El Dorado International Airport (BOG) is the primary international gateway to Bogotá, Colombia's capital city.
The airport is located in the Fontibón district, about 15 kilometers west of the city center. More important is its strategic macrogeographic location between the Americas which makes it one of the 20 best-connected airports in the world.
With very strong growth in 2024, El Dorado became Latin America's busiest airport, handling over 45 million passengers. This puts it in the top 40 busiest airports globally.
Major Airlines at BOG - Avianca, LATAM
El Dorado serves as a hub for at least eight airlines, five of which are commercial and three for cargo. The biggest airline based at BOG is Avianca, Colombia’s national flag carrier, which flies to more than 40 destinations worldwide.
LATAM Airlines Colombia is the second biggest airline in the country and also uses El Dorado as a hub for operations.
The regional airlines Avianca Express and SATENA are also based in the airport.
Moreover, El Dorado is an operating base for Clic Air and Wingo, the latter being a large low-cost airline offering many regional connections.
The airport facilitates flights to destinations across North, South, and, Central America, as well as the Caribbean, and as far as Europe and the Middle East.
See all airlines that use El Dorado Airport.
Terminal Layout and Gates
El Dorado International Airport has two main terminals connected by a free shuttle bus. The terminals are housed in separate buildings about 1 km from each other.
Terminal 1: The largest and most modern facility. It is the main terminal and most airlines use it for their operations. It handles both domestic and international flights.
Terminal 2 (formerly Puente Aéreo): A smaller terminal dedicated to domestic flights. The only airlines currently operating at Terminal 2 are Satena and EasyFly.
Transit and connecting flights at El Dorado Airport
Airside transfers are not possible at El Dorado Airport.
All passengers in transit or connecting 2 flights must clear Immigration and enter Colombia, then (if necessary) transfer to the other terminal and complete their flight transfer.
Unless visa-exempt, to transit in Bogota you will need a transit visa which allows you to remain in the international transit area for up to 24 hours.
Restaurants and bars at El Dorado International Airport
As such a big and busy airport, El Dorado has no shortage of places to eat or grab a drink.
There are various establishments both before and after security (the public landside zone and the Security airside zone) and at both terminals.
Some of the restaurants and bars you can choose from include:
McDonald’s, Subway, Starbucks, and Dunkin Donuts are some of the international brands present in the public area of Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 (most of them at both).
Kokoriko, Cumbia House, and Mis Carnes Parilla are three local restaurants offering grilled meats, burgers, and vegetarian options. You'll find them in Terminal 1.
BBC, Zyrope, and El Irish Pub are the bars where you can get a drink or light pub fare. All are located in Terminal 1.
Oma Cafe, Santa Elena, and Xue Cafe are some of your options when it comes to getting a cup of coffee. All of them have outlets in Terminal 1, additionally, Oma Cafe has one in Terminal 2.
Automated check-in and self-bag drop facilities
Both terminals of El Dorado Airport are equipped with:
Contactless self-check-in kiosks where you can generate your boarding pass easily.
Self-service bag check where you can check in your bags by yourself.
Pre-security gates for efficient fast boarding pass scanning.
Exit control gates for enhanced security and passenger flow (only for domestic arrivals).
Self-service payment stations for the parking lots.
Wifi at BOG
El Dorado Airport offers complimentary wifi access to all passengers.
To take advantage of it, simply connect to the wifi network “Aeropuerto_El_Dorado”, then open your browser and enter your details. It’s as easy as that.
Lounges at El Dorado Airport
El Dorado Airport provides six premium lounges all located in Terminal 1.
While most are airline-specific, a few of them are accessible to all passengers for a fee.
The Lounge Bogotá Sala VIP is located in the Domestic Departures area of T1, Concourse D, after Security. Access is available to passengers with memberships such as Priority Pass and Lounge Key or if you buy a pass directly.
Avianca VIP Lounge has one lounge in both the Domestic (Pier D) and the International (Pier B, next to the food court) areas of T1. It offers exclusive services for premium fliers of Avianca, the national carrier.
Copa Club VIP, located in the International Departures, Concourse A, near Gate A7, is open to Business or Business Class on Copa or Star Alliance partner airlines, or if you are a ConnectMiles Gold, Platinum, and Presidential member.
El Dorado Lounge is opposite Gate A8 in Concourse A of the International Departures Area. Access is limited to 6 hours - a rarity among airport lounges - and available to all paying passengers.
LATAM's VIP Lounge is located in the International area, Concourse A, near Gate A1. Premium passengers of the airline will find a variety of amenities inside the lounge, including perhaps the best business center at the airport.
All of the lounges offer complimentary buffets, lots of seating spaces, and dedicated WiFi access.
Transportation to and from El Dorado Airport
To begin, interterminal transportation at El Dorado is relatively easy. A free airport shuttle bus loops around the airport stopping at the passenger and cargo terminals as well as other important places at the premises. Its frequency is every 20 minutes between 5 AM and 11 PM.
To get to the city center of Bogota, you can take one of the public buses of the TransMilenio - Bogota’s public transport system:
K86 cable car goes to Portal Eldorado.
Feeder bus 16-14 goes directly to Portal Eldorado too.
To pay, you will need a rechargeable Tullave card, which can be purchased at the kiosk located on the 1st floor in front of Door 8 in Terminal 1.
For private transport, you have the following options:
Taxis: Imperial Taxi is the Official airport taxi company of El Dorado Airport. You can recognize them by their yellow color and branding. They are readily available outside the terminals with set rates to various destinations. For example, a trip to downtown Bogota costs 5-7 USD.
Ride-Sharing Services: Authorized ride-sharing companies operate at El Dorado, with designated pick-up areas. Uber, for example, has specified pick-up locations which will be displayed to you once you book your ride.
Car rental: At least 10 car rental companies provide services at El Dorado Airport on any given day. You can choose between the likes of international giants like SIXT and Europcar or local Colombian companies like VAYA.
If you’d like a private transfer instead, see your options here.
Parking at BOG
El Dorado International Airport offers 6 different parking facilities to accommodate both short-term and long-term needs.
Of these, 4 are next to the passenger terminals:
Short Stay Parking near Terminal 1: the largest parking lot at BOG with direct access to the airport. The rate is 201 COP per minute.
Long Stay Parking North near Terminal 1: Located close to international arrivals gate 1. The daily rates are 74.500 COP per 24 hours with discounts for longer stays.
Monthly Parking South near Terminal 1: Located in the southwestern part of the terminal close to gate 1. While the daily rate is a bit higher (94.000 COP) the monthly rate is where this parking lot shines - just 490.000 COP for a month.
Terminal 2 Parking: Located directly opposite Terminal 2. The parking rates are 191 COP per minute with a 50% discount after 12 hours. The monthly rate is 400.000 COP.
The two additional parking lots are:
CAC Parking: available at the El Dorado Cargo Terminal.
Cargo Terminal Parking TC1 Central Parking: also available to the El Dorado Cargo Terminal.
Hotels near El Dorado International Airport
There are no hotels inside the terminal buildings. The nearest hotels are just outside the airport grounds, situated on both sides of Avenida El Dorado.
Some of the nearby accommodation options include:
Hotel Habitel Select: Located about 1.5 kilometers from the airport, this 5-star hotel is everything you need and more. Interior, rooms, facilities, and food are all impeccable and the ambiance really sets you up for a comfortable stay. Moreover, it offers a shuttle bus running from the hotel to the airport 24/7 every 30 minutes.
Courtyard by Marriott Bogotá Airport: Situated about 2 kilometers from El Dorado, the Marriott hardly ever disappoints and this isn’t it either. Excellent food, modern rooms, a fitness center with spa, an indoor lap pool, and a jacuzzi - you can’t ask for more. And yes, there is a free shuttle to the airport.
Bogota, Colombia
