How to get from Bogota to Cali

Why visit Cali?

Cali is a vibrant city in southwest Colombia, where residents literally dance the night away. Known as the world’s salsa capital, its streets are often filled with parties and locals dancing salsa.

Every year in the last week of December, the city celebrates Feria de Cali, a salsa carnival and cultural festival that attracts millions of visitors from around the world. Some travel guides to Cali will tell you it’s not safe, but just follow the advice of locals and you should be fine!

There are 4 ways to travel the 463 kilometers (288 miles) from Bogota to Cali. You can choose between the bus, shared minivan, private transport and flight. The journey takes 1 hour 35 minutes to 16 hours 30 minutes and the quickest way is by flight. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by bus with tickets starting at 63,000 COP ($15).

You can save some money if you choose to take the bus from Bogota to Cali.

Buses operating from Bogota to Cali depart from Module 1 at Terminal de Buses Salitre as early as 06:00. But because this bus ride takes 10 hours to 16 hours 30 minutes, we highly recommend taking one of the overnight buses. This way, you won’t lose an entire day on the journey and can even save one night on accommodation.

The main bus companies covering this route are Expreso Bolivariano, Velotax, Flota Magdalena, Flota La Macarena and Expreso Palmira. These buses have reclining seats, but good legroom. They also make several stops along the way, so you can stretch your legs. Most buses have toilets onboard and charging ports.

You can book your tickets online, but make sure to print them in advance as showing them on mobile is not sufficient. You can also buy your ticket directly at the bus terminal. Keep in mind that night buses tend to sell out quickly, especially on weekends, so it is better to book ahead.

Terminal de Salitre

2G Gold

Terminal de Cali

04:00

11h

15:00

08:30

11h

19:30

11:00

11h

22:00

14:15

11h

01:15

15:30

11h

02:30

17:30

11h

04:30

20:00

11h

07:00

21:00

11h

08:00

21:30

11h

08:30

22:10

11h

09:10

23:10

11h

10:10

Expreso Bolivariano

From 62,000 COP ($14.80)

Compare prices

• 24/7 customer support

62,000 COP ($14.80)

04:00

11h

15:00

Check on BookAway

• 24/7 customer support

71,000 COP ($16.80)

08:30

11h

19:30

11:00

11h

22:00

14:15

11h

01:15

15:30

11h

02:30

17:30

11h

04:30

Check on BookAway

• 24/7 customer support

80,000 COP ($19.10)

20:00

11h

07:00

21:00

11h

08:00

21:30

11h

08:30

22:10

11h

09:10

23:10

11h

10:10

Check on BookAway

The bus will arrive at Cali’s main bus terminal. To get to the city centre, you can take a taxi for around 8,000 COP ($1.90) or Uber starting at 12,000 COP ($2.80).

Taking a flight from Bogota to Cali is the faster yet more expensive way to complete this journey.

TIP: If you decide to travel by plane, please consider including a carbon compensation fee to reduce your impact on the environment.

Flights from Bogota to Cali depart from El Dorado Airport (BOG). Departures are frequent, roughly every 2 hours, from 05:00 to 23:00 and the flight time is approximately 1 hour.

There are 4 airlines covering this route; Avianca, Latam, Viva Air and Wingo. They all offer a cabin-luggage-only fare, so if you’re travelling light, you can save some money here.

In terms of service, Avianca is a bigger airline and their service is superior. They offer refreshments and most planes have an individual tv and charging port. Latam is a good second choice though, also offering a good service.

Wingo offers a basic service but since the flight is so short, it does the job pretty well. However, it only has 1-2 departures a day.

Viva air, on the other hand, is a low-cost airline and therefore they will charge extra for everything, even checking in at the airport. Most of the time their service is poor so, unless the price difference with the other airlines is significant (which is not often the case), we don’t really recommend it.

All flights will arrive in Cali’s International Airport (CLO) located 30 km away from the city.

There are two main ways to get from Cali airport to the city centre. The first one is by taxi and the second a combined ride of bus and taxi.

Taxis are available 24 hours while buses only run from 06:00 to 21:00.

Taxis will charge between 60,000 COP ($14.20) to 70,000 COP ($16.60) and take about 30 minutes. They are the safest option if you arrive at night.

If you want to save some money, you can take a bus with the company Expreso Aeropuerto who have a continuous and direct service between the airport and Cali’s main bus terminal.

Buses depart every 20 minutes from the airport’s first floor, right in front of the national arrivals gate. The price is 10,000 COP ($2.40) and you must pay directly to the driver.

Buses will drop you at Cali’s main bus terminal. To get to the city centre from here, you can take a taxi for around 8,000 COP ($1.90) or Uber starting at 7,000 COP ($1.70).

Note that Uber is not allowed inside the airport. Therefore, if you decide to order it, you may have to walk outside the airport to catch it. For safety reasons, it is better to use the services available at the airport.

The minivan ride from Bogota to Cali costs around 101,000 COP ($24). The journey takes about 11 to 12 hours, depending on traffic.

Like buses, minivans heading this route depart from Terminal de Transporte Salitre Bogota and arrive at Terminal de Transporte Cali. If you’re planning to leave very early in the morning, we recommend you take the bus because the earliest departure time for minivans is at 08:30. And the last one leaves at 21:00.

Minivans have A/C and even wifi, subject to availability, though. They also have reclining seats but are not as spacious as the bus and may be uncomfortable for this long journey.

See below the schedule of Flota Magdalena for this route.

A private transfer is a convenient option when travelling in a group from Bogota to Cali. Travel time is around 9 hours 30 minutes to 10 hours.

Rates start from 1,419,000 COP ($335) for a 3-seater private transfer. Divide the cost and that’s just about 473,000 COP ($110) per person. We only recommend this option if you’re travelling in a big group. But if you have the budget and are looking for comfort, taking a flight might be better.

The companies that offer private transfers from Bogota to Cali are Viajes Imperial and Transfers & Tours.