Waymark

Colombia travel guide

Best time to visit from the UK, weather, festivals, flights from London and FCDO travel advice.

Caño Cristales
Caño Cristales. Photo: Astromario, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
10h 45mflight from London
Colombian pesocurrency
No visafor UK passports
Type A, Bplugs

Colonial Cartagena, coffee country and the river of five colours

Don't miss

  1. Cartagena
  2. Coffee Triangle
  3. Tayrona National Park
Good forBeachesCultureFood lovers

Best time to visit Colombia from the UK

Best value: Apr, Oct–Nov. Dec–Mar and Jul–Aug: drier. Busiest and priciest: Dec–Mar, Jul–Aug.

19.1 C19°J19.5 C20°F19.5 C20°M19.1 C19°A18.8 C19°M18.2 C18°J18.2 C18°J18.5 C18°A18.9 C19°S18.6 C19°O18.4 C18°N18.6 C19°D
Best valueBusy and pricierQuietAverage temperature in Bogota, °C, 2001–2025 (NASA POWER).

Each bar is the average temperature in Bogota for that month, and its colour shows the season for visitors: best value (good weather, fewer crowds and lower prices), busiest and priciest, or quiet (off-peak, sometimes because the weather is poorer).

  • Our pick: April and OctoberThe warmest of the best-value months (19°C), with fewer crowds than peak season.
  • Peak season: Dec–Mar, Jul–AugUsually 18–20°C. The busiest time, so book flights and rooms early and expect higher prices.
  • Quiet season: May–Jun, SepAround 18–19°C. The cheapest and least crowded time, though often because of rain or heat.
  • Warmest: February (20°C) · coolest: June (18°C)Temperatures barely change through the year, so the season matters more than the weather.
Temperatures as a table
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
19.119.519.519.118.818.218.218.518.918.618.418.6

Festivals and events

  • Barranquilla Carnival Feb–Mar · Barranquilla
  • Feria de las Flores Aug · Medellín
  • Feria de Cali Dec · Cali

Festival dates move from year to year: check before you book.

Getting there from the UK

Flight time
About 10h 45m
Distance
8,479 km
Main airport
BOG

Flight times are straight-line estimates for a direct flight from Heathrow; journeys with a change take longer.

Add Colombia to your bucket list Search flights to BOG

Practical info and travel guidance

Colombian pesoCapital: Bogotá
Type A, B · 110VBring a UK adapter; check chargers say 100-240V
Drive on the rightOpposite to the UK
123
EmergencyPolice, fire, ambulance
Safe in citiesBottled elsewhere
  • FCDO adviceAdvises against travel to parts of ColombiaCheck which areas before you book.
  • VisaNo visa neededUp to 90 days
  • HealthcareNo free healthcareYou pay for treatment, so travel insurance with medical cover is essential.
  • LGBT+ travellersLegal and broadly accepted
  • Women travellersFCDO warns of sexual assault or harassmentTake extra care at night and with drinks.

For British passport holders, summarised from the FCDO's advice for Colombia, checked October 2026. FCDO page last updated 15 October 2026. Rules change: read the official FCDO travel advice for Colombia before you book and again before you go.

Open Colombia on the map Log it as visited, drop pins for the places you went, or plan it as your next trip.