Colombia travel guide

Getting there

Bogotá's El Dorado International Airport is the main hub, with further international flights into Medellín, Cartagena and Cali; land borders connect with Ecuador and Brazil, and boats link to Panama via the San Blas Islands.

Best time to visit: Dec–Mar and Jul–Aug – drier weather in most regions.

Tougher months: No bad time – April-May and October-November are wetter in the Andes, but showers are usually brief and the country is green.

Weather by month in Bogotá

• 19°J●
• 20°F●
• 20°M●●
• 19°A●●
• 19°M●●
• 19°J●
• 18°J●
• 19°A●
• 19°S●
• 19°O●●
• 19°N●●
• 19°D●

Average daytime highs in °C; dots show how rainy the month is (one dot dry, three dots wet).

Time zone: America/Bogota. Compare with your local time.

Visas: in our passport dataset, 101 of 198 other passports can enter Colombia without arranging a visa first (visa-free or visa on arrival), 97 need an e-visa or electronic authorisation, and 0 need a visa in advance. Check your passport.

Background: Visa policy of Colombia (Wikipedia).

Official advisory: Level 3: Reconsider Travel (U.S. Department of State, updated 2026-03-31). Read the advisory.

Source and more: Colombia travel facts on RoamSun

Stay

Most trips to Colombia are based around Cartagena, Bogotá or Medellín. Pick a base for your main interest, then add day trips rather than moving hotels every night.

Typical daily budget: about US$30–45 for a backpacker and US$70–140 mid-range, per person.

Source: RoamSun Colombia page · Browse hotel guides

Connect

Plug types: A, B. Voltage: 110 V. Check your own devices on the plug and currency checker.

Calling code: +57.

Mobile data: read the travel eSIM setup guide before you fly so the plan is installed and ready on landing.

Source: Advinne eSIM guide · RoamSun

Do

• Cartagena (Caribbean coast · colonial city): A UNESCO-listed walled city with lively plazas, fortresses and nearby islands.
• Bogotá (Andes · capital): A sprawling high-altitude capital with superb museums, the historic La Candelaria district and Monserrate hill views.
• Medellín (Antioquia · city of eternal spring): A green, mild city known for its innovative transport, nightlife and day trips to Guatapé.
• Salento & Cocora Valley (Zona Cafetera · coffee & palms): A colourful village on the doorstep of wax-palm valleys and working coffee farms.
• Tayrona National Park (Caribbean · beaches & jungle): Beautiful coves, rainforest trails and Indigenous heritage near Santa Marta.
• Guatapé (Antioquia · lake town): A town of brightly painted façades beside the huge granite rock of El Peñol, which you can climb for lake views.
• San Agustín (Huila · archaeology): A UNESCO site of ancient carved stone statues and tombs in rolling green hills.
• Villa de Leyva (Boyacá · colonial town): A whitewashed colonial town with one of South America's largest cobbled plazas, surrounded by desert-like landscapes.

Things to do

• Wander Cartagena's walled city. Stroll past flower-draped balconies and pastel colonial houses, then watch the sunset from the old ramparts.
• Trek to Ciudad Perdida. Hike several days through jungle and rivers to the moss-covered stone terraces of the Tairona 'Lost City'.
• Tour a coffee farm. Learn bean-to-cup secrets on a finca in the Zona Cafetera, surrounded by green hills and banana trees.
• Walk among wax palms. Hike the Cocora Valley, where the world's tallest palms tower over misty pastures.
• Visit Bogotá's Gold Museum. Gaze at thousands of pre-Hispanic gold treasures, including the famous Muisca raft linked to El Dorado.
• Ride Medellín's cable cars. Glide over hillside neighbourhoods on the metrocable and explore the street art of Comuna 13 with a local guide.
• Relax in Tayrona National Park. Swim at palm-fringed beaches where jungle-clad mountains meet the Caribbean Sea.
• Dance salsa in Cali. Take a class and then hit a salsoteca in Colombia's self-proclaimed salsa capital.

Source: full Colombia guide on RoamSun

Eat and drink

• Bandeja paisa – big plate of beans, rice, meat, egg and plantain
• Arepas – grilled corn cakes
• Ajiaco – chicken and potato soup from Bogotá
• Tropical fruits – try lulo, maracuyá and guanábana

Source: RoamSun Colombia guide

Talk

Twenty basic Spanish phrases with a simple sound guide. Say them slowly; a smile does the rest.

Basic phrases: pronunciation is approximate and the list has not yet been reviewed by a native speaker. Capital letters mark the stressed syllable where that applies. Spot a mistake? Tell us.

Money and safety

Currency: Colombian peso (COP). Currency and plug checker.

Tipping: A 10% service charge is often suggested on the bill..

Emergency numbers: 123.

• The currency is the Colombian peso; ATMs are widespread in cities, but use machines inside banks or malls.
• Cards are accepted in cities and larger businesses, but carry cash for buses, markets and small towns.
• Check your government's travel advice, as some rural and border areas are advised against.
• Use registered taxis or ride-hailing apps rather than hailing cars on the street, especially at night.

Source: RoamSun Colombia facts