Get acquainted with Colombia’s bountiful produce in Paloquemao Fruit Market—Bogota’s primary food market. Weave your way through rows of stalls stacked high with exotic fruit and vegetables—look out for uchuvas (golden berries) and pitaya (dragon fruits), and follow the scent of stalls selling freshly fried arepas.

From the market, hail a cab to Plaza Armas and the Historical Center, where you’ll find Puerta Falsa restaurant. This understated restaurant serves renowned hot chocolate—but it might not be the sweet cup you’re expecting. Order a chocolate completo, and it’ll come with melted cheese and a hot, buttered bread roll—suspend your disbelief and try it.

Dedicate today to Usaquén, a vibrant neighborhood that’s undergone a cultural and culinary renaissance. Fill up on South American staples such as ceviche, bocadillos (sandwiches), and tacos at La Grande Cantina Cevicheria before heading to Pedro Mandinga Rum Bar, a favorite serving aged rum cocktails and top-class empanadas.

Bogota is famous throughout South America for its nightlife, which thrums with salsa music and Latino spirit. Spend the night dancing and drinking Colombian cocktails in Zona Rosa, the city’s party district. Sample aguardiente (aniseed-flavored spirit that translates as "fiery water") and cola y pola, a mix of Champagne cola and beer.

Colombia is one of the world's most famous coffee producers, so it's no surprise that coffee culture is big. Visit a countryside coffee farm to learn more. You’ll get to follow the process from bean to cup and sample a range of richly roasted cups of coffee.

Finish with a Bogota institution—Andrés Carne de Res in Chia, a suburb outside the city. What started as a roadside grill is now more of a restaurant amusement park—the decoration is glitzy and garish, the food is hearty and delicious, and the atmosphere has been described as "Alice in Wonderland meets Moulin Rouge."