Country guide
Flights to Colombia
Three very different cities at three very different altitudes
Colombia is a country where the altitude does more to shape a trip than the latitude. Bogotá sits at 2,640 metres and is cool year-round; Medellín at 1,500 is famously temperate; Cartagena on the Caribbean coast is hot and humid at any time of year. All three are an hour or two apart by air.
That variety is the reason most itineraries here use domestic flights rather than roads. The mountain geography that produces the climates also makes overland journeys long, and internal fares are generally modest.
From the United States, Bogotá is the main gateway and is geographically closer to most US cities than the hubs further south, which is why it also works well as a connecting point deeper into South America.
Cities we have guides for
Where to go beyond the obvious
Bogotá
The capital, high and cool, with the colonial Candelaria district, the Gold Museum and Monserrate above the city. It is a large and demanding city rather than an easy one, and the altitude is felt on the first day. Worth two or three days rather than a passing look.
Medellín
In a valley at 1,500 metres with a mild climate year-round, and transformed over the past two decades. The metro and its cable cars into the hillside neighbourhoods are the standard way to understand the city. El Poblado is where most visitors stay. Note the airport is thirty-five kilometres away over a mountain.
Cartagena and the Caribbean coast
A walled colonial city on the Caribbean, hot and humid, with the Rosario islands offshore and Santa Marta and Tayrona National Park further east. This is the coast that most resembles the Caribbean image of Colombia, and it is a different country in feel from the highlands.
The Coffee Triangle
Salento, Filandia and the Cocora valley, between Medellín and Bogotá, with wax palms and coffee farms open to visitors. Green, mild and walkable, and the usual counterweight to a trip that would otherwise be all cities.
When to go
Colombia sits close to the equator, so there is no summer and winter — instead there are drier and wetter periods that vary by region. December to March and July to August are broadly the drier windows across much of the country.
The Caribbean coast is hot year-round with less seasonal variation. December to April is the driest and the busiest, and Cartagena around Christmas and New Year is at its most expensive.
The highlands stay cool all year. Bogotá averages around 14°C regardless of month, which visitors expecting tropical South America consistently get wrong.
Getting around
Domestic flights are the practical way to move between the main cities. Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena and Cali are all short hops, and the mountain roads make the alternative slow.
Long-distance buses are comfortable and cover the country thoroughly, but journeys are long. Bogotá to Medellín is around nine hours by road against an hour in the air.
Both Bogotá and Medellín have substantial public transport — Bogotá's TransMilenio bus system and Medellín's metro and cable cars — and both are cheap and usable.
The basics
- Currency
- Colombian peso
- Main gateway
- Bogotá (BOG)
- Bogotá altitude
- About 2,640 m
- Medellín airport transfer
- 45–75 minutes
- Drier months
- December–March, July–August
- Language
- Spanish
Before you book
Take the first day in Bogotá gently
At 2,640 metres most people notice mild breathlessness and sometimes a headache for the first day. Water, less alcohol and nothing strenuous handles it. Arriving in Medellín or Cartagena first avoids the issue entirely.
Medellín's airport is not in Medellín
José María Córdova is thirty-five kilometres away near Rionegro, forty-five to seventy-five minutes over a mountain road. The small Olaya Herrera airport inside the city handles only regional flights. Check which one your ticket says.
Fly between cities rather than driving
The distances look manageable on a map and are not, because of the terrain. Internal flights are inexpensive and turn a nine-hour drive into an hour, which on a trip of a week or two is the difference between seeing three cities and seeing one.
Routes to Colombia
Flight times are non-stop estimates from great-circle distance. Actual schedules and whether a non-stop exists on your dates come from a live search.
Airport guides
FAQ
Flights to Colombia — common questions
If yours isn't here, just call — we're happy to explain.
Which city should I fly into in Colombia?
Bogotá has the most international service and works as a hub for onward domestic flights. Medellín suits a trip focused on the city and the coffee region, and Cartagena is the direct option for the Caribbean coast. Many itineraries fly into one and out of another.
Will I feel the altitude in Bogotá?
Most people notice it mildly for the first day — stairs are harder work and some visitors get a headache. It usually settles within a day or two. Medellín, at 1,500 metres, is low enough that most people feel nothing.
When is the best time to visit Colombia?
December to March and July to August are the broadly drier windows. Because the country sits near the equator, the highlands stay cool all year and the Caribbean coast stays hot, so the season affects rainfall rather than temperature.
Still have a question? We're happy to explain — just call.
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