La Candelaria · Bogotá
The gold that invented
the legend of El Dorado
The Muisca Raft is small enough to fit in your hand, yet it was this piece that sent all of Europe searching for a city of gold. It is here, in a collection of pre-Columbian goldwork unmatched anywhere in the world.
Carrera 6 No. 15-88 · La Candelaria, Bogotá
The experience
Four floors to understand
what gold once meant.
The Gold Museum belongs to the Banco de la República and holds the largest collection of pre-Columbian goldwork on the planet. It isn't a treasure room: it's a reading of a continent where gold was never money — its value lay in offering, in power, in ritual.
The route rises from raw metal to the workshops, and from the workshops to shamanism. Breastplates that cover the entire chest, Quimbaya poporos of an almost industrial perfection, nose ornaments, funerary masks. And, at its high point, the Muisca Raft: a votive raft bearing the chieftain and his retinue, found in a cave, no bigger than a hand.
It was this ceremony — the chieftain sailing to the middle of the lake to offer gold to the water — that the Spanish chroniclers turned into the city of El Dorado. The legend was born of a rite, and that rite is on display right there, a few steps from you.
The gallery
Gold Museum Bogotá
Carrera 6 No. 15-88 · La Candelaria, Bogotá
The ticket includes
- Admission to the Gold Museum, across the four floors of the permanent exhibition
- The Muisca Raft and the Offering Room
- Quimbaya, Calima, Muisca, Tairona, Zenú and Tolima collections
- Digital voucher with QR Code via WhatsApp and e-mail
Rates
Adult
Official foreign visitor rate — COP 21.000
R$ 34,71
Nationals and residents
Official rate — COP 10.000
R$ 16,53
Sunday
The museum charges no admission on Sundays
Free
Prices per person, converted from the official rate in Colombian pesos. The full rate goes to the Banco de la República; The Singular's convenience fee is charged separately and itemized at checkout.
The price above is the museum's official rate, passed on in full to the Banco de la República. The Singular's convenience fee is shown separately, never built into the rate.
The museum is CLOSED on Mondays — including Monday holidays. No Monday dates are sold here.
On Sundays admission is free for everyone, directly at the ticket office, and no reservation is needed. If your trip falls on a Sunday, the concierge will tell you so rather than sell you a ticket.
The museum also closes on some Colombian national holidays. The concierge confirms the date before issuing the voucher.
Practical information
Where
Carrera 6 No. 15-88, La Candelaria — Bogotá's historic center
Hours
Tuesday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (last entry 6 p.m.)
Sundays and holidays
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. — free admission on Sunday
Mondays
Closed, including holidays
Duration
1.5 to 2.5 hours, depending on your pace
Collection
Banco de la República — four floors
Frequently asked questions
What people usually ask.
Yes. The Muisca Raft is the best-known piece in the collection and is part of the permanent exhibition. It's small — it fits in your hand — and it is the origin of the El Dorado legend.
It is. The Gold Museum charges no admission on Sundays, for everyone, with no reservation. We'd rather tell you up front: if your visit falls on a Sunday, you don't need to buy anything here.
No. The museum closes every Monday, even when Monday is a holiday. That's why no Monday dates are available to choose.
Between 1.5 and 2.5 hours. There are four floors, and the ascent ends in the Offering Room — it's worth setting aside time for that part.
It's in the heart of La Candelaria, Bogotá's historic center, a few minutes' walk from Plaza de Bolívar and the Monserrate cable car.
Your digital voucher with QR Code arrives on WhatsApp and by e-mail, with the address and time. No need to print it.
Reserve your date
Gold Museum
with everything taken care of.
A ticket from the official attraction, a digital voucher on WhatsApp and by e-mail, payment in Brazilian reais and a Portuguese-speaking concierge before and during your trip.