Take the Monday: A Three-Day Weekend Built Into the Calendar
In 2026, All Saints' Day falls on Monday, November 2. Under Colombia's Ley de Puentes Festivos, the holiday is fixed to the Monday itself, so the entire country gets a three-day weekend—one of roughly 14 Monday holidays on a calendar of 18 public holidays. For you, that means a long weekend in Bogotá without taking a day off: arrive Friday or Saturday, and you have Sunday and the holiday Monday to explore at a city's pace.
Plan the holiday the way Colombians do. Banks and government offices close on the Monday; supermarkets and shopping malls generally stay open on reduced hours, so you won't be stranded for food or supplies. What you should book early is transport and accommodation—puente weekends are when prices on popular routes can double, and the same applies to flights and buses into and out of the capital.
Spend the Long Weekend in the City's Cultural Venues
The holiday Monday is a day off, not a street festival—so build your day around the institutions that give Bogotá its cultural weight. Check opening hours before you go, since public holidays bring reduced schedules at many venues.
- Museums and galleries—use the free Monday to move slowly through the city's collections rather than rushing between them.
- The historic centre—La Candelaria's colonial streets and plazas reward a leisurely walk; start early while the light is good.
- Markets—supermarkets and malls run reduced hours on the holiday, so do your food shopping on the Sunday or confirm hours before setting out.
Eat Like It's a Puente
Holiday weekends in Colombia are eating weekends. With the Monday a public holiday, Sunday lunch stretches long and family tables fill. Seek out the city's traditional restaurants and market food stalls for the dishes Colombians associate with a day off—and remember that on the Monday itself, your most reliable options are supermarkets and mall food courts on reduced hours, so plan the big meal for Sunday.
Know What the Season Brings—and What It Doesn't
Bogotá's calendar is rich, but the sources are clear: no city-specific All Saints' Day markets, concerts, parades, or fireworks are documented for the capital. Don't arrive expecting a street party that isn't there. What you can count on is the rhythm of the puente itself: a quiet Monday, closed offices, and a city at leisure.
If your dates are flexible, the year's bigger Bogotá draw is the Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro, held in April and biennial—the 2026 edition brings international theatre companies to the city with both free and paid performances. It's a different trip, but worth knowing about when you're choosing your window.
Elsewhere in Colombia, the season has its own landmarks: Carnaval de Barranquilla runs February 14–17, 2026 (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage); Medellín's Feria de las Flores falls around August 1–9, 2026, with its Desfile de Silleteros; and Cali's salsa-focused Feria runs December 25–January 2. Semana Santa, April 2–5, is widely observed, with many businesses closed from Holy Thursday through Easter Sunday—Popayán is noted for its elaborate candlelit processions.
Make the Puente Work for You
Treat November 2 as the anchor of a three-day city break: book your accommodation and transport now, since puente prices climb, confirm reduced holiday hours at the venues you want to visit, and save your long Sunday lunch for the day before the holiday. With the Monday free and the city's offices closed, you get Bogotá at its most unhurried—start planning around that Monday and let the weekend fill itself.