Barrio Egipto, Bogotá Hear the story of how resilience transformed Barrio Egipto in Bogotá. Discover graffiti art and chat with locals on this authentic tour.
Breaking Borders
Learn about the impressive story of a group of residents in Barrio Egipto, Bogotá. By choosing to leave behind their criminal past, they started the Breaking Borders initiative, showing tourists their streets filled with artworks that tell the story of the neighborhood. In this way, tourism has become a real alternative for their personal and professional development, opening doors to a brighter future.
Your guide will pick you up in private transportation and take you to La Candelaria, the founding place of Bogotá. There, you will learn about the project while enjoying a coffee or aguapanela before heading to Nuestra Señora de Egipto, the church located at the entrance of Barrio Egipto. This is also the site of the January 6th festivities, a three-day religious carnival deeply rooted in the traditions of the Barrio people. La Calle Real, once the only connection of the people with the city, will lead you further into the neighborhood. Your guide will stop with you at El Cuadrado, a central point in the history of gang fights in the area. While this place was once a strategic point for gang territorial control, today it is painted with images that tell the story and the new values of the people.
As you walk uphill through the colorful streets of the neighborhood, you will notice how much the area has changed and transformed into a place of hope, peace, and culture. Along the way, you will see the people's history illustrated in impressive graffiti. Your guide will explain the meanings and stories behind these murals.
You will then reach the hills where the modest homes of local guides and their families are located. You will notice that the community is still underdeveloped and struggles to access basic services. Despite these conditions, this place is full of life thanks to the warmth, joy, and the children’s desire to fight for their dreams.
In this area, you will also see one of the greatest changes in the neighborhood. Thanks to the project, a soccer field has been built for the local children. Hear why this field is an essential part of the ongoing transformation.
