Bogota to Cali

Want to know how to get from Bogota to Cali? In this post, we’ll share a summary of the two ways to get there and compare each option on duration, costs and level of comfort. For each option, we go into more detail to help you decide which transport provider to book with and where to buy your tickets.

What to expect when visiting 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!

2 ways to get from Bogota to Cali

There are two ways to travel the distance of 463 km (288 miles) from Bogota to Cali: by bus (11h15m) and flight (1h35m). The journey takes between 1h35m - 11h15m and the quickest way is by flight. The lowest priced tickets start from 78,000 COP ($19.50) for the flight.

Bogota to Cali by Flight

Duration: 1h35m

Starts from: 78,000 COP ($19.50)

Duration: 1h35m

Cost: 78,000 COP ($19.50)

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.

Step 1: Bogota to Cali

Duration: 1 hour

Costs: 60,000 COP ($15.00) – 200,000 COP ($50.00)

Duration: 1 hour

Costs: 60,000 COP ($15.00) – 200,000 COP ($50.00)

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.

Step 2: Cali Airport to the city centre

Duration: 35 minutes

Costs: 18,000 COP ($4.50) – 70,000 COP ($17.50)

Duration: 35 minutes

Costs: 18,000 COP ($4.50) – 70,000 COP ($17.50)

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 ($14.00) to 70,000 COP ($16.00) 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 ($2.30) 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 ($1.80) or Uber starting at 7,000 COP ($1.60).

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.

Bogota to Cali by Bus

Duration: 11h15m

Starts from: 84,000 COP ($21.00)

Duration: 11h15m

Cost: 84,000 COP ($21.00)

You can save some money if you choose to take the bus from Bogota to Cali. And if you take the night bus, you will also save a night on accommodation.

Step 1: Bogota to Cali

Duration: 11 hours

Costs: 77,000 COP ($19.00)

Duration: 11 hours

Costs: 77,000 COP ($19.00)

Buses operating from Bogota to Cali depart from Module 1 at Terminal de Buses Salitre from 05:00. Night buses are more popular on this route and some companies offer more frequent services after 17:00.

The main bus companies covering this route are Expreso Bolivariano, Velotax, Flota Magdalena and Expreso Palmira. All companies are very similar in terms of quality and good service, although Expreso Bolivariano is often considered the best.

The buses are quite comfortable. They have reclining seats, AC, a toilet and the newer buses will include individual tv and charging ports.

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

Bus options from Bogota to Cali

Step 2: Cali Bus Terminal to the city centre

Duration: 15 minutes

Costs: 7,000 COP ($1.70) – 10,000 COP ($2.50)

Duration: 15 minutes

Costs: 7,000 COP ($1.70) – 10,000 COP ($2.50)

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 ($1.80) or Uber starting at 7,000 COP ($1.60).