PAINANI
PAINANI

PAINANI · RUN / LOCAL

27 · Bogotá D.C., Colombia

Cerro de Monserrate

Climb 1,605 stone steps from central Bogotá to a basilica at 3,152 m, on a city-run footpath that opens at 5:00 and closes every Tuesday.

Trail runningStair runningOne way
2.4 kmDistance467 mElevation gainHardSite gradeBogotáNearest base

Site grade

HardFeatured

467 m of gain in 2.35 km, almost all of it on 1,605 steps, finishing at 3,152 m. The stairs are never technical; the altitude and the gradient are the whole problem.

The experience

The path gains 467 m in 2.35 km on stairs and ends at 3,152 m. Nothing is technical. The cost is the altitude and a gradient that never relents until the plaza.

It is the sister climb to the Ajusco: a capital-city ascent that locals treat as training, with a cable car for the descent and a basilica at the top.

The path is a pilgrimage route to the Señor Caído de Monserrate; devotees walk it seven Sundays in a row for a promise. The IDRD, the city's recreation and sport institute, administers the footpath; the cable car and funicular belong to a separate operator.

Where the sources disagreeThe footpath is closed every Tuesday for maintenance. Ascent is allowed only from 5:00 to 13:00, descent until 16:00, and the gate can close early when the capacity count is reached. The IDRD bars pets, children under one metre, adults over 75 and people with reduced mobility, and advises against it for pregnant women and anyone with heart disease or hypertension. The city's tourism institute has reported robberies of tourists between the Quinta de Bolívar and Monserrate and set up police-escorted routes in response; stay on the path, go early, and do not carry more than you need.

Trail path

The line
you follow.

StartFootpath entrance on Carrera 2 Este at Paseo Bolívar, next to the cable-car and funicular stationFinishBasilica plaza, Cerro de MonserrateDirectionUp the footpath. Descend the same stairs before 16:00, or take the cable car or funicular down.
  1. 01Paseo Bolívar entrance
  2. 02First flight of stairs
  3. 03Mid-path lookouts
  4. 04Vía Crucis stations
  5. 05Basilica plaza

Route sections

01 · The Gate at FivePaseo Bolívar entrance to the first steps
A fenced, paved path leaves the station forecourt through Andean forest. Capacity is counted at the gate; on Sundays and holidays the queue starts before the doors open at 5:00.02 · The Stair LedgerFirst steps to the mid-path lookouts
Stone flights with handrails, broken by cobbled ramps. The steps are counted, 1,605 of them, and the first third settles whether you run or hike the rest.03 · The Thin ThirdLookouts to the Vía Crucis
The gradient holds while the air thins toward 3,000 m. Pilgrims stop at the fourteen stations; runners pass them on the outside of the flight.04 · The Plaza at 3,152Vía Crucis to the basilica plaza
The last flights open onto the basilica forecourt and the city below. There are no toilets on the path; the first ones are up here.

Weather profile

What the sky
is likely to do.

High-altitude Andean city weather. Mornings are cool and often misty in the forest; the city guide warns of strong sun between 10:00 and 12:00 and drizzle at any hour. Before dawn the lower path is dim enough to want a torch.

Season & timing

Managed seasonOpen Wednesday to Monday, 5:00 to 13:00 to ascend and until 16:00 to descend. Closed Tuesdays for maintenance. Hours change on holidays and by IDRD decision.Best windowAny weekday except Tuesday, at the 5:00 opening, to have the stairs before the sun and the crowds. Sundays carry the pilgrimage traffic.SurfacePaved entrance path, then stone and concrete stairs with handrails, short cobbled ramps between flightsDirectionUp the footpath. Descend the same stairs before 16:00, or take the cable car or funicular down.

Signature moments

What you will
remember afterwards.

01

The gate opening at 5:00 with a queue already formed

02

Forest closing over the first flights

03

The city grid appearing at the lookouts

04

The last step onto the basilica plaza

STEPS

1,605

The IDRD counts every step of the footpath

The city agency that administers the path publishes its length as 1,605 steps over 2,350 metres. No registration, no fee; capacity is controlled at the gate.

Access & logistics

AccessThe entrance is at Carrera 2 Este 21-48, Paseo Bolívar, next to the cable-car and funicular station, a short walk uphill from La Candelaria and the Quinta de Bolívar. Walk it in daylight or take a taxi to the station door.PermitsNone. Access is free and needs no registration. Capacity is counted at the gate and entry stops when it is reached. No pets, no children under one metre, no adults over 75, no leaving the marked path.BookingsNone for the path. For the descent, the cable car sells a one-way ticket; a discounted sport ticket applies between 5:30 and 9:00 on non-holiday days.WaterNone on the path. Carry what you need; there is food and drink on the plaza at the top.FoodRestaurants and stalls at the basilica plaza. Eat light before the stairs.Mobile coverageUrban coverage on the lower path. Do not count on it inside the forest.DurationNo IDRD time. Colombia Corre's reference table calls 40 to 55 minutes from the foot of the stairs to the church average, 30 to 40 good, under 26 excellent.

Key hazards

  • ▲Altitude, finishing at 3,152 m
  • ▲Early closure of the gate when capacity is reached
  • ▲Robbery of tourists on the approach streets
  • ▲Wet stone steps after rain
  • ▲No toilets and no water on the path
  • ▲Low light on the lower path at opening time

SafetyOrientation only. Always use current official maps, alerts and safety guidance. Go early, stay on the path, carry water and a light layer, and leave valuables at your lodging.

Check footpath hours with the IDRD →Request this run →

We track ground truth. Send a field note after your run: three photos, ground condition, the signature moment, the local anchor.

Official sources

Last verified 2026-09-16 · Record CETC-RUN-027 · Orientation only. Always use current official maps, alerts and safety guidance.

Photograph: Mónica Alejandra Ortiz · CC BY-SA 3.0