How we spent two weeks in Colombia
We spent two weeks in Colombia in March 2025 and I think it’s one of my favourite trips ever. In fact, ever since we left I’ve been thinking about going back. We travelled up through Colombia from Bogota, but if you’re landing in from the USA or any of the countries to the north the chances are you’d do this itinerary in reverse.
Here’s everything you need to know about our two week Colombia itinerary.
How to get to Colombia
From London the best way to get to Colombia is to fly direct from Heathrow to Bogotá with Avianca. It takes about 10 hours and costs a little under £800 for a return flight with checked bags. You could also choose to take an indirect flight – which will take longer but may be cheaper.
Lost luggage with Avianca
On our flight from London to Bogotá there was an issue with the luggage security scanners and our bags didn’t make it onto the flight. At Bogotá Airport everyone we spoke to was very helpful, assuring us that our bags would be put on the same flight the next day so we would only be 24 hours without our things.
I had packed my toothbrush and toothpaste, deodorant, and one change of clothes in my carry on which I was very glad of. I always do this and somehow this is the only time it’s ever been necessary! This was also where having an AirTag in our checked luggage was very useful as we could eventually see that the bags had moved from the Terminal into a departure gate.
We could have had our bags brought to our hotel in Bogotá but since we were flying to Salento the next day we picked them up. We received emails updating us on the status of our bags (finding them, boarding the plane, arrived) and the final email included a button to decline hotel delivery. The next morning we collected them from Avianca’s lost luggage desk at Bogotá Arrivals and the experience was all smooth and stress-free… As far as having your bags lost by an airline can be.
Where to stay in Colombia
We flew direct from Heathrow to Bogotá and stayed in the Cite Hotel for two nights. The double room was comfortable and for £75 per night we got to enjoy the rooftop pool, super comfy beds (especially after a 10 hour flight), and a great buffet breakfast. The area felt fairly safe and the staff were very friendly. We caught cabs to go further afield, but it was safe to walk to lots of bars and shops close to our hotel.
Read more about our time in Bogotá here.
Our next stop was Salento where we stayed at the Viajero hostel. We got private rooms rather than dorms, which were comfortable and had everything we needed and cost £XX per night. The hostel was a five minute walk from the town centre and had a restaurant and bar which were lively and great for socialising.
Read more about our time in Salento here.
In Medellin we also stayed at the Viajero Hostel, which was bigger and had more of a party vibe than the one in Salento. We had a private double room which cost under £200 for four nights, but there are cheaper dorm and twin room options too. The neighbourhood, El Poblado, was safe to walk around and full of great bars and restaurants. It was also easy to get tacos or the metro when exploring further afield. Medellin is one of my favourite cities I’ve ever visited…
Read more about our time in Medellin here.
From Medellin we flew 45 minutes north to Cartagena for two nights. We stayed at Voila Getsemaní which was beautiful and peaceful, and had a small pool in the courtyard. A basic breakfast of fruit, cereal, and eggs was included in the price. For a double room we paid just over £200 for two nights.
Find out more about our time in Cartagena here.
From Cartagena it was on to Tayrona National Park where we stayed at the EL Rio Buritaca hostel. We’d heard good things about Rio, which is known as a party hostel with DJs and club nights throughout the week. The hostel is in the middle of the jungle next to the river, and offers a lot of activities including hiking, yoga, and tubing. We had a private room with a bathroom for about £230 for three nights. It’s a very popular place to stay, so it’s not the cheapest but we had a great time there.
Find out more about our time in Tayrona here.
When is the best time to go to Colombia?
If you’re planning a trip to Colombia, make sure you check the seasons
The equator runs through Colombia and although most of the areas that tourists tend to travel to are in the northern hemisphere, there aren’t four distinct seasons like in the UK, but wet and dry seasons instead. There are two rainy seasons in Colombia in April to May and September to November. June, July, and August are dryer but depending on where you’re travelling to the weather still might not be the best. Which is why we decided to go at the start of the year.
What is the best route to travel through Colombia?
In general the best way to get around Colombia is by air. We travelled from Bogotá to Salento to Medellin to Cartagena all by air. Then from Cartagena to Santa Marta and on to Tayrona National Park, it was safe enough to use public transport.
The most common route is to travel from Bogotá to Salento, to Medellin, to Cartagena, to Santa Marta and Parque Tayrona – or follow this route in the opposite direction. Other common tourist destinations include Cali and San Andres.
Not every town in Colombia is safe for tourists to check out current guidance at the time of your trip (although don’t let the scaremongering put you off too much) and check out guided tour routes like Intrepid or G Adventures to figure out safe routes.
Is Colombia safe?
Colombia has a reputation as being a country that isn’t safe for tourists, and if you read the UK Government’s advice it definitely doesn’t sound like a safe place to travel. Googling “Is Colombia safe” will turn up results about violent crime and terrorism and maybe it’s true… But I didn’t experience anything like this, and it all sounds like a lot of scaremongering to me.
While there is a lot of crime in some areas of Colombia, I didn’t feel unsafe at any point when I was there. The people in Colombia are lovely and friendly, and I never felt any kind of threat (except when we were caught close to the middle of a fight outside the football stadium!)
Living in the centre of a major city might mean that I’m less afraid of travelling to places that are considered to have a high crime rate. But to me, a lot of the advice you’ll read about crime and staying safe in Colombia are just common sense.
In cities it’s often safer to get a cab than walk at night, and if you get an Uber they’ll probably ask you to sit in the front. Uber isn’t technically legal but, like in London, it’s cheaper than hailing a cab.
Male travellers can be targeted by sex workers and drug dealers in some areas and there are reports of people being robbed. Again, we didn’t see anything like this at all but we stayed in a fairly large group for most of the time.
Some areas in big cities aren’t safe at night, so read up on the more touristy areas to stay and party in. There are pickpockets in city centres and on transport, but unlike in London they’re not likely to grab your phone or wallet right out of your hand. Just keep an eye on your things. Keep your drink covered when you’re at the bar… Just be aware of your surroundings and the potential risks, be sensible, don’t get too drunk, don’t go for sex or drug tourism, and Colombia probably won’t feel unsafe to you.
Is Colombia cheap?
Getting to Colombia isn’t that cheap. And considering internal air travel is the best way to get around, I was surprised that the flights were close to £80 – this seemed expensive considering you can fly internally in the UK for about £30 but honestly, air travel shouldn’t be cheap so I didn’t mind too much!
But once you’re there, things in Colombia aren’t too expensive. You can easily get lunch with a beer for £10 or less. Experiences like horse riding in Salento cost about £18. Brunch in Medellin cost about £80 for 6 people. We weren’t backpacking so we weren’t on an especially tight budget, but we could have stayed in cheaper accommodation and travelled by bus rather than by plane (if we had more time) to save money.
Do you need vaccines to travel to Colombia?
You will need to make sure your standard travel vaccines (Hepatitis, Tetanus, Typhoid, Diphtheria, Polio) are all up to date. If you’re travelling to Tayrona and the northern coast there is a risk of Yellow Fever so you should also get this vaccination. It lasts a lifetime and you receive a yellow certificate that you should keep safe with you on your travels as proof of vaccination. I got my Yellow Fever jab and consultation at Superdrug for £74.
Should I go to Colombia?
Yes! I loved Colombia. It was an especially good place to explore with a larger group as the cities have a real party vibe to them. I’m already planning a return trip.
Wondering what to pack for a holiday in Colombia? Check out my Colombia packing list here.