:20 · Sun and holidays 5:30–23:20 | Tullave card |
| Uber, Cabify, DiDi | Designated pickup in the parking area, not the arrivals curb | App availability | Dynamic; rises with demand |
Two things the airport itself tells passengers about taxis: identify official staff by their uniform before you get in, and verify the assigned vehicle’s plate through the airport’s verification service. Anyone offering a ride who is not standing in that system is not part of it.
Getting into the city
El Dorado is inside the city, on Calle 26. The center is about 14 km away: roughly 45 minutes on a clear road, and 75 minutes or more in the morning and evening peaks (7–9 a.m. and 5–7 p.m.). Where you are staying changes the ride more than the distance suggests:
- Salitre and Corferias — the convention and corporate zone, closest to the airport. Transfer to Salitre.
- Chapinero and Zona G — the business and restaurant corridor, straight up Calle 26 and north. Transfer to Chapinero · Zona G.
- Zona T and Parque de la 93 — hotels, dining and shopping; the most common first-night destinations. Transfer to Zona T · Parque de la 93.
- Usaquén — quieter and further north; popular for longer stays.
- La Candelaria — the historic center; typically the longest ride from the airport. Transfer to La Candelaria.
Departing from El Dorado
Departures from Terminal 1 are on the upper floor. The airport’s own recommendation is to arrive two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international one. Fifty-six self check-in kiosks and nineteen self bag-drop machines take most of the queue out of the process if you have already checked in online. International travelers complete Check-Mig before departure as well as arrival.
Check which terminal your flight uses. A few domestic carriers depart from Puente Aéreo, a separate building a free shuttle ride away, and the difference matters when you are cutting it fine.
Bogotá’s traffic is the variable the airport cannot control. If you are leaving from the north of the city in the evening peak, the ride to the airport can take longer than the flight to Medellín. Our hotel-to-airport transfers are timed against live traffic for exactly this reason.
Parking
Terminal 1 has three car parks, all open 24 hours, all with spaces reserved for passengers with reduced mobility. Short Stay (Center), in front of the terminal, is for dropping off and picking up: 650 cars, 123 motorcycles, 38 bicycles. Long Stay (North), near Door 1, is for travelers leaving a vehicle for several days, with some covered areas: 550 cars. Business (South) offers monthly rates for frequent flyers: 379 cars. Terminal 2 has its own open-air lot directly across from the building. Rates and online payment are on the airport’s parking portal.
Hotels near the airport
There is no hotel inside the terminal. The nearest are a short drive along Avenida El Dorado, and several are built for exactly the two cases an airport hotel is for: a late arrival before an early flight, and a long layover.
- Hotel Habitel Prime and Hotel Habitel Select — about 2.5 km from the terminal, the closest full-service options.
- Hotel Movich Buró 26 — about 2.5 km, on Calle 26.
- Courtyard by Marriott Bogotá Airport — about 3 km.
- City Express Plus by Marriott Bogotá Aeropuerto and Aloft Bogotá Airport — about 4 km.
- Hilton Garden Inn Bogotá Airport — about 6 km, with a complimentary airport shuttle; also sells day-use rooms.
For a layover under four hours the airport’s own sleeping rooms and paid rest areas, airside in Terminal 1, are the simpler choice. For anything longer, a hotel on Calle 26 with a shuttle beats the terminal.
If You Have a Long Layover
A layover of four hours or more at El Dorado is enough time to leave the airport instead of sitting through it — Bogotá's city center and Monserrate viewpoint are both closer to the airport than most people expect. Our sister brand, cielo.travel, runs a private layover tour built specifically around this window, with airport pickup and drop-off timed to get you back well before boarding. If you'd rather stay close to the terminal, luggage storage is available inside the airport for a daily fee, which is the simpler option for a shorter layover or an odd-hours connection.
Services inside the airport
El Dorado publishes a long list of passenger services, and most of them are on the ground floor of Terminal 1: ATMs, pharmacies, medical and emergency services, luggage storage, luggage wrapping, luggage carts (small refundable deposit), sleeping rooms, prayer rooms, nursing rooms, children’s play areas, a pet-relief area, massage chairs, document printing, a notary, a vaccination point, tax refund, and lost and found. The airport’s services page carries current locations and hours for each.
Flights and flight status
Live arrivals and departures for both terminals are on the airport’s official site, and the same board is what our operations team watches to time every pickup. If you are booking a transfer, give us your flight number instead of an arrival time: the flight number is what we track.
Colombia’s other airports
El Dorado is the hub, but most trips through Colombia use at least one other airport. The ones travelers meet most: Medellín — José María Córdova (MDE), in Rionegro, 45 minutes to an hour from the city (Medellín airport guide · transfers); Cartagena — Rafael Núñez (CTG), ten minutes from the walled city (Cartagena airport transfers); Cali — Alfonso Bonilla Aragón (CLO), in Palmira (Cali airport transfers); Barranquilla — Ernesto Cortissoz (BAQ) (Barranquilla airport transfers); Santa Marta — Simón Bolívar (SMR) (Santa Marta airport transfers); Pereira — Matecaña (PEI) (Pereira airport transfers); Bucaramanga — Palonegro (BGA) (Bucaramanga airport transfers); Armenia — El Edén (AXM). We run transfers at every one of them.
What Our Travelers Say
“Driver was waiting with my name when I landed. Spotless car, smooth ride into the city. Exactly what you want after a red-eye.”
“Flight was delayed two hours and the driver was still there, tracking it. No stress, no extra fee. Worth every dollar.”
Frequently Asked Questions
More questions about El Dorado
What is the airport code for Bogotá?
BOG. The ICAO code, used in aviation, not on tickets, is SKBO. Both refer to El Dorado International Airport, Bogotá’s only commercial passenger airport.
How high is El Dorado Airport?
About 2,548 meters, or 8,360 feet, above sea level. If you feel light-headed on arrival, it is the altitude, not the flight: walk slowly, drink water, and give yourself a day before anything strenuous.
How far is El Dorado from downtown Bogotá?
About 14 km by road via Calle 26. Around 45 minutes with clear traffic, 75 minutes or more in the morning and evening peaks.
Is there a hotel inside El Dorado Airport?
No. The airport has sleeping rooms and paid rest areas airside in Terminal 1 for layovers. The nearest hotels are about 2.5 km away on Avenida El Dorado.
How do I get from Portal El Dorado to the airport?
TransMilenio route K86 and SITP feeder 16-14 both run between Portal El Dorado and Terminal 1, arriving at Doors 2 and 4 respectively. You need a Tullave card; the fare is $3.550 COP and cash is not accepted on board.
Book a private, verified transfer in Bogotá
A bilingual host waiting inside the terminal with a Safe Transfers sign, your flight already tracked. The most reliable way out of El Dorado.
Ready to book?
Your transfer to Bogotá
From $49
Flight tracking included
Free cancellation 24h.
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Keep Reading
El Dorado International Airport — official site
Is Bogotá Safe? Honest Answers, Updated Monthly
Uber in Bogotá: How It Works, Legality and Airport Rules
Safe Transfers Colombia — Safety & Standards
Where people go straight from the terminal
Not every pickup ends at a hotel in the city. These are the transfers we quote most often for passengers who are carrying on the same day.
- El Dorado to Chía — North out of the city without crossing it
- El Dorado to Zipaquirá — Straight to the salt cathedral
- Bogotá to Girardot and Melgar — Down to the warm country
- Bogotá to Villa de Leyva — Three hours north on a road worth doing in daylight
Going to BTS at El Campín on 2 or 3 October? We run fixed-fare concert transfers there and back, with your driver assigned before you travel, not hailed outside a stadium at midnight.
