So, you are travelling to Colombia.
Excellent choice.
You are about to discover a country filled with colourful colonial cities, Caribbean beaches, enormous mountains, tropical rainforest, coffee plantations, lively cities and landscapes that occasionally look as though somebody became slightly overenthusiastic with the scenery settings.
And the coffee?
You may return home with considerably higher standards.
Colombia has transformed into one of South America’s most exciting travel destinations, with adventures ranging from exploring the historic streets of Cartagena to hiking through the mountains around Salento, discovering Medellín and relaxing beside the Caribbean Sea.
But Colombia is also a country where a little preparation can make your journey considerably easier.
Because nothing interrupts your spontaneous South American adventure quite like discovering that your “quick journey” between two destinations involves eight hours of winding mountain roads.
To help you travel smarter, stay safer and enjoy your Colombian adventure with fewer unnecessary surprises, here are 10 useful travel hacks for visiting Colombia.
1. Do Not Judge Distances By The Map
🗺️ Colombia can be deceptive.
Two destinations may look reasonably close together on a map.
Then you check the journey time.
Seven hours.
Interesting.
Colombia’s mountains make overland travel wonderfully scenic, but they can also make relatively short distances surprisingly slow.
A journey that appears straightforward may involve winding roads, mountain passes and enough corners to make you develop a very close relationship with your motion sickness tablets.
💡 Travel Hack: Always check actual travel times rather than judging distances from the map.
For longer journeys between major destinations such as Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena and Santa Marta, domestic flights can sometimes save you an entire day of travelling.
If you prefer travelling by bus, overnight services can also help you save valuable daytime hours.
Just bring something warm.
Bus air conditioning occasionally appears to have one setting:
Arctic expedition.
2. Carry Some Colombian Pesos
💳 Cards are widely accepted in many hotels, restaurants, supermarkets and larger businesses, particularly in major cities and tourist destinations.
But cash remains useful.
Very useful.
Small restaurants, local shops, street-food stalls, taxis and businesses in rural areas may prefer cash or have limited card facilities.
And the person selling delicious arepas from a tiny roadside stand is unlikely to be particularly interested in your premium travel rewards card.
💡 Travel Hack: Carry a reasonable amount of Colombian pesos in smaller denominations.
Avoid carrying your entire holiday budget in one enormous wad of cash.
Use ATMs in secure locations such as shopping centres, banks or airports when possible and check your bank’s international withdrawal fees before travelling.
When a card machine or ATM offers to convert the transaction into your home currency, check the exchange rate carefully before accepting.
Convenience can sometimes be surprisingly expensive.
3. Download Offline Maps
📱 Colombia is wonderfully easy to explore when your phone knows where you are.
Less so when it suddenly decides it has never heard of mobile data.
Coverage is generally useful in major cities and populated areas, but it can become less reliable when travelling through mountains, national parks, rural regions and more remote destinations.
This is particularly inconvenient when your accommodation is somewhere down an unnamed road beside “the big tree”.
💡 Travel Hack: Download offline maps for each destination before travelling.
Save your accommodation, airports, bus terminals, restaurants and major attractions.
It is also worth taking screenshots of important addresses, booking confirmations and transport information.
Your phone may lose signal.
Screenshots remain beautifully unconcerned.
4. Learn A Few Spanish Phrases
🗣️ Spanish will make your Colombian adventure considerably easier.
English is spoken in some hotels, hostels, tour companies and popular tourist areas, particularly in major destinations.
But you should not assume everybody speaks it.
Once you move beyond heavily visited areas, your ability to communicate may suddenly depend on your Spanish vocabulary.
Which, for some travellers, consists primarily of:
Hola.
Gracias.
Cerveza.
A surprisingly solid foundation, admittedly.
💡 Travel Hack: Learn useful Spanish phrases for transport, restaurants, directions, shopping and emergencies.
Download Spanish for offline use in your translation app too.
Even basic phrases can make everyday interactions easier and Colombians will generally appreciate travellers making an effort.
Your grammar does not need to be perfect.
Enthusiasm and creative hand gestures have supported international travel for generations.
5. Use Ride-Hailing Apps In Major Cities
🚗 Bogotá, Medellín, Cali and other large Colombian cities can be busy, sprawling and occasionally confusing for first-time visitors.
Ride-hailing apps can make getting around much easier, particularly when travelling with luggage or returning to your accommodation later in the day.
They also allow you to enter your destination directly.
No pronunciation examination required.
💡 Travel Hack: Set up reputable ride-hailing apps before travelling and make sure your payment method works.
Before entering any vehicle, check the driver’s details, registration number and vehicle information against the app.
When possible, request your ride from somewhere secure and well lit rather than standing beside the road staring hopefully at every approaching car.
For airport journeys, also check the official transport arrangements at your particular airport.
6. Be Sensible With Your Phone And Valuables
🎒 Colombia is a fantastic destination, but sensible precautions with valuables are important, particularly in busy cities, nightlife areas and crowded tourist locations.
You do not need to spend your entire holiday suspiciously guarding your backpack like it contains the Crown Jewels.
You simply need to travel smart.
Avoid unnecessarily displaying expensive jewellery, large amounts of cash or costly electronics.
And try not to wander beside a busy road holding your smartphone several feet in front of you while concentrating entirely on navigation.
Your phone does not need its own sightseeing tour.
💡 Travel Hack: Carry only what you need for the day and keep valuables secure.
Use your phone discreetly, particularly in crowded streets and around transport hubs.
Keep backup copies of your passport and important documents somewhere separate from the originals.
It is also worth asking staff at your accommodation about neighbourhoods you plan to visit.
Local advice is often considerably more useful than something written online five years ago by somebody who visited for 36 hours.
7. Prepare For Altitude In Bogotá
⛰️ Bogotá sits approximately 2,600 metres above sea level.
Which is rather high.
You may step off the plane feeling perfectly normal, walk enthusiastically up a hill and suddenly wonder whether somebody has secretly removed half the oxygen from Colombia.
The altitude can affect travellers differently.
Some people barely notice it.
Others may experience headaches, tiredness or shortness of breath while adjusting.
💡 Travel Hack: Give yourself time to acclimatise when arriving in Bogotá, particularly if you have travelled directly from somewhere near sea level.
Take things gently during your first day, drink plenty of water and avoid immediately scheduling the most physically demanding activity of your entire trip.
Bogotá is not going anywhere.
You can conquer the city after breakfast tomorrow.
8. Pack For Several Climates
🌦️ Colombia sits close to the equator, so you might reasonably assume:
Hot.
Shorts.
Finished.
Not quite.
Colombia’s climate varies enormously depending on altitude and region.
Cartagena and the Caribbean coast can be hot and humid.
Bogotá can feel surprisingly cool.
Medellín is famous for its relatively mild climate.
Mountain destinations can become chilly, while rainforest regions bring their own combination of heat, humidity and rain.
You could theoretically require sunglasses, insect repellent and a warm jacket during the same holiday.
Efficient.
💡 Travel Hack: Pack according to the regions and altitudes on your itinerary rather than treating Colombia as having one climate.
Lightweight layers are extremely useful.
Bring sun protection for warmer destinations, something waterproof for sudden rain and warmer clothing for higher-altitude locations.
Your Caribbean beach outfit may not perform quite as impressively during a cold Bogotá evening.
9. Do Not Try To See Everything
🧳 Colombia has an unfortunate habit of giving travellers too many options.
Bogotá.
Medellín.
Cartagena.
Salento.
The Coffee Region.
Santa Marta.
Tayrona.
San Andrés.
Guatapé.
The Amazon.
Suddenly your relaxing two-week holiday resembles the itinerary of a touring rock band.
It is tempting to squeeze everything into one trip.
Resist.
Constantly changing destinations means repeatedly packing, checking out, travelling, checking in and wondering where you put your passport.
Again.
💡 Travel Hack: Choose a realistic number of destinations and group them geographically when possible.
Give yourself enough time to actually experience each place rather than simply collecting photographs proving you were there.
A slower itinerary also gives you room for unexpected discoveries.
And those are often the best parts of travelling.
10. Leave Room For Spontaneity
☕ Colombia rewards curiosity.
You may arrive with an impressive spreadsheet containing every restaurant, attraction, bus journey and coffee stop organised down to the minute.
Very professional.
Then somebody recommends a small town you have never heard of.
Or you discover a local restaurant.
Or you meet other travellers heading somewhere interesting.
Or you sit down for coffee and accidentally remain there for two hours.
This is not necessarily poor time management.
This is travel.
💡 Travel Hack: Plan the important parts of your journey, but leave some flexibility in your itinerary.
Book essential transport, popular accommodation and activities that are likely to sell out.
Then leave some space between them.
Colombia has plenty of places that may never appear on your original itinerary but could become your favourite memories.
Sometimes the best travel hack is simply not scheduling every minute.
✨ Final Colombia Thoughts
Colombia is one of those countries that becomes increasingly difficult to describe the longer you travel around it.
Caribbean beaches.
Andean mountains.
Coffee plantations.
Rainforest.
Colourful colonial towns.
Huge modern cities.
Tropical islands.
National parks.
Street food.
Music.
And enough excellent coffee to make returning to the office kettle particularly upsetting.
Travelling around Colombia becomes considerably easier when you understand the distances, prepare for different climates and accept that you probably cannot see everything in one visit.
Carry some Colombian pesos, download offline maps, learn a little Spanish and keep sensible precautions in mind when exploring cities.
Most importantly, give yourself time.
Sit in the plaza a little longer.
Try the street food.
Visit the small café.
Talk to people.
Take the scenic route occasionally.
Drink another Colombian coffee.
Actually, definitely drink another Colombian coffee.
Some travel decisions do not require extensive research.
One trip might take you through Bogotá and the surrounding Andes.
Another could involve Medellín, Guatapé and the Coffee Region.
The next might lead towards Cartagena and Colombia’s Caribbean coast.
And then there is the Amazon.
You see the problem.
With these useful travel hacks, you can spend less time worrying about logistics and more time enjoying everything this extraordinary South American country has to offer.
And when you eventually arrive at the airport for your flight home, slightly tired, considerably better at Spanish and wondering how much coffee you can legally fit into your luggage, there is a very good chance one thought will appear:
“When can I come back?”
