Driving back into Bogotá after a holiday weekend: the return plan and regional pico y placa

Colombia has long weekends called puentes, and if you leave Bogotá by car on one, the hard part is coming back. On the last day the city runs its plan retorno and the regional pico y placa: from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. even-numbered plates can enter, and from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. odd-numbered plates, on nine entry corridors.

This guide explains how it works, which holiday weekends are left in 2026 and how to plan the drive back so you do not spend the afternoon on the Autopista Norte.

What is the plan retorno?

It is the operation Bogotá’s Mobility Department and the traffic police run on the last day of every holiday weekend, when thousands of cars return at once. It includes checkpoints at the city entrances, reversible lanes on some stretches and the regional pico y placa, which is the rule that matters most to drivers.

How does the regional pico y placa work?

According to the city of Bogotá, on the return day entry into the city is split by the last digit of the plate:

• 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.: plates ending in an even number (0, 2, 4, 6 and 8) can enter.
• 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.: plates ending in an odd number (1, 3, 5, 7 and 9) can enter.
• Before noon and after 8:00 p.m.: any plate can enter.

It applies on the nine entry corridors: Autopista Norte, Autopista Sur, Calle 13 (Centenario), Calle 80, Carrera Séptima, Avenida Boyacá and the road to the Llanos, the Suba–Cota road, the La Calera road and the Choachí road. It applies to every car using them, whether or not it is registered in Bogotá.

This is not the everyday pico y placa, which applies inside the city Monday to Friday. We explain that one in our guide to pico y placa with a rental car.

Which holiday weekends are left in 2026?

When the holiday falls on a Monday, the return day and the regional pico y placa are that Monday. December 8 falls on a Tuesday, so it does not create a normal long weekend; December 25 falls on a Friday, and the return for that weekend is on Sunday.

How to plan the drive back

• Check the last digit of the plate before you leave. That number tells you which window you can enter in.
• Drive back early or late. Before noon or after 8:00 p.m. any plate can enter and traffic eases.
• Consider returning the next day. If the long weekend ends on a Monday and your plans allow it, the roads are clear early on Tuesday. Check whether your plate has the everyday pico y placa that day.
• Budget for the toll. The Andes toll on the Autopista Norte is charged in both directions, so you pay it on the way back too.
• Check road conditions with Invías, Colombia’s national roads agency, before you leave.

What if you are driving back to return the car?

If your rental ends on the last day of a holiday weekend, leave a margin. A drive that normally takes an hour can take several, and the return time is written in the contract. If you see you will not make it, message us on WhatsApp before the agreed time and we will sort it out.

The most popular long-weekend destinations are all off the Autopista Norte: Zipaquirá, Guatavita, Suesca and Villa de Leyva. See our guides to the Salt Cathedral day trip and driving to Villa de Leyva.

For groups or lots of luggage, our fleet includes a 7-seat SUV and automatic SUVs.